Dear Families,

What a great beginning to a new year! It is so wonderful to once again have our halls and classrooms filled with joy! Your children are such an inspiration - showing up each day eager to learn, to build new relationships, and to take on new challenges. We look forward to a tremendous year together!

Please see below for this week’s announcements. Please note that beginning next week, we will send our Family Newsletter each Wednesday, rather than Tuesday. (Translations in Spanish and Haitian Creole will be sent on Thursday.)

COVID Testing
Dress Code Reminder
Next Week’s Schedule
Upcoming Family Town Halls
Back to School Night: Thursday, September 23, 6:30PM
Athletics Registration
Have questions?
Community Events/Announcements

Stay safe and be well!

Sincerely,

Sharon Liszanckie
Executive Director

I. COVID Testing

At Boston Prep, health and safety is our number one priority. We are all - faculty, students, and families - committed to doing what it takes to keep ourselves, our loved ones, and our community safe. We ask for your help, as families, in a few ways.

Keep your child home if they are exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 or have been a close contact of someone with COVID-19. If you believe your child is exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 or has been exposed to someone with COVID-19, please immediately contact our nurses, Ms. Golafaie and Ms. Fenoglietto, at nurses@bostonprep.org. Our nurses will partner with you to determine whether your child must remain home from school and for how long.
Register your child for our FREE weekly COVID testing program. Regular COVID testing allows us to identify COVID cases in our community before they become contagious and are transmitted to others. In partnership with the Broad Institute, CIC Health, and Cataldo Emergency Services, we provide weekly PCR COVID testing to all faculty and students - at NO COST.
1. The test is a gentle nasal swab. It is quick, easy, and painless. Watch a test in action now.
2. All results are private and confidential and will only be shared with our nurses.
3. Testing is usually completed on Mondays but will be shifted in the case of holidays.
4. If your child tests positive for COVID, we will strive to contact you by phone by 6:30am the day after testing was completed. Our nurses will discuss next steps with you at that time. In this way, no one who tests positive will return to school until fully medically cleared. Students who are required to quarantine by our school nurses will be able to continue learning from home, via Zoom livestreaming technology.

If you have not yet registered your child for our FREE COVID testing program, please do so now!

II. Dress Code Reminder

We would like to ask for your help ensuring students arrive to school in appropriate dress, aligned with the dress code, every day. In particular, we want to call attention to the following guidelines:

Only Boston Prep branded shirts (maroon polo in middle school; approved branded options in high school)
- We know that you may be awaiting the arrival of shirts that you ordered (particularly high school students). If your child does not yet have their Boston Prep shirts, any solid colored collared shirt can be worn during these first days of school.
No jeans, leggings, or yoga pants
No ripped clothing

Please read the entire dress code in detail, as linked below, and reach out with any questions. Other than the one exception named above (solid colored collared shirts for those who are awaiting their Boston Prep shirts), students should be in attire that fully meeting the dress codes. Thank you for your help ensuring a positive learning environment that celebrates our shared school pride.

Middle School Dress Code

High School Dress Code

III. Next Week’s Schedule

Next week, we will resume our regular daily schedule. Please note that Monday is a holiday, so there will be no school. After school activities, including office hours with teachers, will begin.

IV. Upcoming Family Town Halls

To start the year, we will be holding our Family Town Halls every three weeks. Family Town Halls are interactive dialogues, bringing families and faculty together to discuss how we can continue to work together to build a better school. Our next Town Hall will be held on Wednesday, September 15 at 6:00PM. Please click below to join us on Zoom! You can view the complete list of upcoming Family Town Halls - and register for them now - on our website.

V. Back to School Night: Thursday, September 23, 6:30 PM

Mark your calendars! Back to School Night will be held virtually - via Zoom - on Thursday, September 23 at 6:30. Join us online to meet your child’s teachers, learn about curriculum and grading, and more! More details and links will be shared soon.

VI. Athletics Registration

Fall sports practices have begun! If your child is interested in participating, please be sure to register ASAP! In the middle school, we are offering soccer. In the high school, we are offering football, cross country, soccer, and girls volleyball.

Girls volleyball try-outs will be held Wednesday, 9/1, and Thursday, 9/2, from 2:00 - 3:30. Interested players must first register (click the button below), bring athletic clothes to practice in, and meet in the recess lot behind Boston Prep promptly at 2:00PM.

Please note that a copy of your child’s most recent physical (within 13 months of the beginning of the season) is required to participate.

If you have any questions or concerns, contact Mr. Alves at nalves@bostonprep.org or 617-506-9085.

VIII. Have questions?

Please don’t ever hesitate to reach out with questions! You can contact your child’s advisor or utilize any of the email addresses below.

For questions about buses, MBTA passes, and transportation: transportation@bostonprep.org
To report an absence or tardiness: attendance@bostonprep.org
To submit a physical exam record or to discuss health-related topics: nurses@bostonprep.org
For other questions: info@bostonprep.org

VII. Community Events/Announcements

Mayoral candidate debate: Wednesday, September 8 at 7:00pm the Dorchester Reporter will be partnering with NBC10 Boston and its affiliates for a televised mayoral debate.
Preliminary Election: Get out to the polls on September 14 from 7:00am - 8:00pm to cast your vote in the Preliminary Municipal Election. Following this vote, only two candidates will advance to the general election on November 2 to become Boston’s next Mayor. Find your polling location here.

APPENDIX: FAMILY QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE

Upcoming Dates