Dear Families,

Please see below for this week’s announcements.

COVID Testing
Opportunity to participate in the Executive Director Interview Committee
April Break COVID Testing
Family Conference Night
Phoenix Family Fund Update
Upcoming Family Town Hall
Middle School MCAS Exams
Boston Prep Events/Announcements
Community Events/Announcements

Stay safe and be well!

Sincerely,

Madelyn Ruizdeporras
Family Operations Manager

I. COVID Testing

At Boston Prep, health and safety is our number one priority. 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 in close contact with 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. Etheart, at nurses@bostonprep.org. Our nurses will partner with you to determine whether your child must remain home from school and for how long. You will be notified by Boston Prep’s Nursing Team if your student tests positive for COVID. If you do not receive notification from our Nurses, you should assume that your child has not tested positive.

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

Thank you for continuing to be our partners in ensuring the health and safety of the Boston Prep community.

II. Opportunity to participate in the Executive Director Interview Committee:

As you know, Boston Prep is looking to hire a new Executive Director for the 2022-2023 school year. We would love members of the Boston Prep community involved in the process and have created an opportunity to participate in the Executive Director Interview Committee. This is an opportunity to participate in interviews with 2-3 top Executive Director candidates, and to share your feedback on these candidates with our Board of Trustees. If you are interested in participating in this Interview Committee, please complete this brief form.

III. April Break COVID Testing

We are asking all family members and caregivers to please plan to rapid-test your student on Sunday, April 24th in the morning. Report any positive results to nurses@bostonprep.org (no need to report if your results are negative). Rapid test kits will be sent home with students this Wednesday, April 13th.

IV. Q3 Family Conference Night

We will host Family Conference Night on Thursday, April 28th. Family conferences will be by appointment only. Your child’s teacher will reach out to you directly if your child requires a conference. We’ll do a half-day of school DISMISSAL AT 12PM), followed by conferences from 3-7pm.

V. Phoenix Family Fund Update

The Phoenix Family Fund will be ending weekly disbursements as of April 30th. On May 1st the Phoenix Family Fund will shift to supporting families with major life events such as significant illness or disability, death, fire, etc… Families will be able to apply only once per year for this support. Applications will be reviewed by our school social workers who will then contact the family to review the request. Requests cannot exceed the amount of $500.

As of May 1st, you can click on this link: https://forms.gle/zouvBhnwmrUbHyCx7 to request Emergency Funds.

VI. Upcoming Family Town Hall

Please take some time to register now for our next Family Town Hall scheduled on Wednesday, April 27th, 6:00 PM. Topic to be discussed will be: Planning for the next school year. If you haven’t registered yet, you still have time to click on this link and Register. Visit our website to view our other upcoming Town Halls.

We are eager to have as many families as possible join us for this Town Hall so that we can continue to partner together to ensure Boston Prep is an excellent, equitable school for all.

VII. Middle School MCAS Exams

MCAS exams for Math, and Science are scheduled to begin Thursday, May 19th.

Testing dates for middle school students are scheduled on the following dates.

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) requires middle school students to participate in ELA and Math MCAS exams each spring, and, for 8th grade students, a Science MCAS exam. The assessments are online, untimed, and require students to engage in grade level texts and tasks, and respond to various question types and writing prompts. Students will attend classes after morning testing sessions and have dismissal at regular time.

MCAS testing dates for middle school students are scheduled on the following dates.

We ask for your support in ensuring that all middle school students are present and on time to school every day by no later than 8:00am. Please make sure your child goes to bed early so they are well rested for exam day. We will be sure to send additional information and a reminder in advance of the May Math and Science MCAS testing window.

We thank you for continuing to partner with us in service to your child’s continued success.

VIII. Boston Prep Events/Announcements

National College Deposit Day (May 1st): The deadline to commit and deposit to a college/university is quickly approaching. Please continue to talk with your senior about their college decisions and financial aid award letters. Mrs. Dewey will be available for any conversations and will be scheduling meetings with each senior/family to discuss their options and final plans. She can be reached at sdewey@bostonprep.org.
Senior College Transition Workshops: Mr. Dewey, our alumni counselor, is hosting college transition workshops weekly to discuss a variety of important topics related to college. The workshops take place on Wednesdays at 3:15pm - 4:15pm in the modular building. Please encourage your senior to attend these sessions. Topics include:
selecting a major, how to understand degree requirements, what offices should you know on campus, how to form and build a community, and so much more! Seniors that attend these sessions will have the opportunity to win an iPad. If you have any questions, reach out to Mr. Dewey at edewey@bostonprep.org.
Senior End of Year Events: April Break is finally here, which means graduation and the end of the school year is right around the corner. The College Counseling Office is excited to host two senior family events in the coming weeks. More details to come, but for now, we wanted to make sure some events were on everyone’s radar.
Senior Signing Day (during a whole school community meeting): Wednesday, May 25th from 8am – 8:30am
Senior Prom: Friday, June 3, 2022 from 7:30pm - 11pm
Senior Dinner: Tuesday, June 7th from 5:30pm – 8pm
Class of 2022 Graduation: Friday, June 10, 2022
Summer Enrichment Programs Requirements for High School
Boston Prep high school students have the opportunity to extend their learning through the summer enrichment programs that promote personal, academic and professional growth. All Boston Prep high school students are required to participate in a summer enrichment program each summer of high school. Summer opportunities are shared with high school students weekly, and high school students and their families can learn about thesesummer enrichment opportunities here which include youth employment opportunities and a variety of summer programs. If high school students or families have questions about summer enrichment, they can contact Ms. Fontes at fina.fontes@student.bostonprep.org.
Teacher Appreciation Week: is May 2th-6th.
Would you like to appreciate one or more One Team Faculty members? Here is one way to do it. Please click on the link.

IX. Community Events/Announcements

Free Community Meals Program Ends 6/30: Since September 2020, Boston Prep has provided thousands of free meals to families in our local community. Unfortunately, the federal funding that supported this program is set to expire on June 30th. Accordingly, we plan to wind down our Free Community Meals program on 6/30/22.
Free COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics: Mass Department of Public Health is parting with local businesses to host free COVID-19 vaccination clinics. There are several clinics over the break, all at really cool locations (amusement parks, bowling alleys, zoos, etc.). Attending and getting a shot will include some fun giveaways to these locations (READ: free tickets and swag).
The clinics will be offering boosters and you do not need ID or proof of health insurance.
https://www.mass.gov/info-details/school-vacation-week-covid-19-vaccination-clinics

APPENDIX: FAMILY QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE

Upcoming Dates

Friday, April 15: Good Friday/Half Day dismissal at 12pm
Monday, April 18 - 22: April Break - No School
Wednesday, April 27: Family Town Hall at 6pm Meeting Registration
Thursday, April 28: Family Conference Day: Dismissal at 12pm
Monday, May 30th: Memorial Day - No School
Monday: June 20: Celebrate Juneteenth - No School
Friday, June 24: Last Day of School

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 yellow school 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 information about resources, please familiarize yourselves with our boston prep resource page: https://www.bostonprep.org/resources
For other questions: info@bostonprep.org