Dear Secondary School Families:
Happy Friday Tamarac! I hope this update finds you healthy and ready for the final weekend of February. I remember learning in elementary school that March supposedly comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. I’m hoping this March is content being more of a lamb in all aspects, especially after the curveball that March 2020 tossed our way! Here in the Secondary school, the staff is wrapping up interim grade reporting for quarter 3. We are proud of the progress many of our students are making through this challenging year. Here is a link to the quarter 2 honor roll lists for the middle school and high school. Congratulations to each student and their family for this hard earned recognition! Looking ahead, you can expect that your child’s interim report for quarter 3 will be available on the portal next Friday, March 5 around noon. We greatly appreciate your willingness in taking time to review your child’s grades and valuable feedback from their teachers. Here are some other important updates for the week:
Mode of Learning: A reminder that we will have one more opportunity for our fully remote students to switch to in-person/hybrid learning for the start of the 4th quarter. The updated window for informing us of a change will begin on March 15. The window will close on Friday, March 26. At this point, we have two quarters of achievement data (and another interim report forthcoming). This should help in deciding whether a move to hybrid learning is advisable. Students that do not pass their coursework will not be eligible to receive credit. Students also need to be prepared to demonstrate their skills on Regents and/or final exams in June. We are still waiting for further guidance from NY State on exact student performance measures. Please reach out to your child’s counselor if you have any questions.
10th Grade Monitoring the Future Survey: The University of Michigan has invited our sophomore class to participate in an important survey. The survey and results will be 100% anonymous. The main focus is to assess the impact of COVID-19 on student behaviors, attitudes and beliefs. Additionally, students will answer questions about a range of issues that affect their well-being, including their educational and occupational plans, life goals, use of leisure time, health and safety, and alcohol and drug use. It will take about 40 minutes to complete and will be administered remotely on March 2 during Global Studies to all 10th graders - hybrid and fully remote. The anonymous data collected will be very useful as we assess the educational impact of the pandemic, school climate, curriculum needs, allocation of resources, and much more. Thank you to our 10th grade students for taking the time to do this!
Yearbooks: The staff is working hard to make The 2021 Tamarac High School yearbook as unique as this school year. For the first time the yearbook will cover the full school year! Order your copy for $63 (plus tax). The deadline for ordering is April 16.
http://jostensyearbooks.com/?REF=A05396450
Free Tutoring: A reminder that RPI students are offering free “virtual” tutoring every Saturday until May 1 for all Brunswick students.. This is a tremendous opportunity to consider if your child is behind and needs additional support.
Health/Wellness: **IMPORTANT** Please be sure to complete the daily screening survey before sending your child to school each morning. Your child should be kept home if they are experiencing any symptoms consistent with COVID. If your child’s symptoms are improving AND they are fever-free for at least 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medicine, they may return to school with a note from their doctor with an alternate diagnosis clearing them to return to school OR a copy of their negative COVID test result. We appreciate your help in keeping our school safe for everyone!
Weekly Calendar:
Monday 3/1: BLUE COHORT Tuesday 3/2: RED COHORT Wednesday 3/3: WHITE COHORT Thursday 3/4: BLUE COHORT Friday 3/5: 6-12 Virtual
It looks like we have some moderate late February temperatures to look forward to. I hope you and your family enjoy your weekend together. Be well! #TamaracStrong
Sincerely,
Ken Rizzo
Principal, Tamarac Secondary School