W.E.B. Du Bois Regional Middle School
Week at a Glance, News and Notes
October 7, 2022
Note from the Principal:
Short and sweet this week!
Please drop me a note if you have feedback or questions at ben.doren@bhrsd.org.
Be well!
Ben Doren
Principal
*****
Monday, October 10
No School
Holiday – Indigenous People’s Day
Tuesday, October 11
Regular School Day
Wednesday, October 12
Regular School Day
Thursday, October 13
Regular School Day
Friday, October 14
Regular School Day
*****
W.E.B. Du Bois Middle School Family Crew
Join the monthly Zoom meeting — Wed. 10/12 @ 7pm
All parents & guardians welcome! ¡Todos los padres y tutores son bienvenidos!
Wed. Oct. 12th we will discuss upcoming programs like a bilingual parenting seminar, the Restorative Justice curriculum and training coming to Du Bois, learning how to set effective tech/screen time/social media limits, and a fall/winter community art project.
Discutiremos los próximos programas, como un seminario bilingüe para padres, la capacitación de Justicia Restaurativa, límites efectivos de tecnología y del tiempo frente a la pantalla, y un proyecto de arte comunitario.
Get to know other Du Bois families and our local community! Follow this link to join us online:
Siga este enlace para unirse a nosotros en línea:
Email duboisfamilycrew@gmail.com anytime with questions, ideas, concerns
It’s Fall Flu/COVID Booster Clinic time! Registration is now open for a vaccine clinic at W.E.B. Du Bois Regional Middle School on Thursday, October 13th, 3:00-6:00pm. Staff, students and family members are welcome to get their shot(s). Pre-registration for each person being vaccinated is highly recommended. Walk-up appointments will be available as time and supplies allow.
- Flu shots will be available for anyone 3 and up. We will have the high-dose available for individuals 65 and up.
- Pfizer Bivalent COVID-19 Booster will be available for anyone 12 and up, who has already completed their primary vaccine series and had their last shot at least 2 months ago.
Both flu and the updated COVID booster shots can be given on the same day. Unfortunately, we will not have egg-free or nasal mist formulations, although they are preservative-free.
Register for an appointment at WEB DuBois Middle School here: https://home.color.com/vaccine/register/tritown?calendar=6b4351ee-c1d2-4f22-a5c7-9c31349dfad3
Not a good date/time? Register for any other South County community vaccine clinic here: https://home.color.com/vaccine/register/tritown
Short sleeves, insurance cards, and COVID vaccine cards will be required at the clinic. Questions or trouble registering? Contact Jill Sweet, jill@tritownhealth.org or 413-717-7209. This clinic is being offered by the Southern Berkshire Public Health Collaborative, www.sb-phc.org.
Frequently Asked Questions about 2022 Vaccinations
Who needs a flu shot? Everybody! We are expecting this to be a major flu year. While we were distancing and masking the past couple years to avoid COVID transmission, our bodies were less exposed to recent flu strains and may not have developed natural protection to them. Plus, every year the flu vaccine is updated to include new variants.
Who needs a Bivalent Booster for COVID? Families and school staff are recommended to get the updated booster this fall to reduce their risk of a new COVID infection. Even if an individuals’ risk for severe symptoms with COVID is low, the need to isolate at home for 5 days with this illness can greatly disrupt households, classrooms, team sports, and even harm children’s mental health.
Individuals with the highest chances of getting COVID this fall/winter include:
- Anyone who hasn’t had COVID since January 2022, and to a lesser degree, those who haven’t had it in the past 4 months or so
- Anyone who hasn’t gotten a COVID booster shot in the past 3 months
- Anyone who has difficulty mounting a strong immune response to the vaccine or natural infection (usually due to being 65+ yrs or having certain health conditions)
*****
REMINDERS:
REIGN Girls Basketball Clinic
Attention Girls in Grades 3rd – 6th!
Free Basketball Clinic with Berkshire Reign on Monday, October 3rd at Morris Elementary School in Lenox from 3:15-4:30.
All levels welcome! This session will be teaching all basketball levels in a positive, super fun environment! No registration necessary! Just show up for fun!
Questions?? Email: berkshirereign@gmail.com
Heart and Sole
Calling 5th-7th grade girls!! Heart & Sole is back! Let’s grow and learn about ourselves while strengthening our minds and bodies. Practices are on Tuesday & Thursday from 3-5pm, beginning on September 13th.
For any questions email:
Coach April- ashoskeer@gmail.com
Coach Ullrich- Krista.ullrich@bhrsd.org
Bus Routes
Here is a link to the bus routes.
Family choice for student name and identity
Massachusetts now allows for families to tell their child’s school to use a different name for a student that is not the same as the name on the birth certificate and other legal documents. Please use this form to tell us at the middle school that you want us to use a name for your child that is different from the legal documents we have from when you enrolled them at the school or in the district. We will update our Student Information System, PowerSchool, with the information you tell us to use, so your child’s name appears as you direct. If this is a legal name change, please provide the documents to us so we can make the update for the legal name of the student. Email ben.doren@bhrsd.org if you have any questions about this form or this process.
Form in English: https://forms.gle/PALB99wyuE29gW1Z7
Forma en Español: https://forms.gle/jcFoaQAB8KkGPWhH6
*****
Flyers and School Letters
Flyers and School letters are available on our website at this link: https://dbrms.bhrsd.org/category/families/flyers/
This week’s flyers:
- Truck Day
- Berkshire County Steam Challenge Night
- Community Boxing Gym
- An afternoon of Outdoor Fun for the Special Needs Community Oct. 9
- Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Office of Public School Monitoring (PSM) Tiered Focused Monitoring Review
Recent flyers:
- YA Author Barbara Newman @ The Mount
- Southern Berkshire Winter Coat Drive
- Cub Scouting for Boys and Girls K-5
- Yearbook staff needed
- Halloween Painting Contest
- Housatonic Party in the Park
Older flyers:
- Festival Latino
- Latinx Festival–English and Spanish versions
- RSYP Bilingual Club–English and Spanish versions
- Great Barrington Libraries Newsletter
- Du Bois Yearbook Cover Contest for 8th Grade Students
- Babysitter Training: BSRCC
- Free Story Walk and Live Bilingual Concert @ The Mount, Sun. 9/11/22
- Heart and Sole
- Berkshire HorseWorks Fall Programs
- Ski Butternut Student & Family Season Pass Application
- BCAC Elf Warm Clothing Program applications due 9/30
- Free School Supplies from Berkshire Money Management
- School Supply Lists
- Bus Routes
- Family Forum in Spanish
- Family Forum in English
- Blue Rider Pony Rides for Rico
- Read-Learn-Play: Wingmaster’s
- The Children’s Attic Fall/Winter Consignment Sale