FYI COVID -19 School Closure Update:
\r\nNeedless to say, this has been a busy weekend! Our #wbwildcats Admin team has been working to put a list of detailed information together for all WB families to help you to navigate through the next two weeks of this school closure.
\r\n- In order to try to invoke some sense of normalcy and some form of continuity of learning for our students, teachers will be providing academic enrichment activities for students. Teachers will use Monday and Tuesday to prepare these activities, therefore this extension of learning for all grade levels will start on Wednesday, March 18, 2020.
Grades PK - 3 will be using classroom created Facebook pages to disseminate this information. If parents do not have Facebook, they should reach out to their child’s teacher via email to receive this information. If you haven’t heard from your child’s teacher(s) by Wednesday regarding how to access their classroom page please contact him or her via Email.
Grades 4-12 teachers will be using Google Classroom to post these activities. Students already have Classroom accounts and should log into their accounts on Wednesday to see the posted activities.
We understand that some elementary families do not have home devices for your children to access these resources. If that is the case and you would like to borrow a Chromebook for the duration of the school closure for your child, please contact your building principal via e-mail as soon as possible and they will arrange a time for you to sign out one of our classroom Chromebooks.
We also are aware that not every family has access to the internet and that our public library is also closing on Monday. Comcast is providing a 2-month free internet package for families. Information for this program can be found at http://internetessentials.com/ or you can call Comcast for more information on this program.
. - We are very fortunate to have partnered with our local food pantry to assist families in our Free and Reduced Lunch program. If your child belongs to our Free and Reduced Lunch program and you would like to receive grab and go bagged breakfast and lunch items during this closure, please contact Mrs. Ann Marie Grinder, our food services director at Agrinder@wbridgewater.com and we will set up common times during the week when you can pick up these items.
. - Some of our students have prescription medications, EpiPens or Inhalers that are dispensed during the school day by our nurses. If any parent needs to pick up any of these items from your child’s nurse’s office to use during this closure period, please contact your school nurse or building principal via Email to schedule a time to pick up any medications, EpiPens or Inhalers.
. - Many parents are asking about how this closure works into our make up days and how this will affect the last day of school. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has clarified their guidance on makeup days earlier this week and it states: “All days lost to health, weather, or safety emergencies between March 16 and June1 must be made up to ensure a 180 day school year or until the district has reached its previously scheduled 185th day, whichever comes first. If all five snow days have been used prior to this point, the district Is not required to schedule additional school days.” Therefore, the last day of school in West Bridgewater will be Friday, June 19th, 2020.
As I have mentioned on Friday this is a trying and unprecedented time for all of us as we navigate this unchartered territory, but we will get through this if we stick together. I will continue to communicate with you any updates I receive from the DESE, Massachusetts DPH or the Governor’s office that pertain to our school closure. Thank you again for your patience and understanding.