MATHEWS e-News
DRAFT Starting Face to Face on October 13
A reminder that it is a school holiday on Monday, OCtober 12.
On Tuesday, October 13 we look forward to more of our Mathews Mavs returning to Face to Face learning on campus.
We understand that this is a big change for your child and you. Our teachers are looking forward to your child's first day in their new classroom. We look forward to helping them meet new friends in their classrooms and enjoy being at Mathews.
Below is lots of information for our families who are returning to campus on Tuesday, October 13 for Face to Face instruction.
Bringing materials to school:
Please know we know there is A LOT of materials to bring to school. Feel free to bring back a little each day of the week. Always be sure your child brings his chromebook and charger each day.
Please take time to review this information so we can provide the smoothest transition back to campus for your child.
Regarding the Video:
The video below was recorded for our Face to Face learners learners who returned in September. It has a great deal of relevant information but there have been a few changes/updates noted below:
- Kindergarten students AND First Grade student walkers can enter the building to Mrs. Calaza and Mrs. Norkiewicz or to towards the First Grade Hallway.
- In the carpool line, we are able to open doors for students being dropped off and picked up.
- We look forward to your child returning on TUESDAY, October 13. It is a 3 day weekend, not a 4 day weekend like what we had in September.
INFORMATION FOR PARENTS REGARDING RETURNING TO FACE TO FACE LEARNING
As we look forward to Face to Face Learning on Sept 9 we want to share with our Mathews families some procedures that will be in place for the safety of our students, staff and community.
Please visit with your children in advance to these changes so that their first days back on campus will be smooth and happy ones.
At all times when on school property (inside or outside) all parents/guests are to wear masks and maintain social distancing. This is particularly important at arrivals and dismissals.
Your support and cooperation leads by example and helps our students practice proper social distancing and wearing masks to stay happy and healthy at school.
How to Help Your Child Before We Return
Before we return to Face to Face Learning there are a few things you can do at home to help your child and help us when we are at school.
- Teach and reinforce proper handwashing techniques. See the button below for helpful hints and guidance from the CDC.
- Practice wearing face masks and remembering not to touch your eyes and face.
- For younger students, empower them to open their own water bottles/juice boxes/frequently eaten snacks through frequent practice, etc.
- When purchasing items such as lunchboxes and snack containers, consider items that can be surface cleaned easily or are disposable. Look for items that your child can easily manipulate limiting the amount of help needed from another person.
PARENTS NOTIFYING DISTRICT
ARRIVALS:
On Tuesday morning we will distribute through the passenger window or to parents who are walkers transportation cards for carpool and parent cards for our parents who meet their kinder, first or second grade student as a walker. Please fill out your child's information and bring with you at dismissal either in the carpool line at the grade level door if your child is a walker. Thank you!
Our building opens at 7:00 in the carpool line. Students are welcome to eat breakfast or wait in the gym. At 7:15 students are dismissed with social distancing to go to their classroom.
To allow your child time to get to the classroom and unpack to be ready to begin instruction at 7:40 we encourage you to drop off your child no later than 7:30. Students are tardy at 7:40.
Student
Wash hands or use hand sanitizer upon arrival.
Students must adhere to campus entry, exit and transition procedures to reduce large group gatherings in close proximity.
Students will be assigned to report to a specific area and will be expected to adhere to schedules for morning arrival.
It is required that students and staff wear masks when entering the building and waiting in the designated waiting area.
When using the cafeteria, students should choose seats that leave empty space (seats) between seats.
Students are expected to stay seated until they are dismissed by a staff member.
Students will have access to use the restroom while they are in the cafeteria, gym or any other area as they wait to go to their classroom. Students and staff will follow the campus procedures developed to maintain proper social distancing.
Parents:
Parents are encouraged to talk with their child about the health benefits of wearing a mask at school.
Parents are encouraged to talk with their child about the health benefits of social distancing at school, as well as the health benefits of washing their hands, and/or using hand sanitizer.
Teacher/Staff
Campus staff is required to complete the self-screening questions located at every entry point and scan the QR code upon entry.
Staff members will be assigned to supervise students who report to multiple areas for morning arrival (gym, cafeteria, library, large spaces).
Staff are required to have masks on when entering the building and will monitor to ensure that they ensure that students are wearing masks in the hallways and in classrooms.
Staff will dismiss student cohorts using staggered student release into halls from these areas.
KINDERGARTEN and First Grade ARRIVALS
We will be doing things a little differently this year. Unfortunately, we will not be able to invite parents into the grade level a we have in years past.
We will have the Kindergarten doorway open for Kinder and First grade students to enter directly into the Kinder/First Grade hallway from the front porch. Mrs. Mir will be at the entrance with Mrs. Calaza and Mrs. Norkiewicz at their classroom doorway ready to great them and welcome them to their classrooms. Just down the hallway will be our First Grade team ready to do the same.
Parents we ask that you remain six feet back from the doorway as well as socially distancing yourself from the other parents and children.
We will have staff on hand to help assist our newest Mavs into the building and safely into their teacher's classroom.
DURING THE DAY
Each classroom has partitions/plexiglass and dividers to provide additional safety in addition to social distancing.
Handwashing. Students will be social distancing and utilizing the dividers between one another to promote safety.
Masks will be worn throughout the day in the building as well as during recess. All students will have to wear masks at school. Each student will also have a face shield.
Primary grades will use face shields to support learning at times when a masks interrupts instructions; i.e. phonics, etc.
Masks will be worn in the hallway and during specials. Face shields will remain in the classroom at your child’s desk.
If a child leaves his mask at home, one will be provided for him.
Lunch, Snacks and Water Bottles
FACE TO FACE MEALS:
- At this time there is no cost for breakfast or lunches for all PISD students.
- If students plan to bring their lunch from home, they need to bring a packed lunch with them when they arrive to school in the morning. Students will keep their lunches in their own backpack until lunch time.
- Students will be able to continue to eat breakfast or lunch from school. Lunches will be enjoyed in the homeroom classroom.
- Birthday treats for classrooms of students are no longer permitted. Teachers will continue to acknowledge student birthdays in the classroom as in past years, but food will no longer be shared with students.
- Students should bring a water bottle each day that we can refill during the day if needed. Water bottles should go home each afternoon to be cleaned and refilled for the next day.
- Students are welcome to bring healthy snacks from home. Snack time will be provided in the classroom each day.
Please note that when selecting snacks to send to school we have the following allergies at our campus:
K – Peanut, Tree Nuts, Sesame
1 – Peanut, Tree Nuts, Fish/Shellfish
2 – None known
3 – Peanut, Tree Nuts
4 – Peanut, Tree Nuts
5 – Peanut, Tree Nuts, Sesame
New Lunch Account System
Online Lunch Accounts
Plano ISD is using a new online payment system, Rycor. In an effort to reduce time, money and paper waste, parents can pay their children’s school and lunch fees through a secure online website, https://www.studentquickpay.com/PISD.
It is good to set up an account for your child. Allergies are restrictions can be entered there to help June with your child's meal selections.
Please note at this time there is no charge for meals.
SCHOOL MENUS
DISMISSAL
Dismissal: Campus will designate staggered dismissal groups. Staggering the groups of walkers, car riders, bus riders or grade level will help manage student movement in the building and decrease the risk of potential crowding outside at dismissal time. Sanitizer stations will be placed at each exit and students will be encouraged to sanitize hands prior to exit.Separate exits will be utilized for car riders, bus riders, walkers and daycares. Parents picking up students during the day will be required to follow all visitor screening protocols, in addition to following all standard check-out procedures. Office staff will sign the student out, documenting both the time the student left the building, as well as the time the parent requested for early dismissal.
Each child will have a color coded dismissal tag to make sure that each child will be where they need to be to get home to you safely. Once students are at the right place for dismissal, we will ask your child to place the tag that is on the lanyard in their backpack so they can bring it back the next day. These tags also serve as their lunch card and library card so it is important they return to school each day.
Please note that students are not permitted to remain on school property after dismissal. Students and parents need to leave the school grounds. We look forward to seeing your child back at school the next day!
CAR POOL
Car Pool
Student
As students exit their car, they will be expected to keep social distance when walking toward the building entry. Students will not congregate with other students on the campus when walking to school.
Staff can assist in opening doors.
Students will remain at a social distance while waiting to be picked up in the carpool area. Students will not congregate in large groups with other students on the campus when dismissed from school at the end of the day.
Parent
Parents may assist their own child with exiting/entering the car.
Parents should follow pick up protocols regarding how to pick up their child.
Parents are asked to not congregate in large groups with other parents as they wait for their child to be dismissed from campus.
Teacher/Staff
Assigned staff supervises student arrival, ensures that students are wearing masks, directs students to waiting areas and encourages that students maintain desired social distance between students.
Assigned staff supervises student dismissal, directs students to waiting areas and encourages that students maintain desired social distance between students.
WALKERS
Walkers
Student
It is recommended that walkers keep social distance and use a face covering while walking to and from school.
Students will not be permitted to congregate before and after school.
At the end of the school day, students must leave campus immediately and begin walking home.
Parent
Parents are encouraged to talk with their child about the health benefits of social distancing.
Parents should follow campus guidance on how to pick up their child.
Parents are asked to not congregate in large groups with other parents as they wait for their child to be dismissed from campus.
- Pets are not permitted on school property.
Teacher/Staff
Assigned staff supervises student arrival and dismissal, ensures that students are wearing masks, directs students to waiting areas and encourages that students maintain desired social distance between students.
Teachers will assist in monitoring students to discourage large groups from congregating.
BIKE RIDERS
Bike Rack
Student
Students will use every other space in the bike rack to keep distance when arriving at school.
Students will immediately leave campus and begin riding their bike home at the end of the school day.
Students are not to congregate in large groups with other students on the campus when dismissed from school at the end of the day.
It is recommended that students keep social distance and use a face covering while riding their bike home.
Parent
Parents are encouraged to talk with their child about the health benefits of social distancing.
Parents are asked to not congregate in large groups with other parents as they wait for their child to be dismissed from school.
Students in Kinder, First and Second grade are met by their parent at the grade level door. Parents then walk their child to the bike rack to leave campus.
Teacher/Staff
Teachers assigned to supervise this area will ensure students use every other space in the bike rack for use.
BUS TRANSPORTATION
Transportation COVID-19 Protocol: Parent Information
Afternoon Campus Boarding Bus Procedures Students are expected to practice social distancing as they approach and board the bus. Use hand sanitizer (provided near stairwells). Seating: Students will be seated starting from the back seats then toward the front. Considerations for siblings & younger students mixed with older students. Bus in motion rules: Standard Plano ISD bus rules apply. Students should NOT share food, drinks or personal devices. Unloading at Bus Stop Unloading will start from the front to the back. Students are expected to practice Social Distancing and avoid gathering in groups. Students should NOT share food, drinks or personal devices.
From Mr. Lozano for ART
Art Supplies
Dear Parents,
When your child comes to art face to face they will need to bring the following general classroom supplies to art. These can be stored in a ziplock bag with your child's name on it.
If you do not have these supplies listed below that is o.k.!
2 #2 pencils
A pair of children's scissors - blunt
1 glue stick
1 glue bottle
1 pack of color pencils
1 pack of markers
1 pack of crayons
1 pack of 9 x12 multi-color construction paper
The purpose behind this is to prevent any spread of the virus.
District will soon be providing:
At a later date, all students will be receiving a creativity kit from the Plano ISD art department which will include the following items: a sturdy Ziploc bag, ruler, 2 black fine line pens, Magic Rub eraser, sharpener and a set of watercolors.
Students can place the general classroom supplies in the Ziploc bag to keep everything together. Students will need to bring their creativity kit to art every week. If they want to put other art supplies in their bag, they are most welcomed to do so.
PASAR After School Care Registration
UPCOMING DATES
Mark Your Calendar...
October 12:
School Holiday
October 13:
Second Nine Weeks: Face to Face learners return.
Picture Day: School to Home Students will be from 10:30-1:00.
Learning Materials Pick-Up Day 10:30-1:00
October 22:
Chick Fil A Spirit Night: Drive through as well. Just share you are with Mathews.
November 3:
Student Holiday/Teacher Work Day
November 23-27:
Thanksgiving Break
December 18:
Early Release Day
December 21 through January 4:
Winter Break
20-21 PISD Academic Calendar
Window to Request Changes for the Third Nine Weeks
The initial selection period for choosing PISD School@Home ended on July 16. An extended window was open between July 24-August 6 if a selection was not made by the original deadline.Parents were able to make changes during this window as well.
The next window for parents to make a change will be between
November 30, 2020 - December 4, 2020 Beginning of 3rd 9-Weeks January 6, 2021
The button below takes you to the district website with information on how and when you can make or update your decisions.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to either Mrs. Powell or Mr. Steele.
If there are any revisions, PISD will reach out to our families, and we promise to do the same.
TECHNOLOGY
Chromebook Support:
If you have a broken Chromebook or are having difficulties with your power cord, please email our amazing Mathews' CTA, Justin Taylor at Justin.Taylor@pisd.edu
The Plano ISD help desk is also available to assist you in obtaining a working Chromebook. Contact the help desk Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at (469) 752-8767, or email tsos@pisd.edu.
OUR AMAZING PTA
Mathews Elementary School
Email: Patricia.Powell@PISD.edu
Website: https://www.pisd.edu/mathews
Location: 7500 Marchman Way, Plano, TX, United States
Phone: 469 752-2300
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