Maeser Updates: 27 March 2020

In This Edition

Message From Our Board & Administration; Senior Class Truth, Honor, Virtue Challenge

Message From Our Board & Administration

What a week, Maeser community! As you now know, we won’t be re-evaluating a return to school until May 1st. This has been distressing to our team as well as our students. We recognize our students and team thrive on our physical connection as a community and are all going through a period of mourning missing each other.

We ask that you please check in with your students to make sure they are accessing and turning in assignments. We sent out a survey today to students to check their workloads in order to keep our teachers informed. This opportunity we have been given allows us all to practice and fulfill our school mission and motto at a higher level than ever before. Each student and family has the opportunity to take control of their learning and go beyond the minimum to stretch and engage with the principles found in the classroom to enlighten the fabric of their days and in their lives. Indeed, we are making rich and delightful lemonade out of the lemons of the current situation. If your student needs to pick up any materials, books, or assignments, please contact the admin or the specific teacher, we will leave the items on the table in the foyer of the building that will be unlocked for this purpose from 9-3 pm M-F. There are several waiting items there now waiting for their owners to pick up.

As of today, we have not been informed of any cases of COVID-19 within the direct Maeser community. Our Administration and Board of Directors are sending our thoughts and prayers for your continued health and safety as we all practice safe social distancing and isolations protocols. Please reach out if you have any questions to your counselors at counselors@maeserprep.org, admin: robyn.ellis@maeserprep.org, dustin.simmons@maeserprep.org, jared.norris@maeserprep.org, or directly to your teachers. We are all here to help!

Sincerely,
Admin Team
Board of Directors

Senior Class Truth, Honor, Virtue Challenge

We hope you are all safe and doing well! The Senior Class Student Council misses everyone so much and hopes that all will soon be okay so that we can once again see each other in the Maeser hallways and classrooms!

Even though these next few weeks for school are going to be different, we still want to make the most out of these last few months of our senior year! We feel as though this time, although challenging, gives us all a perfect opportunity to serve and spread love to each other as well as to those in our communities.

To help keep us all connected and focused on the important principles we stand for here at Maeser, we have created the “Maeser Seniors 2020: Truth, Honor, Virtue Challenge.” For each principle, we have identified a specific NEED in our communities. We have then created a CHALLENGE to help address that need. The details are listed below:

TRUTH

NEED: Healthcare workers are feeling overwhelmed and unappreciated as they work around the clock to try to provide service to people in need. We should show our love and gratitude!

CHALLENGE: Starting on Monday, March 23rd, and continuing for the next 3 Mondays, Seniors can drop off a treat (homemade or store bought) in the main hallway of the school from 10:00 a.m to 12:00 p.m. Members of the Senior Class Student Council will be there to take your treat and add a Thank You Note from our Senior Class. Either a teacher or a council member will then deliver the treats to Timpanogos Regional Hospital, Orem Community Hospital, and Utah Valley Regional Hospital. All you have to do is drop something off. It can be as simple as a bag of candy. In order to better coordinate this project, please sign up for specific Mondays using the link in the email Mr. Simmons sent out yesterday.

HONOR

NEED: The American Red Cross has announced that they expect the demand in the coming weeks for blood to surge and they are desperately in need of blood donations.

CHALLENGE: We challenge each healthy Maeser Senior to visit the Orem Blood Donation Center, located at 384 E. University Parkway in Orem and donate blood at least once during these next few weeks. We will be posting the times that the Orem Blood Donation Center will be open for donations on the Senior Classroom! Please visit their website below to make your appointment! Also, while you are there, please snap a photo of yourself donating and send it to shirona.gallacher@maeserprep.org. We will use these photos to promote this important cause to others!

https://www.redcross.org/give-blood.html

VIRTUE

NEED: Seniors serving seniors! Many of the senior citizens in our communities are not able to be out in crowds during this time. Therefore, we want to provide them with as much love and support as we can show!

CHALLENGE: There are many different ways in which we can help! Here are a few ideas we came up and if you have others, please share them with the class:

Reach out directly to senior citizens in your neighborhoods and make arrangements to pick up and deliver their groceries or drop off or pick up their mail.

As it continues to get warmer, provide yard work for a senior citizen

Become a penpal to a senior in a care facility by sending handwritten notes and photos to help them feel loved and connected!

Don’t forget to send any photos to shirona.gallacher@maeserprep.org so that we can post all the wonderful things that our Senior class is doing!

“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’” – Mr. Rogers

We are definitely going through some scary times. Whether it is social distancing, coronavirus or waking up to an earthquake, it is all a little unsettling. However, we as a Senior class are choosing to be “Helpers”! PLEASE JOIN US!