At the December 7th School Committee meeting, a decision was made to move to distance learning in Smithfield. Tomorrow (12/9), GMS students will begin distance learning. SHS students will begin next week (Monday is a Flex Day) and elementary students will begin the week following (12/21). Additional details will be forthcoming.
SHS student artwork includes important message to everyone in our school community....
Wood Truss Topping off Ceremony at McCabe marks a milestone in the progress of the building project. Students enjoyed seeing the crane hoist the wood truss to it's spot on the addition roof.
Congratulations Caitlin Moroni, selected to the Junior Treble Choir representing Gallagher Middle School!
The USDA extends free school meals to ALL students for the rest of this school year. Both breakfast and lunch are available to all students at no cost in each of the district's schools. Take advantage of this opportunity!
https://bit.ly/3lqdXVO
Congratulations to SHS music students who were accepted into RI All State ensembles! These students auditioned virtually and will participate in a virtual music festival this spring.
Caroline Bosco - Junior All State Treble Chorus
Alexander Brenner - All State Jazz Ensemble a& Senior All State Band Annemarie Dancause - Senior All State Mixed Chorus
Claire Dancause - Senior All State Treble Chorus
Rosemary Fochler - Junior All State Mixed Chorus
Ava Williams - Senior All State Mixed Chorus
Additionally, the following students were accepted into the RI Virtual Jazz Honor Choir: Grace Barden and Rosemary Fochler
The SHS National Honor Society will be celebrating the joy of the holidays with our elementary students of Smithfield! Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 6:00pm, they, along with special guests, will be reading stories to elementary school students, Story times will run for 30 minutes, starting on December 2nd end ending December 30th with the exception of Christmas day. Children will be able to join easily with their student Google account.
Happy Holidays! Smithfield High National Honor Society
December Reading Schedule: https://bit.ly/3qfMjhW
Classroom Code: 6t3b36u
Live Google Meet: https://bit.ly/2VkjORQ
Link to a Live Stream: https://bit.ly/3mnqWIY
The district's December newsletter is available on this link: https://bit.ly/2UZa5Am There is no school on Wednesday-Friday this week due to the Thanksgiving holiday. Best wishes for an enjoyable Thanksgiving. Weekly Return to School reports will resume on December 4th.
Have you noticed the scarecrows throughout Smithfield? Smithfield High School's National Honor Society's fundraising effort for the month of November is the Sentinel Scarecrow Army. There are 90 scarecrows stationed around the town of Smithfield at our schools and municipal buildings. Scarecrows have QR codes that bring you to different non-profit websites where you can make a donation or join these non-profits. A handful of locations (Town Hall, Smithfield High School, Old County Elementary School, the School Administration Building, and the police department) are accepting canned food donations that will be donated to various food banks in Smithfield. Food donations will be accepted until November 22nd. The goal of the National Honor Society is to help the less fortunate families in Smithfield celebrate Thanksgiving. Please help them achieve this goal!
OCRS Building Project Progress: Footings for the new elevator are in place & work to the front of the building includes new sewer pipes. Next week, compaction of the fill in the front, along with excavation for the foundation & perimeter walls of the addition will be completed.
New blog post: ongoing work to keep our school environments safe:
Prepare * Prevent * Respond * Recover
https://judypaolucci.edublogs.org
ELEMENTARY CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS UPDATE: At McCabe, foundations and slabs for the new addition have been poured, structural steel has been completed, and exterior light gauge metal framing work for the new gym is 90% complete. Crews are now beginning to work on the exterior, cold-rolled steel framing on the Northern side of the addition and on installing interior sheathing in the gym. Landscaping for this phase is completed and site improvements to the new bus loop have been finalized ahead of schedule. Work that will continue into November includes roofing and MEP enabling work for the new gym. The RI COVID task force recently performed an unannounced inspection and gave the jobsite top marks.
October was a milestone month at LaPerche with structural steel being completed only 7 working days after it began. Students and staff celebrated with a “topping off” ceremony. All other steel work, including installation of the metal roof deck, was also completed this month. The completion of the steel work allowed the team to pour the slabs for the interior footprint of the building on schedule. In the existing building, the work in the gym was completed and the kids were able to use this beautiful new space starting the last week of October. Work for the month of November will focus on constructing the building envelope and getting the building weather tight.
Work at Old County is primarily focused on sitework, preparing for the pouring of foundations and piers. We expect that work to take place within the new few weeks, in tandem with the structural steel work.
RIDOH is hiring temporary employees to do case investigations.
Apply here: https://success.knowledgeservices.com/ri
As part of the emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) has retained Knowledge Services to provide temporary staff members to assist with case investigation and contact tracing. Chosen candidates will conduct interviews of patients with confirmed or probable COVID-19, as well as any primary contacts of individuals who have tested positive, focusing on motivational interviewing and cultural competency. Clinical experience is not required and all information necessary to conduct the interviews will be provided during the training period.
Interviews Guided by the Following Standard Protocols:
Providing disease-specific information
Assessing signs and symptoms of COVID-19, as well as underlying health conditions
Discussing symptom onset to determine time/dates for contact elicitation and exposure risk for close contacts
Discussing work, social, recreational, and community activities to identify who may have been exposed
Eliciting information of close contacts, including names, exposure dates and locating information
Providing recommendations for isolation or quarantine based on State and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines and reviewing of daily monitoring procedures
Assessing support needs to maintain health and compliance during isolation or quarantine
Communicating with contacts to notify them of exposure, providing disease and transmission information, gathering data on demographics, living arrangements, and daily activities
Providing referrals for testing (if appropriate) and arranging for testing, if needed
Soft Skills Requirements:
Strong attention to detail
Good phone etiquette when speaking to individuals from all demographics and life situations
Empathetic/customer service centered attitude, even when dealing with abrasive individuals
Dependable and flexible to changes as we work our way through this pandemic
Inquisitive nature/ability to think outside the box to collect as much relevant information as possible
Ability to multitask as you will have to speak with individuals, enter data, and relay information to the appropriate team/team leader as needed
Additional Information:
These new positions will be contracted for an emergency short-term basis, which is currently planned to be 6-12 months.
The roles will be on-site at RIDOH, remote work may be available after a 4-6-week training period and a competency assessment.
Priority will be given to applicants with the following qualifications:
Applicants who are bilingual or multilingual
Applicants available for full-time work (35 hours/week), including weekends
Applicants who can work through at least the end of the year if needed
Applicants who have experience with data entry while taking information from patients
Applicants who have experience with customer service with patients, healthcare providers and the general public
Applicants who work well in a team environment
Read the news from Smithfield Schools! The November district newsletter is now available on this link: https://bit.ly/3kEguMf
RIDE created a “Fall Learning Opportunities Directory,” listing learning opportunities open to all students statewide. See this link: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59a81489579fb39e3ef2232f/t/5f90554436ebbd41ce1d0236/1603294533942/Fall+Learning+Opportunities+Directory.pdf
Please ensure that everyone enjoys a SAFE Halloween this year.
Consider the Trunk or Treat Spooktacular at No Risk Crossfit.
Outside and with social distancing rules in place. Register at info!noriskcrossfit.com.
Looking for a safe family activity? Join families across the country who are carrying lights of hope forward into winter and 2021. This tradition is designed to teach kids to embrace change, connect with nature and community. 4pm-5pm on November 1st at Mowry Commons (374 Farnum Pike in Smithfield). Registration required - www.revivetheroots.org or call 305-0539
Looking for a safe activity for Halloween? Check out the Halloween Story Walk! 11am-3pm on October 31st at Mowry Commons (374 Farnum Pike in Smithfield). Enjoy a trail adventure as you read a story posted along the path. Families will enjoy decorated trails, a scavenger hunt, visits with the animals, and free, gently-used books. Wear your costumes! Registration required - www.revivetheroots.org or call 305-0539
Parents are invited to check out this virtual, interactive display showing signs of risky behavior and possible drug use and the tools needed to have constructive conversations: http://spc-hips.com
LaPerche was featured in the RI Healthy School Coalition's October newsletter! Take a look at https://mailchi.mp/rihsc/oct2020.
