Dear families,

It was great to see so many of you at our virtual PTO meeting on Tuesday.  Please continue to reach out with any questions or ideas for community-building; we would love to hear them!

Each year the Lincoln-Eliot team works on putting together “Holiday Helper” gifts for families in need.  If you or someone you know needs a little extra help this year, please reach out to Principal Morrissey to sign up.  We have many fewer families signed up than usual, and we know it’s been a tough year for a lot of people, so please don’t hesitate.

Holiday Helper Flyer 2020

Holiday Helpers Flyer 2020 – Translations

Technology:

We have heard from some families asking about ways to block certain sites or manage what their children can do on the internet, particularly during remote schooling hours.

Internet Filtering

• All devices have internet filtering turned on when connected within an NPS building
• When outside of an NPS building:
  • iPads have limited internet filtering already in place
  • We are working with a vendor to set up filtering on Chromebooks

No one filtering method is perfect.  Student access to the internet should be monitored and clear expectations set.

Since these are school-managed devices, families cannot install or set up their own monitoring software on the devices directly — such software is incompatible with centralized management. If you wish to have greater control over internet access, we encourage you to reach out to your internet service provider to explore options on your home router for filtering and monitoring device access.

Student and Family Technology Resources Page
To help families navigate the use of technology during distance learning, we have developed this Student and Technology Resources Page.  Here you will find important information on your device, as well as information on the software we are using to facilitate distancing learning.  You will also find a page that provides status updates on systems and any technology glitches or issues we may be experiencing.

Technical Troubleshooting
For technical assistance (device is not working properly) please email ftsupport@newton.k12.ma.us.

Some Home Internet Filtering Options

Xfinity (Comcast)
Xfinity has parental controls built into their latest routers, and parents can call or visit their website for guidance on how to set it up.
https://www.xfinity.com/support/articles/set-up-parental-controls-with-comcast-networking

Verizon
Verizon offers a service called Bark to allow parents to limit time on the internet and to filter content.
https://www.bark.us/guides/cable/verizon

RCN
RCN suggests several options for home network security and filtering.
https://www.rcn.com/boston/high-speed-internet/internet-security

Koala Safe
This is a home network router with internet content filtering.
https://koalasafe.com/compare.html

Net Angel
This is a home network router with internet content filtering.
https://www.netangel.com/

We hope that’s all helpful, and we appreciate your support and patience in navigating the challenges of this year!

Have a great week!

Principal Morrissey & the PTO

Dear families,

We will be having a PTO meeting over Zoom this Tuesday, November 10th, at 6pm.  Superintendent David Fleishman and School Committee member Bridget Ray-Canada will be joining us to answer your questions; we hope to see many of you there!

A reminder that this Wednesday, November 11th, is Veterans Day, and there will be no school.

Also, we will be having Picture Day on Monday, November 9th for hybrid & DLA Cohort A and Thursday, November 12th for hybrid & DLA Cohort B.  Click here to see the full Picture Day schedule.  You should have received an email from the school with more information and a picture form, but please reach out to us if you need it again.  There will be no class pictures this year, and if the weather is poor, Picture Day will be rescheduled.

The third round of DLA supplies will be ready for pick up this week.  Please come either Thursday 11/12 or Friday 11/13 between 9:00am and 2:00pm.  If you have any trouble with the pick-up day or times, please call the office at 617-559-9540.

As you may have noticed, the tents placed at our schools prior to the start of school have been removed.  The unexpected snow we had last week compromised the structural integrity of the tents and they were no longer safe to use.  The tents were rented at the start of the year with the understanding that they could be used “until the snow flies” but we did not expect that to happen so soon!

While we no longer have access to the tents, we are still taking students outside and using our outdoor spaces creatively.  We are making use of our field and our playground spaces to the greatest extent possible.  When weather does not permit outdoor activity, we use our indoor spaces with all health and safety guidelines in mind.  Please know that even as it gets colder, we will continue to take students outside and we encourage you to send them with weather appropriate clothing.

Have a great week!

Principal Morrissey & the PTO

Dear families,

A reminder that due to Election Day this week, ALL students, both DLA and hybrid, will switch our Tuesday and Wednesday schedules.  Wednesday, November 4, will be an in-person day for Cohort A.

Also please note that the following Wednesday, November 11th, is Veterans’ Day, so there will be no school.

We will be having Picture Day on Monday, November 9th for hybrid & DLA Cohort A and Thursday, November 12th for hybrid & DLA Cohort B.  Click here to see the full Picture Day schedule.  You should have received an email from the school with more information and a picture form, but please reach out to us if you need it again.  There will be no class pictures this year, and if the weather is poor, Picture Day will be rescheduled.

I have had several parents reach out to me this past week about the notification we received from Health and Human Services.  I recognize that you may have concerns and I am always available to speak and answer any questions you may have.  I also wanted to share the communication protocol that the Newton Health and Human Services Department created.  At Lincoln Eliot, we are diligently following the district building cleaning protocols and they lay the foundation of our work this year.  We continue to work together as a community to follow our 4 pillars of health:

• Physical distancing
• Face coverings
• Hygiene
• Avoid exposure

The daily health assessment is a critical component of working together to keep our community healthy and safe.  Please do not hesitate to reach out to our school nurse, Kristen Thibodeau, if you have any questions.  We appreciate your partnership.

As we begin to enter the flu season while in the midst of a pandemic, please remember your child should stay at home if they are experiencing any of the following symptoms.  Also, if your child requires Tylenol or Motrin before school, they should remain home in order to get well.

• Fever (100F or higher), chills, shaking chills
• Cough (not due to other known cause, such as chronic cough)
• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Headache (when in combination with other symptoms)
• Muscle aches or body aches
• Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea
• Fatigue (when in combination with other symptoms)
• Nasal congestion or runny nose (not due to other known causes, such as allergies and when in combination with other symptoms)
• Tested positive for COVID-19
• Are awaiting test results for COVID-19
• Are a close contact of someone positive for COVID-19 (as determined by health dept)

We hope you all had a safe and happy Halloween if you celebrated it, and have a great week!

Principal Morrissey & the PTO