WFES Newsletter
August 20th, 2021
Wildfire Elementary School Firebirds
Email: wfesfirebirds@pvlearners.net
Website: https://www.pvschools.net/wfes
Location: 3997 East Lockwood Drive, Phoenix, AZ, USA
Phone: (602) 449-4300
Facebook: facebook.com/WFESFirebirds
Twitter: @WFESFirebirds
We Are Having a Great Start to the Year!
Health Updates and Information
Masks - Effective August 19th, 2021
All persons, including, but not limited to, staff, students, vendors, visitors, and volunteers are required to wear cloth face masks when indoors at a school site. This does include parent/guardians of students that have elected to opt-out of wearing a mask.
Students are not required to wear a mask if their parents sign an opt out form. Staff are not required to wear a mask if they sign an opt out form. Opt out forms must be submitted to the principal's office. As a clarification to the letter sent to the community, “limited opt-out” is defined as meaning a medical, religious, or personal reason.
All persons, including, but not limited to, staff, vendors, visitors, and volunteers are recommended to wear cloth face masks in district buildings other than school sites.
All individuals operating or riding on a bus are required to wear cloth face masks. There is no opt-out option for buses.
Reported Positive Case of a Student
In the event of a COVID-19 expose at Wildfire Elementary School, all school families will be notified. Additionally, those parents/guardians of students who have been determined to be a close contact of a person who has tested positive for COVID-19, will be notified and will have the next steps/process explained.
Quarantine Procedures
- The student has been fully vaccinated for 14 or more days
or - The student has had COVID-19 within the past 90 days
or - The contact was 3’ to 6’ and both students were correctly wearing well-fitted masks.
- If the student becomes symptomatic, they are to isolate themselves for 10 days at home and be fever-free for 24 hours without the use of medication, and have had symptoms improved before returning to school.
- COVID-19 testing is recommended.
- If the test result is positive, the student is to isolate themselves for 10 days at home and be fever-free for 24 hours without the use of medication and have had symptoms improved before returning to school.
- If the test result is negative and was administered 5 full days after exposure and there have been no further symptoms, the student is to quarantine for 7 full days.
Maricopa County Department of Public Health Quarantine Guidance
School Support for Quarantined Students
When a student is quarantined at home:
Google Classroom is the District’s digital learning suite and should be used to communicate work expectations and resources with students and families, as appropriate.
Teachers will send home or make available through Google Classroom, an appropriate amount of work. This work should engage students in prioritized, essential content and skills based on students’ abilities and grade levels. Students who need a device to access work will be provided with a school-issued Chromebook.
Students will be completing their work independently. Teachers may arrange to check in with students outside of class time to support students’ learning.
Schools will coordinate with SEL support staff to connect with students who are quarantined as a check-in with students’ social/emotional well-being.
Students Texting Parents to Come Pick Them Up
We understand that people do get illnesses other than COVID-10 and/or a student needing to quarantine may be an inconvenience but not knowing who is sick or not feeling well undermines our ability to keep other students and staff members safe.
Please do not come to pick your student up due to illness unless you have been contacted by the school to do so. Thank you for your help in keeping our school healthy.
Mitigation Strategies at Wildfire
Wildfire Elementary School is committed to following outlined Paradise Valley Unified School District protocols in regards to the cleaning/maintenance of the campus as well as implementing procedures and expectations that maximize a safe learning environment for students. Please note that this plan may change as information, procedure, guidance, and/or laws from PVSchools, Arizona Department of Health, the CDC, and State officials are updated.
Please click on the button below to view the full detailed plan on how WFES will keep our students, staff, visitors, and community safe during the ongoing pandemic.
Highlights
- Masks are required for students and staff unless an opt-out form has been completed and turned.
- Masks are recommended and encouraged to be worn by all staff and students - Mr. Schoonover will be wearing a mask.
- Where possible, implement measures to facilitate social distancing:
- Arrange appropriate seating in classrooms, offices, cafeterias, etc.
- Turn desks/tables to face in the same direction (rather than facing each other) or have students sit on only one side of tables, spaced apart.
- Maintain appropriate spacing in hallways, cafeteria, on the playground, etc.
- Continue to maintain healthy air quality by cleaning all HVAC unit coils and changing air filters as scheduled.
- Maintain hand sanitizer stations in lobbies and campus main entries.
- Maintain additional handwashing sinks.
- Encourage staff and students to bring their own water to minimize use and touching of water fountains.
- Day Porters for cleaning in classrooms and high touch areas
- Assign cafeteria seating with distancing (three students per bench)
- Maintain grade-level cohorts upon arrival at school
After School Pick-up reminders
Join the WFES Band
Open to ALL students in 4th, 5th, and 6th grades.
● No cost to enroll*.
● Have fun while learning a new skill!
● Students may use a school instrument (if available), rent, or purchase their own from a music store.
Sign up one of two ways
With a parent go online to https://forms.gle/fkaxJrK2yZghhq3C8
Or come in person to Band class during intervention time to get a physical paper form to take home to have a parent sign.
All sign-up forms must be completed and turned in by Aug 31, 2021.
First day of Band will begin on Thursday Aug 19th. All interested students are welcome. Band instruments will not be required until September. A calendar with rehearsal days and concert expectations will be passed out then.
If you have any questions please contact Mr. Chapman at alchapman@pvschools.net
* Note: Some students may need to purchase their own
method book and supplies from a local music store.
Resources from the Arizona Department of Education
Help low-income families receive their Advance Child Tax Credit payments
The IRS is reaching out to America’s school districts to ask to help spread the word on the 2021 Advance Payments of the Child Tax Credit, which could be to up to $1,800 per qualifying child.
These payments are made automatically to taxpayers who qualified on their 2020 tax returns -- which means outreach efforts are needed for low and no-income families who may not be required to file tax returns but could still qualify to get this payments if they have qualifying children.
Information for Families
The IRS has a tool that can not only ensure families receive their Advance Payments, but also help them receive missed Economic Impact Payments (EIP). This could amount to over $14,000 for a family-in-need of 2 adults and 2 children. The resources can be shared to help families get on-track for receiving these critical benefits.
- The 2021 Child Tax Credit: Three Steps to Getting Your Advance Payments
- En Español: de los pagos por adelantado del Crédito tributario por hijos de 2021
- See all resources from the IRS
For additional information and assistance, please contact Lisa Novack, Lisa.A.Novack@irs.gov
Be a Learning Hero
Be a Learning Hero has developed a new Arizona webpage for families to help jumpstart their student's future. This includes a school Readiness Check to help assess a student's reading and math skills.
Kindergarten Readiness
First Things First has a set of resources for families supporting their young learners!
Help Our Sister School Indian Bend Elementary
PTO Information
Light Our Fire Fundraising Campaign
Smile.Amazon.Com
AmazonSmile is a simple way for you to support Wildfire Elementary every time you shop, at no cost to you. AmazonSmile is available at Smile.Amazon.Com on your web browser and can be activated in the Amazon Shopping app for iOS and Android phones.
How to turn on AmazonSmile in the mobile app:
- Join AmazonSmile. If you are not already an AmazonSmile member, sign up on your web browser. Simply select Wildfire Elementary PTO to start generating donations, at no cost to you.
- Get the app. Download or update to the latest version of the Amazon Shopping app on your phone. You can find it in the App Store for iOS or Google Play for Android.
- Turn on AmazonSmile. Open the app and find ’Settings’ in the main menu (☰). Tap on ‘AmazonSmile’ and follow the on-screen instructions to turn on AmazonSmile on your phone.
On your first visit to smile.amazon.com, you will be prompted to select a charitable organization. Select Wildfire Elementary School Parent Teacher Organization. Every time you shop on Amazon simply start at smile.amazon.com and the school earns 0.5% of every purchase. It's that easy to make a difference! Ask your friends, family and co-workers to participate too! As always, Thank you for your support!
Coke Rewards
Box Top$ for Education
Click here to see how it works and how to contribute.
Fry's Community Rewards
Important Upcoming Dates
- August 23rd: School Council Meeting - 5:30 PM
- August 23rd: PTO Meeting - 7:00 PM
- August 26th: Barro's Pizza Family Night Out
- August 31st: Early Release Day
- August 31st: After School Treats
- September 2nd: Governing Board Meeting - 7:00 PM
- September 6th - 7th: Labor Day Recess (No School)
- September 9th: Yearbook Club Meeting
- September 14th: STUGO Meeting
- September 16th - 17th: K-12 Recess (No School)
- September 23rd: Yearbook Club Meeting
- September 23rd: Governing Board Meeting - 7:00 PM
- September 24th: After School Treats
- September 28th: STUGO Meeting