Dear Families,
We are sincerely thrilled and happy to welcome returning and new families to the Bates Elementary School for the 2020-2021 school year. Even in the midst of a global pandemic and uncertainties, we continue to find joy in the work we do with students and families and look forward to navigating the ‘new normal’ with you. We are very much aware the last several months have been trying times. We are confident together as a community, we will figure out the logistics and ensure a high-quality and rigorous education and a safe learning environment for all students. In that effort, we continue to work to solidify our reopening plans and garner input from all stakeholders. We value and appreciate all questions and concerns and we encourage families to reach out to us at the school.
Remote and Hybrid Options:
92.5% percent of our families completed the survey for their choice of remote or hybrid learning. If you did not complete the survey, your child(ren) was automatically enrolled into the hybrid model. If you did not complete the survey and do not consent to the hybrid model, please call 617-635-9520 as soon as possible.
We are aware that many families who opted for hybrid learning are waiting confirmation for Cohort A (Mondays and Tuesdays) or Cohort B (Thursdays and Fridays) designation for their child(ren). At the moment, we cannot confirm which cohort your child(ren) will be placed in. The district needs to make and finalize several operational decisions before we can inform families. Once the cohorts are finalized, the school and teachers will reach out to all families and answer any questions or concerns you may have.
Below, please see the plan for when students will start their learning remotely and in person.
Technology:
We will be reaching out to all families including new incoming families to ensure every child has access to a Chromebook and internet connection in the coming weeks. If your child(ren) received a Chromebook in the spring, that is the device they will be expected to use. If there are any issues or problems with the device, please contact the BPS Helpline at 617-635-8873.
Equity Roundtable (ERT):
The Equity Roundtable began meeting last week and will continue to meet regularly throughout the fall semester. During the last meeting, parents and teachers worked collaboratively to discuss instruction with the key question being “What opportunities do we have to be able to deliver excellent instruction to all of our students?” We unpacked aligned curriculum, classroom practices and assessments and feedback. Collectively, we generated many ideas around instruction and we look forward to continuing this work and discussion with families as co-partners.
New to the community:
We would like to take the opportunity to introduce to you and welcome Mr. Alandre Chery who will be working this year at the Bates as an Aspiring Principal Fellow and Co-leader.
Greetings Parents, Guardians, and Families,
My name is Mr. Alexandre Chery and I will be joining the Phineas Bates Elementary School this year as an Aspiring Principal Fellow. In the last several years, I served as a second-grade teacher in South Boston and Mattapan and served in numerous leadership capacities. As a second-grade teacher, I held all my students to high academic expectations and made it a personal effort that all my students received the best possible education I could provide them. Often times, this meant going beyond the classroom walls in order to develop authentic relationships with students and parents. I come to the Bates with the same zeal and passion as I embark on this journey.
I sincerely look forward to building partnerships with parents, guardians, and families to ensure a rich academic experience for all students. The start of a new school year is usually filled with excitement and anticipation of what is to come, but we are all very aware this is not going to be a normal school year. This year is the start of a new journey for all of us as we navigate Covid-19 and remote learning. Regardless of the current circumstances, the goal remains the same, giving students access to a high-quality education. I have had the privilege of getting to know the staff members the last several weeks and I am certain we will be working tirelessly to make a high-quality and equitable education available to all students.
In that pursuit, I will be working with you to understand your perspective of the school. Your input will be very important this year. Students benefit greatly from a strong partnership between parents and school because of the great impact parent-involvement has on the success of students in the classroom.
I am eager to serve as an Aspiring Principal Fellow and wish to serve the students and parents to the best of my abilities. I look forward to a prosperous year as we dismantle barriers, challenges, and inequities together. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Mr. Alexandre Chery
Conclusion:
Without the students, parents and families, the Bates Elementary School would cease to exist. We are here to serve you and meet your needs, especially now more than ever. Please reach out to and let us know what you need in order to make it a successful year for your child(ren).
Phineas Bates Elementary School 