Good Wednesday Morning, Peirce Families.
We are only five days away from our return to a full schedule in the school building for our in-person students! Please see the information below and continue to email me with questions or concerns. We want everyone to feel prepared for Monday!
With best wishes,
Mark Chitty
School Lunches:
1. Lunch will not be provided at school on Wednesdays or other Early Release Days (e.g. April 5th and 8th) except for students who are staying for Peirce Extended Day. Families who wish to obtain “Grab and Go” lunches on those days may do so at Newton North and Newton South High Schools.
2. On all days when students each lunch at school, free bagged lunches are available for all who want them.
Walking, Biking, and Cycling to School!
As we plan for a full return to school, we know there will be increased traffic at our schools. To help mitigate traffic congestion and improve safety, our Safe Routes to School Teams have been working hard to identify safe and efficient ways for students to walk and bike to school. They have even identified spots for families to park a few blocks away from the school building and walk the rest of the way. We do ask families who are driving to remember that curbside drop-off should occur only in the back parking lot. No students should be dropped off on Temple Street, and all students who cross Temple Street must do so at the crosswalk with the crossing guard.
Below are links to information and resources available on the NPS website:
Walking and Biking: https://www.newton.k12.ma.us/Page/3320
Safety Information and Maps: https://www.newton.k12.ma.us/Page/3426
Safe Routes to Schools website: https://sites.google.com/view/newtonsaferoutes
COVID-19 Testing
As NPS prepares for a full in-person return to school for students at all levels, we strongly encourage families to enroll their student (s) in our COVID-19 testing program. Testing is one of the best ways we have to quickly identify infection and reduce the possibility of in school transmission.
Here are 3 reasons to enroll:
- It’s easy! Complete the opt-in in Aspen (here’s the link!) High school students then create an account at JCM (do it here!) for access to a QR code they use to check in their sample. Pre-K – 8th grade students will receive their QR code from school staff.
- It’s painless! This is NOT the “touch your brain” swab! This is a sample taken from the front of your nose with a Q-tip like swab. It’s super-fast and painless.
- It makes a difference! The more students who participate, the better data we have on infection rates in our community. This means we can quickly identify infection, reduce the risk of in school transmission, limit quarantines, and keep our schools open in person.
We ask all families to strongly consider enrolling your student today. Thanks in advance for doing your part to keep our schools safer.