Smithfield Public Schools -

Parents and Students (age 16 and older) - Our Northwestern Regional Pod (Smithfield/Johnston) has appointments available for first dose Covid-19 Pfizer vaccine tomorrow, April 22nd from 9:00AM - 2:00PM. The Northwestern Regional Pod offers weekly first dose vaccine clinics at the Johnston Recreation Facility - 1741 Atwood Avenue. To schedule an appointment, visit Vaccinateri.org. All Rhode Islanders age 16 and older are eligible to register and be vaccinated. (Residents under 18 require a parent to be present) Following your vaccine appointment, team members will help you to schedule your second dose appointment 3 weeks after your first dose. The Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine is a safe and effective way to protect yourself and your family from the coronavirus disease. Vaccination, along with continued efforts to wear facial coverings, social distance, and hand washing is our best defense against COVID-19.

This week, students are replaced with almost an equal number of construction workers as Ahlborg takes advantage of empty buildings to made substantial progress on renovations. Two boilers are being demolished; work is being done on the McCabe roof, cafeteria, and courtyard; interior work is being completed on additions; and more! Meanwhile, our own facilities staff are completing projects of their own, including the baseball scoreboard and GMS external PA system installations.

RI Student Assistance Services and RIDOH are offering a webinar on April 28th at 6:30 PM: “What On Earth Were You Thinking? Why Adolescents Take Risks.” For more information and to register visit www.risas.org.

New blog post: Achieving Change https://judypaolucci.edublogs.org

Screenagers: The Next Chapter - Uncovering skills for stress resilience. Join us for a free virtual presentation. Licensed clinicians will be available to answer any questions after the film. Watch Live Stream at April 28th at 7pm. To Register: https://watch.screenagersevent.com/screenings/nextchapter-spc-regional-prevention-coalition

Thank you to Leigh Reposa from RISAS for presenting a suicide prevention workshop for staff and families this evening. Suicide is most common in spring and is the second leading cause of death for young people between 10 and 24. Learn more at suicidepreventionlifeline.org.

As vaccines are becoming more widespread and infections have decreased, SHS and GMS will be welcoming back all students - 5 days per week - on April 26th. There will no longer be a hybrid schedule. Students who are virtual option may remain virtual option. We will continue to follow all RIDOH and RIDE guidelines to keep our students and staff safe. Principals will be communicating specifics about this return over the next few days.

Large scale pictures of students now adorn the walls of central office, reminding all about the focus of our primary mission - our students.

The Smithfield District Newsletter for April is available on this link: http://bit.ly/3sbnrIE . Keep up with everything happening in Smithfield schools!

Congratulations and thank you to Elizabeth Shepard, who participated in The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS)’s 2021 Students of the Year fundraising competition this spring. She raised an incredible $2,665 in just seven weeks! 258 students participated in this competition while representing their schools and advocating for cancer patients.

Thank a teacher! This has been a challenging year for educators but Smithfield teachers have met the challenge head-on. There are several ways to show our appreciation. Consider.... Nominate a Teacher for Smithfield Teacher of the Year - Send nominations to Lisa Petrone, lpetrone@smithfield-ps.org, by April 16th. Nominate a Teacher for a Golden Apple Award - NBC 10 and the Rhode Island Department of Education recognizes outstanding teachers. Winning educators will receive a $250 contribution from Ocean State Credit Union. You can nominate teacher using the form at turnto10.com. Barnes & Noble My Favorite Teacher Contest - The 2021 My Favorite Teacher contest will run the entire month of March. The winning teacher will receive $5,000 for themselves and $5,000 for their school, and the student who writes the winning entry will receive a $500 Barnes & Noble gift card! To enter and see official rules, please visit the Barnes & Noble website.

New blog post: Emerging Innovations and Vocabulary Resulting from the Pandemic https://judypaolucci.edublogs.org/2021/03/16/emerging-innovations/

Seeing Smithfield teachers vaccinated at a town clinic brought joy to my heart and brought state leaders in for a visit.

The Smithfield Youth Council is hosting the Smithfield Youth Forum for Unity and Tolerance on Wednesday, March 10 from 7:30-8:30 p.m. on Zoom and invites any young person in Smithfield that are middle or high school age, to attend. The Youth Council began planning this opportunity to address the graffiti incident and give young people the opportunity to share their own perspective and discuss these issues more broadly. Their hope is this incident will create an ongoing dialogue among youth that will result in positive change in the community. The conversation will be facilitated by Kobi Dennis, Diversity and Inclusion Manager for the YMCA of Greater Providence and Dante Tavalaro, the Reverend at St. Thomas Episcopal Church. To submit a testimony or question anonymously, prior to the form, please use the Google form link below, by March 8th. https://forms.gle/nC2M33UfcUTsd1EW9 Please use the Zoom link below to join the forum on March 10th at 7:30pm: https://url.emailprotection.link/?bpqU5w3jXUB-uG5Ju-Q5a6UAdO1Mz5k4N1KZehsqFb6u7DVwpft7Qyl70qFWdLQqgc0sMjKCnO7CwKM-Vjk1Y8g~~ OR... Join Zoom Meeting By Phone: 1- 646 -876 -9923 Meeting ID: 993 6116 9455

Due to our elementary renovations project, we have excess student desks and chairs. Some are in poor condition but others, like the pictures shown, are looking pretty good. If any parent of a Smithfield student would like a desk for their child for at home, please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/SBNGFzFz9FKBCjB3A

Rhode Island Department of Health Town Hall: COVID-19 Vaccines for Youth with Underlying Medical Conditions featuring Dr. Philip Chan, MD, MS, Infectious Disease Specialist A Q & A for youth, parents, and caregivers will follow. Wednesday, March 3 from 4-5 pm Register at: https://tinyurl.com/rpjk74eb

The School Committee approved a school calendar for 2021-2022 that gives us a later start than is usual. Due to the state calendar, the dates for Jewish holidays, and the school construction project, these changes were necessary. The calendar is available on this link: http://bit.ly/3pXxbEr The March newsletter is also available and can be found on this link: http://bit.ly/3aYKDnf

The Smithfield Town Council Invites the Community to a Virtual Town Forum on Race and Equality in Smithfield Wednesday, February 17, 2021 at 6:00 PM Including leaders from Rhode Island and New England § Rhode Island Commission on Prejudice and Bias § YMCA of Greater Providence § YWCA Rhode Island § Anti-Defamation League of New England Join Virtual Forum https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86072620568?pwd=cVdjOXZBbndkcWIvNUJSVVhkY3Zmdz09 Meeting ID: 860 7262 0568 Passcode: 887398 One tap mobile +13126266799,,86072620568#,,,,*887398# US (Chicago) +16465588656,,86072620568#,,,,*887398# US (New York)

Congratulations to Emma Casazza, student at Winsor Elementary School, winner of the snow plow naming contest. Keep an eye out for the Greenville General this Sunday! https://www.valleybreeze.com/2021-02-10/observer-smithfield-west/essay-s-winner-names-plow-greenville-general

Kindergarten registration for the 2021-22 school year is now open for children who will be 5 on or before September 1, 2021! Visit https://www.smithfield-ps.org/o/smithfield-public-schools/page/registering-a-new-student for more information.