THREE days until we start the 20-21 school year! We are so excited! Holly Academy is running three programs simultaneously, our 100% in-person program, our 100% virtual program, and our blended program. To be able to do this there is a HUGE learning curve for staff. We are asking that you are patient with us as we navigate the beginning of this unusual year. We know there will be glitches, even with the best laid plans we cannot anticipate every detail. If we are all patient and show grace we will get through this challenge together! Now is the time to realize the true POWER OF OUR PACK!

If your child is an in-person student in grades 3-8 and has their own laptop, Chromebook, or tablet, we are requesting that they bring it to school daily. We have loaned out 100+ Chromebooks to our virtual students and have ordered replacements plus, MANY more. Due to the nature of teaching during a pandemic, there is a long wait time for the delivery of these new devices. We appreciate your support in this effort. THANK YOU SO MUCH!

For any personal network devices being used by students at Holly Academy, please make sure they are fully charged when brought to school. This will help to avoid any disruption or any technology issues during class time. Thank you for your consideration in this matter.

We have had many families changing their preferred learning option over the past few days. As of today, we are not accepting changes to in person learning. Thank you for understanding.

Kim Thick - Y5-2nd grade physical education and Y5 science

Adrienne Majewski - 5th and 6th grade science

Angie Cryderman - Paraprofessional for Y5

Sandy Leonard - Interventionist

We are so excited to see our Huskies in 3 days! For the health and safety of our student body and staff, it is critical for all our families to follow Michigan’s guidelines regarding COVID-19 as we head into the 20/21 school year. We have all seen the media accounts of schools that have opened and then closed due to students coming to school with symptoms. We do not want that to happen at Holly Academy!

As we have shared over the past month, masks are only required for elementary students in common areas. However, we are strongly recommending that our Y5- 5th grade students wear masks in the classroom. The ultimate decision still remains with families.

The expectation for our families is that you symptom check your child each morning prior to school. If any of the following symptoms are present, your Husky cannot attend school until they are symptom free for 48 hours. Primary care physicians should be contacted if symptoms are present for more than one day.

Fever (over 100.4F or 38C)

New shortness of breath

New cough

Chills

Muscle aches

New runny nose, nasal congestion, or sore throat

New loss of sense of smell or sense of taste

New headache

New diarrhea

New rash

Our most recent updates are as follows:

• Middle school will follow a block schedule this year. Students will attend three core classes on Mondays and Tuesdays, plus their electives. On Wednesdays and Thursdays, they will attend the other three core classes, plus their electives. This ensures that all blended students have access to all of their in person teachers.
• Elementary students will have some specials on Mondays and Tuesdays and others on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Again, this ensures all blended students have access to all specials teachers during their days in school.
• Fridays will continue to rotate on an A/B schedule.
• Math teachers will be recording instructional videos and posting them on Google Classroom.
• Our Y5 - 2nd grade teachers will also be posting instructional videos and the instructional resources in Google Classroom.
• Grade level teachers are responsible for aligning, assigning, and grading the work that all virtual students are completing.
• Should we end up in a fully virtual situation, grade level teachers will assume responsibility for your virtual or blended student.
• Virtual families: If you have a question regarding your student's coursework, please first contact the Husky Virtual Teacher assigned to your student.
• Blended students will either be given paper pencil assignments to complete on Tuesdays and Thursdays or have lessons assigned on Odysseyware. This will depend on the teacher and grade level.
• Blended students MAY attend all four days next week in an effort to learn the programs, receive logins and passwords and meet all of their teachers.
• Students in all learning modalities will be required to take the NWEA during the fall, winter, and spring of this year.
• At this time, we do not know if M-Step testing will happen in the spring.

We understand that there are so many unknowns as we enter this school year. We appreciate your understanding as we navigate this year together.

The 20-21 school year will look a little different in terms of drop off and dismissal. We drop off and dismiss this entire population in a 25 minute window using family cars carrying several students at a time. This is all coordinated without incident twice a day.

We are asking all families to follow the guidelines for morning drop off:

• Y5, Kindergarten and 1st grade students will enter the building though the main canopied entrance (M1). Parents may park in the parking lot and walk their students to the door. As a reminder, Parents are not allowed to enter the building after the first day of Y5 and Kindergarten. Please do not drop off students along the sidewalk.
• 2nd and 3rd grade students will enter the building through the west doors (M13) in the front of the building.
• 4th and 5th grade students will enter the building through the east doors (M12) in the front of the building.
• Middle school students may be dropped off at the middle school or in the front drop off lanes.

The following list is a brief overview of Holly Academy's dismissal procedures.

• The lane closest to the building will be designated for Y5/K families only.
• Please turn off your cell phone.
• Please stay in your lane.
• Staff will direct you to move forward or exit the parking lot.
• Be sure your sign (student last name, grade, and teacher) is clearly displayed.
• Turn on your right blinker when your car is loaded.
• Students may not exit vehicles once they have loaded.

Welcome back to school! We are happy to announce our new Board positions.

President – David Cruickshank

Vice President – Joan Ehrhardt

Treasurer – Stephen Jenkins

Secretary (FOIA officer) – Dylan Adams

Director – Diane Wujciak

Director - Doreen DeBenedictus

Pesticides are periodically applied to school district property as part of Holly

Academy’s pest management program. Parents and legal guardians of children

enrolled in the district have the right to request prior notification of pesticide

applications to the buildings or grounds. In order to be notified prior to the

application of pesticides, the parent or legal guardian must send a letter to Ken

Kander, Director of Finance & Operations.

Please understand that emergencies do arise and that pesticides may be applied

without prior notice to parents or legal guardians. Parents or legal guardians that

have requested prior notification, however, will be notified after pesticide

application. The application of pesticides will be performed only by certified or

registered applicators where and when required. This notice was given in

compliance with Regulation 637, as amended by Public Act 131 of 1993.

This year there are some changes pertaining to annual payments. Due to the uncertainty of the school year, we will not be offering annual payments for pizza and milk. Both of these programs will still be offered and order forms will be sent home monthly. If you attended Open House, these order forms were sent home with the students. They are also included in this newsletter.

Pizza will now be offered on both Monday and Friday. You do not have to choose every day in order to participate. It is up to each family to determine which days they would like to select.

Dress down days are still being offered as an annual payment. Although the PTO handles the processing of the annual payment for dress down days, dress down day revenue supports many activities for the school outside of the PTO; including Adopt-A-Family, Husky Helps pantry, the music department, and many more. With the uncertainty of the school year, we understand that you may not want to choose this option, but if you are able to do so and would like to support the various programs, it is greatly appreciated by the PTO and Holly Academy. Students can still bring $1.00 on all paid dress down days.

PTO Board 2020-21
Alysia Kretschmar, President
Angie Cryderman, Vice President
Lindsay Franson, Treasurer
TBD, Secretary
Jamie Palarchio, Committee Director

The PTO is currently pursuing options for the Secretary position. Susan McClelland is relocating and will not be able to continue on the board for the 2020-21 school year. Thank you, Susan, for your dedication to the PTO and we wish you the best in your new endeavors!

Please read the weekly newsletters and follow Holly Academy PTO on Facebook for information pertaining to the PTO and upcoming meeting information.