Lion Ledger
August 22, 2021
Challenge, Motivate, Empower, Succeed
MESSAGE FROM MRS. ROBERTSON
Our first week was a success! Students and staff were excited to be back in person and you could feel the energy in the air!! During our short time together we have begun to build relationships and establish routines in order to making learning fun.
As we begin our second week we will continue to get to know each other and set the expectations for growth mindsets. Each student can and will succeed with the power of yet!
Here's to an amazing week two!!
Yours in education,
Kimberly Robertson
Principal
Power of the Pride
#cmeswins, #teamcmes
HEALTH & SAFETY PROTOCOLS
Maintaining the Health and Safety of the Entire School Community
FCPS has provided guidance regarding COVID-19 mitigation strategies which is updated regularly based on current recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Maryland Department of Health (MDH), and the Frederick County Health Department (FCHD). The guidance document addresses universal and correct wearing of masks, physical distancing, handwashing and respiratory etiquette, cleaning and maintaining healthy facilities, and contact tracing in combination with isolation and quarantine.
Health and Safety Strategies
After reviewing the guidance from CDC, AAP, the Maryland Department of Health, and working in close collaboration with the officials from the Frederick County Health Department, FCPS will be requiring face coverings for all students and staff inside our school buildings. This requirement allows us to support two priorities:
Preserve in-person instruction for our students
Prevent the spread of COVID-19 in our schools and community
Masks will be made available to those students and staff who need them (including on buses).
The safety of students and staff are the first priority for FCPS. As indicated by the CDC, daily cleaning and disinfecting of school buildings should be sufficient to remove potential viruses that may be on surfaces. Custodial teams will place special emphasis on frequently-touched surfaces in their daily cleaning and disinfecting protocols. Examples of high-touch surfaces include: pens, counters, tables, doorknobs, handles, stair rails, elevator buttons, desks, keyboards, phones, toilets, faucets, and sinks. If a school has had a sick person or someone who tested positive for COVID-19 within the last 24 hours, the spaces they occupied will be cleaned and disinfected. To facilitate effective disinfecting, each school has been provided an electrostatic backpack sprayer, and each secondary school will also receive one misting machine to facilitate the disinfecting in large areas, including physical education and athletic spaces. FCPS Custodial Services Office will ensure adequate provision and distribution of cleaning supplies, EPA approved disinfectants, and microfiber cloths.
Ventilation
Maintenance has modified the ventilation schedules such that the occupied mode begins two hours prior to staff arrival and continues through the end of the school day. Staff may not open doors and windows due to security and health concerns. Maintenance procured and installed upgraded filter media (i.e., MERV-13) in air-handling equipment, where existing air-handling equipment will accommodate such media, as recommended by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers in response to COVID-19.
Hand Hygiene
Good hand hygiene— regular handwashing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or using an alcohol based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not readily available—reduces the spread of germs that can cause illness, especially if done at key times throughout the day. FCPS installed an additional 1,800 dispensers to extend the current installation of alcohol-based hand sanitizer to every classroom, and hand soap is readily available at sinks throughout each school. Hand washing is still the preferred method of cleaning hands, but hand sanitizer is available for when hand washing is not possible. Proper hand washing and hand sanitizer usage will be reinforced by staff with students, and time will be built into the day for washing hands.
While FCPS will begin the 2021/2022 school year fully operational with all student access, both adults and students will be required to wear face coverings while indoors in order to support the health and wellbeing of every school community member. The Superintendent will periodically review health metrics to determine when and if this requirement can be relaxed.
Safely Transporting FCPS Students
With the return of all students to five day a week instruction, physical distancing is not an option for school buses. Therefore, traditional bus routing and student load counts will be utilized. However, there are several protocols that will be implemented to promote safety for the students and the drivers. Students must wear face coverings at all times when on a school bus, and drivers and assistants are required to wear face coverings at all times when students are on the bus. Face coverings are also required to be worn by federal order on school buses. FCPS will supply face coverings for students and staff who need them.
Assigned seating will be used to promote clear expectations, support contact tracing, and to reduce student contact. Ventilation will be increased by utilizing the roof hatches and windows. FCPS will continue to monitor local, state, and federal guidelines related to safe transport of students and will modify protocols, if needed. Families will also be encouraged to drive or walk their children to school, if possible, to reduce the number of students on buses. Each driver will be provided a spray bottle filled with an EPA approved disinfectant and cleaning cloths. Bus drivers will clean high touch surfaces on their buses after morning and afternoon routes using the provided cleaning products. Special cleaning emphasis is placed on seats, handles/railing, and window controls. Training and instruction on cleaning protocols has been provided to drivers and ongoing efforts will be monitored by transportation supervisors.
LUNCH ROOM PROCEDURES
- Students enter the cafeteria by class.
- Students getting school lunch proceed to the lunch line and get their food. Students are in line less that 15 minutes together and maintain mask wearing. After getting their lunch students proceed to their assigned lunch seat at their assigned class table.
- Students who bring a packed lunch will enter the cafeteria and proceed to their assigned seats at their assigned class table.
- Administration, teachers and duty staff are assisting students in this process and will continue to do so to ensure that students know where to sit on a daily basis. This process will be on-going.
- Students sit at their assigned seats during the entire lunch shift.
- Once students are finished eating they are directed to return to wearing their masks.
- Students leave the cafeteria at the end of their lunch shift and continue their daily schedule.
IDENTIFYING CLOSE CONTACTS
Students who are quarantined will be able to access assignments provided in Schoology by the classroom teacher 24 hours after the notification. For notifications given over the weekend, assignments will be provided on the second school day after returning to school (this is for long weekends), in order to give teachers time to post in Schoology.
COMMUNICATION TOOLS
Find Out First:
Families are automatically signed up for Find Out First communications when they provide a valid email address. FOF communications are sent out from the school and FCPS. These communications include teacher newsletters, special events, PTA events, field trip updates/cancellations, etc.
Lion Ledger (Principal Newsletter):
These newsletters will be sent weekly, on Sundays, throughout the school year and provide information related to the happenings within the school day, special event notifications, celebrations of student learning and general information. Newsletters are sent via FOF email with a link to the newsletter. In addition, the links are posted on the PTA Facebook page and the @CMESLions Twitter account.
CMES Website:
Updates are in the process of being made to the website. These updates will take time as we are awaiting training for the platform. Thank you for your patience.
Teacher Newsletters:
Newsletters from grade level teams and individual teachers provide information about the essential curriculum, field trips, and ideas to support students at home. These communications may be received via FOF or teacher distribution lists. Grade level teams and specials team newsletters will be sent monthly via FindOutFirst.
CMES Parents, Families & Teachers (PTA) Adamstown, MD Facebook Page:
This Facebook page is managed by the PTA. Principal Robertson is a member of the page and will post links to the principal newsletter. Families interested in joining the PTA Facebook page will be asked to answer a few questions in order to confirm a connection to the school. Specific questions regarding students or situations should be addressed by contacting the school directly. Please know that this page is not managed by CMES staff or administration.
Twitter:
Many staff and administration use Twitter to showcase the amazing things students and staff are doing at CMES. Consider following your child's teacher or administration on Twitter. Ask them for their Twitter handle.
Mrs. Robertson's Twitter handle is: @PrincipalRfcps
CMES Twitter handle is: @CMESLions
STUDENT INFORMATION CARDS
During our first week of school, parents/guardians should receive an email from FCPS NoReply.
This email provides instructions on how to use the secure online portal to provide updated student information for the coming school year. This online process replaces the paper Student Information Cards of the past.
We are asking that you please take a few minutes to review and complete the online form as soon as possible in order for us to have this important information.
Sample Email Heading - Be on the lookout for..
- From Address: FCPS NoReply-noreplyregistration@powerschool.com
- Reply-To Address: FCPS NoReply-noreplyregistration@powerschool.com
- Subject: Student Information Form
CAR RIDERS
Thank you for your patience as we establish dismissal routines with our students. The car rider process is one that takes additional time due to the number of students accessing this form of transportation, especially this school year. There has been a significant increase in the number of car riders and we would like to offer a few suggestions to limit your wait time.
Students who are car riders are dismissed from their classrooms at 3:25 and then travel to the gym where they sit and await their number being called as their ride arrives at the pick up location.
We know that each family has different obligations after school and do not want to assign pick up times by last name. However, we suggest that you consider arriving in the car rider line in a staggered fashion which will eliminate waiting in a long line. In addition, you may want your child to be a "walker" and meet you across the street at the park. A crossing guard is available to assist students in crossing the street.
Our goal is to make this process as safe and efficient as possible. Thank you for your cooperation and support.
WATER BOTTLES
FREE BREAKFAST & LUNCH
Important Dates
Wednesday, September 1st - Back to School Night - 6:00-7:00 PM - virtual
Monday, September 6th: Labor Day Schools Closed
Tuesday, September 7th: Rosh Hashanah Schools Closed
Saturday, September 11th: Patriot Day, Anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001
Thursday, September 16th: Yom Kippur, Schools Closed
Thursday, September 23rd: Mid-Term 2-hour early dismissal for students
Friday, September 24th: Fair Day 3.5 hour early dismissal for students (no 1/2 day Pre-K)
CMES Contact Information
Website: education.fcps.org/cmes/
Location: 5624 Adamstown Road
Phone: 240-236-3800
Twitter: @PrincipalRfcps