EBE Home Connections
November 16 - November 29, 2020 (2 Week Edition) UPDATED
Message from Mr. Hanzeli
Hello Elger Bay Families!
The November social emotional learning theme in our Pursposefull People curriculum is GRATITUDE. Well placed as it matches our love for the Thanksgiving holiday and a very natural time to reflect on gratitude.
My hope, as always, is that I am able to display my thanks each day along the way to and beyond Thanksgiving: gratitude for the opportunity to serve others; appreciation for the chance to help other people, children and adults, move through life with a bit more ease; and gratefulness for my good fortune to live and work in such a beautiful part of the world.
Our outward expressions of gratitude towards each other binds us, make us the community we are, and for that I am deeply thankful.
Hoping for each of you the peace, calm, and happiness of a very Happy Thanksgiving!
~ Mr. Hanzeli
Two Week Edition of the Newsletter
Please take note that this edition is for the next two weeks. If there is any critical information that comes out between now and November 30, I will be sure to send that to you in a separate notice.
On Friday, November 20, school will not be in session. That day is set aside to conference with parents or to make up for the evenings that week when our teachers hold virtual conferences after hours with families.
Thanksgiving Wednesday
Just a reminder that on Wednesday, November 25 (just before Thansgiving) our Wednesday students WILL NOT attend.
SCSD Family Message, 11.17.20
Good Afternoon,
The district met privately with Dr. Spitters and the Snohomish County Health District team on Monday, November 16. We shared district data, information about community transmissions, and county data. The health district complimented us on our current mitigation measures and advised us to focus on the populations we are currently serving in-person, but not bring additional students in at this time. For this reason and because of increased community transmission in Stanwood and Camano Island, the district is postponing bringing 4th and 5th grade students back until after the winter break.
This delay for 4th and 5th grade students also delays the district’s plan to bring back middle and high school students. We will review available data on January 15 and let families know the new timelines.
The district would also like to remind families of the the Governor’s Advisory regarding travel:
TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS
Persons arriving in Washington from other states or countries, including returning Washington residents, should practice self-quarantine for 14 days after arrival. These persons should limit their interactions to their immediate household. This recommendation does not apply to individuals who cross state or country borders for essential travel.
Family decisions to travel impact all of our school community. Please adhere to the guidance above if you are traveling outside of Washington.
Additionally, the Governor added restrictions to youth sports:
NEW RESTRICTIONS FOR YOUTH SPORTS
Youth and Adult Sporting Activities: Indoor activities and all contests and games are prohibited. Outdoor activities shall be limited to intra-team practices only, with facial coverings required for all coaches, volunteers and athletes at all times.
We know that rising rates in our region are due in large part to participating in youth activities. We hope these new restrictions will result in a reduction of transmission.
Governor Inslee issued an executive order that goes into effect today through December 14, 2020. The mitigation measures include limiting indoor social gatherings to people within your household and limiting outdoor gatherings to five people from outside your household. The Governor said that these limitations do not apply to schools due to strict adherence to our current safety measures.
We recognize that this information is disappointing to families wanting to celebrate holidays and to all of our students and staff who were looking forward to bringing back more students into our schools. We remind all of our school stakeholders that we can control the spread of COVID-19. We implore you all to adhere to Dr. Spitters’ message from last week:
“Holding gatherings is a threat to all. Stop it. Plain and simple, just stop the gatherings.
Make a bubble of the same five-or-fewer social contacts outside of your household, and stick to that.
Wear a mask around people you don’t live with.
When is more ok? Not at all in the immediate future.
Reduce socializing and other non-essential activity. If it’s not for work, school or medical purposes, the safest bet is to skip it. Don’t attend gatherings. Period.
Avoid contact with people and businesses who don’t follow the guidance.”
Important Dates:
November 20--No School, Conferences
November 25--Early dismissal; no in-person classes
November 26 & 27--No School, Thanksgiving break
Please do not enter school facilities if you are ill, or if you are living with anyone who is ill. The district’s ability to bring back additional students is reliant upon our entire community adhering to the guidelines. Thank you all for doing your part to keep our students, families, and staff safe.
Important Upcoming Dates
Friday, November 20
Student Progress Conferences (No Student Meets or Assignments)
Wednesday, November 25 (just before Thanksgiving)
Small groups student supports cancelled for this day. School closes at 12:00
Thursday, November 26 and Friday, November 27
Thanksgiving Holiday (No School)
Monday, November 30
Grades Grade 4 and 5 Hybrid AA or BB In Person Model Begins (depending on health metrics)
Friday, December 4 (See Below)
Off the great success of Honk or Treat, EBE PTA is working on developing a winter holiday drive through event in the evening.
SCSD Family Message, Friday, November 13, 2020
Stanwood-Camano School District
November 13, 2020
Friday Family Message
Good Afternoon Families,
We know that many of you have questions about the district’s decision-making process regarding COVID. It is confusing, multi-faceted, and relies upon multiple data and guidance sources. I hope the details provided in this email will help.
Things we’d like you to know:
We attend every briefing with the Department of Health and monitor their website regularly.
District administrators and lead nurses meet weekly with the Snohomish and Island County Health Districts. During our Tuesday meeting with Dr. Spitters, he shared the following:
He acknowledged that there is a lot of anxiety due to the increase in cases.
There is a great deal of dissension within members of the school community. Some families want schools to open. Some families want schools to close.
Our schools’ current mitigation measures such as screening, masking, social distancing, handwashing, not sharing items, cleaning/disinfecting, and cohorting reduce the risk to nearly what it would be if all of our students were in remote learning (for K-5 students in particular).
Household transmission and social connections are the main causes of increased transmission. Students are more likely to get COVID in their social interactions outside of school than at school.
The increase of cases is because of what is happening with individuals in our community. People are carrying on as if there are no restrictions. They are traveling, meeting with friends and families, not wearing masks, etc.
The health district is deeply concerned about an impending crisis and we should be concerned, too.
More specifically, Dr. Spitters stated, “My request of you is simple, if not difficult. But any mandatory restrictions will be far more difficult to bear.” Dr. Spitters’ message is as follows:
Holding gatherings is a threat to all. Stop it. Plain and simple, just stop the gatherings.
Make a bubble of the same five-or-fewer social contacts outside of your household, and stick to that.
Wear a mask around people you don’t live with.
When is more ok? Not at all in the immediate future.
Reduce socializing and other non-essential activity. If it’s not for work, school or medical purposes, the safest bet is to skip it. Don’t attend gatherings. Period.
Avoid contact with people and businesses who don’t follow the guidance.
So what do we do now?
Our families need to be part of the team that's trying to flatten the curve, if they want students to return to in-person learning. We must all follow the guidance above from Dr. Spitters. We all have the power to keep students in school and begin to bring more students in for face-to-face learning, if we all follow his advice.
We anticipate new guidance from the Department of Health before Thanksgiving. Remember, this is a "novel" coronavirus. Scientists continue to learn things about the virus. For example, we were originally told that we wore masks to protect others. The CDC has now stated that it protects the mask wearer as well.
So what would it take to close us down again?
1) The state could shut us down just as they did last spring. Governor Inslee/DOH could say that we are all going remote.
2) The health districts could say that because of the hospitalization rate (or some other metric), that schools should move to remote learning or they should pull back.
3) The district could look at our local infection rates/school data and make a decision to close or pull back.
We will not bring back 4th and 5th grade students unless the trend is flat or going down. We will examine new data on Monday, meet with Health District leaders and let families know as soon as a decision is made.
We wish our circumstances were different. Thank you to our families who are remaining vigilant, following guidelines, and keeping our school and community safe.
Reminder: There is no school on November 20 due to Conferences. There will be no in-person classes on November 25 and it is an early release day. There is no school on November 26-27 in observance of Thanksgiving.
Please stay safe and take care.
SCSD Healthy Student Return to School Process (Repeat)
SCSD Healthy Student Return to School Process
As you are aware, Stanwood Camano Schools have implemented new processes and procedures during this outbreak of COVID-19 and we are committed to keeping students and staff safety our top priority.
Symptoms of COVID-19
People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:
Fever or chills (> 100.3)
Cough
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Fatigue
Muscle or body aches
Headache
New loss of taste or smell
Sore throat
Congestion or runny nose
Nausea or vomiting
Diarrhea
Instructions
Please contact your student’s medical provider for additional health instructions and/or testing.
If your student is not tested for COVID-19, they may return to school 10 days after symptoms began AND symptoms are resolving AND 24 hours after fever resolves.
If your student is ill for additional days, please notify the attendance office of your student’s absence.
If your student is positive for COVID-19, they may return 10 days after symptom onset AND symptoms are resolving AND 24 hours after fever resolves.
If your student is negative for COVID-19, they may return to school campus when symptoms are improving AND they have not had a fever without the use of fever-reducing medication for > 24 hours.
Elger Bay Attendance: 360.629.1290
Donna Hunter, EBE School Nurse: 360.629.1290
Coats for Kids Opportunity (Next @ EBE 12.1 and 12.4)(Repeat)
(The following is not an EBE coordinated event. If you have questions, please contact Emily at the number and Email listed below)
Hello!
My name is Emily Goodman and I am the new Warm Cots for Kids Coordinator. I have taken over the role from Dian and I hope I can continue her great work!
As I am sure you aware we have changed how we will be distributing coats this year. Last year we were able to let kids pick a coat out upstairs at the food bank. Due to Covid we are unable to let anyone in the building other than our volunteers. So in order to reach as many kids as possible we are doing a pop-up tent distribution!
We will have a pop-up tent in the parking lot of the food bank on serve days. We have also partnered with the school district to have a pop-up tent at the schools when the weekly school lunches are picked-up. We will rotate between the designated schools weekly.
I will need a minimum of two volunteers per distribution date. All of the sites will be outdoors.
There will be 2-3 pop-up tents with side walls to keep out the weather. Masks and social distancing will be required.
Here are the dates and locations for distribution.
Stanwood Camano Food Bank Pop-up
Wednesdays 10am-3pm (One Volunteer Committed)
Saturdays 10am-2pm
Elementary School Pop-up
Tuesdays and Fridays
Times: 3:30pm – 7:30pm (approx. time)
Same time for each day
10/20 & 10/23 - Twin City Elementary
10/27 & 10/30 – Elger Bay Elementary
11/3 & 11/6 - Stanwood Elementary
11/10 & 11/13 - Utsalady Elementary
11/17 & 11/20 - Cedarhome Elementary
11/24 - Twin City Elementary
12/1 & 12/4 - Elger Bay Elementary
12/8 & 12/11 - Stanwood Elementary
12/15 & 12/18 - Utsalady Elementary
12/22 - Cedarhome Elementary
We will begin distribution the week of October 19th.
I hope you will be able to help keep as many kids warm this winter!!!
Just let me know how and when you would like to help with this important and exciting program. Sincerely,
Emily
Office 360.629.2789
Cell 425.953.3653
Please Reply Promptly to Absence Excuse EMAIL (REPEAT)
Please reply to the absence EMAIL at your first convenience or call the Elger Bay office 360.629.1290 to speak directly with our staff.
Transportation Plans AND Change of Plans (REPEAT)
Our office works incredibly hard on making sure we understand your daily transportation plans for each student. To that end, it is really important that you make sure you have done all of the following:
- K - G3 students have all had a "blue" daily transportation form sent home by the EBE office to be completed by you regarding the daily plan for your child's transportation to and from school. G4 and G5 will have these sent home when they return to school on 10.26.
- If there is a change from this plan, you must call the office or send a detailed note/Email in advance, so that we might write a "pickup slip" to inform the teacher to make sure that we all know the plan for each child and can communicate about the change.
- Finally, keep the EBE phone number (360.629.1290) loaded in your phone. We know there is the occasional emergency that requires a quicker change at day's end. Please do everything you can to avoid this as it does get a bit hectic, but if there is an emergency, please don't hesitate to call.
I thank you in advance for helping us with this significant safety and communication issue.
Grade by Grade Hybrid Transition Reminders (UPDATED)
Kindergarten
K Students are in one cohort of 10 students in the regular kindergarten rooms.
On Monday, October 5th, in person kindergarten students transitioned to full days from 9:00-3:30 in the hybrid model AA/BB.
Grade 1 - Grade 3
Hybrid teacher placement and AA (Monday / Tuesday) or BB (Thursday / Friday) assignments have been communicated by School Messenger.
Students in grades 1-3 who are opting for Continuous Learning are assigned a new teacher.
The technical transitions are supposed to be happening in the very early hours of Monday, but I suggest you prepare for a day or two of potential corrections. NOTE: Please let your online teacher know by Email if you continue to have any technical difficulties.
Grade 4 - Grade 5
The hybrid students in grades 4 and 5 have been assigned a teacher have been notified of their teacher. NOTE: G4 and G5 families potentially returning on November 30 have been informed if they are in the AA or BB Hybrid sections.
On Monday, October 5th, any student in grades 4 or 5 who were assigned a new teacher began working with that teacher.
All students in grades 4 and 5 will continue in distance learning until November 30, unless the metrics indicate otherwise.
Students in grades 4-5 who are opting for Continuous Learning have been assigned a teacher and are working in their classes.
PBS Students
- PBS students electing to attend in person in the PBS program began full time on Thursday, October 1.
CONTACT YOUR ELGER BAY TEAM
Email: ebeinfo@gmail.com
Website: ebe.stanwood.wednet.edu
Location: 1810 Elger Bay Road, Camano, WA, USA
Phone: 360.629.1290