May 4, 2021

May Newsletter 2021

It is hard to believe that there are only six weeks of school left!  Spring is usually an incredibly busy time at school and, pandemic or not, this spring is no different!  I do hope that, no matter how fast the pace may get, we are still able to appreciate just how fortunate we all are to be at this point in the school year!  A year ago, I never would have predicted that we would reach this milestone.  Thanks to the amazing team of educators, families and students that we have at Alcott, I know we will continue to meet many more milestones together!

New Administrative Assistant: As you know, Norma Jean Atkinson retired last week.  Although we were incredibly sad to say goodbye to her, we are excited to welcome Theresa Bertolami into the role.  The biggest impact this has on parents right now is that you need to make sure you are emailing tbertolami@concordps.org with any dismissal changes or administrative questions.

MCAS: As you are likely aware, MCAS remains mandated by the state and is right around the corner. A schedule can be found below.  The test has been shortened this year – students will only be taking one session of ELA, one session of Math, and one session of Science/Technology and Engineering (5th grade only).

ELA

Monday, May 10 – Grade 5 ELA
Tuesday, May 11 – Grade 4 ELA
Thursday, May 13 – Grade 3 ELA
Friday, May 14 – Remote Academy

Math

Monday, May 17 – Grade 5 Math
Tuesday, May 18 – Grade 4 Math
Thursday, May 20 – Grade 3 Math
Friday, May 21 – Remote Academy

Science/Technology and Engineering

Monday, May 24 – Grade 5 Science
Tuesday, May 25 – Remote Academy – Grade 5 only

Outdoor Safety Measures: Our midday lunch and recess block has been going really well!  However, with an hour of outside time, I do want to encourage parents to take a few steps to ensure that their children are protected from the elements.  I would encourage you to send your child in with a hat or long sleeves as well as sunscreen as the sun gets stronger.  I would also encourage you to do a tick check on your child when they get home as we have had a few reports of ticks.

Spring Activities: Pandemic or not, we have several beloved traditions coming up soon, most notably field day and fifth grade festivities.  Both of these will look different than they have in the past due to COVID restrictions. However, rest assured that staff and parent coordinators are busy planning for both, with more details to be released soon!

Reverse Give a Hoots: I want to extend a thank you to our fifth graders (and their families) for organizing the Reverse Give a Hoots for Teacher Appreciation Week.  What a lovely way to use an Alcott tradition to express appreciation for the entire staff!