Friday Folder
September 3, 2021
Peace, Passion, Purpose
“If we are among the men of good will who yearn for peace, we must lay the foundation for peace ourselves, by working for the social world of the child.” Dr. Maria Montessori—International Montessori Congress, 1937
“Like fighting an addiction, being an antiracist requires persistent self-awareness, constant self-criticism, and regular self-examination.”
— Ibram X. Kendi
From Michelle
Dear EPMS Community,
We have already completed our third week of school! Thank you so much for all of your support and cooperation. This week Contra Costa County Health Department updated their guidance to include recommending masks at recess and other outdoor activities. It is nice to have been a little ahead of the game for once. :)
We knew that coming back after being away for so long would be hard. We know that everyone is experiencing this period of time and this process in different ways. We get it. In some ways all of those emotional muscles we used every day for so long were being used differently over the past 18 months and we are now having to not ONLY continue to use them in the new way but also return to those emotional tolls of pre-pandemic daily life.
For the past year we have all felt so ready to be back to "normal". However, as much as we have talked about it and wondered about it, I am not sure there was anyway to completely prepare ourselves for all of what being together might be like and it certainly is not the "normal" we all remembered. Patience will be our only way through this together.
Many years ago Robert Fulghum wrote a book, All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten. Sometimes as complicated as life gets listening to stories meant for children can be lessons for us all. Take for instance the poem/song, "Going on a Bear Hunt". (Please forgive the reference to a hunt for a moment and just see the words.) Regardless of the obstacle the group of "hunters" would encounter they would soon realize,
"We can't go over it.
We can't go under it.
We can't go around it.
Oh no!
We've got to go through it!"
Just like on that journey, there may be circumstances, or stress, or experiences we can't go over or around. We simply must go through them. But we will come out the other side. I want to take this time to go over a few of the current guidelines in an attempt to clarify and simplify the processes we will need to follow.
Notification:
When you receive an email OR letter indicating that your child has had a potential exposure, regardless of whether they were masked or unmasked (lunch), they must be tested. If they were exposed during lunch when masks were off they must stay home until they are tested and receive a negative result. (There is more guidance if they test positive.) If they were masked when the potential exposure took place, then they are placed on a modified quarantine and must test twice within the 10 day period after the potential exposure took place.
- -Unmasked to unmasked exposure (lunch table/snack time): Student must stay home for 10 days. Student must be PCR tested 1-3 days after notification of exposure then AGAIN 3 days after the intial PCR test (6th day).
- -Masked to Masked exposure: MODIFIED Quarantine. Student CAN come to school, but no outside of school activities and no childcare attendance. Must test day 1-3 after exposure and AGAIN on day 6 after initial exposure.
Unfortunately, when we hear that a child might have been exposed outside of school to a positive case of covid, we cannot notify the classroom until we have received the results from the initial student's test. If the test is positive the 10 days of modified quarantine start from the last day the student was at school. This process is complicated and does not always provide us with the quickest information but it is the current guidance we need to follow.
Sent home sick from school:
If your child complains of any of the following symptoms to a school staff member(fever, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, weakness, headache, body/muscle aches, sneezing, sore throat, stuffy or runny nose, new loss of taste and smell, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea) , they must be sent home asap. They must then be tested for covid and receive a negative test result before they can return to campus, as well as being symptom free for 48 hours.
Prior to covid- our goal was to keep children on campus and we would encourage them to "stick it out" or try various things to feel better. However, due to the contagious nature of the virus, we simply cannot do that. If your child comes to the office and states that they have any of the list of symptoms, we must follow the guidance above. We do encourage you to speak with your child about how they feel and what things they may or may not need to come to the office for during the day. If they are sick, we absolutely want them to come and tell us, but we need to understand the symptoms more. Thank you for your patience and support through this time.
Staying Home Sick
If your child needs to stay home from school, please let us know what the reason is when you call or email. Again, if they are exhibiting any of the symptoms above, please understand you will need to have them take a PCR test before they can return.
Independent Study
We have been waiting for an updated template for independent studies prior to being able to assign those. However, it seems as though the template will not be arriving in a timely fashion. Therefore, we will start Independent Studies for SHORT TERM next week. Please be very mindful that if you accumulate 15 days this year through independent study, we will not be able to assign you more days in independent study.
We know that these guidelines and protocols are very different and can be cumbersome. However, we are working together to keep the students, staff, and community safe and healthy to the greatest degree possible. Thank you for your patience, understanding, and support.
Have a restful and relaxing LONG weekend.
Michelle
THIS WEEK AT EPMS
EAGLE PEAK MONTESSORI SCHOOL
Monday, September 6 - LABOR DAY - NO SCHOOL
REMEMBER NEW SCHOOL HOURS
Elementary Gr 1-6: 8:30am-2:45pm (Gate closes at 8:30am and opens at 2:45pm)
Adolescent Program Gr 7&8: 8:30am-3:15pm
Wednesdays and other Early Dismissal Days- 1:40pm
THANK YOU
Waste Free Wednesdays
From an Adolescent Program Student:
Community Connections Committee Welcome Back Update
The Community Connection Committee formed at Eagle Peak several years ago to work on uprooting bias within our school and help Eagle Peak parents and families to form stronger connections across identity groups. While the past 18 months have certainly been a time when examining and uprooting biases is as important as ever, we haven't been able to meet in person, have an in-person International Day, or offer our resource library of books and other materials, and the CCC chairs have been struggling through many family challenges that required basically all of our time and attention. So we are sad to say that although the need for reflection and connection has been there, our ability to support these goals just hasn't been. We apologize for not being able to do more for the EPMS community during this difficult period.
The past 18 months have been challenging to all of us and devastating to some. The world at large has been dealing with a crisis that is unprecedented in our lifetimes, so "doing the right thing" has been a very confusing task for most of us. As parents and also members of a school community, we have sometimes been forced to choose between what our children need and what we always imagined our school would look like and feel like.
Now as we come out of the physical separation and try to recreate some version of the amazing community that Eagle Peak has been in the past, we want to reassess where you are at and what the prevailing needs are of the community as it stands today. Obviously we are still faced with many restrictions in this new school year, but we promise to do our best to provide some useful tools or support to continue moving forward (even if slowly) toward our goals of uprooting bias and strengthening connections at EPMS. Please complete this survey whenever you can:
News from the Office
A Few Reminders:
Covid Testing- Please note that we must receive the results of a Covid- 19 PCR test. We cannot accept the results of a rapid test. Thank you for your help with this.
Carpool Process-
Please review the carpool procedures in the Handbook for Parents and Students.
Remember if you are picking up in the drive-through line, you need to drive all the way up Hutchinson Rd, flip a u-turn and form a line along the sidewalk next to the fields. If you are having someone else pick up your child, please explain the procedures to them.
Please do not drop your child off alone prior to 8am. If they need to go to childcare, please walk them in and sign them into childcare. If they are not going to childcare, they cannot be left alone in front of the school until after 8am.
Please try to avoid Childcare pick up between 3p-3:30p. Amy and Leslie are not in the office due to carpool pick up.
Please always, always use the crosswalk.
Please remember to send a water bottle with your child's name on it to school with them.
Please remember to read through the handbook provided on transparent classroom.
The September breakfast form is attached for those who missed it.
Childcare News
When signing your child in or out of Childcare, please always put the time and your signature.
There is no "Drop in" for Childcare this year. You must register your child. No Exceptions.
LOST AND FOUND
Carpool Help
If you would like to help out with morning or afternoon carpool, please contact Jen Slattengren.
Please remember you must be vaccinated to volunteer at EPMS.
News from PTLG
Every day at Eagle Peak is spirit day but let’s show
off our pride every Friday!
Wear your favorite Eagle Peak t-shirt, hat, sweatshirt, or school
colors (blue, green, black, maroon, or white).
First spirit day will be Friday September 10th.
Questions? Call or email jennifer at 925-683-5251 -jenwomble@gmail.com
Don't forget about Box Top$ for Education!
Remember to gather your Box Tops for Education.
HERE’S HOW IT WORKS: Buy participating products and use the Box Tops mobile app to scan your store receipt within 14 days of purchase. The app identifies eligible products and automatically adds Box Tops to Eagle Peak's earnings online. Even if you’re shopping online or doing grocery pickup, you can still submit your e-receipts and earn Box Tops. Your earnings may seem small, but they really do add up. The more people that participate, the bigger the impact we can make. Learn more about how Box Tops works at BTFE.com.
Eagle Peak Montessori School
Email: Admin@Eaglepeakmontessori.org
Website: eaglepeakmontessori.org
Location: 800 Hutchinson Road, Walnut Creek, CA, USA
Phone: (925)946-0994