Lowell Newsletter
October 28, 2020
WE ARE CONTINUING IN THE CURRENT HYBRID (A/B) SCHEDULE AT LEAST THROUGH THANKSGIVING
PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCE DATES HAVE CHANGED
We will be holding Virtual Parent Teacher Conferences the week of November 17th. '
On November 4th, your child's classroom teacher(s) will send you an invite to sign up for a conference time via Signup Genius.
Virtual conferences will be held at the following dates and times:
Tuesday, November 17th from 4pm-6pm
Wednesday November 18th from 5pm-7pm
Thursday, November 19th from 3pm-5pm
Monday, November 23rd from 12pm-2pm
There will be NO SCHOOL for the week of Thanksgiving (November 23-27).
RED RIBBON SPIRIT WEEK CONTINUES!
Tuesday/ Thursday: Dress as a Super Hero!
Wednesday/Friday: Wear Orange and Black
Traditional Halloween will look a little different this year.
Please wear a mask if you plan to participate in activities with friends and family outside of your home.
Mask guidelines:
Make your cloth mask part of your costume.
A costume mask is not a substitute for a cloth mask.
Do not wear a costume mask over a cloth mask. It can make breathing more difficult.
Masks should not be worn by children under the age of 2 or anyone who has trouble breathing.
Visit www.cdc.gov for additional guidelines.
Join us at Kids Study Club!
Through this program, we strive to increase access to technology, healthy food, and positive adult supervision for kids who need it most during this pandemic – all while being as safe as possible! Our hope is that this program can give kids a safe, affirming place to spend time outside the home - and also give guardians and parents a break from the pressures of caring for youth in the pandemic.
When and Where is Kids Study Club?
Monday – Thursday from 3-6 PM beginning Monday, October 26th, 2020 until at least December 30th, 2020.
Burns Street Center, 1500 Burns St, Missoula, MT 59802.
How does the “drop-in” structure work?
Kids Study Club, like our summer program, is a free “drop-in” program, meaning that participants do not need to come every day – but are certainly welcome to – and do not need to stay for the whole 3 hours! Youth can come and leave whenever is best for them or their guardians, as long as staff are notified of how young people will be getting home. (Our detailed check-in/check-out policies and agreements are in the registration form.)
Safety in COVID-19
Masks and social distancing will be required for all staff and participants and the program is limited to 15 participants at a time to ensure that distancing is possible. Our full COVID-19 safety procedures are attached to this email.
How do I sign up?
To participate, simply bring the young person(s) to Kids Study Club, fill out a registration form on the spot, and you’re good to go! If you’d like to print and complete the form in advance, you can find it attached!
Find more information at nmcdc.org - and feel free to email me with questions!
WINTER GEAR
With the change in our weather, it is important to make sure your child is dressed for recess. We will go out to recess until the temperature is below zero. Please send your child with a winter coat, mittens/gloves, and a hat so they can stay warm when we are outside.
If you need assistance gearing your Lowell Bobcat up for the winter, please contact our FRC Coordinator, Libby Miller @ rmiller@mcpsmt.org
We are also taking winter gear donations! If you have new or used winter gear to donate, please drop it off at our front office.
SEESAW (K-2) and GOOGLE CLASSROOM (3-5)
Most classrooms at Lowell are assigning work online for remote learning days and all classrooms require a quick remote learning attendance check that can be completed anytime during the day (this does not have to be completed during school hours). If you have questions or concerns about your child's remote learning work or if you need to request paper copies, please contact your child's teacher.
A few weeks ago we held a PTA tech night focused on the online learning platforms your child uses for remote learning. If you need help navigating these platforms, please check out our helpful videos:
SCHOOL CELEBRATIONS
Due to COVID, we cannot allow outside treats and gifts. Please do not send any birthday or celebration treats to your child's classroom.
Given our hybrid schedule, we have also made the decision to keep our precious classroom time focused on learning goals. This year Halloween celebrations will have a learning focus and we will not wear costumes.
FREE! - MONDAYS - PARKS & REC
If you need full day care for your kiddo on hybrid-remote days (T-W or Th-F), please email WhicherM@ci.missoula.mt.us for low to no cost options.
406 Families Missoula - SPIDER HUNT!
With Covid-19 cases on the rise in Missoula, many families are at a loss for what to do for Halloween. If you do choose to go trick-or-treating will there even be very many houses participating? Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a way to get in the Halloween spirit without bursting your socially distanced bubble?
Which is why we present: 406 Spider Hunt!
We are asking community members and businesses to hang a spider in their window or on their door during the week leading up to October 31st. You can print off or color one below, or get creative and make your own spiders to decorate your home!
For those who are looking for an alternative to trick-or-treating, or even just an additional activity (in case there aren’t many porch lights on) this year, families can go out and explore their neighborhood and city and see how many spiders they can find!
If you put a spider up OR know of a place that has great Halloween decorations, let us know HERE! We will try to have a map of spider locations and a route for Halloween decorations around Missoula available!
Download a PDF spider to print here or save one of the images above!
Get your costumes ready!! We're hosting a Virtual Costume Contest and TikTok Challenge!
These contests are part of a week of Halloween themed events with All Nations Health Center
#HalloweenWellnessWeek starts Monday!*** Contests limited to Missoula area.
WESTSIDE PARK PLAYGROUND
COVID TESTING
EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
NeighborWorks Montana has partnered with the Montana Department of Commerce to provide statewide support to renters and homeowners who need assistance applying for the Emergency Housing Assistance Program.
If you need assistance applying, please email NeighborWorks Montana at covidrelief@nwmt.org or call 406.604.4500.
We will do our best to respond to you within 2 business days but higher than expected volume may affect our response times. To adhere to all COVID related social distancing recommendations, this statewide assistance will be provided over the phone.
NEED INTERNET ACCESS AT HOME?
Missoula Public Library and its Branches now have Wi-Fi hot spots for check out! You can connect any device, or multiple devices, and access the internet wherever you are. Each Wi-Fi hot spot device is available for a 2 week check out. Cardholders checking out this item must be 18 years or older. To place holds for pick up click here: https://tinyurl.com/y2af8nom
For more information, please call 721-BOOK (2665).
Child Care Resources
$4000 scholarships available now for special circumstances during Covid-19!
Parents, does someone in your household have a health concern? Are you a foster family needing additional remote learning support? Do you have a unique work schedule? Funding is available for in-home care due to special circumstances where your child is unable to attend child care or school.
Visit www.childcareresources.org/parent for more details and to apply or contact us today!
Lowell School
Forward Thinking, High Achieving
Email: lowellfrc@mcps.k12.mt.us
Website: mcpsmt.org
Location: 1215 Phillips Street, Missoula, MT, USA
Phone: (406) 542-4040
Facebook: facebook.com/LowellSchoolMissoula