Health Update: 9 October

Dear Students & Families,

I write to provide a brief update related to an earlier communication from Dr. Hunter.  Contract tracing is complete, and families of students with a risk of exposure have been notified.  I appreciate the efforts of all involved.  

Never perfect and always room for improvement, but everyone worked with urgency and care. The situation is stressful for all involved, but none more than those directly impacted. I urge everyone to avoid unnecessary attempts to determine who tested positive, and who is considered a contact.  They deserve privacy and compassion during a most stressful time.  

Unless notified differently from a coach, athletic practices and games scheduled for today and this weekend can resume as planned.  For details regarding today and next week, Dr. Hunter will host a webinar with Concord Health Officials at 4:00p.m.  Details below.

Lastly, I include a blog post shared on 6 October. The fragility of this situation remains and today arrived with proof we don't need or want, but it does serve as a reminder that we must remain vigilant and steadfast to our collective safety, and that includes the message in my previous blog.  

Lastly, I want to thank the community for the tremendous support we have witnessed since this all began in the spring.  Words can't describe how grateful I am.  Thank you.  Stay safe.

With Gratitude,

Michael J. Mastrullo

6 October Blog

Important Health and Safety Information: Preventing Large Gatherings & Out-of-State Travel

Correspondence From Dr. Hunter

October 9, 2020

Dear Families:

I wanted to provide an update.  As you know, we have plans in place for this scenario and have a comprehensive plan in place to sanitize the school, inform families whose students were at risk of exposure or in close contact, and support the affected family as they navigate this stressful experience. 

Our student body and staff have been closely adhering to the safety protocols including mask-wearing, hand washing, and physical distancing. We are grateful to our families for their continued efforts to keep students home at the first sign of symptoms. These measures, taken in combination, greatly reduce the risk of additional transmission.  

Parents of students who were in close contact with the CCHS community member will be notified privately over the next several hours. We still await information as to the possible case at Peabody. Should we receive a positive test, we will notify those who are close contacts there as well.

 

We are committed to continuous communication with and support of our families.  In addition to regular updates via email, we are hosting a webinar with the Concord Health Officials at 4 p.m. this afternoon. The zoom link is found below. Thank you for your ongoing support.

Best,

Laurie

 

You are invited to a Zoom webinar.
When: Oct 9, 2020 04:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Topic: Parent Forum

Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://concordps.zoom.us/j/92081860259?pwd=SytrRzJaRVpvU21yZ0h5TkdjUTd5dz09
Passcode: 213347
Or iPhone one-tap : 
    US: +13126266799,,92081860259#,,,,,,0#,,213347#  or +19292056099,,92081860259#,,,,,,0#,,213347# 
Or Telephone:
    Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
        US: +1 312 626 6799  or +1 929 205 6099  or +1 301 715 8592  or +1 346 248 7799  or +1 669 900 6833  or +1 253 215 8782 
Webinar ID: 920 8186 0259
Passcode: 213347
    International numbers available: https://concordps.zoom.us/u/akqeJYhup

Important Health and Safety Information: Preventing Large Gatherings & Out-of-State Travel

All,

I write to express gratitude and to share concerns we harbor.  Extending my sincere gratitude to all members of the CC community for a successful open of in-person learning.  The students have been fantastic.  We are proud of how well our students adapted and complied with essential safety measures.  Further, I marvel at how well school staff has adapted to a challenging learning environment.  It is impressive and inspiring.  

In-person learning remains the desired outcome, and our shared responsibility to ensure it continues exists in perpetuity.  Like most of what we see around us, nothing is impervious to change or improvement.  In terms of improvement, we need social distancing during mask breaks to improve.  

Often if you really want something, you will find a way, and if you don't, you find an excuse.  The vast majority want in-person learning, and we need to remain vigilant and continue to sacrifice for the sake of the broader community.  Attending sporting events, large concerts, and traveling without a modicum of concern for individuals beyond your inner circle are on hold for all of us.  

Simple, rudimentary measures remain an essential part of our collective well-being, including proper hygiene, social distancing, and wearing masks.  With the long weekend on the horizon, it serves as an opportune time to remind community members and students to avoid organizing, attending, and facilitating large gatherings.

Large Gatherings

 In a 14 September Blog Post, I highlighted concerns we harbor based on events in neighboring towns.  Those concerns remain. As we witnessed in several towns in Massachusetts, one large gathering will likely lead to a fully remote learning environment for an extended period of time.  The towns who did deal with parties with large numbers of students attending had to learn remotely, postpone sports, and disrupt the lives of thousands of people while putting countless people at risk.  

We celebrate the success of the open, but we need to remain vigilant and recognize the fragility of the situation.  Without learning names, we were alerted to planned parties this coming weekend.  We typically do not chase rumors, and we certainly are not in the business of telling parents/guardians how to raise their children, but what we are saying is we need everyone to comply with local, state, and federal regulations that forbid large gatherings.  

If parents/guardians are traveling and leaving older children home, we respectfully request protocols are in place to ensure conditions are not conducive to students gathering in large numbers.   

During the pandemic, so much of our "normal" life is beyond our control.  Outside events and forces dictate much of our life.  Many realms are beyond the power of forecast at the moment; we must take advantage of what we can control and forecast.  Preventing large gatherings are within our control, and what we can control we must take advantage of.  Just as different components of nature need to work in concert for a healthy ecosystem, we need to work together as a school community to ensure a safe learning environment that includes in-person learning. We are grateful for your efforts and vigilance.  

Sincerely,

Michael J. Mastrullo

Principal

Out-of-State Travel Protocols
https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-travel-order#lower-risk-states-

Michael J. Mastrullo

Principal

College Admissions Q&A, Financial Aid Webinars, & Applying to College During a Pandemic

College Admissions Q&A

By Alison Nowicki

The Guidance & Counseling Department is hosting a College Admissions Q&A session for students and parents in the Class of 2021.  Our special guest is Drew Carter, Senior Associate Director of Admissions, who is eager to answer your questions about testing, admissions in the time of COVID, and anything else on your mind.  Join us Wednesday, September 30th at 1pm!  To help us plan, please submit your questions ahead of time on this form. 

 

You are invited to a Zoom webinar.

When: Sep 30, 2020 01:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Topic: My WebinarCollege Admissions Q&A with Drew Carter, The College of the Holy Cross

 

Please click the link below to join the webinar:

https://concordps.zoom.us/j/94983094263?pwd=c1p3bFdsM3JkbTNhNWhtWXdHcndEdz09

Passcode: 863114

 

Or iPhone one-tap :

    US: +13017158592,,94983094263#  or +13126266799,,94983094263#

 

Or Telephone:

    Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):

        US: +1 301 715 8592  or +1 312 626 6799  or +1 929 205 6099  or +1 253 215 8782  or +1 346 248 7799  or +1 669 900 6833

Webinar ID: 949 8309 4263

  International numbers available: https://concordps.zoom.us/u/adoby53Aj2

 

 

 

College Guidance Network

Student Perspectives on Applying to College During a Pandemic

September 30, 2020 at 7:00 PM ET 

This week's episode takes a look at the college application process from the student perspective. Three seniors from Massachusetts high schools will be joined by the dean of admissions from Dartmouth and a Boston-area college counselor to reflect on the challenges and opportunities of the admissions process in the midst of a pandemic. Please share this information with your families. On this episode, parents and college-bound students will learn:

• How to assess campus fit and vibe via virtual engagement
• Early versus Regular Decision options
• Making the most of talents and interests as extracurricular activities are disrupted by remote school schedules
• Perspectives on standardized testing as  optional this year
• Advice on framing a personal narrative through the essay

Moderator Lee Coffin, Dean of Admissions at Dartmouth College joined by Meredith Reynolds, Associate Director of College Guidance at The Roxbury Latin School in Boston, Massachusetts. 

Bob Bardwell, Executive Director, Mass School Counseling Association will join Lee and Meredith to answer your questions during live Q&A.

 

To view a full list of upcoming episodes and view archived episodes, visit our programming page.  

Where Zoom broadcast

When September 30 | 7:00 PM ET

Free Financial Aid Application Webinars 

The Massachusetts Education Financing Authority  (MEFA) will not be doing school-based presentations this year, however, they are offering webinars covering different aspects of the financial aid application process.   Please use the link below to view the list of upcoming events, including Understanding the FAFSA on September 28th and the CSS Profile on September 29th.  

 

There are also several webinars that provide information and clarity on the entire financial aid application process.  For the Class of 2021 families, the financial aid application process begins on October 1st, so we encourage you to utilize these free resources as much as needed.

https://www.mefa.org/events

 

Important Back-to-School Night Details & Free Financial Aid Application Webinars

 Back to School Night - Reminder

As a reminder, tonight (Thurs, 9/17) is Back to School night for CCHS.  The program will begin at 6:00pm for parents/guardians of 9th graders.  The night features an all-school presentation from 6:50 - 7:20 PM.  You can view the all-school presentation at: https://concordps.zoom.us/j/94480280271?pwd=L1NwNmo0UThKeThLR2RSM1M4SjRCdz09

The school’s webinar account has a limit of 1000 simultaneous viewers.  So, if you are unable to gain access via the link above, the Minute Man Network will also be live streaming the all-school presentation at https://www.minuteman.media/2408/Education or you can watch on local channel 99 from 6:50 - 7:20PM.

The full schedule for the evening can be found here.  It is our suggestion that you make a copy of that schedule for each of your children and use this table to identify the zoom links for the appropriate teachers.  Identifying the links ahead of time will create a smoother experience this evening.

To avoid confusion, please ask your student for information regarding their schedule.  If that is not possible, you can log into Aspen.  For the most part, we will be following the Monday schedule shown in the Matrix schedule; however, given that G block does not meet on Monday’s we will need to insert the G block from Tuesday.  This graphic will help you identify which classes you will be attending tonight and the order in which you will do so.

As a reminder, all 9th-grade parents will attend a presentation from their academy teachers from 6:00 - 6:45 PM (links: 1. Willow, 2. Maple, 3. Oak, 4. Elm).  During this time, they will hear from the team’s English, math, science, and social studies teachers along with the guidance counselors and special education teachers associated with each team.  Therefore, 9th-grade parents will not attend their student’s English, math, science, or social studies classes from 7:22 - 8:56 and they will just have some free time during these blocks.

Finally, all parents with students in Rivers and Revolutions will use this link starting at 7:34 PM through the end of the evening.

We look forward to seeing you this evening and highlighting some of the great work at CCHS.

Free Financial Aid Application Webinars 

The Massachusetts Education Financing Authority  (MEFA) will not be doing school-based presentations this year, however, they are offering webinars covering different aspects of the financial aid application process.   Please use the link below to view the list of upcoming events, including Understanding the FAFSA on September 24th and the CSS Profile on September 29th.  

There are also several webinars that provide information and clarity on the entire financial aid application process.  For the Class of 2021 families, the financial aid application process begins on October 1st, so we encourage you to utilize these free resources as much as needed.

https://www.mefa.org/events

Register now! College Planning Webinar on Wednesday, September 16

College Planning Webinar on Wednesday, September 16

The Guidance & Counseling Department is offering a College Planning Webinar on Wednesday, September 16 at 1pm for Seniors to give them information about steps they may need to take now in order to be ready for applying to college this fall and winter.

The topics covered will include requesting transcripts, steps you need to take in SCOIR, the FERPA waiver, Recommendations, and other miscellaneous items.  There also will be time for Q&A.  This webinar requires students to register with an email before joining. 

Please make every effort to attend.  Click here to register! 

Important Health Information & Upcoming Events

Hello,

I write to express my sincere gratitude to all members of the CC community for a successful week of in-person learning.  We are proud of how well our students adapted and complied with important safety measures.  It is imperative we remain consistent with protocols including proper hygiene, social distancing, and wearing masks.  

In light of recent events that occurred in a neighboring town, the Concord Board of Health, Superintendent of Schools, and high school administration wanted to communicate the importance of remaining vigilant. I share this cautionary tale without judgment, as this incident could take place in any town in Massachusetts.  

Nevertheless, it necessitates an important reminder for all students and families.  In order for in-person learning to remain successful, we can't let complacency set in, and actions outside of school can derail efforts in an instant.  Lincoln-Sudbury High School announced over the weekend they are postponing in-person learning for at least two weeks. It is a sobering reminder that events outside of school, more than ever, can impact how and when we attend school.  

This decision by the Sudbury Board of Health was a direct result of a large gathering of students at a residence over the weekend. LS is a friendly rival and frequent collaborator with members of our community. We work closely in many ways and sympathize with members of the LS community who worked tirelessly to ensure the school could open in-person. To have it derailed on the eve of their first day of school is most unfortunate.  

As noted on several occasions, we have a shared commitment and understanding that we need to work together, and take care of each other, in order for this endeavor to remain successful.  

Below I include a portion of the correspondence sent by Bella Wong, the Superintendent/High School Principal of Lincoln-Sudbury.   

"I am very disappointed to share that I learned this morning that there was a crowded indoor and outdoor student party Friday evening....a complete lack of safety precautions to protect against the spread of COVID. Police were called to the scene. An estimated number of 15 students ran into the woods. They collected names from 32 other individuals....at least 13 plus 15 (28) known to be on-site are unaccounted for. If these students had been identified they could be requested to be isolated from school, monitored, and tested.

The Sudbury Board of Health is stating that we must start school in remote learning for 14 days from the known incident." -Bella Wong

Below are a few reminders of important upcoming events.  Have a great week.

Michael J. Mastrullo

Principal

CCHS Athletics Webinar and FAQ
When: Sep 14, 2020, 06:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Topic: CC Athletics Q&A

Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://concordps.zoom.us/j/95477009111?pwd=ZE1FdStVUjVNZThScnlxZjhGQXZFdz09
Passcode: 355900

Athletics FAQ

https://sites.google.com/concordcarlisle.org/cchsstartofschool2020-2021/reopening-docs/athletics?authuser=0

Clarification: Guidance Counselor Calendly 
The Guidance Department will utilize Calendly for scheduling with students. Parents and Guardians should email their child's counselor to schedule an appointment. 

Back To School Night at CCHS

CCHS will host a Back to School night for parents/guardians on Thursday, 17 September.  The entire event will be held virtually via Zoom.  The event will start at 6:00PM for parents/guardians of 9th-grade students.   There will be an all-school presentation from 6:50-7:20, and then parents/guardians will proceed through their child's schedule.

A detailed schedule for the event is found here.  Please visit the Start of School website under the schedules tab for more information: Back to School Night Information.

College Guidance Network

We are thrilled to bring our families and students a new service offering as we head into the new school year.  CCHS has signed on with the College Guidance Network, a virtual programming network specializing in demystifying the college admissions process.  This programming aims to supplement the tremendous and crucial work of our guidance department.  

The first episode airing live next Wednesday, 16 September, at 7:00 PM ET. 

Students and families will only need the link and passcode included in the messaging below to access the live episode when it airs.  You can also share the "Add to Calendar" button with your contacts so they can add it directly to their family or personal calendars. 

The full ten-episode series will provide you with expert advice on the college admissions process. Topics include how to create a balanced school list, write a persuasive essay, and apply for financial aid.  We will even take you behind the scenes to see how admissions committees actually work! Take a closer look at the full schedule of programming and speakers on their programming page. 

The first episode will air live on Wednesday, 16 September, at 7:00 PM ET: "Admissions in the time of COVID" to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on college admissions with the most up-to-date details. 

Panelists: Katie Cassino, CEO of Hobsons (Naviance); Lee Coffin, Dean of Admissions at Dartmouth; Bob Bardwell, Executive Director of Massachusetts School Counselor Association; and Nick Ducoff, author of "Better Off After College," and Emily Roper-Doten, Dean of Admission & Financial Aid, Olin College of Engineering.

The discussion will include:

How families can make the best choices in a rapidly changing environment

Changes to the Common App

Changing test policies

The increasing importance of essays

Financial aid implications

How colleges' institutional incentives may affect families

The discussion will be moderated by Lana Wong, Communications Lead from The Education Commission. 

All you need to join the episode is the Zoom link and passcode below. You can also use the "Add to Calendar" button at the bottom of the email to add the event to your personal calendar. 

Zoom link to join the live webinar on 16 September

Passcode: 614954

You don't need to take any action to register or sign-up for the episodes; I will share the Zoom link with you to view each episode two weeks before the airing date so you can add them to your family calendar. The episodes will also be posted to the College Guidance Network website for later viewing. 

The First In-Person School Day, CCHS Athletics Webinar, Back-To-School Night, Free College Admissions Programming, & Calendly Clarification

Today was our first in-person school day, and I am under the impression we are the first high school in the state of Massachusetts to open our doors for students.  A moment of great pride for an educational community who worked tirelessly over the last few months to make today possible.  

Never perfect and always room for improvement, but it was successful, and success was not inevitable.  It required sustained and increasing efforts on the part of all concerned with educating students. We are acutely aware school remains vital to not only educating the next generation of leaders, but it is an essential ingredient to social, economic, and scholarly progress in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. 

With Gratitude,

Michael J. Mastrullo

Principal

CCHS Athletics Webinar and FAQ
When: Sep 14, 2020 06:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Topic: CC Athletics Q&A

Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://concordps.zoom.us/j/95477009111?pwd=ZE1FdStVUjVNZThScnlxZjhGQXZFdz09
Passcode: 355900

Athletics FAQ

https://sites.google.com/concordcarlisle.org/cchsstartofschool2020-2021/reopening-docs/athletics?authuser=0

Clarification: Guidance Counselor Calendly 
The Guidance Department will utilize Calendly for scheduling with students. Parents and Guardians should email their child's counselor to schedule an appointment. 

Back To School Night at CCHS

CCHS will host a Back to School night for parents/guardians on Thursday, 17 September.  The entire event will be held virtually via Zoom.  The event will start at 6:00PM for parents/guardians of 9th-grade students.   There will be an all-school presentation from 6:50-7:20, and then parents/guardians will proceed through their child's schedule.

A detailed schedule for the event is found here.  Please visit the Start of School website under the schedules tab for more information: Back to School Night Information.

College Guidance Network

We are thrilled to bring our families and students a new service offering as we head into the new school year.  CCHS has signed on with the College Guidance Network, a virtual programming network specializing in demystifying the college admissions process.  This programming aims to supplement the tremendous and crucial work of our guidance department.  

The first episode airing live next Wednesday, 16 September, at 7:00 PM ET. 

Students and families will only need the link and passcode included in the messaging below to access the live episode when it airs.  You can also share the "Add to Calendar" button with your contacts so they can add it directly to their family or personal calendars. 

The full ten-episode series will provide you with expert advice on the college admissions process. Topics include how to create a balanced school list, write a persuasive essay, and apply for financial aid.  We will even take you behind the scenes to see how admissions committees actually work! Take a closer look at the full schedule of programming and speakers on their programming page. 

The first episode will air live on Wednesday, 16 September, at 7:00 PM ET: "Admissions in the time of COVID" to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on college admissions with the most up-to-date details. 

Panelists: Katie Cassino, CEO of Hobsons (Naviance); Lee Coffin, Dean of Admissions at Dartmouth; Bob Bardwell, Executive Director of Massachusetts School Counselor Association; and Nick Ducoff, author of "Better Off After College," and Emily Roper-Doten, Dean of Admission & Financial Aid, Olin College of Engineering.

The discussion will include:

How families can make the best choices in a rapidly changing environment

Changes to the Common App

Changing test policies

The increasing importance of essays

Financial aid implications

How colleges' institutional incentives may affect families

The discussion will be moderated by Lana Wong, Communications Lead from The Education Commission. 

All you need to join the episode is the Zoom link and passcode below. You can also use the "Add to Calendar" button at the bottom of the email to add the event to your personal calendar. 

Zoom link to join the live webinar on 16 September

Passcode: 614954

You don't need to take any action to register or sign-up for the episodes; I will share the Zoom link with you to view each episode two weeks before the airing date so you can add them to your family calendar. The episodes will also be posted to the College Guidance Network website for later viewing. 

 

SAT Information, Traffic Flow, Back to School Information & More

All,

After months of time, energy, and great effort the day where students arrive is finally here.  We can't wait to see them.  

Below is some important information regarding the start of school.  Some of this has been shared several times and all of it can be viewed on the Start of School Website, but we wanted to touch base and wish everyone a great first week of school.  And so it begins......

Michael J. Mastrullo
Principal

Start of School Website

All of the pertinent information regarding the start of school can be found at this website:

https://sites.google.com/concordcarlisle.org/cchsstartofschool2020-2021/home

If you have a question, the above site will likely contain the answer.

Parent Presentation

Parent Presentation

Food Services Information

Please see the document below for information from Mr. MacKnight regarding food services this year.

 Food Services SY20-21 Announcement

Student Contract

Be sure to log into Aspen to complete the review and sign off on the student contact.  You will find the sign off in the announcement section of your Aspen homepage.  This signoff must be completed today (Tues, 9/8)

 Student Contract August 2020

Guidance Counselor Calendly Links
The document below gives you the links to your guidance counselor's Calendly schedule where you can sign up for an appointment

 Calendly links

SAT Information

As communicated last week, CCHS is pleased to announce that we will host the School Day SAT on Wednesday, October 14.

To sign up for the test, please have your parents/guardians go to MySchoolBucks.com and sign up for the test.  There are two options that are available:

1. SAT without the essay ($62)

2. SAT with the essay ($78)

The deadline to sign up is on MSB is Sunday, September 13 at 11:59PM.  If you are registering for a test with College Board approved accommodations, please have the SSD number available.

If you have any questions, please contact Deb Mola (dmola@concordcarlisle.org).

Upcoming Events & Back-to-School Information

After months of preparation, we eagerly anticipate the start of school and welcoming all students back.  Please view the website for detailed information.  Also, I include a link to previous blog posts for your review.  Be well!

Sincerely,

Michael J. Mastrullo
Principal

Start of School Website

Previous Blog Posts

Tuesday, Sept. 8, 7:00 PM - Parent Info Session:

You can find the link to the webinar here:
https://concordps.zoom.us/j/97875703487?pwd=SnFCVVVoemNGdXN0aG9WR29EOU00UT09
Passcode: 868003

In order to allow us to be best prepared for the event, it would be helpful if you can enter your questions via the google form below.  Having your questions ahead of time will allow us to  conduct any research prior to the event and then be able to provide you the most accurate answer(s): Question Form

Wednesday, Sept. 9, 11:45 AM - Student Q&A

You can find the link to the webinar here:
https://concordps.zoom.us/j/96366512781?pwd=RkJ0dTdQb2ZiQkJKNVVodFdKZFVaUT09
Passcode: 238814

In order to allow us to be best prepared for the event, it would be helpful if you can enter your questions via the google form below.  Having your questions ahead of time will allow us to  conduct any research prior to the event and then be able to provide you the most accurate answer(s): Question Form