Saturday, March 21, 2020

Saturday Big Buck$ Winner!

The winner for Saturday, a $70 Jersey Mikes's Catering Gift Certificate, is Jen Mota!

Congratulations to Andrew Lane for selling the winning ticket!!

Help Feed Beverly

Beverly Bootstraps has heard from so many who want to help, that are worried about how people will keep afloat during these challenging times, concerned that children will go hungry.

Beverly Bootstraps is here to Help Feed Beverly and to provide our community with ways you too can help give hunger the boot.

To ensure everyone in need knows how to access food, Beverly Bootstraps has posted a list of free food options available in Beverly.

For those that want to help their neighbors in need, they can add their name to a centralized list of volunteers or consider making a donation to help Beverly Bootstrapskeep the Food Pantry stocked.

Thank you for wanting to Help Feed Beverly!



Friday, March 20, 2020

STMath Issue

A message  this morning from the superintendent about STMath

I just want to let you know that we experienced an issue with an upgrade overnight with STMath. I know your child is anxious to get back to playing with JiJi! Please be patient as we fix the issue. We are working on it and it should be resolved overnight. In the meantime, use this opportunity to visit the newly added link to WGBH resources - they are amazing!

Sue Charochak Ed. D.
Superintendent of Schools

Big Bucks Winner!!!

The winner for today, a $50 Mike’s Pizzeria Gift Card, is Mark Reardon

Congratulations to Jack Reardon for selling the winning ticket!!

Thursday, March 19, 2020

Online Resources During School Shut Down

We have a number of online resources for  you to access during the shutdown.

Beverly Keeps Learning - We have designed these resources in an effort to prevent learning loss during this extended closure. Participation in these activities are not considered formal instructional days for your child. See this letter from the superintendent for more information.
Also remember:
Twitter

Free Lunch (with Breakfast!) for Beverly Children

During the school shutdown BPS is providing a free lunch every day (with a bagged breakfast for the next day). It's available for pickup at Beverly High School M-F from 10:30 to 12:30. It is also available at several park locations, weather permitting.

Children do not need to be currently enrolled in free/reduced meal plans, just come by to pick it up! And share this information with others in the community.

See this flyer for more information.

Homeward Bound Emails

Homeward Bound emails will now be automatically triggered between 11:00 am  and 1:00 pm (instead of between 1-3pm, as is typical when school is in session).

You can read Homeward Bound on the web anytime, but if you like getting  an email once a day with the previous 24 hours of posts, you can sign up for it. (For example, an email received on Tuesday around 11:30 am would have all posts put up on Monday afternoon and on Tuesday morning).

Click here to sign up for daily Homeward Bound email.

You MUST click on the link in the confirmation email to begin  receiving emails. Detailed directions  are available.

Big Buck$ Calendar Winner!!!!

The winner for today, a $50 B.Good Gift Card, is Juli Shea

Congratulations to Tara Shea for selling the winning ticket!!

No Meal Distributions at Parks Thursday

Due to today's weather conditions Beverly Public Schools Food Service will not be delivering meals to the 3 park locations, Apple Village, Holcroft and Goldway Park. In anticipation of the poor weather all children that came to each park yesterday received an additional breakfast and lunch. Beverly High School will be handing out breakfast and lunches today from 10:30am-12:30pm.

All park meal distribution sites are scheduled to open on Friday March 20.

Please reach out with any questions, 978-921-6132 ext 11129.


Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Chess and Cribbage Club Online

Any students who attend Chess and Cribbage Club are invited to join our Google Classroom for updates about how to play online with each other. You can join our class using the following code: 2g5ha7u

There is information about the website and how to let me know you are interested in playing. Hope to connect with many of you during this time of distance learning! 

--  Mrs. Wood-Bell

Beverly Keeps Learning Website Launches

This communication came from the superintendent today:

Good Afternoon Beverly Students, Parents and Guardians,

We are excited to provide you with the newly created website Beverly Keeps Learning to help keep your children engaged and learning while our schools are closed. As I mentioned in last night’s communication, today we are providing public access to our website Beverly Keeps Learning. Below you will find a link to our new site. We hope that you and your child will find these resources helpful and engaging. Please remember that we have designed these resources in an effort to prevent learning loss during this extended closure. Participation in these activities are not considered formal instructional days for your child. We will not be recording attendance for students and students will not be penalized for any lack of completion of these activities. While we hope that your child engages in all the wonderful learning opportunities available through this site, we want to be clear that at this time, the work we offer is considered enrichment and as such, is optional.

Beverly Keeps Learning

This site will provide online resources and enrichment for students PreK-12. Our high school students will have access to Moodle and their current schedule of teachers. No students will be penalized for any missed work and, for at least for the first week, all activities are for enrichment and engagement purposes only. BMS students have access to sites for enrichment as well as to their individual Google Classrooms that have been provided to them by their teachers. Elementary Students have access to these wonderful enrichment resources and next week we will add access to additional links within the site to individual schools and Google Classrooms created by their teachers. One word of caution, these sites are intended for us as free access for your students. Some may require a password (if they do, your child will know their password or you may reach out to your classroom teacher for the password). If a site is asking for you to set up an account for payment, we do not recommend that you do so. Each of these sites has agreed to provide free access for a period of time so please do not pay them online. Our teachers have been hard at work on vetting, collecting and creating content for your child. Try to remember that for us, this too, is a new journey; we will be working behind the scenes to change, add, or fix any issues with the links! Be patient with your teachers, your administrators and most importantly, your child!

We also want you to understand, there is no expectation that our parents will be providing students with new instruction. We hope you and your child find the resources helpful. Our teachers will be available to support our students - please reach out by email to your teachers with any questions. Once again, thank you for the trust you place in all of us everyday! We appreciate your partnership! Let's Keep Learning!

Sue Charochak, Ed. D.
Superintendent of Schools

Today's Big Buck$ Winners

The winner for today, a $25 gift card to Panini Pizza Co. and a $25 gift card to Stop & Shop is Tim Martino!

Congratulations to Nathan Gregory for selling the winning ticket!!

Tuesday, March 17, 2020

Tuesday Message from the Superintendent

This is a copy of the Connect-Ed  message from  the Superintendent from Tuesday afternoon:

Good Afternoon Beverly Parents and Families,

I hope that you are all settling into our new reality as we embark on our extended closure. Our amazing teachers and awesome administrators have been working hard all week preparing ways in which we can support your child while we are closed. During the past two days, we have mobilized our cafeteria staff and transportation department to help us provide breakfast and lunch to any child in Beverly under the age of 18. These meals are available at Beverly High School and at three remote sites (Apple Village; Goldway Park; and Holcroft Park). Today, we provided meals to 136 students and hope this number continues to grow throughout the closure.

In my message yesterday, I shared that we will also be distributing print copies of enrichment packets to those students who may have difficulty accessing technology options. These packets will be distributed tomorrow at each one of our distribution sites. Please remember that these print resources (packets are available for grade K-4) are intended for students who lack access to our digital resources which will be posted tomorrow. Measures are being taken for students in Grades 5-12 to ensure that all students have access to technology. If for some reason your child in these grades does not have access, please contact your building administrator or classroom teacher. I am including a PDF version of each K-4 grade level packet here for those who wish to access them electronically. If we run out of packets tomorrow, we will print more for distribution on Thursday. Feel free to print these out for your child.

Kindergarten
Grade One
Grade Two
Grade Three
Grade Four

We plan to open public access to our website Beverly Keeps Learning tomorrow. You will receive a ConnectEd email from me with a link to the site. We hope that you and your child will find these resources helpful and engaging. Please remember that we have designed these resources in an effort to prevent learning loss during this extended closure. Participation in these activities are not considered formal instructional days for your child. We will not be recording attendance for students and students will not be penalized for any lack of completion of these activities. While we hope that your child engages in all the wonderful learning opportunities available through this site, we want to be clear that at this time, the work we offer is considered enrichment and as such, is optional.

Thank you again for your support - please reach out to any building administrator, teacher or those of us at Central Office if you need help during these difficult times.

Sue Charochak, Ed. D.
Superintendent of Schools

Educational Enrichment and Activity Suggestions for Families

See this list for some great online and offline activities you can do while you are home! This is not an exhaustive list by any means, but a few things to get you going as our teachers begin preparing engaging activities for your children.

Don't Miss Getting a Yearbook!

BMS Yearbooks are only $20! Ordering is online only! Orders must be received by May 1.  Guarantee your child will have a yearbook - order now.

Big Buck$ Calendar Winner!!!!

The winner for today, $250 in cash is Amy Talbot!!! 

Congratulations to Audrey Talbot for selling the winning ticket!!

Monday, March 16, 2020

Monday's Message from the Superintendent

This is Monday's message from the Superintendent:

Good Afternoon Beverly Parents and Families,

As we settle into our new state of social distancing, we hope that all of you are staying healthy and safe. We know some of you may have questions about how we will manage distance learning during the extended closure. 


First, let me assure you, our teachers and administrators are working together to collect and assemble resources and enrichment activities for our students. Please understand that the goal for all students is continuity of learning and prevention of learning loss. We are keenly aware that it is imperative that we make resources available for all students and equity is at the forefront of every decision we make. 

One step we are taking is to provide the opportunity for students in grades 5 & 6 WHO DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO A DEVICE, the opportunity to sign out the iPad that they use daily in their classroom. Mr. Poska will be sending a communication out this afternoon with a schedule uniquely designed to avoid crowds. 

For students in K-4, we have assembled non-digital packets in addition to our online resources, which we will distribute at each of the lunch sites. Parents who have specific concerns should contact their building administrator. 

We are planning to launch our Beverly Keeps Learning website on Wednesday that will provide online resources and enrichment for students K-12. Our high school students will have access to Moodle and their current schedule of teachers. 

No students will be penalized for any missed work and, for at least for the first week, all activities are for enrichment and engagement purposes only. We also want you to understand, there is no expectation that our parents will be providing students with new instruction. We hope you and your child find the resources helpful. When and if we move ahead with new content, our teachers will be available to support our students.

Thank you again for your patience and support as we navigate these unprecedented waters.

Sue Charochak, Ed. D.
Superintendent of Schools

BMS Plan for Extended Closure

During this extended closure, staff who are able are encouraged to provide enrichment activities. This will allow students to access learning and continue to feel connected to the school community.

We anticipate this occurring from Wednesday, March 18th through April 3rd, 2020. Students are only expected to use devices that they currently have in their homes. As always it is recommended that students read for at least 20 minutes per day and utilize IXL/ST Math to continue to progress with the identified Math standards.

For Students:
  • Students should check both school email and Google Classroom on a daily basis (3/18-4/3), as teachers may be communicating both ways.
  • Students are encouraged to complete posted assignments.
  • If a student is having difficulty, they should reach out to the teacher.
For Parents/Guardians:
  • Parents/Guardians should encourage their students to complete all enrichment activities provided by their teachers. Parents/Guardians should contact the teacher if there is a concern about their student’s progress.
  • If your child becomes ill, please contact their primary care provider.
  • You can access your child’s teachers via email.
  • For families who do not have internet access, Comcast has options.
  • For the most up to date information on COVID-19, please regularly reference the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website.

Nurse Team Organizing Student Medication Return

Our school nurses have tried to reach out to individual students/families to discuss returning necessary medication. 

If you have any questions or concerns, please email either Elaine Moffett (emoffett@beverlyschools.org) or Jodi Elder (jelder@beverlyschools.org).

iPad Distribution for grades 5 & 6 Wednesday ONLY

ONE DAY ONLY: We will distribute iPads to students who need a school device on Wednesday, March 18. 

We are moving forward with online learning for our BMS students. Grades 7 & 8 are already bringing iPads home, and we would like to extend this for our students in grades 5 & 6 who do not have a device at home available to utilize. Please understand that the school cannot provide chargers for the iPads for our Grade 5 or 6 students, as these are built into the charging stations in the classroom.

Grade 5 and 6 students who do take home their iPads will be asked to complete an Acceptable Use Agreement form prior to the iPad leaving the building.

You will find the schedule for iPad distribution here.  This is ONLY going to be on Wednesday morning and we ask that adhere to the schedule we have laid out.

Students are asked to report to the back door of their neighborhoods (located across from the Bus Depot/Transportation Office) at their scheduled times to access their classroom, where they will be greeted by staff, complete the Acceptable Use Form, and be escorted by staff to obtain their iPad. They will not be able to access any other part of the building. Please do not ask to go to lockers. We will not have time to make any other stops in the building as we are limiting access for only those who need their school device.

Math Team

The IMLEM league has cancelled the 5th meet, scheduled for 4/2/20 and the math team season has ended. I will plan for a final team meeting in early June, keep an eye on the announcements for that. Thank you for your participation and hard work this year. 
 - Mrs. Shaw

Big Buck$ Winners

The winners for March 13th through March 16th are as follows!

The winner for March 13th and a $50 Gift Card to Panini is:
Alexa Ebersole. Congratulations to Joss Ebersole for selling the winning ticket!

The winner for March 14th and a $25 Toscana Gift Card and $25 Ninety Nine Gift card is: Arthur Modugno. Congratulations to Alexandria Modugno for selling the winning ticket!

The winner for March 15th and $50 Woodbery Food Market Gift Card is:  Ken Massone. Congratulations to Barrett Tenwilliger for selling the winning ticket!

The winner for March 16th and a $25 Cherry Farm Creamery and a $25 Rev Kitchen Gift Card is:
Heather O'Donnell. Congratulations to Madelyn O'Donnell for selling the winning ticket!

All students who sold winning tickets will be able to pick up their $10 prize in the main office when school resumes!

Latest from the Superintendent - 3/15

Good Evening Beverly Parents and Families,

At a news conference on Sunday, March 15, 2020, Governor Charlie Baker announced a mandatory closing of all Massachusetts’ public schools for three (3) weeks. As a reminder, on Friday, March 13, Beverly Public Schools made the decision to close from March 16th-27th. The governor’s mandate extends this decision until April 7, 2020.

Beverly Food Services will provide free breakfast and lunch meals during closure. Please see the attached flyer for details. This plan for distributing meals may evolve over time, and we will make sure the community is updated to any changes or expansions of services. We recognize these decisions impact our families and students and we appreciate your patience and cooperation. 

Please visit the district's website throughout the week for updated information from the school department. We will continue to send updates via ConnectEd and will be sending along resources to support your child’s learning throughout the closure. Our teachers are hard at work preparing amazing activities that will help keep Beverly students learning and connected to their teachers and school community. We hope to release an update to you by Wednesday with links to your school resources.

We understand this is a difficult time and your health and safety is our highest priority. We encourage you to follow all safety precautions and recommendations for healthy habits such as hand washing and social distancing. Please remember what Governor Baker said to all of us today. Without diligence to social distancing, all of these precautions will not allow us to achieve our goals which is to protect all the members of our community. We will communicate further information as it becomes available.

Sue Charochak, Ed. D.
Superintendent of Schools

Schools Closed Until April 7

From our BPS Twitter account:

Sunday, March 15, 2020

Social Distancing Reminders & Tips

The Beverly Public Schools reminds you that the purpose of the current shutdown is to create social distancing. This CNN article contains some practical tips and suggestions for parents.

FREE School Lunch During Shutdown

During the current two-week closure, Beverly Public Schools will feed our students for FREE, regardless of lunch benefit status.

Beverly High School will be a pickup site for bag lunches Monday through Friday 10:30-12:30.

Beginning on Tuesday, March 17, bag lunches will also be available at parks between 11:30 - 12:00

  • Apple Village
  • Goldway Park
  • Holcroft Park
If you have a Beverly student in need of lunches and cannot access any of these sites, please reach out to the Food Service Director Christina Leal at cleal@beverlyschools.org or 978-921-6132 x11129.

Beverly Public Schools - Twitter

Don't forget to check the BPS Twitter account for updates!