Hawk Weekly
Return To In-Person Instruction January 19th
Havel Elementary
Email: kristina.tepper@uticak12.org
Website: havel.uticak12.org
Location: 41855 Schoenherr Road, Sterling Heights, MI, USA
Phone: 586 7975200
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HavelElementary/
Happy New Year!
We are looking forward to welcoming our kindergarten through six grade students on Tuesday, January 19th for in-person learning! We are excited to see our students and are committed to providing a safe and active learning environment. Our kindergarten through sixth grade students who are currently enrolled in the in-person/remote option are scheduled to return to classrooms on Tuesday, January 19. If your family chose the UCS Virtual Academy option, your student will continue their on-line instruction. As we prepare for this transition, below are answers to some questions that you may have regarding this return to in-person instruction.
Student Schedule
Our kindergarten – sixth grade students will follow the ½ day AM and PM hybrid schedule . Beginning week of January 25th through February 12th, we will be embedding a remote instructional day every Wednesday for all kindergarten – sixth grade students. These days allow for more personalized instruction for our students. The schedule is critical to supporting our students and our school’s academic mission during this continued transition. We recognize that developmentally our students need consistency with learning routines, socialization, connecting with their teacher and classmates on a regular basis.
Safety Protocols
As a school and district, the health and safety of our students and staff remains the top priority. We need to work together to make sure that we can meet our goal of a return on January 19 and continue moving forward with increased in-person learning. Parents need to follow these safety protocols each morning and, if your child is experiencing any of these symptoms, please keep them at home. In the event that someone is diagnosed with COVID-19 and attends school, we are required to quarantine those students and teachers from their classroom into a remote setting. Working together, we can keep our students in the classroom and avoid any interruptions.
As a school, we will continue following the protocols that are important to keeping everyone safe, including encouraging frequent hand washing, use of sanitizers, distancing and wearing of face coverings. These protocols are all detailed in the updated parent handbook that is now on the district website.
Arrival And Dismissal
As a reminder, due to our security protocols, parents WILL NOT be allowed in the classroom.
Arrival Procedures
- Students will wait on a social distancing spot outside of their classroom door while they wait for their teacher to welcome them into the classroom.
- If you are driving your child to school and walking them to the classroom we are highly encouraging ONE ADULT ONLY per student (and no siblings)
- Students must wear a mask
- Masks are required for all adults and children over the age of 2 years old
- The playground is not to be used while waiting for the teacher to open the classroom door
- We will be opening up a drop off lane in the back of the building for students in 4th, 5th, & 6th grade will be able to hop out and walk to their classroom exterior door.
- Supervision does not begin until 9:00 and 1:10. Parents DO NOT leave your child unattended prior to our supervision times.
Dismissal Procedures
Car Riders:
- Parents who are picking up students after school are encouraged to stay in their cars until dismissal. This will help us maintain social distancing and reduce overcrowding in the pick-up areas.
Classes will be staggered during dismissal at these times:
- Kindergarten- 11:40 am/3:50 pm from their exterior classroom doors
- 1st Grade- 11:45 am/ 3:55 pm from their exterior classroom doors
- 2nd Grade- 11:40 am/3:50 pm from their exterior classroom doors
- 3rd Grade- 11:45 am/ 3:55 pm from their exterior classroom doors
- 4th Grade- 11:50 am / 4:00 pm from their exterior classroom doors
- 5th Grade- 11:45 am/ 3:55 pm from their exterior classroom doors
- 6th Grade- 11:50 am / 4:00 pm from their exterior classroom doors
Transportation
Students are eligible for transportation service if their residence is 1.5 miles or farther from the school. Elementary students should not walk further than 0.5 mile to reach a bus stop and secondary students should not walk further than one mile.
The Transportation Department and schools will be contacting families directly regarding pick up and drop off times and locations.
While On the Bus
For students receiving bus service, the commitment to health and safety for in-person learning starts and ends each day at their bus stop.
Prior to entering the bus, students will need to use hand sanitizer provided by the district and wear face coverings. The students should look to their driver for instruction on proper seating and distancing while on the bus and the process for exiting the bus at arrival at school. Please watch the video below with your children. It details the important safety procedures that students must follow in riding the bus.
Before and after each run, buses will be cleaned and disinfected, including frequently touched services and any specialized equipment students may need to ride the bus safely. If weather permits, the windows will be open to allow the air to thoroughly circulate.
Breakfast and Lunch
Food Service
Elementary students in the AM and PM programs will be provided a grab and go breakfast and lunch at the end of their school day. Please refrigerate these meals once they come home. If you do not want your child to participate in this free meal program, please go to this link to disenroll. Unless otherwise noted in this opt-out form, food service will provide this service for your student.
Structure Of The Day
They will be attending their special and logging in to their teachers meeting for attendance. For example, if your child is starting their day at home with you, they will log into TEAMS for attendance and a check in from their teacher. They will work on their independent work that the teacher has given them and they will attend their special.
Our teachers will be communicating to you what the structure of the day as time to return gets closer.
Face To Face Time-
Students will receive direct instruction from their classroom teacher core curriculum content.
Students will be able to have a short recess break outside.
Students will receive lessons on how to wash their hands and how to wear/take care of their mask.
More specific information will come directly from your child's teacher.
School Age Child Care
Our UCS Community Education Department will be providing School Age Child Care for families that may require a half-day service. More information is available at this link.
NWEA Testing
Hello Students, Parents and Guardians,
Similar to this past fall, our students will be participating in MAP® Growth™ Reading and Math assessments from NWEA as part of the state benchmark requirements over the next few weeks. The MAP Growth tests are unique because they adapt to your child’s responses. Teachers will be sharing testing dates, times, and testing procedures with families.
If testing is done remotely please do not help your child, some of the questions given will be beyond their ability and the results will measure their specific skill level. As your child answers questions correctly, the questions become more challenging. If they answer incorrectly, the questions become easier. These results will provide a more complete picture of what your child knows and is ready to learn—whether it is on, above, or below their grade level.
Since MAP Growth tests provide immediate and accurate information about your child’s learning, teachers can identify students with comparable scores that are generally ready for instruction in similar skills and topics, and then plan instruction accordingly. MAP Growth results are used to tailor classroom lessons and set goals for students. These scores help teachers check and measure student performance by achievement and growth.
MAP Growth reports also provide typical growth data for students who are in the same grade, subject and have the same starting performance level. Following each testing period, you will receive a Family Report showing a summary of how your child is performing academically. Students will take the tests in Fall, Winter, and Spring.
We are truly excited to focus on your child’s individual growth and achievement. For more information about MAP Growth, visit NWEA.org/familytoolkit.
If you have any questions or need additional information, please reach out to your child’s teacher or feel free to contact me.
School Office Hours
The school office is open Monday - Friday, 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM.
Appointments may be scheduled between the hours of 9:15 AM and 2:45 PM. When calling ahead for your appointment, we will review our COVID-19 screening and safety precautions with you over the phone in preparation for your visit. Administrative Assistant Stephanie Constantineau and Clerk Tammy Allen are happy to assist you when you call, and can be reached at 586-797-5200..