Message from Superintendent Dr. Shaps
Dear Mamaroneck Families,
School Closure at Least Through April 15 Earlier today, Governor Cuomo extended his directive that all schools throughout the state be closed until Wednesday, April 15, 2020, with a reassessment at that time. As we move closer to that April 15 date, we will await further guidance from the State and/or County.
April 3: Virtual Superintendent's Conference Day Rather than waiting until May 22 to hold Superintendent's Conference Day, we are working now to organize a virtual day of professional learning next Friday, April 3, 2020. This day will give us the opportunity to provide additional teacher training on online technology tools and enable cross-district collaboration so teachers at all grade levels can share best practices and effective teaching methods during this remote learning period. Note: Families will not receive remote learning plans on Friday, April 3, and teachers will be unavailable for contact on that day.
Spring Break: April 6-10 (Take a True Break!) We will observe the same spring break dates that exist on our 2019-2020 District calendar (April 6-10) and take a pause from all remote classroom instruction during this time. Our administrators and Board of Education understand the value of this time to serve as a period to rejuvenate, re-energize and take care of ourselves and our loved ones. In order that our faculty members enjoy the spring break, we ask that families refrain from contacting teachers during this time period.
Preparing for "Remote Learning 2.0" Now that we have completed two weeks of remote learning, I am so moved by the Herculean work of our building administrators and entire faculty to develop lesson plans, support all learners and keep students engaged during this time. That said, this new model of learning has most certainly brought challenges for everyone. There has been a learning curve, and we have been receiving helpful feedback from parents and students about their experiences. We are preparing to make some adjustments as we enter this new phase of prolonged school closure. Remote Learning 2.0 will begin after spring break; information will be forthcoming.
Beyond the core lesson plans, our staff has created a host of supplemental educational opportunities that can be found on the Home-School Connection page. Please continue to check this page for frequent updates to our Activity Menus with hyperlinks to access teacher videos and other resources. Your children will enjoy taking part in the interactive experiences hosted by teachers and specialists. This page also includes information on accessing our libraries' digital subscriptions, support for at-home instruction and curated lists of web resources.
Meal Distribution Continues for Eligible Families Our food service provider, Aramark, continues to make and distribute meals daily to families that depend upon free and reduced price breakfast and lunch from the District. We are appreciative of the many community volunteers who have helped out in distributing the meals at three locations throughout the community. If you are an eligible family that has not signed up previously to receive meals, but would like to begin doing so, please contact the social work department by email, MUFSDSocialWorkers@gmail.com or phone/text, (914) 294-5029.
Stay well today, and make sure to get outside at some point to enjoy the sunshine!
Respectfully,
Dr. Robert I. Shaps © 2016 School Name |