August Newsletter
Whiteman Elementary
Greetings
Dear Families of Whiteman Elementary,
On behalf of the staff at Whiteman Elementary, Welcome to WAFB! We hope you spent the summer sharpening the saw with your families by reading, making meaningful connections and spending time in nature ( social distancing)! Let me also take this opportunity to introduce myself to our new families.
My name is Jessica Stewart and I am honored to be serving as principal of Whiteman Elementary. This will be my sixth year as an administrator with experiences teaching or leading in the preschool through fifth grade levels. Engaging students in experiences that allow them to be future-ready through authentic leadership experiences is a huge passion. Together with your partnership, we will make Whiteman the most amazing experience for students and families!
We are so excited to get to see you and your student(s) starting on Monday, August 24th. Whiteman Elementary Staff have been hastily making plans to welcome your kids back and are excited for face-to-face learning. Our goal in the first few weeks is to reconnect and to practice safety protocols to help keep all of us safe. Our goal is a smooth transition back to school and are prepared with grace and kindness for any bumps that may occur. I know that many of you may have questions and so I'll try to direct you to the place where these can be answered.
As we begin school, we will be using the following procedures, to be adjusted as needed. Also as you have questions I encourage you to reach out via email to myself or your student's teacher. Email addresses may be found on the Whiteman Elementary School Website.
While we remain under the health orders, we do ask that all students wear a covering at school. If a student has a medical condition prohibiting them from wearing a face covering please provide written medical documentation in the office.
Teachers will be limited with regards to sharing supplies, therefore it is of the utmost importance that students bring their fully charged laptop and any other supplies to school on a daily basis.
We ask that parents who will be providing transportation for their student not drop students off before 7:30. If students are not eating breakfast, it would be appreciated to bring students closer to 8:00.
Students will walk directly down to their classroom in the morning.
At 7:30, students can begin going to the cafeteria to eat breakfast. They will be asked to sit at designated tables. We ask the students go to their classroom or to their locker and place their belongings in their classroom/locker before coming to the cafeteria to eat breakfast.
Students will walk directly to their classroom during entry of the building during the mornings, but we will practice moving always clockwise during the day.
All water fountains have been turned off with the exception of the water bottle fill stations. Students should bring a plastic bottle or hydro filled with water to use throughout the day. Of course they may refill at the water filling stations.
We are going to try to stagger locker usage to minimize crowding in the hallways.
Teachers have been working steadily to organize their rooms to maximize distancing efforts.
At day's end students will be dismissed in a typical fashion: car riders/walkers will be dismissed first. Then, students riding the "A" bus route and Youth Center will be dismissed.
If you are picking your student up from school we ask for your assistance in parking at the Chapel. Image attached of the parking spots that are NO Parking Zones. The Chapel has asked to not have parents park in front of the building and to give them parking ( 4 Rows over from the side of the building). There will be no parking on Houx drive on either side of the road. Houx will be a ONE WAY street ( Turn right out of the parking lot and go towards CDC). We feel that this will help to make a safer situation for our students. With your cooperation we can drastically diminish or eliminate students running across the street. We will fine tune this plan as we go.
Throughout the day, students should leave their phones turned off and in their locker. If students bring their phone to class they will be at risk of having it confiscated and held until the end of the day or (in repeat offenses) in the office until the end of the day. The purpose of this rule is to minimize distractions among students.
Please look to our district website for our reentry plan that will continue to be revised as the circumstances and information regarding the covid-19 virus evolves.
Also, our 2020-2021 Student handbook for further information regarding the functioning of Whiteman Elementary.As August progresses, please tune in for exciting updates and opportunities to stay connected. If you have any questions or need anything in the interim, please feel free to contact me at jstewart@knobnoster.k12.mo.us.
Kind regards,
Mrs. Stewart , Principal
Go Panthers!
Dismissal Procedures
* No Parking allowed from 2-4 PM on the side of Houx Drive ( the road that is in-front of the building)
* Parking will be available at the Chapel. They have been very nice to allow us to utilize parking spaces. They have requested for us not to have parking in front of the Chapel and some rows on the side of their building. The MAP below indicates the NO PARKING Areas.
* Pick up will be a ONE WAY on Houx Drive to limit cars to wait for turning or causing traffic to pause at pickup. The Map indicates car flow- Green Arrow ( Parents), Yellow Line-Bus traffic. The bus will pass on the left side to pull in for each route.
* Walkers/Bike Riders- If you have a child that is always going to be a walker, meaning they are walking home or you are going to park at the Chapel and walk over to pick your student up, then please walk over to the flagpole and we will dismiss from that area.
* Car Riders- If you are always going to pull up in your car and pick up your student, follow the green arrows on the map or the White Arrows painted on the parking lot.
* All parents need to stay in their car for Car Riders. It is preferred that all car seats are located behind the passenger seat closer to the sidewalk. It is a risk for students to walk in between cars to get behind the driver seat.
* Parents should have received an orange sheet at Meet the Teacher Night, if you were unable to attend Meet the Teacher Night you will receive your placard the 1st day of school. You can make a sign for your dash to help traffic flow the first day. The placard has your child's name and teacher's name on it. This helps the teachers to radio inside for your student to come outside and wait at a cone. Place the sign on the driver's side window or dashboard.
* Rainbow Sticker on Map- This is the location for Preschool PM to pick up their child. We ask that all cars stay in line and do not pass each other.
* Star Stickers on Map- These are the areas where students will be standing to wait to be placed into their car. We ask that all cars stay in line and do not pass each other.
* Trouble with car seat or waiting for child- We may ask you to pull up in line so we can continue placing students in their cars. We have a sign at the location to pull up to.
* Please call the office to make any changes with dismissal prior to 2:00 PM. It is best practice to keep transportation consistent with your student(s), so they know exactly where to go at dismissal time. Each group will be exiting the building in different locations to ensure social distancing and correct placements before officially dismissing.
In advance, I want to thank everyone for your patience as students learn dismissal procedures. The first few days will take longer, but we will get it down within a few days. We will reevaluate after the first day and determine changes as needed.
Walkers
Parking will be available at the Chapel. Please do not park in the parking spots closer to the building ( 4 lanes over), or in the circle in front of the building.
Walk on the side walk up to pick your walker up at the flag pole.
Stars- K-5 PM Car Rider Pick Up
Green Line/ Video Below- Parent Pick Up Path
Yellow Line- Bus Path
First Day- ONLY
Distance Learning Tips
DISTANCE LEARNING TIPS
The guidance below can help us all make the best of new and unfamiliar distance learning environments. It can help you be ready for some of the more practical aspects of learning from home.
1. Establish routines and expectations
It is important to develop good habits from the start. Help students get up, get dressed, and ready to learn before the start of class time. Set routines and chores that help foster focus and routines. Keep normal bedtime routines, including normal rules for digital devices.
2. Choose a good place to learn
Your family’s regular learning space for occasional homework might not work for extended periods. Set up a physical location that’s dedicated to school-focused activities. Make sure it is quiet, free from distractions, and has a good internet connection. Make sure an adult monitors online learning. Keep doors open, and practice good digital safety. Our teachers, administrators, and staff teams will do the same.
3. Stay in touch
Teachers will mainly be communicating regularly through our online platforms and virtual learning environments. Make sure everyone knows how to find the help they need to be successful. Stay in contact with classroom teachers, and administration but understand it may take a day or two for us to respond. If you have concerns, let someone know.
4. Help students ‘own’ their learning
No one expects parents to be full-time teachers or to be educational and content matter experts. Provide support and encouragement, and expect your children to do their part. Struggling is allowed and encouraged! Don’t help too much. Becoming independent takes lots of practice. While on campus, your child usually engages with other students and any number of adults hundreds of times each day. Many of these social interactions will continue from a distance, but they will be different. You cannot replace them all, and that’s OK.
5. Begin and end the day by checking-in
In the morning, you might ask:
• What classes/subjects do you have today?
• Do you have any assessments?
• How will you spend your time?
• What resources do you need?
• What can I do to help?
At the end of the day you might ask:
• How far did you get in your learning tasks today?
• What did you discover? What was hard?
• What could we do to make tomorrow better?
These brief conversations matter. Checking in with your child helps them to process instructions they received from their teachers, and it helps them organize themselves and set priorities – older students too. Not all students thrive in distance learning; some struggle with too much independence or lack of structure. These check-in routines can help avoid later challenges and disappointments. They help students develop self-management and executive functioning that are essential skills for life. Parents are good life coaches.
Tutorial to access your child's Google Classroom
Tutorial to find your child's virtual lessons on the webpage
Tutorial to access zoom
Bus Route Transportation Changes
There have been adjustments to the 2020-2021 Bus Routes this week as we prepare for the first day of school. Before Monday, please double check your child's bus route by clicking the link below.
http://www.knobnoster.k12.mo.us/p_a_r_e_n_t_s/school_bus_information
Sincerely,
Katie Hunstman
KNPS Transportation Department
Back To School Forms
Follow Up on Mask Order-Whiteman Elementary
WE Parents and Staff:
I am writing with some additional clarification and guidance specific to Whiteman Elementary. For those of you who may have caught the 509th Bomb Wing town hall yesterday, this will be a repeat.
Because it is located on base, Whiteman Elementary employees and students must remain in line with both the Johnson County Public Health Order AND all directives from installation leadership.
At present, Whiteman AFB requires face coverings to be worn inside buildings. Accordingly, students and staff will continue to operate as we were prior to the county health department's most recent exemptions. Face coverings will be required by employees, students, and visitors at Whiteman Elementary until further notice. Teachers are prepared to use reasonable, common sense to allow breathing breaks for students. Teachers will also be lenient with our youngest students, or students with special circumstances. We ask that parents please communicate directly with teachers with any individual needs.
We appreciate your ongoing cooperation and extra efforts to enhance safety as we return to school and move forward through the Covid-19 situation.
Very Respectfully,
Jerrod Wheeler, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Correction to Close Contact Definition
Dear Parents and Staff,
As shared in our two most recent memos, the district received new information over the last week that resulted in a few changes to our protocols. These changes were shared in our August 14th and August 20th memos. Specifically, as a result of information received, the district redefined Close Contact as three (3) feet or less for 15 minutes or longer. Unfortunately, that information was incorrect. Accordingly, the district is reverting back to the original definition for Close Contact, which is six (6) feet or less for 15 minutes or longer.
Thank you for your understanding and we apologize for the misinformation.
Very Respectfully,
Jerrod Wheeler, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools