North Parent News
August 2020
Back to School Edition 2020
Letter from the Principal
Dear North Families,
As we continue to make plans for returning to school for the upcoming year, I want to send you preliminary information that will impact our daily routines at North Elementary so we can best prepare as we all try to navigate the challenges we face during these unprecedented times. Just like with every area of our lives right now, many things will need to look different as we begin the school year and as the situation we face continues to change, likely our plans will also require updates and changes as we move through the next few weeks and months.
Our continued priority is to provide a safe, nurturing environment for our children to learn in each day at North Elementary. We will continue to work diligently to ensure that all students are safe and provided the highest level of learning at North Elementary. Our staff is working to make plans that will provide as much normalcy and routine as we can, while working to keep our children safe and learning at the highest levels.
Below are preliminary plans for our re-entry to school on Monday, August 24th. I have also included information on other back to school activities. As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at brandi.fatherley@jcschools.us. The office will be open beginning August 3rd.
I wish you and your family well!
Brandi Fatherley, Principal
Back to School Important Dates
Registration
August 6th 12:00 p.m. -8:00 p.m.
August 7th 8:00 a.m.- 3:00 p.m.
Important Guidelines:
Any student that did not complete the online registration will need to be registered during these dates to be enrolled to begin school on August 24th.
Students who are not registered for the 2020-2021 school year by August 14, will not be eligible for bus transportation for at least the first 3 days of school. Eligibility after the third day will be contingent on the number of riders on any given bus. If adjustments to routes must be made, it could be up to 2 weeks before bussing is available.
We request that only one family member be in attendance to register your child if possible. Students should not be brought to registration if possible.
Please wear a mask and look for signs and social distancing requirements as you arrive on campus.
Kindergarten Orientation
August 4th-5th
Register for an appointment time at https://signup.com/go/LyfzvaC
Open House
Due to current guidelines, we will not be hosting an in person open house this year. We are making plans for a Virtual Open House that will be shared with families on August 20th.
North Elementary Re-entry Plan
Foundational Priorities
Our plan for returning to school is built around the following foundational priorities identified in the Jefferson City School District Re-entry plan that provide for layers of protection for students and staff at North Elementary:
Increased Sanitation Efforts
Social Distancing
Staff & Student Screening Measures
Personal Protective Equipment
Limited Visitor Access to Buildings
Virtual Education Options
Procedures for COVID-19 Infections
North Elementary School Opening Plan 2020-2021
As we begin the school year, there are several strategies that we will be implementing during the school day to provide the highest level of safety and protection for students and staff at North Elementary School.
Our Universal Strategies at North Elementary to Provide Safety and Protection
1. We will keep small, stable groups of students’ together throughout the day to create school families that minimize contact with other classrooms and students and exposure to infection.
2. We will provide students with skills necessary to socially distance themselves from others in the building and help in the sanitation efforts to minimize exposure.
3. We will follow district, state, and federal guidelines for sanitation, social distancing, staff and student screening measures, personal protective equipment, limited visitor access, and procedures for COVID-19 infections.
Specific Guidance
Our Daily Schedule
Arrival: New routines will be set into place to allow staff and students to socially distance and have temperatures checked as they enter the building. All students and staff will need to enter through the main door where there will be a thermal imaging system that will take the temperature of everyone entering the building. The building will open at 7:15. Students must remain in their vehicles until given specific guidance to exit the vehicle by staff. As students arrive, they will enter the school and go directly to their classrooms. Students who arrive on a bus must wear a mask while on the bus and keep their mask on until entering their classroom. Students who arrive in cars are not required to wear a mask when entering the building to get into their classrooms, but we encourage masks during this time since social distancing will be a challenge during arrival and dismissal. A thermal imaging system will check temperatures of students as they enter the building. Any student with an elevated temperature will be immediately taken to the nurse for a temperature screening. All students will go directly to classrooms instead of reporting to a common area to maintain social distancing and small groups as much as possible.
All classrooms will be equipped with hand sanitizers at each door. We will use a process called “Gel In, Gel Out”. Students and adults will use hand sanitizer to “Gel In and Gel Out” every time upon entering and exiting the school, classrooms, and common areas.
Breakfast will be served in individual classrooms. We will use the same procedures that we used last year for Breakfast in the Classroom.
Seating: Students will be spread throughout the classroom. Students will be assigned a seat in the classroom that can be reported daily for contact tracing if needed. At all times throughout the day, we will make our best effort to have students distance from each other.
Social Distancing: Social distancing is one layer among many in our Back to JC Schools plan, and it is an important element. Our social distancing guidelines are based upon the guidance from the State Health Department and DESE (https://dese.mo.gov/sites/default/files/COVID-MO-K12-Reopening-Guidance.pdf).
This summer JC Schools conducted an assessment of every classroom in the district, including room measurements and capacity. As a result of that assessment, and using projected enrollment numbers from last school year, we have reduced the capacity (number of people including adults and students) of every classroom by 30 percent in order to accommodate for social distancing. Social distancing efforts will also include keeping desks and student seats as far apart as possible (three to six feet where feasible), and keeping students all facing the same direction rather than facing each other when possible. Where necessary, non-essential furniture will be removed, along with all soft surfaces such as carpet or soft seating, to create even more space in classrooms.
When social distancing is not possible, then staff and bus riders will be required to wear masks.
We know that it is not enforceable to keep our students six feet apart at all times. Our goal is to keep our small, stable cohorts of students together as much as possible, and minimize contact with other classes. We will adhere as much as possible to the 3 feet guidance above when in our stable, small class families.
All soft surfaced items (anything that cannot be sprayed or wiped down to sanitize: couches, soft chairs and classroom rugs should be removed from the classrooms. This has a two fold purpose: to create more space and eliminate areas that cannot be easily sanitized and wiped down.
Classroom libraries will continue to be used, but procedures are in place for allowing materials that have been used to be returned to an area where they can sit for 72 hours or can be wiped down at the end of each day. We will minimize shared supplies.
Students will help with responsibilities for wiping down their own desk surface, chair back, own supplies, chrome books, and other personal belongings in the classroom. Staff will have set schedules for sanitizing common materials and high-touch surfaces within the classroom and school.
A restroom schedule will be developed. Our restrooms will be sanitized hourly. Students will be sent out to individually use restrooms for emergencies only.
We will minimize movement throughout the building throughout the day.
Lunch will be served in individual classrooms. Students will report as individual classes to “stations” set up to retrieve food for lunch.
Music and art will travel to homeroom classrooms. PE will be outside as much as possible and a grid style gym set up will be established for days indoors to provide for distancing.
Library: The district is still working on guidelines for library use and book check-out.
Recess: Small, stable classroom groups will participate together during recess to minimize exposure to other students.
Water bottles with lids will be provided to students. The Water fountains will be turned off except for the water bottle fillers. Students will have scheduled breaks to fill bottles. We encourage water only. Water bottles for all students have been donated by Missouri Credit Union!
Dismissal procedures will allow for social distancing. Students will remain in their classrooms until their car is in the car line and will be called out as small groups. We will all need to have patience and grace as this process is likely to take longer than it previously has in the past. Students who will be dismissed to the car line are not required to wear a mask, but we encourage masks during this time since social distancing will be a challenge during arrival and dismissal.
Online Virtual Options for Students
VIRTUAL EDUCATION OPTIONS --- ENROLL HERE
- Families who do not feel comfortable sending their students to receive in-seat instruction may apply to participate in virtual education via Launch, an online education platform which was used by JC Schools for summer school this year.
- Launch has a rigorous K-12 curriculum that is aligned with the Missouri Learning Standards, is currently used by over 270 districts across the State of Missouri, and is staffed by certified educators who live and work in partner districts.
- Families can apply online for virtual education HERE. Enrollment must be completed by Monday, August 3rd, 2020 at 8:00pm [confirm date/times/method].
- Students approved for virtual education must remain in the Launch program for the duration of the semester for which they were approved.
- Students approved for virtual education will be issued a technology device by Launch.
- Students approved for virtual education can participate in extracurricular activities as long as they meet MSHSAA requirements.
- Middle and high school students approved for virtual education may choose a hybrid of online and in-seat courses if so desired.
- Upon approval for virtual education, additional scheduling logistics will be arranged directly with the student’s school staff.
- Students approved for virtual education for the first semester of the 2020-2021 school year can return to in-seat enrollment for the second semester if so desired, or may remain virtual for the duration of the school year.
- If a student is not successful with Launch, they may not be approved for future semesters.
QUESTIONS?
- Elementary: Sheila Weber via email (sheila.weber@jcschools.us) or phone (573-659-3015)
- Middle School: Gabrielle Foster via email (gabrielle.foster@jcschools.us) or phone (573-659-3743)
- High School: CCHS - Tim Ritter (tim.ritter@jcschools.us), JCHS - Carrie Welch (carrie.welch@jcschools.us)
MORE ABOUT JC SCHOOLS VIRTUAL OPTION
In 2018, the Missouri Legislature developed new requirements for local school districts to access virtual education courses. Any student in kindergarten through 12th grade enrolled in the Jefferson City School District who was also enrolled as a full-time student the previous semester can opt to take a course virtually through the District-preferred provider, Launch, or through the Missouri Course Access Program (MOCAP) organized through the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).
Requirements:
- The student resides in and is enrolled in the district on a full-time basis;
- The student has attended a public school or charter school for at least one semester immediately prior to enrolling in a MOCAP course; and
- The enrollment is approved by the principal or designee.
Preferred Vendor and Course Information
Launch courses are built in a Learning Management System called Canvas. All courses have dynamic content that include both individual and collaborative work. Students participate in discussion boards, create culminating projects, record themselves explaining concepts, take assessments and more, all from their Launch-issued device.
Each Launch course has a teacher assigned to support students; however, students won’t always see teachers face-to-face in real time. Video announcements and messaging will connect teachers and students.
Parents are given an observer account to view course progress and communicate with the instructor.
- For more information, visit the Launch Website.
2019-2020 Yearbooks for Sale!
1.ONLINE DEBIT/ CREDIT PURCHASING OPTION Visit www.inter-state.com/yearbook and enter the code: 43901P to purchase your yearbook online. This option will only be available until August 15, 2020.
2. CASH OR CHECK OPTION Complete the google form at the link below and send a check to school for the amount of $20.00. You can mail the check to school at North Elementary School 285 South Summit Drive Holts Summit, MO 65043 OR you can send a check or cash with your child during the first week of school. CLICK THE LINK: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd8S3tpTO41n54g7_SZKJRJFY-zrNz6_gmDA6Kj8csqLuz6tQ/viewform?usp=pp_url
Yearbooks will be sent home with students in late August. If you choose to purchase through cash or check, orders will be on a first come, first serve basis as a limited number of books have been ordered.
PTO School Supply Kits for Sale NOW!
We miss you! Connect with us!
For more information, please see our entire parent procedures book.
North Elementary School
Email: brandi.fatherley@jcschools.us
Website: https://www.jcschools.us/north
Location: 285 South Summit Drive, Holts Summit, MO, USA
Phone: (573)896-8304
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NorthSchoolMustangs
Twitter: @North_tweets