Wednesday, November 25, 2020

Letter to Families about Holiday Travel

Dear BMS Families,

With Thanksgiving upon us, I wanted to take the opportunity to reshare the travel guidance sent by Dr. Charochak last week. As you know, the Governor’s Order lays out specific guidelines for travel, which are updated regularly. Here is the most updated information:

If a family travels out of state, they are required to quarantine for 14 days from their return - OR - provide a negative PCR test 72 hours within their return to Massachusetts. (Please note that we have aligned our guidance for our families to the Governor’s travel order #55. Children under 10 do not need a test as long as their parent/guardian has a negative test.)

The ONLY low-risk states that would avoid these requirements are: Vermont & Hawaii. All other New England states are considered high-risk at this time. Here’s a link to the current map.

The district is committed to continually update travel guidance based on new information learned in alignment with the Department of Public Health (DPH).

If you are planning to travel over the holiday, please let us know so that we can plan accordingly for your child while they are absent and your family follows the guidance.

We understand and empathize with how challenging this is, particularly at the holidays, but want to be sure that we are doing our best to keep all of our students’ and families’ safety our main priority. We thank you for your patience, flexibility, and your cooperation. We are all in this together!

Thanksgiving Activity: Interview Family Members

We hope you all enjoy your (likely, smaller and cozier than usual) Thanksgiving holiday gatherings this weekend. A great activity, whether you are with your family in person or connecting with them by phone or video call, is to interview each other to uncover family stories. 

The nonprofit organization StoryCorps is a fantastic resource and encourages you to participate in #TheGreatThanksgivingListen, "a national movement that empowers young people—and people of all ages—to create an oral history of the contemporary United States by recording an interview with an elder, mentor, friend, or someone they admire."

StoryCorps has an app you can use for in-person interviews with built-in questions to choose from and the ability to upload those interviews to the Library of Congress. There is also an online component, StoryCorps Connect, which allows you to record interviews that are conducted online from separate locations.

You don't need technology to have these conversations -- all you really need are insightful questions, and StoryCorps has them! We encourage adults to interview their children, as well as children to interview their elders. 

2020 may sometimes feel like a year to forget -- but in the future we will look back and want to remember what we were doing and feeling. StoryCorps interviews are a great way to do it! 

Information from the BMS Nurses

The Beverly Middle School nurses want to help you keep your family healthy and safe this holiday season! They have some reminders and resources for you about:

  • Flu Vaccinations
  • Safe(r) Thanksgiving
  • Travel Quarantine Regulations
  • COVID-19 Testing

Weekend Meal Distribution Today Until 12:30

Due to the Thanksgiving holiday this week, Food Services will be distributing weekend meals from Beverly High School today, Wednesday 11/25. 

Extended pick up times for today only are from 10:30a-12:30p. Food Services will be distributing packages with 4 breakfasts and 4 lunches. 

Please reach out with any questions or concerns at 978-921-6132 x 11129.

Holiday Weekend Schedule Reminders

 On Wednesday, November 25, BMS students will have their regular Wednesday online meetings and activities up until 12:15 pm. All meetings and scheduled instruction will conclude at 12:15 for the Thanksgiving holiday. (Note that this is a change from the previously announced 1:00 time.)

There is no school on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 26 or on Friday, November 27. All buildings will be closed.

Book Shop Fundraiser

 The Book Shop of Beverly Farms is hosting an online Book Fair in conjunction with the Beverly High School National Honor Society, so kids and and their families can get some hand-selected books for the holiday season, with an eye toward encouraging reading and the best new works out this fall. 

Even better, 20% of all sales from the Book Fair will go straight to buy books for the Beverly School libraries at deep discounts -- just put "Beverly Book Fair" in the Notes field at checkout. 

The fair will run from November 19 through December 9. There are different delivery options, including pickup at the store and delivery here at BMS, along with shipping.

They have preselected some great titles for you, but you can also shop in person, and tell them at checkout that you'd like to be part of the Beverly Book Fair to send 20% to purchasing books for the school libraries.

See this page for suggested titles and book fair details or call the Book Shop from 10 - 4 on weekdays at 978-927-2122.

Tuesday, November 24, 2020

Thanksgiving Holiday Schedule Reminders

On Wednesday, November 25, BMS students will have their regular Wednesday online meetings and activities up until 12:15 pm. All meetings and scheduled instruction will conclude at 12:15 for the Thanksgiving holiday. (Note that this is a change from the previously announced 1:00 time.)

There is no school on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 26 or on Friday, November 27. All buildings will be closed.

Band is Virtual Tuesday

Please log into your Google Meet at your appointed rehearsal time between 1:30 and 2:30. Attendance is taken!

Monday, November 23, 2020

Weekend Meal Distribution Wednesday

Due to the Thanksgiving holiday this week, Food Services will be distributing weekend meals from Beverly High School on Wednesday 11/25. They have extended pick up times for that day only to 10:30a-12:30p. They will be distributing packages with 4 breakfasts and 4 lunches. 

Please reach out with any questions or concerns at 978-921-6132 x 11129.

Essex Tech Virtual Open House

The Essex Tech Virtual Open House is now open and will remain available on their website for students and families to view.

There are two Virtual Q&A sessions scheduled:
  • Monday, November 23, 2020 from 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm Zoom Link
OR
  • Monday, November 30, 2020 from 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm Zoom Link

Thanksgiving Holiday Schedule

On Wednesday, November 25, BMS students will have their regular Wednesday online meetings and activities up until 12:15 pm. All meetings and scheduled instruction will conclude at 12:15 for the Thanksgiving holiday. (Note that this is a change from the previously announced 1:00 time.)

There is no school on Thursday, November 26 or Friday, November 27. All buildings will be closed.

Reminders and Resources from Our Nursing Staff

 The Beverly Middle School nurses want to help you keep your family healthy and safe this holiday season! They have some reminders and resources for you about:

  • Flu Vaccinations
  • Safe(r) Thanksgiving
  • Travel Quarantine Regulations
  • COVID-19 Testing

Book Shop Fundraiser Through 12/9

The Book Shop of Beverly Farms is hosting an online Book Fair in conjunction with the Beverly High School National Honor Society, so kids and and their families can get some hand-selected books for the holiday season, with an eye toward encouraging reading and the best new works out this fall. 

Even better, 20% of all sales from the Book Fair will go straight to buy books for the Beverly School libraries at deep discounts -- just put "Beverly Book Fair" in the Notes field at checkout. 

The fair will run from November 19 through December 9. There are different delivery options, including pickup at the store and delivery here at BMS, along with shipping.

They have preselected some great titles for you, but you can also shop in person, and tell them at checkout that you'd like to be part of the Beverly Book Fair to send 20% to purchasing books for the school libraries.

See this page for suggested titles and book fair details or call the Book Shop from 10 - 4 on weekdays at 978-927-2122.

Sunday, November 22, 2020

BPL Bookmobile at BMS Tomorrow

The Beverly Public Library Bookmobile stops at BMS on Monday, November 23. If your child has any public library books to return they can bring them in on this day and put them in the library return box in the school lobby and Ms. Woznick will get them to the bookmobile. If you contacted the bookmobile librarian Katie Marsh in advance to ask for a delivery at school, Ms. Woznick can pick it up and deliver it to your student's classroom.

You can also check the bookmobile schedule to see when it's in your neighborhood! Click the schedule link on this page.