Learning First Charter Public School
Newsletter January 22, 2021
Sep. 1-Mar. 3: Applications for the 2021-2020 School Year Available Online
Jan. 25: Board of Trustees Meeting 6:00 PM
Feb. 15-19: No School
Feb. 22: Board of Trustees Meeting 6:00 PM
Mar. 15: Return Date
REMINDER! Lottery Applications for the 2021-2022 school year are available online at https://learningfirstcharter.org/admission. If your student has a younger sibling at home that will be five by August 31, 2021, please submit all application before March 3, 2021 to get a slot for next year. Also, please remember to complete a new application for any child that is on the current waitlist.
Village Families: It’s that time of year again; tax information letters were mailed the week of January 4th.. If your child/ren attended our Village program anytime in 2020 and you did not receive your tax letter please contact Robin Roy @ rroy@learningfirstcharter.org or 508-799-7500 x1115.
Food Service: Learning First Charter Public School Food Service Department serves free meals (both breakfast & lunch) to all students. Meals will be available for pick up on Eastern Avenue for all Learning First Charter students. Meals will be “grab and go” style and will have 5 breakfast and 5 lunches for the week. There will also be the weekly supply of Fresh Fruit & Vegetables for the FFVP for snack.
If you have any questions do not hesitate to contact Tasha Griffin, Food Service Director, at 508-799-7500 ext. 1114 or email tgriffin@learningfirstcharter.org.
Monday 10:00 am –1:00 pm
Tuesday 10:00 am-1:00 pm
Wednesday 10:00 am- 1:00 pm or 3:30 pm-6:00 pm
Thursday 10:00 am-1:00 pm or 3:30- 6:00 pm
P-EBT UPDATE: The Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) is working with their Technology Department to correct the “glitch” that caused our families to not be funded in the last round of P-EBT for October and November. The DTA is confident that this should be resolved by the next round of P-EBT and will go on the EBT cards along with December’s funds. Families should receive this no later than this Monday, January 25th. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.
For the remainder of the 2020-2021 school year, each month DESE will collect the data on the students who are eligible for P-EBT benefits during the prior month. The school will submit the data on the 10th of each month and the DTA will use this data to issue benefits to families on the 25th of each month.
For questions related to P-EBT card status and activation go to https://www.map-ebt.org/
For questions related to lost P-EBT cards go to https://dtaconnect.eohhs.mass.gov/pebt
Message from the Nurse: The Flu Vaccine is no longer a requirement. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health is removing the requirement for flu vaccination for attendance in childcare/ preschool, primary, secondary and postsecondary education. Preliminary data show that this has been a mild flu season to date, presumably as people have received their seasonal flu vaccine and have been adhering to mask-wearing and social distancing due to COVID-19. Given the intensive Commonwealth-wide efforts regarding COVID-19 vaccination, DPH wants to alleviate the burden to obtain flu vaccination and focus on continuing our COVID-19 vaccination efforts.
DPH continues to strongly recommend that everyone age six months and older receive seasonal flu vaccine each year.
Student Support Department: Throughout the school year our Student Support Team will be emailing electronic documents to parents labeled Frontline. These documents are important for your perusal or signature. Please be sure to read in entirety then submit electronically if needed. If you have questions you may contact the Student Support AdminMs. Andino candino@learningfirstcharter.org or 508-312-6209.
SEMSAPAC: Our SEMSAPAC team would like to welcome all parents to join us every Tuesday and Thursday from 5:00-6:00 pm to an open forum where you will be able to voice any concerns, ask questions, share great ideas and also receive information about community resources. Please use this link to join us. https://zoom.us/j/91794647795?pwd=U2JlVFUySzVnb1kzUm5LbEVEWVZKdz09 Meeting ID: 917 9464 7795 Passcode: 9Wg0SM ~Mrs. Bryan & Ms. Rosario
Information from Our Guidance Department
Support Groups: Learning First Charter has partnered with Enlightened Interventions Counseling Agency to offer three support groups during the pandemic and remote learning. Two of the groups are for students and one is for families. Please see the attached flyer about the groups. They are free so you only have to reach out to our guidance team to refer yourself and you do not have to worry about insurance. Please take advantage of these groups, we know many of you and your children are experiencing loss, or feelings of isolation during this time and we want to help support you. Please reach out by Jan 25th to: lmoore@learningfirstcharter.org or you may call or text 508-374-3577.
Families: I found this article to have some really great tips in it for students who are struggling to stay motivated and engaged in remote learning. It is written for parents of students with ADHD however, I do believe that the strategies in the section titled “How to Improve Motivational Skills During Distance Learning” are helpful for ALL learners. Please click the link below to access the article. Lisa Moore, JA School Counselor
Grade 8 Families: Upcoming dates to put on your calendar:
Notre Dame Academy:
Financial Aid deadline: February 15, 2021
Bancroft: Application and financial aid deadline February 1, 2021
Financial Aid deadline: February 1, 2021
Worcester Tech is opening an online application portal on their website this year due to the pandemic and changing its admissions criteria. They have also included video tours of the trades on their website in each of the shop links. You may access all of these materials on the techhigh.us website. The application portal will be open on January 25th!
Worcester Public has streamlined the application process for all of their Tech ed programs and it will be through one application portal that WPS is setting up and will be available January 25 (the same day Tech will be accessible).
The programs that will be available for students to apply for are:
The Engineering and Technology Program (@ Doherty)
Business Technology (@North)
Allied Health (@ North)
Culinary Arts (@ South)
Early Childhood Education (@ South)
Diesel and Automotive Technology (@ South)
These are the only Chapter 74 approved programs (for now) meaning when you graduate you will have numerous certifications in your field of study, you will be able to do internships (some paid), network in your field, and be eligible to work in your field after graduation (or go on to further your education if you wish).
The application should go live through the WPS website on the 25th.