The Lobos Class of 2033 returned to school this week and were greeted by warm, though masked smiles and virtual hugs and high fives by school staff. These early opportunities to see and work with students in person after a long absence has done more than anything else could to lift the spirits of our school community. Students in grades 2nd-5th will be returning to school on March 22nd.

Thanks to the leadership of the San Juan County Department of Health & Community Services, K-12 and early childhood staff were able to receive a COVID-19 vaccine on Thursday.

While things have not fallen into place with on-site COVID testing as quickly as we would have hoped, we’re confident that we will be open for testing staff next week. These initial tests will be of the “gold standard” PCR variety and will provide results within 24 - 72 hours. We hope to supplement our program with a rapid antigen test in the coming weeks and are working with the state Department of Health and our insurance provider to obtain permission.

The addition of staff access to the vaccine and to testing, along with our ability to test students on campus who experience COVID-related symptoms are major steps forward in creating a safe teaching and learning environment at Lopez School.

Switching topics, the Board met on Monday in a work-study session to discuss capital projects needs. These fall into two categories:

1. For the past several years, the District has been working with several community partners to explore creating a unified water system. Presently, the District’s water is supplied by one well, leaving it vulnerable to problems with equipment or contamination. Over the past year, the district has been funded through a state grant to work with consultants to design a unified water system that would:

• Create a more stable and reliable source of water for the school district and
• Provide upgrades that would ensure more efficient operations.

While the grant provided funding for the system design, constructing the project will require additional resources.

2. Like all school districts, LISD spends dollars every year to address facility maintenance. These dollars come from the general fund, which is already stretched due to our inability to collect all of the funds authorized by voters in our Educational Programs and Operations Levy. Finding a different way to address our maintenance needs would free up general fund dollars to be spent in other needed areas.

The Board is considering asking voters to approve a capital levy to address both of these needs. This topic will be on the March 24 School Board meeting agenda.

That’s all for this week.

Go Lobos!

Tuesday, March 16 in the gym

Schedule from 8:00am to 11:45am.

8:00-8:30 All Staff individual photos

8:30-9:00 Last name beginning with A B C (student or primary guardian last name)

9:00-9:30 Last name beginning with D E F G H I

9:30-10:00 Last name beginning with J K L M

10:00-10:30 Last name beginning with N O P

10:30-11:00 Last name beginning with R S

11:00-11:45 Last name beginning with T V W Y Z

Students that cannot make it for the time assigned may reschedule to another time by emailing Ronda rberg@lopezislandschool.org or Karrie kwarner@lopezislandschool.org.

Students also have the option to wait until Retake Day, scheduled for April 15, in the afternoon from 12:00 to 3:15pm.

Please arrive early and keep a 6-foot distance from others. Wear a mask until the time for your picture. Students check in near the gym lobby front door, make their way into the gym to be photographed, and follow the arrows to the exit door.

Kevin Hellriegel will offer the same great service we have received in the past. Please print the order form, fill out the information, and return it on Picture Day. Payment options are listed at the bottom of the pdf form Lopez School Price List SPRING 2021.pdf

SAFETY PLAN FOR PICTURE DAY, approved by Nurse Karen:

Hand sanitizers and wipes will be readily available, as well as face masks.

Families will check in at the designated spot outside the gym and then line up spatially 6' apart outside the gym lobby door. Both gym lobby doors (north and south side) will be open for lots of fresh, moving air.

Kevin will be set up in the gym. Gym doors to the outside will be open for fresh, moving air.

One-way signs will be clearly posted on the walls, doors, and/or floors for the line-up and one-way traffic in the gym to walk north to the exit door at the northwest corner of the gym. Entrance and Exit only will be posted on the appropriate doors from the gym and the parking lot.

The parking lot line of people, if there is a line, will line up from east to west along the outside of the science, art, woodshop building. Let's all hope for a sunny, slightly breezy day!

HS soccer, HS volleyball, and MS track may start after spring break. Watch for specific information when it becomes available. Please complete all required forms and turn them into the secondary office before the first practice.

Extracurricular Sports Forms

Extracurricular forms are required to participate in after school sports and are available on the school website at this link: Extracurricular Sports Forms and Risk Management Forms

Required Forms:

• 2020-21 Medical Emergency Authorization Form

• Physical Evaluation Form (remains active for two years). If you had a sports physical on file but are not sure of the date, please email Ronda rberg@lopezislandschool.org

• 2020-21 Controlled Substances Acknowledgement Form

• 2020-21 Concussion Information Form

• Risk Management Form: Soccer, Volleyball, or Track

Last week we hosted a digital safety workshop for parents with Jo Langford. Jo is a therapist, author, and sex educator who specializes in digital citizenship and safety. The workshop included a dive into what apps may be on your child's phone or device as well as how to guide our kids to safely navigate the digital landscape. Jo was nice enough to allow us to record the meeting to share out to families who could not be there. The video is about an hour long and very worth watching for parents who have kids in school between the ages 10-18 but also contains information that may be valuable information for parents of younger children.

Sometimes during the recording, the audio will switch to our Spanish interpreter. I didn't realize that it would record whatever audio channel I was listening to while hosting. These sections are short and to be expected on occasion. Unfortunately, we do not have a resource to translate this video for our Spanish-speaking community members. If you are reading this, have the skills to record an interpretation, please consider offering your interpretation services to our school.

Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aX71BXo5Fpw&t=2s