|
COVID-19 Preparedness
The safety and health of our students, families, and community is our highest priority. No cases of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) have been identified within our schools, and we will keep you informed of any changes and key updates. In the meantime, CPS is posting updates around the clock on our new coronavirus website. Please take a moment to learn how we are preparing, and what you can do to help >>
Cheers to MLK Alum
MLK alum, Greggy Bazile is a semi finalist in The Vacant Storefront Creative Design Contest, a partnership between the Community Development Department and Cambridge Arts. This partnership aims to energize Cambridge neighborhoods by filling empty store windows with reproductions of locally made art. Over 400 original art works were submitted to the contest by artists of all ages. Five finalists will be selected through public vote to have their artwork displayed in vacant ground-floor storefronts throughout the city. Winning artists will receive a one-time honorarium of $1,000. See the entries >>
From the Nurse
 February was Dental Health Month. The Cambridge Healthy Smiles program is launching a Water Bottle Classroom Initiative this month. Students in Grades 1 and 3 received a personal water bottle to use at school. The Charles Bullock Fund which supports the oral health needs of school aged children in Cambridge provides these reusable water bottles
The annual screenings for vision, hearing, and posture (Gr. 5 only) have been completed. If your child was referred for further evaluation, please return the doctor's report to school or contact Nurse Rollins after your child's follow up appointment.
Physicals are requested for all students in Gr. 4. Please submit a copy of your child's 2019-20 physical to the School Health Office.
Pants needed: Gently used bottoms size 6, 8, 10 needed in the School Health Office.
From the Garden
 Winter gardening has been going on strong as ever with indoor planting and engineering projects! A kindergarten class growing beans in the window identified the problem of the plants getting too tall to stand up. As a solution, we learned about garden trellises and built one out of popsicle sticks and pipe cleaners. Fourth grade has been working on designing indoor gardens using recycled bottles. Their challenge was to use at least two bottles to grow multiple plants in a window-facing garden while keeping drainage in mind. Check out their designs >>
What’s New in Technology at MLK?
In Library & Technology, 5th graders are diving deep into our Media Literacy unit. This curriculum is designed to help students understand the role of media in society and to build the essential skills of inquiry and critical thinking. We have been exploring the concept of media: What is it? Where is it? Who creates it? How does it affect me? In addition to the conceptual learning, students will learn basic production skills like storyboarding/script writing, shot composition, camera movement, editing, and more. Currently we are learning about the power of advertising. Students will be producing their own commercials using advertiser's persuasion techniques. It would be great if you could help your child identify ways that marketing and commercialism are present in our daily life. Ms. Varney and Ms. Rosenberg are very excited to share the final productions. Feel free to email with any questions.
MLK Friends Family Dance
March 13, 2020 | 6 - 8PM
Please RSVP for the dance to help us plan the event and inform you of updates. RSVP >>
- Please bring your water bottles so we can reduce our use of paper/plastic cups
- Bring your camera for the photo booth.
- We welcome families to bring a board game in case people want to take a break from dancing
- We are working on getting a second food truck to come to the event to reduce wait times
- Bring your soft-soled dancing shoes
Hope to see you there!
Thank You
A super THANK YOU to all of the families who donated to our school wide
community outreach project! We donated over 70 bags of clothing and diapers to the folks at Hildebrand Family Self-Help Center. What a fabulously generous community.
Life’s most persistent and urgent question is ‘what are you doing for others?’ – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
2020 Family Survey Available Online
Many of you filled out the Cambridge Public School Family Survey last year to help us learn more about your experiences with the Cambridge Public Schools. Thank you! The Family Survey for 2020 is now available in over 10 languages. We invite you to please fill it out at your earliest convenience. Your feedback will contribute to our ongoing efforts to learn, improve, and support better outcomes for all students.
Fill out the survey online and find more information >>
Happy National Nutrition Month!
 Did you know that students who eat breakfast may see increases in their concentration and test scores? Students who regularly eat breakfast also have fewer behavioral issues in the classroom and fewer tardy days. Cambridge schools offer FREE complete breakfast (i.e., a hot meal, fruit and milk) to all students. Maybe it’s time your family gave it a try? Find school menus here >>
 School Breakfast Week & World Food Taste Party
Food & Nutrition Services invites you to join us in celebrating National School Breakfast Week March 2nd - 6th, with an Out of This Country theme. Our theme coincides with World Language Week, in which kitchens will be featuring cultural dishes from around the world at lunch.
Last Day of School
The last day of school with one snow day in CPS will be Wednesday, June 17. As in the past, the last day of school will be an early release day for all grades. We apologize for any confusion caused by discrepancies between published version of our calendars, and hope this clarification will be helpful to you.
CPS Announces Halal Options for Student Meals
 In keeping with our commitment to equity, access and inclusion, Cambridge Public Schools (CPS) seeks to provide access to a variety of healthy food options that equitably address the needs of all students. We are excited to announce that beginning in February 2020, CPS will offer menu items that include Halal-certified chicken to our students.
Read more >>
BEB Building Equity Bridges
Want to know more about some of the equity work going on in the district? Click here to learn about the BEB Building Equity Bridges work. What is equity? We believe equity is also different from “equality,” in which everyone has the same amount of something (food, medicine, opportunity) despite their existing needs or assets. In other words, whether you are two feet tall or six, you still get a five-foot ladder to reach a 10-foot platform.
So if equity is not diversity, inclusion, or equality, then what is it? It describes something deeper and more complex. It is about each of us getting what we need to survive or succeed—access to opportunity, networks, resources, and supports—based on where we are and where we want to go. Nonet Sykes, director of race equity and inclusion at the Annie E. Casey Foundation, thinks of it as each of us reaching our full potential.
|