Poem by Mahek & Amena  (4th graders)

Grace
Grace is a beauty
Grace is a charm
Grace is spread love without any harm
Grace is kind until we are mine
Grace is in Hawaii, Grace is in Florida
Grace is everywhere, but she’ll say goodbye
Grace

Letter from Nancy 

Dear Haggerty Families~?

As 2020 comes to a close, it feels important to celebrate some of our community’s successes. Today we had our first Virtual Assembly, with our 5th graders hosting and creating the video compilation with the support of Kevin McGonegal, our instructional technology specialist. And, it was tremendous! We are very excited to have found a way to continue this important community tradition remotely! We look forward to our assemblies in the months ahead.

We’ve had a few poetry slams across the grades, and our fifth graders have had their elections for class representative and class secretary after a presentation to their classmates. More than 15 students campaigned and presented to their grade level peers and a host of staff who were there to listen. I look forward to continuing in the tradition of student voice and leadership! We’ve seen reading groups, mystery guests, and some filmed & remote readers theater! We’re adapting ways staff meet and get feedback on what they need to best meet the needs of our students and we are continually finding ways to center equity in our work despite the obstacles in the remote setting. I couldn’t be more grateful for the work and commitment of the Haggerty Faculty. They are creative, resourceful and team players in the most challenging time of their careers and lives. We know remote learning has been tough for many, and has required a change of mindset and the development of new skills for students and adults. We are so proud of our community for rising to the challenge and finding opportunities in the circumstances COVID has created. The creativity of the teachers in engaging our students in the remote setting is a celebration of their incredibly strong will! And, we look forward to a time we can ALL be together in person to bring forward what we’ve learned into a new way of teaching and learning and leave behind harmful and outdated systems and approaches.

I encourage you to consider the Race Matters groups that are coming up! Thank you to Race Matters and Jen Richards for keeping that work going! If you are in the skin I’m in, us white folks have much work to do and that work begins with our own recognition of where and how we perpetuate the characteristics of the dominant culture. I’m committed to continuing that work at Haggerty; I see it as life long work for me, as a white, cisgendered woman in a position of power. Breaking up the systems and biases that need it can’t happen if we don’t understand our role in it. The work is hard and vulnerable and I’m grateful to be in a community that’s willing to center it, name it, own it and talk about it. Creating those spaces is more important now than ever. Here’s a couple of articles I’ve enjoyed in the last couple of weeks.

What Anti-Racism Really Means for Educators
When the Children Return to School?

Thank you, as always, for sharing your kids with us! They inspire us each and every day.

Please reach out to Lissa, Sue, Allan, or me if you need anything! Here's to Peace & Joy in 2021!

Warm regards,
Nancy?

Upcoming Events to Help us Co-Create! 

As you may have noticed in the School Advisory Meeting notes I sent home this morning, we are working on some community events, and we would love your help!

Can you help us plan?

• Day of Service - January
  
• STEAM Night
  
• Talent Show
  
• Your idea!
  

Please let Lissa know if you have interest in any of the above events. We'd love your partnership!

Flu Vaccines - Reminder

As a reminder, all children in grades K-12 (remote or in-person) are required to receive the influenza vaccine by December 31, 2020, for the 2020-2021 influenza season unless they have a medical or religious exemption. Please submit all necessary documentation to Nurse Joanne  as soon as possible. If you have already done, please disregard this reminder. Thank you in advance for your assistance.

Sincerely,
Nurse Joanne ([email protected] / [email protected])                          

Race Matters Book Group

Race Matters: Courageous Conversations is joining with VLUS, Tobin, Graham and Parks to host a virtual book club/discussion group for white families to read and discuss Me and White Supremacy by Layla Saad.

There will be monthly meetings starting on January 6th from 6:30-8PM.
Link will be sent out after winter break!

Mental Health & General Health Resources

First off, here is the Happy & Safe Holiday Guide from the Cambridge Public Health Department! This flyer includes tips for celebrating safely as well as ideas for a lower-risk Holiday celebrations.

Movement/Physical Activity:

• Winter Nature BINGO
  Let's get outside on a walk and play nature BINGO by looking for things like acorns, birds and berries! You can play this game anywhere that is outside. Visit here >>
  • Nature Coloring Pages
    Check out these fun coloring pages (one for every wildlife sanctuary in MA!) and have some quiet fun with nature too!
    Visit here >>
    
• Snow Day Scavenger Hunt
  Go for a walk outside and try to find all these snow day items as a family! Visit here >>
  

Food, Nutrition & Home Gardening:

• ChopChop Cooking Club
  Use this free app from ChopChop to learn cooking skills, make yummy and simple recipes together and post up photos of your creations to win badges along with other 5-12 year olds on the app! Learn more >>
  

• Recipe of the week
  Enjoy this Sauteed Apples A la Mode recipe for dessert this week and you will not be disappointed! View Recipe >>

Mental & Emotional Wellness:

• Help Kids Reframe Anxiety & Reclaim Superpowers!
  Watch this 18-minute video and learn 7 ways you can help children reframe their anxieties and reclaim their childhood superpowers (like curiosity, resilience and many others!). Watch here >>
  

Healthy Snack of the Week

Here's Cambridge in Motion's Healthy Snack of the Week: 

Carrot Boats: Slice carrots topped with hummus or cream cheese and dried fruit and/or nuts on top! Try pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries or sliced prunes.

Haggerty Events & Reminders

In Our District & Community