Elkton Elementary School Memo
November 22, 2020
A Note from Mrs. Palmer
Dear EES Families,
What a great first week. It was wonderful to have more students back into the building. As I visited the classrooms, I observed engaged and happy children, excited to be back. There was laughter and lots of conversations between students and teacher.
At EES, we are building a school family; a sense of community through routines and structure. There will be a sense of belonging and the willingness to learn. Students are learning a new song as part of our school family concept. It goes like this:
We unite at EES!
Take a deep breath, let out the stress.
Smile, high five, and look around,
See the friends that we have found.
We are safe, helpful, and kind
Work'n hard to grow our minds!
We commit to do our best!
We wish you well at EES!
I encourage each of you to read throught the EES Parent/Student Handbook. It reviews policies and the guidelines for the return to school.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tuhxnBK-X_ueWRhclLcnJtymRPP-HzQxPbOF7n0ihhE/edit?usp=sharing
If your child will be absent for any reason (illness, vacation, etc), please call the school office at 298-1511 to let us know.
Reminder not to send in homemade snacks at this time. We can't hand them out unless they were pre-packaged and bought.
We appreciate your patience in the new arrival and dismissal procedures. There are about 30 more cars in the line up due to more students being brought to and picked up from school. Please adhere to the staggered arrival times. This will help with the back up.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yjSxniLc0PVr9hovdW6rB1ZXumFSxuiF/view?usp=sharing
Drop off times for students:
Grades Pre-K-2- 7:50- 8:05
Grades 3-5- 8:05-8:20
If you have a children in both groups, please drop off children with the first group
Pick up times for students
Grades Pre-k-2 and Grades 3-5 that have a sibling in Pre-K-2 -B Street- 2:55-3:05
Grades 3-5- Alley- 3:05-3:15
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tuhxnBK-X_ueWRhclLcnJtymRPP-HzQxPbOF7n0ihhE/edit?usp=sharing
This is a link to a quick health safety check that a parent can do each morning with their child(ren) before sending him/her to school. The form does not have to be sent to school. Just use it as a guide.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1EQJu8EHdHDMCmkW_yh66VkHDCUTeferf-nkDY6t3zuQ/edit?usp=sharing
This is the updated attendance policy that will start November 16th.
Attendance Procedures Beginning 11-16-2020
Reminder that school is closed Wednesday, November 25- Friday, November 27 for Thanksgiving. School will resume Monday, November 30th.
I wish you well...
Mrs. Palmer
NO SCHOOL NOVEMBER 25-27- THANKSGIVING BREAK
Cops for Kids Toy Drive Information
Bike/Walk Survey
The Harrisonburg Rockingham Bike Walk Summit Committee is releasing a survey to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic changed people’s travel behaviors. Launching November 16, 2020, the survey examines whether the pandemic and people’s experience of making fewer trips, or walking and biking on streets with significantly-reduced vehicle traffic influenced their decisions about how to travel.
As the re-opening has occurred, and trip-making has returned to pre-pandemic levels, did the experience of walking and biking instead of carpooling or taking transit, or teleworking instead of commuting change residents’ views and experiences of travel in the Harrisonburg/Rockingham Area?
The Bike Walk Summit Committee is committed to sharing the survey broadly in the community in order to assure that responses reflect the experiences of residents from different neighborhoods, socio-economic backgrounds, races and ethnicities. They will share the results of the survey with local leaders and the community at large in early 2021.
The survey is primarily available online, via a mobile-responsive website, but paper copies are available by request via the Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition. As an incentive to complete the survey, the Committee is offering 5 Visa gift cards via a drawing at the close of the survey.
Survey link (English): https://jmu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3Oz6Hpy5ISk4IGV Survey link (Spanish): http://jmu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5jWpzkeQApihHwh
Notes from Nurse Sandy
To parents of children in Pre-K through 5th grade planning to return to school on November 16th....
Please let Nurse Sandy know of any health conditions regarding your child. This is to include any routine medications to be taken, if your student has asthma, diabetes, allergies to foods, bees, latex, seizure disorders and any other health concerns. Care plans need to be updated with new signatures from the parent and the doctor.
Please remember to evaluate your child daily for any symptoms of sickness prior to sending them to school. Make sure they do not have a temperature close to or above 100.4 and do not have any symptoms such as cough, sore throat, headache, diarrhea or vomiting. Please keep your child home if they are sick.
Make sure all of your contact and emergency contact information is up to date in the office so if we need to contact someone to pick up your sick child, you can be reached promptly.
Please notify us with any positive cases related to the Flu, Strep or Covid-19, so we can work together to help your child back into school as soon as possible.
If you have any questions please feel free to call the school and speak with Nurse Sandy.
I’m so excited for the kids to come back and I can't wait to see them.
School Nurse Sandy Baugher
298-1260 or 298-1511
Meal Distribution
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rC91n4EvmQpI3mPgk6G18R4kMwM1CW4I/view?usp=sharing
Join the EES PTA - We need YOU!
Please consider joining our EES PTA for this school year, 2020-2021!
Last spring we were able to complete our Joe Corbi pizza fundraiser. Thank you to all who helped make that a success!
Due to the covid-19 pandemic, we were not able to meet and vote on spending these funds during the spring.
We want to spend these funds as our school leadership team is identifying needs that directly help our kids. In order to spend these funds, we need to have members! Then we can have a meeting (electronic) and vote on proposed motions. We are looking to vote by email (survey monkey or google forms or some such platform). Being a member does not obligate you to do any projects...we just need voting members!
How much are PTA dues? $5.00
Please make the check payable to EES PTA. Please mail it to the school at 302 B Street, Elkton, VA 22827 or drop it off at the EES office. (Attention: EES PTA).
Please, please, please attach a sticky note with a name (member) and an email address. The email address is very important to have as that is how we will be meeting and voting! Please fill out the Joining the EES PTA eform, too. This information will not be shared with any other groups or persons.
https://forms.gle/NHtA744vtidipc9k7
We are also looking for 2 officers to help guide our decision making. We need a vice-president, (not a president-elect--you do not obligate yourself to leading the PTA next year), and a corresponding secretary. We are looking for 2 people who are willing to share ideas and give opinions on how to best to support our kids at EES, and attend a few additional board meetings.
EES PTA contributions to our school: Art Night, Online program subscriptions that support instruction, Clothing for kids, 5th grade celebration, Greeting card contest, Reflections Art & Literature contest, Library books, Books for School-side literacy special programs, Red Ribbon Week, Nurse expenses, ERHS Scholarship, Teacher & Staff Appreciation, and more!
Why Join PTA?
PTA is the oldest and largest child advocacy association in America. Today's PTA is comprised of 5 million caring adults who share a commitment to improving the education, health, and safety of all children. The PTA's nationwide network provides parents with the forum and tools to collectively influence the decisions that affect children not only at their schools, but also throughout their districts, within their states, and across the nation.
Many benefits our children receive today, such as universal kindergarten, the National School Lunch Program, and a juvenile justice system, were accomplished as a result of the PTA mission.
RCPS Health and Safety Plan
Emotional Well Being Survey
EES is seeking information about the emotional well-being of your child so that we can be a resource for you and your child. Feel free to complete the survey. Information will go to our school counselor, Mrs. Hepner.
EES is a Title 1 School- Please take time to read the following letter from the Title 1 Team
From the Library
Every Thursday, between 3:30 and 6:00pm, families can come to Door #2--the library door--and knock, and Mrs. Talbot or Mrs. Hensley will bring the bag of requested books out to you. We are following the CDC safety guidelines for library books. You may also return library books on Thursdays at that time.
Happy Reading!
Mrs. Talbot