Welcome Back, Resources, and Support from OSS

Welcome Back, Resources, and Support from OSS
Posted on 04/30/2020

Dear OSS Community,

Welcome back! We hope that you and your family had a safe and restful April break, despite the current landscape. We are aware that this is a difficult time for our students and our families and in collaboration with SE-PAC Leadership, wanted to share several resources at the state and local level.

Resources
P-EBT, or Pandemic EBT, is a federal program that provides food support to help families with children who are receiving free and reduced-price school meals pay for food. More information >>

Extra Emergency SNAP Benefits
Beginning in March extra SNAP benefits were issued to households not already getting the maximum grant. Extra emergency SNAP will continue each month until the end of the public health emergency. More information >>

Helping Your Child Cope with the Changes Resulting from COVID-19
The National Association of School Psychologists has put together a list of strategies for families to take to help children adjust to the new normal. Several translations are also provided. More information >>

Tips for Talking to Your Child about COVID-19
PBS has developed ten tips to help you navigate the COVID-19 conversation with your child. More information >>

Support Groups for Mental Health
NAMI Cambridge-Middlesex offers free support group meetings for family members and friends of people with mental health conditions. The support groups are facilitated by trained NAMI members. Conducted in a confidential atmosphere, the support groups are designed to help provide mutual support and coping strategies.

During the COVID-19 crisis, Family Support Group meetings occur twice a month on Zoom:

  • First Monday of the Month: 6:30 - 8PM
  • Third Monday of the Month: 6:30 - 8PM

For more information, please click here.

In Case You Missed It (from Superintendent Salim’s community message 4.27.20)

  • Emergency closure update: As we reported last week, Governor Baker announced that school buildings in Massachusetts will remain closed for the rest of the school year. The state has shared updated guidance for how to approach the rest of the school year; we will provide more information soon. Please remember that although our facilities are closed, our school year continues. CPS educators continue to support students and families in distance learning. It’s important for our students to stay engaged and learning every school day!

  • Where do we go from here: We’re busy making plans for the remainder of the school year, the summer, and the fall. As we await additional guidance from state officials, we’re developing strategies to (1) ensure the health and safety of all students and adults when school buildings eventually reopen, and (2) provide the additional academic and social emotional supports that students will need after an extended period out of classrooms. We will continue to seek your input and keep you updated on these plans.

  • Family survey: Thank you to everyone who took a few minutes to answer the brief 6-question survey about your family’s needs and experiences during the emergency closure. There is still time, so if you haven’t already, look for the email from our survey partner, Panorama, and share your thoughts. Our team is reviewing the responses to identify additional ways to support CPS families.

Stay connected
For the latest news and information:

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