To the Keefe Tech Community,

As you probably are aware, COVID-19 cases are increasing in our area. Middlesex County is now designated as “high risk” for community transmission, according to metrics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  COVID-19 hospitalizations remain low but are increasing, according to the Mass. Department of Public Health (DPH).

At Keefe Tech, we have seen an uptick in cases, with 17 in school and 2 out of school cases to date this week.  This increase will not require any change to our policies.  However, I would like to take this opportunity to remind you about the following practices that we currently have in place.

• If you have signed up to participate in our home testing program, please take a test on Sunday, and stay home and call our Nurse's Office if you have a positive result.
• Please err on the side of caution and stay home if you have any COVID-19 symptoms.  Our Nurse’s Office would be happy to provide you with guidance by phone or email.
• Vaccination and Boosters continue to be the best strategy against the spread of COVID-19. Our Nurse's Office would be pleased to help you find vaccination resources if you would like assistance.
• Finally, it has been our experience, and it continues to be our expectation, that our school community will be supportive of everyone’s decision regarding masking.

Thank you and have a great weekend.

Jon Evans
Superintendent

**Please review this information in its entirety - everything you need to know about graduation can be found below.**

Keefe Tech Graduation 2022

Thank you for your patience as the Warren Conference Center worked to get larger tents this year so we could offer additional tickets for our graduating seniors.  We are pleased to offer each graduating senior 6 tickets for graduation.  Since this is a ticketed event, all guests will need a ticket.  

The graduation will be streamed live on Keefe Tech’s facebook page for family and friends to watch.  To watch, simply log onto Keefe Tech’s facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/keefetech) on the night of graduation and there will be an option to watch it live.  The graduation will also be recorded and a video will be sent to students and families once it is complete.

Graduation rehearsal is May 31st at 12PM at Keefe Tech.  Rehearsal is mandatory for all graduating seniors. Seniors should plan to enter the East Side Room end of the building prior to rehearsal and go into the auditorium.  We ask that you arrive promptly at noon and not earlier as other students have a regular day of school.  We will begin in the auditorium before processing to the football field.  Immediately after rehearsal is the senior BBQ - all graduating seniors are invited!

Graduation is at the Warren Conference Center (529 Chestnut St., Ashland) - the date is June 1st, with a rain date of June 2nd.  Graduation begins at 6PM - seniors need to be at the Warren Conference Center building at 5:15PM.  We ask all guests to be in their seats for a prompt 6PM start time.  

Parking is available to all graduating seniors and their guests who have tickets.  Parking attendants will direct you into the designated spots near the tennis courts.  Please do not park in the parking lot near the main building - it is much further from the graduation location and those spots are needed by the facility.

All graduating seniors need to be in their Keefe Tech cap & gown.  If you have not already done so, please bring $20 cash to the Main Office.  Please note - the Warren Conference Center is a large, outdoor location.  I encourage all graduates to wear shoes that are comfortable enough to walk a bit of a distance in, through grass, and up and down the graduation stage.

A professional photographer will be onsite taking a photo of all graduates with their diploma.  Once we receive the photos, it will be mailed to you over the summer.  The stage area will be roped off and individuals will not be able to come forward for individual photos.

All graduating seniors and guests need to follow CDC guidelines for Covid-19.  If you have any Covid-19 symptoms, please test prior to graduation.  Anyone testing positive for Covid-19 who is on day 0-5 should be isolating and should not be in attendance.

For graduation attendees seeking accommodations for mobility issues (e.g. wheelchair access), please email Faith Chrisom (fchrisom@jpkeefehs.org).

Senior Awards Night is Wednesday, May 25th at 6PM in the Keefe Tech Auditorium.  Invitations will be sent out electronically via Evite by the Guidance Department this week to all seniors receiving an award.  If you have any questions about Senior Awards Night, please contact the Guidance Department: 508-416-2270.

We look forward to seeing you all at graduation, and for a productive and safe end of the 2022 school year for our graduating seniors!

 

Good evening,

As we approach the end of the school year, I am writing to pass along some important dates and end of the year information.  Please see below for specific dates and key events.

We have enjoyed working with your students this year and look forward to a great end to the school year!

End-of-Year Information & Important Dates 

June 1: Graduation, Warren Conference Center (June 2 rain date)

June 7 & 8: Science MCAS 

June 9, 10, 15 &16: Final Assessment academic and CTE classes, 10:35AM early release

June 17: Top Shop, 10:35AM early release 

June 20: No School, Juneteenth observed 

June 21: Last Day of School - make-up day for final exams, early release 10:35AM

o Keefe Tech Families,

Last night, our School Committee voted to discontinue our Mask Policy.

Beginning tomorrow, students and staff will have the option to wear masks.  Masks will still be required when in our Nurses Office, and on days 6-10 when returning from a COVID-19 infection.  All other current COVID-19 protocols will remain in place.

We selected Wednesday as our start date in order to give families a chance to discuss personal preferences regarding masking.  Please know that we expect all members of our school community to be supportive of anyone who chooses to continue wearing a mask.  One of the many great things about Keefe Tech is our inclusive environment where we support each other.

Please be aware that if we see any significant change in our case counts, we will be fully prepared to make adjustments as needed for the safety of our school community.

For those who are not vaccinated against COVID-19, we encourage continued masking, and also recommend pursuing vaccination in one of the many area locations.  Please contact our Nurse's Office for additional assistance.

We look forward to taking this step forward tomorrow, and we appreciate your ongoing support and cooperation.

Sincerely,
Jon Evans
Superintendent

Members of the Keefe Tech Community,

I hope you have been having a wonderful break.  We are looking forward to welcoming our students back on Monday.

When we return on Monday, I would like to remind everyone that our Mask Policy is still in place.  We expect to move to an optional masking during the week of March 7-11, but there is no change immediately following vacation.

I would also like to remind students and staff who have opted into our home testing program that we ask you to take a home test on Sunday, February 27th.  If you have a positive result, please follow our COVID-19 procedures, which includes staying home and contacting our Nurses Office.

Again, we look forward to coming back together on Monday.  I wish you a safe weekend in the snow.

Sincerely,
Jonathan Evans

To the Keefe Tech Community,

I am pleased to provide several updates regarding our COVID-19 status.

COVID-19 Cases

Following a surge of cases several weeks ago, we have seen a significant decrease in COVID-19 cases.  We appreciate the cooperation from our entire school community to follow the guidelines we have in place for the safety of our school community. I have attached a link to our COVID-19 dashboard, which is updated on our website weekly.

 Keefe Tech COVID 19 Dashboard

Home Testing Program

For the past 2 days, we have been distributing tests to those who have opted in to our Covid-19 Home Testing Program.  Staff and students who are involved in the program are asked to take a home test on Sunday.  For any positive result, we ask that you report it to the attendance line, and follow isolation procedures at home.  As a reminder, families may choose to opt in to the program for the next delivery.  A link to the sign up is included below.

 https://forms.gle/1vKP9AQ6ZmrWz5i17

Pooled Testing Program

We are also continuing our Pooled Testing Program on Wednesdays.  This is also an option to any students or staff who have signed up.  A link to that form is included below.

Visit the CIC website to get registered:  https://www.cic-health.com/consent/ma?district=null. Our school district is South Middlesex Regional Vocational Technical and our school is Joseph P. Keefe Technical High School.

Mask Policy

As you may be aware, the Governor and Commissioner of Education have announced that the statewide mask mandate for schools will expire on February 28^th.  It is important to note that Keefe Tech has a Mask Policy that remains in place until changed by our School Committee.

During the next several weeks, we will be carefully monitoring public health data and our own case counts, while consulting with public health officials and area schools.  Based on our review during this time, we will be making a recommendation in the coming weeks regarding our status.

For now, and until there is a change, we appreciate the cooperation of all members of our school community to follow the guidelines we have in place.

We look forward to providing additional updates after February Vacation.

Have a great weekend!

Jon Evans,

Superintendent

Please use the link below to learn more about and to sign up to receive FREE home Covid test kits. If you would like to be included in the first shipment of test kits, we ask that you please sign up by January 27th. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1828KbdnE8tHZ1i4AySFz3tLXOsBtboBsqGmZ_cZVbh0/edit?usp=sharing

To The Keefe Tech Community,

I am writing to inform you of some changes to our COVID-19 protocols.  These changes are being made in response to increases in COVID-19 cases experienced at Keefe Tech and throughout the state.

There have been significant changes at the state and local levels concerning notifying and identifying close contacts. The state’s contact tracing unit, the CTC, closed on November 30. Local health departments have transitioned the responsibility of notifying close contacts to the positive individuals themselves.

Our nurses and other staff have been working tirelessly throughout the pandemic to identify and notify those deemed “close contacts.” We implemented the state’s “Test and Stay” protocol, which allowed for testing of unvaccinated close contacts exposed in school. Although this was a useful mitigation strategy in previous months, the current surge of the Omicron variant is proving this strategy to be ineffective at stopping the spread, since many who are testing positive are vaccinated.

With the support of our local department of public health, we have determined that our ability to definitively track all close contacts is not sustainable. As a result, like other districts in the area, Keefe Tech will no longer be conducting contact tracing or the “Test and Stay” program.

With the current cases we are experiencing, we consider all members of our community as possible close contacts to COVID-19 and ask that everyone carefully monitor for symptoms. We believe this change will allow our nurses to more effectively respond to symptomatic cases, and individual health concerns from students.

We appreciate the ongoing cooperation of our families in response to these challenges.  We continue to need your support in following our safety protocols, which include recommending vaccination, appropriate mask wearing, monitoring symptoms and, most importantly, staying home if you are sick.

I wish all of our families a wonderful holiday weekend,

Sincerely,

Jon Evans
Superintendent

T

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We are excited to offer online sign-ups for parent and teacher conference meetings at the end of January.   There are two dates planned for conferences – Wednesday afternoon, January 26th from 12-3PM, and Thursday evening, January 27th from 6-8PM.  We hope you will sign-up for a conference to meet with your student’s teachers at Keefe Regional Technical School! 

Please note, all conferences will be held via Zoom this year.

The scheduler will be open for you to begin making conference appointments at 8AM on January 12th.

Conferences can be scheduled with academic teachers, vocational teachers, special education teachers, and guidance counselors.  Please be advised that appointments can be scheduled only as time allows.  Appointments are on a first come, first serve basis.  If you are unable to secure an appointment or if this date is not convenient for you, please contact the teacher or your child’s guidance counselor, and they can arrange a time to meet that is mutually agreed upon.  Email addresses for all employees can be found on the school webpage.  

In addition to individual meetings with teachers, our School Counseling Department will be offering “Counseling Support Overview – Conversation with School Counselors and School Adjustment Counselor” on January 26th from 1-1:30PM and will repeat the presentation on January 27th from 7-7:30PM.  These sessions are open to all parents and guardians, and no pre-registration is required.  A zoom link for the sessions will be sent closer to the event.  Simply log in using the Zoom link to participate! 

To schedule meetings, we are offering the online PTCFast.com Conference Scheduler.

Go to our school web site www.keefetech.org and click on the Parent Teacher Conference Scheduler link, or you can enter this link in your internet browser: https://ptcfast.com/schools/Keefe_Regional_Technical_School

If you have any questions, or if you need assistance scheduling a conference, please call the Guidance Office at 508-416-2270.

Keefe Tech is heartbroken over the recent death of one of our students. Our hearts, thoughts, and prayers go out to his family and friends and the entire community. 

This loss is sure to raise many emotions, concerns, and questions for our entire school, especially our students. Students were made aware of this loss through classroom notifications, and counselors were on hand during the day to support students in need.

Keefe Tech has a Crisis Intervention Team made up of professionals trained to help with the needs of students, parents, and school personnel at difficult times such as this.  At our school, we have counselors available for any student who may need or want help, or any type of assistance, surrounding this loss.  We encourage parents/guardians to also feel free to use these resources.

A list of outside resources available to students, families and staff are included below. We are also partnering with Community Impact in Milford, MA to provide additional support to our school community and have sessions in place during winter break, as well as when we return to school in January.  Community Impact has a broad range of mental health services and experience in working with schools and organizations in response to a traumatic event.  Specific information has been been shared with our school community about these efforts.  

Sincerely,

Jonathan Evans
Superintendent

Emergency Services and Crisis Hotlines - 24/7 support

Advocates Psychological Emergency Services (PES) 800-640-5432 - If you are experiencing a mental health or emotional crisis, call to speak to an Advocates crisis clinician.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - 800-273-8255 Free and confidential support for people in crisis

• Spanish Language: 1-866-628-9454

Samaritans Suicide Helpline - 877.870.4673 - samaritanshope.org - Call, text, or chat support

Hopeline Crisis/Suicide Hotline - 800.784.2433 - hopeline.com - Call or online chat support.

National Crisis Text Line - text 741741 on your cell phone

Jeff's Place Children's Bereavement Center- call, 508-879-2800 jeffsplacemetrowest.org      

Riverside Trauma Team- (Milford & Norwood)  781-433-0672  

https://www.riversidecc.org/services-for-communities/riverside-trauma-center/

Additional Resources for Teachers:

https://www.bmc.org/sites/default/files/Programs___Services/Programs_for_Children/Good_Grief_Program/Pediatrics-Good-Grief-Program.pdf 

Good evening,

I am writing with a few calendar updates and to share an opportunity for families to provide feedback to Keefe Tech.   Curriculum Night was scheduled as an in-person event on September 30th.  We have decided to postpone the event and will instead offer a different fall event, likely virtual, for families and teachers to meet and discuss your students’ progress.  Please stay tuned for more information.

In order to provide an update to Grade 9 families who are new to the school, we will hold a webinar with the Keefe Tech administrative team on September 30th at 6PM.  During this webinar, we will discuss your students' transition to Keefe Tech, the exploratory progress, their schedule, and various opportunities available to Grade 9 students.  A Zoom link will be emailed closer to the event.  We hope to see many Grade 9 families there!

Finally, families are invited to participate in a survey to provide feedback on how Keefe Tech’s third round of the federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Funds (ESSER III) should be allocated. Keefe Regional Technical School District received an allocation of $1,554,464 to be spent through June 2024. Therefore, this will be a multi-year plan for anticipated activities.  A link to the survey is provided below:

FILL OUT FORM

The purpose of ESSER III is to support the safe reopening and sustained operations of schools while meeting students' academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The options listed are currently being considered. Your input is important to us and will be considered as we make decisions going forward.

We would appreciate it if you could complete the survey within the next week.

Thank you and have a good night.

Jon Evans
Superintendent

 

Here are some step by step instructions for accessing your students portrait photos:

1. Go to: https://shop.jostenspix.com/login
   1. Create an account/sign in
2. You can then enter your School Name, Event Code (FE184721), student name.
3. You will then need to enter your students Id #.
   1. If you do not have this information, click “Request Access”
4. You can now view your students photos!

Good evening - 

I hope your student is having a great first week of school!  

I am writing to share information about the COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic at Keefe Technical High School on September 10th.  This clinic is open to all KT students.  Students under 18 need a signed consent form, which is attached below, and is available in our school Health Office.  

If you are interested in having your student vaccinated, we ask that you please return the consent form to the Keefe Tech Health Office by Wednesday, September 8th so the Framingham Board of Health can plan accordingly.  The Framingham Board of Health has informed us that they are providing $25 Market Basket gift cards to all students receiving a vaccine next Friday.  

Thank you,

Dr. Snow

August 24, 2021 - Welcome Back!

Welcome Back Keefe Tech! We are so happy to be able to start the year in-person with you and excited to meet a new group of students. Students benefit so much from in-person learning, and safely returning to in-person instruction is a top priority. As we get into the swing of things, we wanted to reach out with some important health and safety reminders from the School Nurses’ office to best help us all have a healthy and successful school year together. Carefully continuing to follow the recommended mitigation strategies is our best course of action to protect the health and safety of our school community. Multiple and layered safety strategies best help us to protect our students and staff and keep us together in school. Our most valuable safety strategies continue to be:

Consistent daily health checks to identify any potential covid-related symptoms/concerns and determine an individual’s eligibility to safely come into the building. Doing these health checks every day with your child is mandatory and your child cannot come into school if there are any concerns related to the daily health check questions. Please refer to the Daily Health Checks handout for further details.

• Staying home when sick and following up with a healthcare provider remains essential.
• Communication with the Keefe Tech nurses for any illness-related absences or covid-related situations also remains extremely important.

Masking: All individuals, regardless of vaccination status, will wear masks when indoors at all times, except while eating or drinking. Teachers will continue to build in mask breaks as needed throughout the school day for students.

• Masks should be multi-layered and must cover your mouth and nose at all times. Masks can be cloth or disposable and should fit snugly at the sides of your face.
• Gaiters and face shields are NOT an acceptable alternative to an earloop/tie face mask.
• Students should always come to school with a backup mask in case theirs becomes dirty, wet, or no longer fits right. We will have additional backup disposable masks at school should a student or staff member need one.

Social Distancing: We will aim for at least 3 feet of social distancing whenever possible.

Hand Hygiene: We will continue to provide quick access to hand sanitizer throughout the     
building and in classrooms and opportunities for hand washing whenever necessary.

Access to COVID testing for school-related covid situations to reduce exposure risks and prevent potential spread.

• Binax-NOW rapid tests for individuals who develop symptoms during the school day
• New addition of the “Test & Stay” protocol for anyone identified as a close contact while asymptomatic. (Please see our handout for further details)
• Weekly Pooled Testing program for consenting students/staff
• Please complete consent forms for participating in BinaxNOW rapid testing as well as Weekly Pooled Testing and return them to our office. Consent forms can be found on the Health Services web page.
• Seek PCR testing with an outside provider when symptomatic - https://www.mass.gov/covid-19-testing and do not come into school until the nurses have reviewed the negative test result.

Optimized air ventilation – our HVAC system continues to exceed the state recommendations for air exchange. Opportunities to go outside and open doors/windows for improved air flow continue to be encouraged

We will continue to have enhanced cleaning, disinfecting, and sanitation protocols from our Facilities Team.

Consistently follow return to school guidelines for any covid-related situations (i.e. symptoms, close contact scenarios, positive tests, etc.). Please follow our protocol handout and contact the nurses with any questions or concerns.

As a reminder, in addition to covid-related health issues, students cannot come into school with the following symptoms/conditions:

■  Nausea, Vomiting, and/or diarrhea  (must be symptom-free for a full 24 hours before return)

■   A persistent, uncontrolled cough and/or severe nasal drainage/congestion

■       A blistery, weeping skin sores or rash, especially if accompanied by a fever.  Students will need to be cleared of any contagious illness by their physician before returning to school.

■   If your child has been diagnosed with strep throat, pink eye, ringworm, or impetigo, etc., he/she must be on antibiotics 24 hours before returning to school and be fever free.

■       Chicken pox, Pertussis, Rubella, Mumps, Measles, Hepatitis A - Your medical provider and the school nurses can review the different criteria for return to school following these illnesses. 

■       Your child feels unwell and cannot keep up with the school day.

Vaccination remains the best public health strategy to help end the pandemic and protect yourself and others. Keefe Tech will be offering a covid vaccination clinic for all interested students and staff to receive the Pfizer vaccine. This clinic was planned in collaboration with the Framingham Board of Health. COVID-19 vaccines are safe, effective, and free. These clinics will occur during the school day on Friday September 10^th and Friday October 1^st. Please provide us with the signed consent form as well as the completed and signed vaccine administration form in order to participate. Copies can be found on the KT Health services web page. For more information about covid vaccines, visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/index.html

Please take the time to further review our updated safety protocols that have been developed in accordance with the Board of Health as well as the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education standards. Please contact us in the nursing office any time with any questions. 

If at any time your student has any covid-related symptoms/concerns or healthcare needs, please reach out to our nursing office so we can better help you. It remains so important that we all continue to work together and remain vigilant about following all the safety protocols. We hope you and your family have had an enjoyable summer break and we look forward to seeing you all soon!

Bridget Veale, RN, BSN, CPN bveale@jpkeefehs.org    Mindy Wade, RN mwade@jpkeefehs.org

Telephone: 508-416-2263      Fax: 508-416-2120

 

Hello this is Dr. Shannon Snow, Principal of Keefe Technical School.  We are excited to host our grade 9 step-up day this Thursday, August 26th.  We have an exciting morning planned to welcome students in the Class of 2025 to Keefe Tech.  Busses will be running their normal morning and afternoon routes.  Please make sure you check the bus schedule that was sent out to find your child's bus stop location and time. If you are planning to bring your child to Keefe Tech for the event, please drop them off at the end of the building off Fountain Street by 7:30AM.

Both breakfast and lunch will be provided to students free of charge.  In addition, all grade 9 students will receive their chromebook at orientation.  Attached is a user policy that needs to be signed by both students and parents and or guardians.  If you have access to a printer, please print and sign the attached document and send it in with your child.  We will also have copies at orientation.  Lastly, please make sure your child brings a backpack to the event so they can safely transport their chromebook home.

There is a statewide mask mandate in place so all students need to wear a mask that completely covers their mouth and nose while indoors.

A reminder that students will receive a hardcopy of their schedule at this event as well.  Students will be back on the bus by 11:15AM to head home.  If you have any questions or concerns please reach out to our School Counseling Office at 508.416.2270.  Thank you and have a good night. 

Chromebook Acceptable Use Policy - English

Chromebook Acceptable Use Policy - Portuguese

Chromebook Acceptable Use Policy - Spanish

To All Members of the Keefe Technical School Community,

I hope you have had a wonderful summer.  At Keefe Tech, we have been hard at work preparing for another successful year.  This communication is to provide you with information regarding our efforts to provide a safe environment as we begin the 21-22 school year.

We are looking forward to welcoming all students back five days per week for in-person learning.  The district currently has an indoor Mask Policy in place that was voted by our school committee in the summer of 2020.  As the Education Commissioner seeks approval for a statewide Indoor Mask Policy, it is our plan to begin this year as we ended last year, with masks required for students, staff and visitors who enter the building and buses, regardless of vaccination status.  While there is no specific requirement from the state regarding distancing, we will make every effort to distance students at 3 feet in all instructional areas, and in our cafeteria.  Students will not be required to wear a mask or distance when outside, eating/drinking or during mask breaks.

In addition to our masking and distancing efforts, I would like for our community to know about the efforts of our Facilities Team.  We will continue to have an abundance of hand sanitizer and extra masks available throughout the building.  Last year, we upgraded all of our HVAC filters and will continue to operate and monitor the HVAC system to ensure continuous filtration and maximum fresh air exchange in compliance with state recommendations. We will continue to clean surfaces throughout the day, and will use a sanitizing sprayer throughout the building every night.

In our Nurse’s Office, we will be utilizing BinaxNOW Rapid COVID-19 Tests for those who may become symptomatic in school, or when such results are needed for other reasons.  We also plan to continue our weekly Pooled Testing Program – more information will follow from our Nurses Office.

As we implement all of these efforts to maintain a safe school community, we need your help.  Please be sure you check your child for any COVID-19 symptoms on a daily basis, and DO NOT SEND YOUR STUDENT TO SCHOOL IF SYMPTOMS ARE PRESENT.  We ask that you please err on the side of caution and call our Nurse’s Office if you have any questions before sending your students to school.

Finally, I would like to address the issue of COVID-19 vaccination.  The vaccination is widely available, and recommended for individuals 12 and older.  In the Commissioner’s recent communication, he has linked a school’s rate of vaccination with an ability to consider loosening masks requirements in the future.  To support this effort, with the help of our local health department, we have arranged for a COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic for our students in mid-September and early October during the school day.  Our nurses will be sending more details and a parent/guardian permission form for those interested in the near future.

While this is an exciting time, I know it is also a stressful time, as parents prepare to send their students back to school in these circumstances.  I would like to remind all of our families, especially our newest community members, that we will continue to make the safety of our school community our top priority, and will make all of our decisions toward this goal.  We will be in constant communication with state leaders, public health officials and area schools to guide us in all of our decision making. I am proud of the efforts made by our students, parents and staff last year, and I thank you in advance for continued cooperation in the coming year.

Have a great last week of summer! I look forward to seeing all of our students on the 30th.

 

Sincerely,

Jon Evans
Superintendent