Message from Principal Chad Leith
Dear Morse School parents and families,

At the Morse School, we are committed to welcoming and supporting children and families from all cultural and linguistic backgrounds. As part of fostering a positive community at the Morse School, we highlight “core virtues” each month that are explicitly taught and reinforced throughout our school. Our core virtue for the month of October is “appreciation for different cultures and the diversity in our world.” In two weeks, we invite you to join us in celebrating this core virtue by participating in our International Festival & Potluck Celebration (Friday, October 19th from 6 - 8PM). In addition to this special community event, we will also spend some time each day (during our morning announcements) sharing morning greetings in the different languages spoken by Morse School students and families.

Here are a few more October updates:

School Council Election Results
I am very pleased to announce that Delia Puntonio, Sayem Khan, and Thalia Krakower won unanimous approval as parent representatives to the Morse School Council! They will by joined on the Council by Friends of Morse President Shannon Finley and staff members Stephanie Brennan, Diane Abu-Eid, Mary Gallant and Therese Bellino. Our first School Council meeting will take place on Tuesday, October 16th from 4:30 - 6PM in the Morse School library.



Playground Update
As you may have noticed, the contractors working on improvements to our playground have been hard at work! New rubber surfacing has been installed, new bushes and shrubs have been planted and new play structures are being assembled each day. We expect that the new play spaces located to either side of the main entrance will be ready for our children to enjoy as early as next week, with remaining play areas slated to be complete by mid-November!

Temporary Change to Arrival & Dismissal Routines
Due to the demolition and removal of old asphalt and the installation of new play features along the front of our building towards Magazine Street, we have been forced to temporarily change our morning arrival routine. While playground construction continues, we will invite all children to come inside at 7:55AM where they will be able to eat breakfast in the cafeteria or engage in supervised play in the gym until they transition to their classrooms at 8:10AM. Our dismissal routine for the “E-wing” of our building will also be different until playground improvements wrap up. Until further notice, 4th and 5th graders will now be dismissed through the main entrance.

Please be reminded that there will be no school on Monday October 8th (in observance of Indigenous People's Day) and that our next Friends of Morse meeting will take place on Tuesday (October 9th, 6:30 - 8PM). For a portion of Tuesday’s meeting, I hope to share a brief overview of our school’s performance on the 2018 MCAS and field any questions or suggestions you have about our school. The meeting will also provide you with an opportunity to contribute to planning for some of our upcoming community events!

Best wishes for a wonderful long weekend!

Chad

STEAM it Up!
October 25 | 6 - 8PM
Rindge Avenue Upper School, 70 Rindge Ave.
Have you ever wanted to hack electronics? Maybe you'd like to create and launch a zip line car? If this sounds like fun and you'd like to spend some great family time having pizza and learning together then come to STEAM IT Up. View event details >>

Outside Opportunities
Mayor's Office Partners with Cradles to Crayons
The Mayor’s Office, in partnership with Cradles to Crayons, is hosting a city-wide donation drive. Cradles to Crayons serves kids birth through age 12 living in homeless or low income situations by providing essential items; last year, this included over 2,000 kids in the Cambridge community. You can help! Please consider donating new or gently used clothing, shoes and books. Starting October 1st through October 18th there will be multiple locations for you to donate items. Please contact Mayor’s Office at 617.349.4321 or check out Find It Cambridge to learn more.

Mayor's Town Hall: Supporting Cambridge Youth
Thursday, October 11 | 6PM | City Hall, 
795 Massachusetts Avenue
What supports do Cambridge young people need in our city? What supports and services already exist? Come hear from city officials, young people, youth workers, and the Cambridge LGBTQ+ Commission and add your voice on this important topic. Brief presentations will be followed by discussion groups. Refreshments will be provided. Learn more >>

What is Implicit Bias: A Presentation by Dr. Mahzarin R. Banaji 
Author of Blindspot: The Hidden Biases of Good People
Wednesday, October 17 | 5:30PM
Register for free tickets >>
This event is sponsored by the Cambridge Citizens Committee on Civic Unity, Cambridge Human Rights Commission, Cambridge Peace Commission, Cambridge City Manager’s Office, Mayor Marc McGovern, and Councillor Sumbul Siddiqui.

Rep. Katherine Clark – Cambridge Office Hours
Hosted by Rep. Clark's Immigration Issues Liaison Katie Worley
3rd Thursday each month, 3-4PM  
Cambridge City Hall, 795 Mass Ave. (Mayor's Office, 2nd fl)
Staff will be on site to answer questions about immigration benefits, USCIS cases, Passports, and more. If you have questions or need assistance outside of scheduled hours, please do not hesitate to contact our district office: 
701 Concord Ave., Suite 101, Cambridge, MA 02138 
617.354.0292, katherineclark.house.gov.

Stay Connected
Stay up-to-date with all Morse School news. Follow us on Facebook!