Principal Newsletter 5/6

• There is no lunch menu for May.  The menu is ever changing due to food deliveries.

• Mrs. Burke, our Administrative Assistant, is out all next week and will be back on May 18.  I am doing my best to cover the office, but be aware you may need to leave a message when you call the school.  Thank you for understanding.

• MCAS dates: this year we will be having one day of ELA, one day for Math, for all third-fifth grades,  and one day for Science for grade 5.  The following dates have been scheduled for our school.  May 13; 5th grade Science,  May 20; Math, May 27; ELA.  Make ups will be the next day for each subject.

  • Prior to each assessment, please make sure your child has a good night's sleep, gets outdoors for some exercise, and reassure them to try their best.

• Spring is here and so are ticks!  It’s that time of year to be checking your student for ticks after being outside. Ticks are most commonly found in grassy, bushy or wooded areas. They will attach when they come into contact with skin, and this is how they transmit disease. By following these steps, you can help reduce the risk of tick bites.

  •    Check your student once a day, it takes 24 hours or more for an infected tick to transmit disease; by checking everyday this will decrease the risk of getting sick.  It’s also good to check pets, clothing and outside gear after coming inside.

  •     Use repellents that contain DEET on exposed skin.    

  •  Avoid high grass and bush areas, walking on main pathways is best.

  •     Wearing long sleeves and pants when weather permits will keep ticks away from skin. Light colored clothing makes it easier to see ticks when checking; tucking pants into socks will also help avoid skin contact.

  •   Dogs and outside pets are at risk as well, and so talk with your veterinarian about tick prevention.

What you should do if you find a tick on your student.

•    Use clean fine-tipped tweezers to grasp tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible.

•    Pull upward with steady, even pressure. Don’t twist or jerk when pulling, this can cause the tick to break off, the head/mouth of the tick will remain embedded. If this should happen leave it alone, the skin will heal on its own.

•    After removing the entire tick, thoroughly clean the bite area with soap and water; alcohol or an iodine solution can also be used.

•   Mark on a calendar the date the tick was removed, symptoms of disease will most likely develop within a month of a bite.  Notify a health care provider if you are uncertain of what type of tick was found, or if a rash or flu like symptoms develop.

•   Never crush a tick with your fingers. Dispose of a live tick by putting it in alcohol, placing it in a sealed bag/container, wrapping it tightly in tape, or flushing it down the toilet.

For more information on diseases spread by ticks, please visit the Massachusetts Department of Public Health website at: www.mass.gov/dph/tick. 

With Sheffield Pride,

Melissa Pitrat