Dear Peirce Families,
I hope that you enjoyed the weekend and our latest encounter with snow. As we begin our last week of school before February Vacation, please see the important reminders below. I hope to see many of you at tomorrow’s Parent Coffee with Dr. Fleishman and members of the Newton School Committee!
With Best Vacation Wishes,
Mark Chitty
Parent Coffee Information: Dr. David Fleishman, Superintendent of Schools, and members of the Newton School Committee will be visiting Peirce at the Parent Coffee on Tuesday, February 9th, 8:30-9:30 a.m., as a part of their annual tour of Newton schools. They look forward to speaking with members of the Peirce community. Come join us for coffee and conversation! https://newton-k12-ma-us.zoom.us/j/81842617434 ; Passcode: 988612
Progress Reports: The February 2021 Progress Report, which will be available to families on February 10th, maintains expectations from previous years for each grade level with consistent benchmarks defining “proficiency.” The progress report measures performance against priority standards for each grade level. As we assess students’ current performance and plan instruction, our goal is for students to grow in reference to these benchmarks.
Our instructional priority is on safety and well-being, as we believe this is the first step toward helping all students reach academic goals. We recognize that not as many students are reaching these expectations due to the school closure and reduced instructional time. This looks different for each child as they have been impacted in individual ways. If your child receives a “2,” we are monitoring their progress and providing interventions to support their growth. With educators and families across the country, we recognize that the pandemic has had a significant impact on students’ learning, and we anticipate that there will be more “2’s” this year than in previous years.
“N/A” will be used to indicate standards that have either not yet been a focus of instruction or areas where we do not have sufficient data to report for an individual child due to attendance limitations. Our professional team is committed to understanding the gaps that exist in children’s learning and working creatively to help students grow academically, socially, and emotionally.
We are grateful to our families for your partnership with us in supporting your children’s growth during this unusual year. By assisting them with learning at home and providing us with helpful feedback, you have been strong collaborators during this time of crisis. We intend that this progress report will be a useful tool for the conversations you will have with your child’s teacher as we transition into the second half of this school year. The spring conference season in early April will be another opportunity for families and teachers to communicate about students’ progress. Please reach out to your child’s teacher with concerns or questions.
Please see the following information about Kindergarten Registration: Kindergarten Press Release January 2021.pdf Info Night Flyer 2021.pdf
Important Note About Attendance: All students are expected to attend the Morning Meeting and participate in all of the teacher-assigned, synchronous and/or asynchronous learning activities on each school day, including special subject classes such as Library, Art, Music, and PE. There is no minimum number of classes students are permitted to attend and per MA DESE regulations, students who miss 10% or more of days enrolled (e.g., 18 days absent if enrolled for 180 days) are defined as being chronically absent. As part of the Hybrid Learning model, students are expected to participate on all days (both in-person and remote days) and cannot selectively opt out of certain classes, including those in the special areas, even if they are participating in a private pod.
School Photo Dates (for DLA and Hybrid Families): We have decided to postpone our School Picture Days until the spring due to the pandemic. Please mark your calendar with the following dates:
Tuesday, 4/13 – Cohort A Photos
Wednesday, 4/14 – DLA Photos (Start time 1:00PM)
Thursday, 4/15 – Cohort B Photos
Absences (For DLA and Hybrid Families): If your child will be absent from school for any reason on either in-person or at-home days, please call the Student Absence Line at 617-559-9650 before 8:00. Also, please be sure that teachers have accurate information about dismissal routines for your child.
Conference and Progress Report Schedule for 2020-21:
| Progress Sharing | Dates |
| Mid-year Progress Report | Wed, Feb 10 |
| Spring Conferences | Mon, Apr 5 2:00-3:15 Thurs, Apr 8 2:00-3:15 Wed, Apr 14 1:15-3:15 |
| End-of-Year Progress Report | Last week of school in June. (Currently the week of June 18th) |