Early Release Day: May 12th

McAvinnue's School Site Council Meeting

McAvinnue's next School Site Council Meeting will occur on Thursday, May 13th from 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM. We will be discussing the ongoing school reopening, COVID-19 update, ST Math May Challenge, MCAS Testing, open teaching positions, and end of the year events.

You will be able to access the meeting agenda as well as the Zoom link by clicking below. This information will be posted on Wednesday, May 12, 2021

https://www.lowell.k12.ma.us/domain/665

Arrival & Dismissal Reminders

We appreciate everyone's efforts to ensure that arrival and dismissal to McAvinnue is as safe as possible. However, we have noticed a few items over the past month of school and we want to make sure that everyone understands our expectations for these times of the day. Please understand that the policies we have in place are to protect everyone and following them is extremely important. Here are some reminders for you:

• Please wear a mask when coming to the school. If you are out of your car on school grounds during arrival and dismissal everyone 3 years and older should be wearing a mask.
• During arrival, please follow the directions of the faculty that are located at each of the 4 entry doors ways. Students will need to sanitize their hands before entering the building.
• On the 4th Avenue side of the school, please do not double park your car. Mr. Domina will support getting your child out of your vehicle...so, there's no need walk your child to their assigned entry doorway.
• Please do not park in the bus lanes which are on located on the parking lot side of the building. Student drop off is NOT permitted in this area during both drop off and dismissal times.
• During dismissal, please park your car on the 4th Avenue side of the school when picking up your child. You can also park on the surrounding streets if things are full. Please keep in mind that the earlier that you arrive for pick-up...the greater the chance you will have to secure a parking spot.

If you have any questions about these procedures, please reach out Mr. Domina at mdomina@lowell.k12.ma.us or your child's teacher directly.

UPDATE: MCAS Update: Grades 3 & 4

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education announced new dates for the Spring 2020 MCAS tests for Grades 3 and 4. They are now scheduled to take place between May 10th - June 11th. Students will only be taking one session of each test to keep testing time to a minimum.

Here is the updated testing schedule that McAvinnue will follow during the month of May:

• Tuesday, May 25th: ELA MCAS Testing: Grade 3
• Wednesday, May 26th: ELA MCAS Testing: Grade
• Thursday, May 27th: ELA Remote MCAS Testing: Grade 3
• Friday, May 28th: ELA Remote MCAS Testing: Grade 4
• Tuesday, June 1st: Math MCAS Testing: Grade 3
• Wednesday, June 2nd: Math MCAS Testing: Grade 4
• Thursday, June 3rd: Math Remote MCAS Testing: Grade 3
• Friday, June 4th: Math Remote MCAS Testing: Grade 4

Stay tuned as these dates are subject to change. More information to follow over the next few weeks.

Kindergarten Registration: Begins May 3rd

The Lowell Public Schools Kindergarten registration period for the upcoming 2021-2022 school year will start Monday, May 3rd. Children turning 5 years old on or before September 1, 2021 are eligible to register for kindergarten. Even if your child is currently enrolled in a LPS Preschool program you still need to register for Kindergarten.

Kindergarten Registration Period

The Kindergarten registration period will go from May 3rd - July 25th and will be split into 3 rounds:

• Round 1 - Register between May 3rd and May 23rd to be eligible for the 1st lottery on June 9, 2021
• Round 2 - Register between May 24th and June 20st to be eligible for the 2nd lottery on July 7, 2021
• Round 3 - Register between June 21st and July 25th to be eligible for the final lottery on August 4, 2021

We encourage families to register during the 1st round of registration (May 3rd - May 23rd). While we can't guarantee placement in your preferred school, being eligible for the 1st lottery increases your chances of getting the seat of your choice.

For more information about kindergarten registration, please visit our website: www.lowell.k12.ma.us/kindergartenregistration

COVID-19 Vaccine Local Opportunity

 The City of Lowell has appointments available for Moderna clinics at the Lowell Senior Center this week. All residents age 18 and older are eligible. View appointments and sign up today: http://lowellma.gov/lowellvax

McAvinnue's Picture Day: Friday, May 21st

We will hold picture day for both our in-person and remote students on Friday, May 21st. Pictures will be provided by O'Connors Studios.

In-person students will take their pictures during the school day and we will follow all approved COVID-19 safety precautions. Remote students will take their pictures after school on this day starting at 3:45 PM.

We will send home the picture order form with in-person students when they are delivered to the school. Remote students will be able to pick up the picture order form at the school when they come for their photo session.

More information to come over the next few weeks.

LOOKING FOR PARENTS AND STAFF TO HELP BUILD A STRONG COMMUNITY FOR RACIAL JUSTICE

To continue the conversation started last week within the LPSD community, Lowell Public Schools is hoping to find parents and teachers who might be interested in leading portions of the dialogue around Building a Strong Community for Racial Justice. Please see the two requests below and let me know if you, yourself, or a parent might be interested.

• For the Part 2 "Listening" sessions, it would be appreciated if school principals can identify 1-2 Asian/AAPI parents who they think would be great for sharing a "personal story." It is our hope that with encouragement that they will commit to attending one of the "listening" sessions and would be willing to share their personal experience with racism.
• For Part 3: Dr. Phitsamay Uy from the Center for Asian American Studies at UMASS Lowell will be available to train selected staff on facilitating a parent workshop on the topic of active ways to build family discussions with their children about racism. School principals are asked to identify 1-2 staff who will engage in this training and commit to facilitating this Part 3 session for your school. Any after work training time with Dr.Phitsamay as well as time used for the launching of the parent workshop will be stipended by the E&E office.
• School principal are also asked to identify 1-2 students who are willing to role play during the zoom, modeling parent/child communication.

If you have any interest in any of the 3 areas indicated above, please reach out to Mr. Domina directly at mdomina@lowell.k12.ma.us.

Spring Remote Meal Schedule 

• Students will receive two breakfasts and two lunches on Mondays and Wednesdays at these sites.
• Students will also receive meals for the weekend days on Fridays at all of our meal sites.
• All LPS students are eligible for meal service. All meals are free of cost. No student ID is required and students don’t have to be present to pick up a meal. A parent or neighbor can pick up the student’s meal.
• Meals will be served outside in a grab and go format at the front or back of the school, depending on the location.
• Please remember to wear a mask or face covering and follow social distancing protocols when visiting the meal sites.

Any updates to the remote learning meal service schedule will be posted here:

https://www.lowell.k12.ma.us/RemoteLearningMealService

McAvinnue's "Lions Roar" Community Newsletter

Week of May 10th

Click Here To Access McAvinnue's "Lion's Roar" Newsletter: Week Of May 10th

McAvinnue's Yoga Pose Of The Week: "Drawbridge"

May 10th - May 14th

We will try another new pose this week called the "Eagle". This new pose will allow us to work on maintaining a clam and clear focus using a technique that maximize balance integration and unique upper body positioning. We will practice the "Eagle" pose daily during our "Virtual" Morning Announcements during this up and coming week. You can get an early head start and practice this technique before we launch into another exciting week!

The Greater Boston Food Bank

The Greater Boston Food Bank will be at the STEM Academy (43 Highland Street) will take place from 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM. Lineup begins at 1:30 PM.

The next food pantry is Tuesday, May 11th. Other dates for this school year are listed on the flyer.

This food pantry is a drive-up distribution of assorted foods for all Lowell Public School students and their families. All food bank clients are required to wear a mask to ensure the safety of our volunteers as well as other clients and community members. Please bring reusable grocery bags, baskets, or a cart to carry your food.

McAvinnue's Learner's Virtual Website

Check out McAvinnue's "Learners" Virtual Website! This site is designed for our students...and is the one place that they can go to get everything that they need whether they are working remotely or in-person. You can find the grade level teams and individual teacher pages to better organze their school day. Our teachers took a really creative approach with this...check out their welcome back introduction video on their page!

Click Here to Access McAvinnue's "Learners" Virtual Website