COVID-19 Resources for our Cambridge Campus

 


ACADEMIC RESOURCES

Cambridge Public Schools Resources  

Curriculum and community resources shared by each of our Cambridge partner schools:

> Amigos School
> Cambridge Street
> Putnam Avenue
> Rindge Avenue
> Vassal Lane
> Prospect Hill Academy Charter School
> Community Charter School of Cambridge  

Additional Academic Resources 

> Khan Academy: Free math resources with video lessons and practice exercises. 
> Cambridge Public e-Library: Listen to music and audiobooks, watch movies and TV, read magazines and e-books, and more online with your Cambridge Public Library card. 

Login: Click the app you want to use, then enter your public library card number and PIN.
If you don’t have a PIN yet, here’s how to set one.
If you don’t have your library card, you can get a temporary one online.
Why do I keep seeing Minuteman instead of CPL?
Minuteman is a network of all the libraries in our area. Your CPL card gives you access to all Minuteman libraries’ books and resources.  

> Math: IXL is a great website for math practice. Many math teachers in Cambridge encourage students to practice math skills on IXL. The program provides targeted recommendations for next steps to meet your child where they are at academically.

Login: Your child’s math teacher should be able to help them log in. 

> Math, Science and Social Studies: WGBH has partnered with the Massachusetts Department of Education to create free resources for home learning. They have interactive resources for learning  Math, Science, and  Social Studies.
> Bookshare offers even more free digital books you can access on your devices.
> Take  25 Virtual Field Trips – everywhere from museums and aquariums to even Mars!
> High School Specific Resources: 3 Tips to Start Your Distance Learning with Success, Online Student’s Manual for Success, Tips for Taking Online Classes
> Scholastic Choices: Students can watch videos, read stories, or engage in other activities related to health and wellness. The password to gain access is: CambHealth

Chromebook Access (CPSD Students)

Chromebook Support: If you need technical support please email helpdesk@cpsd.us with the subject “Student Chromebook” and include as much detailed information as possible, including a phone number for contact.

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GENERAL INFORMATION 

Food and Meal Services 

  • Cambridge Public Schools will be packing and distributing bagged breakfasts and lunches to locations throughout the city. Families who are facing food challenges are all welcome to pick up one bag per child, regardless of Free/Reduced Price Lunch status. Tables with bags containing 1 breakfast and 1 lunch will be set at the following locations:  
    • Haggerty School – Cushing Street main entrance  
    • Peabody  School – Rindge Avenue main entrance  
    • King  Open School – Cambridge Street main entrance  
    • Morse School – Granite Street main entrance  
    • Dr. Martin Luther King School – Magee Street Entrance  
    • Fletcher Maynard Academy — Harvard Avenue Near 35 Cambridge Park Drive – look for a parked yellow school bus  

     
    The city is actively working to add additional sites, including closer to the North Point/Museum of Science  area, and is also looking into whether they can provide more targeted deliveries for families who may need increased assistance due a  child’s  disability or other special circumstances.   

    Process for  Pick-ups:  

    • Please come to the location most convenient for you  
    • If your last name starts with A – M, please come at 12pm  
    • If your last name starts with N – Z, please come at 12:30pm  
    • Parents/caregivers or students may pick up 1 bag per child in the household
      Each bag will contain 1 lunch and 1 breakfast for the following morning
      Please try to stay at a distance from others while waiting your turn
      If you’re sick, please respect the health of others by staying home and arranging for someone to pick up and bring to your door
  • The Cambridge Community Food Line is now active. To participate, call 617-349-9155 and leave a voicemail with your name, number, and address. A member of their staff will call you back within 24 hours to confirm you meet the criteria.  Qualified Cambridge residents will receive a weekly bag of produce and shelf-stable food items until food pantries and meal programs can reopen. 
  • The Cambridge Community Food Line will provide groceries to  anyone  who meets the criteria, regardless of immigration status: 
    • if your food pantries or meal programs have closed 
    • if you have lost your job or part of your income and cannot afford groceries 
    •  if you are homebound due to illness, disability, or quarantine, 
    • or if you are at high-risk for COVID-19 and do not have access to a regular food source. 
  • DTA SNAP and Cash Benefits During COVID-19 (MassLegal Services) 

Internet Access  

Financial Assistance  

  • The Cambridge Community Foundation will be giving grants between $200 and $1,000 to Cambridge residents/employees who are facing loss of income or other unforeseen hardships due to COVID-19. 
    • Required information: 
    • Details of your circumstances 
    • Proof of residency/employment in Cambridge 
    • Letter of validation from a local nonprofit, civic or faith-based leader, teacher, venue host, or employer. Breakthrough Greater Boston can provide you with a letter of validation. More information can be found  here  and the application can be found  here. 
  • If you have concerns about paying rent, mortgage, or utilities due to the COVID-19 crisis, or are interested in applying for unemployment, food stamps, or cash assistance, look at these FAQs.    
  • Families facing housing insecurity due to the pandemic can seek up to $4,000 through a state program. Application details are available online HERE.

Health Insurance Coverage        

  • MassHealth COVID-19 Info Page
    • MassHealth will cover all coronavirus testing and treatment.    
    • MassHealth is allowing early refills and 90-day supplies of medicine    
    • MassHealth will cover telemedicine and has expanded telehealth and telephone services   
    • If you meet the income standard, need coronavirus testing, and do not have health insurance, you will automatically be enrolled in MassHealth  
    • MassHealth has expanded insurance eligibility for uninsured residents who turn up at hospitals with an illness   

Mental Health   

List of mental health hotlines, some of which provide text and chat support as well as phone.  

  • The Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990, or text TalkWithUs to 66746. This is a 24/7, national hotline that offers crisis counseling for emotional distress related to any natural or human-caused disaster, including disease outbreaks like COVID-19. It is toll-free, multilingual, and confidential. 
  • The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8225), live online chat at www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat, En Español at 1-888-628-9454, and for people who are deaf or hard of hearing at 1-800-799-4889. Trained crisis workers are available 24 hours a day to provide crisis counseling and mental health referrals. 
  • The Crisis Text Line, which you can reach by texting 741741. The Crisis Text Line is also available by Facebook Messenger by clicking the “send message” button at www.facebook.com/crisistextline. This 24 hour a day line is staffed by trained crisis counselors. 

Some collected resources on how to talk to kids about  COVID-19.    

Mindfulness practices can help kids (and adults) keep themselves calm in stressful situations. Try these free apps if you find yourself feeling anxious or overwhelmed:  

  • For Me app (free- iTunes)    
  • Headspace for Kids app (free to start - iTunes  and  Android)    
  • Calm app (free- iTunes  and  Android)   
  • Mindfulness for Children app (free- iTunes  and  Android)   
  • Mindshift app (free- iTunes  and  Android)  

Inner Explorer (the platform we use for mindfulness practice at Breakthrough) has created an app for families called, I Am Present. Click HERE to download it for free.  

Unemployment Information