Northpoint Elementary
September 9, 2020 Newsletter
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Hello Northpoint Families!
Tomorrow is a big day! We will officially be back together as a school community after a long, productive summer of planning and preparation. I am so excited to begin our learning for this coming school year!
We have a few logistics reminders related to the staggered start of this year:
- Kindergartners in the Modified Campus Schedule (Hybrid) model will come to school tomorrow, Thursday, September 10. They will come to school each day going forward in alignment with a traditional school calendar.
- First graders in the Modified Campus Schedule (Hybrid) model have online orientation tomorrow, Thursday, Sept. 10 and Friday, Sept. 11. They will not come to Northpoint on these days. Please check communication from homeroom teachers for specific information about these days. Their first day at school is Monday, September 14 and then they will come to school each day in alignment with a traditional school calendar.
- Grades 2-4 students in the Modified Campus Schedule (Hybrid) model will have online orientation tomorrow, Thursday, September 10 and Friday, September 11. They will not come to school on these days. Students in the “A” group will come to school on Monday, September 14, and will come to school on Mondays and Thursdays going forward. Students in the “B” group will have their first learning at school day on Tuesday, September 15, and will come to school on Tuesdays and Fridays going forward. Please check communication from homeroom teachers for specific information about times and how to access learning experiences.
- Grade K-4 students in the Extended Flexible Learning (Distance Learning) model will have online orientation with teachers Thursday, September 10 and Friday, September 11. Please check communication from teachers for specific information about the start of the years for your student.
Face masks are required for anyone coming to the school building. Staff will be monitoring students as they get on the bus or are dropped off in the parent line-up each morning. It is very important to remember that all students must wear a face mask and are prepared to do so.
Introducing dedicated support for Extended Flexible Learning (distance learning) families. For our families who have chosen to do full-time Extended Flexible Learning (distance learning) this fall, Kim Fehringer, principal on assignment, is a key point person for our K-4 distance learning teachers, students and families. If you have questions, please reach out to Kim, kfehri@district16.org. I am so grateful for Kim’s partnership as I focus on the many logistics and needs of our Modified Campus Schedule (Hybrid) model. See an introduction from Kim below and watch for her updates each week as we go forward.
This year has already been so unique. There’s no doubt about it! But the excitement I feel at the beginning of each school year remains the same. This year, our children may not all have the same starting routines, but I know each child will feel the same anticipation of meeting their teachers and seeing friends. Whether these reunions are in person or virtual, the emotions will be the same. As educators, we feel them as well – a few nerves and a lot of joy! I am very confident that we are prepared to support each child in their transition back to school, helping to settle any jitters and welcoming them to a wonderful school year!
Judi Kahoun
Principal
For Extended Flexible Learning (Distance Learning) students and families
Hello students and families!
Every fall I am filled with excitement and anticipation for the new school year. This year is no exception. I am very excited to be supporting the teachers, students and families doing full-time distance learning this fall. This is a unique opportunity for students, families and staff, myself included to learn in new ways.
Please feel free to reach out to me at kfehri@district16.org with any questions or concerns that you might have throughout this time. I am here for you, and I can't wait to get to know you.
This week’s newsletter includes “10 Tips for Successful Learning at Home.” Be sure to check it out.
Kim Fehringer
Principal on Assignment
Welcome to the 2020-2021 School Year
The start of this school year may be different than any other, but one thing that isn't different is our commitment to our students. Whether we're learning together online or at school, we're going to do everything we can to make this a great year of learning. We've got this, Panthers!
Northpoint Arrival and Dismissal Reminders
Taking and Tracking Attendance
This fall, we will be taking attendance in our different learning models following guidance from Minnesota Department of Education.
Modified Campus Schedules (Hybrid Learning)
For K-4 students who are participating in the modified campus schedules, attendance will be taken in the following ways:
- On "learning at school" days, attendance will be taken based on a student's presence at school
- On "interactive learning at home" days, attendance will be taken based on student attendance in the "live" sessions for the day
- On the "on-demand learning at home" day (Wednesday), attendance will be taken based on students posting completed work for that day as assigned.
Extended Flexible Learning (Distance Learning)
For K-4 students who are participating in full-time extended flexible learning, attendance will be taken and recorded at the end of each day based on student attendance in the "live" sessions for the day.
Parents are asked to call the attendance line at 763-600-5709 to report a student absence when a student is too ill to attend school in person, and/or participate in "live" sessions, and/or complete daily work expectations. Parents should also call the attendance line if a student will miss instruction for other reasons, including vacations, appointments, etc.
If students in either learning model are experiencing frequent absences, students and families will have follow-up conversations with school staff to identify and resolve access concerns or other barriers to participating in instruction.
School meals this fall
Students need access to nutritious meals in order to learn well. Spring Lake Park Schools' Nutrition Services Department continues to participate in the USDA Summer Food Service Program which has now been extended through December 31, 2020 for as long as federal funds are available. Through this program, breakfast and lunch is provided at no cost to all enrolled students.
Here is what you need to know about available meal service as school begins:
- Students learning at school will have access to breakfast and lunch at no cost.
- Students learning at home can pick up a daily meal pack that includes one breakfast and lunch at the Spring Lake Park High School, 1100 81st Avenue Northeast; Door #32 (look for the blue tent). Meal pick up is available Monday – Friday, 9-11 a.m. and 1-2:30 p.m.
Families should still complete the application for free and reduced-price meals as soon as possible, even if you don’t believe you’re eligible. It is necessary to apply for this benefit each year, and funding supports families directly and a variety of needs in our schools.
Guidelines for families on peanut/nut aware classrooms
Spring Lake Park Schools is continuing to emphasize practices that make our schools safe for all students. This work includes partnering with parents in adopting peanut and nut aware practices. Many students in our schools have severe allergies to tree nuts, peanuts, peanut butter, and/or products which contain nuts. Strict avoidance is the best way to prevent a severe allergic reaction. Accidental ingestion or even touching a tiny trace of a nut may cause a potentially fatal reaction for some students.
In an effort to ensure all students are safe throughout the school day, we are asking parents to partner with us to ensure the safety of our students. We need help in supporting the following guidelines to make our classrooms peanut/nut aware:
- All classrooms will be peanut/nut aware throughout Spring Lake Park Schools
- Please do not send any classroom snacks containing nuts, peanuts, peanut butter, or other nut products for daily snacks
- Students who have nut products in their lunch or snack will be removed from the classroom to eat in an alternate location.
- Please be aware of products that may be produced in a plant that contains peanuts/nuts
- Check out the Snack Safely website to reference what snacks and lunch items are safe to send.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Northpoint Health Office at 763-600-5704.
First Day of School Signs for the 2020-2021 School Year
We love to see students on the first day of school, so we created first day of school photo signs for each grade that families can print or pull up on their iPad and use in their first day of school photos. Don't forget to tag us and use #SLPPantherProud when you post your photos! Find the signs on our Back to School hub.
Download the MyStop Bus Tracking App
Is your student riding the bus this fall? MyStop is a web-based application which allows parents and students access to live GPS information for morning and afternoon school bus routes. MyStop displays the school bus’s approximate location on a map, as well as the estimated time of arrival (ETA) to a specific student’s bus stop.
To download the MyStop app, go to the iTunes store for iOS devices (iPhones and iPads) or Google Play for Android devices. Look for “Versatrans MyStop and click to download.
10 Tips for Successful Learning at Home
We asked for tips and tricks to help students and families be successful learning at home. Here are our SLP top ten:
- Establish a routine and limit distractions.
- Designate a learning space for students where they can be productive, preferably not where they sleep.
- Make WebEx, Flipgrid and other technology resources easy to access. Write down codes and passwords on a piece of paper and tape it in the student work area.
- Take a break. Build exercise into a break.
- Use a bucket or a box for learning supplies that are needed each day. Put all items back in the bucket at the end of the day so it's easy to find the next day.
- Keep iPads charged.
- Complete school work throughout the week. (Don't put everything off until the weekend.)
- Check in to see how things are going each day -- academically and emotionally.
- Communicate with teachers. We're all in this together. Connect and ask if you have questions or concerns.
- Organize a study group where students can connect and work together.
The Northpoint PTO would like to welcome families to the 2020-2021 school year. Our first official PTO meeting of the school year will be Monday, October 5. This meeting is later than normal in order to allow families to get in the groove of the school year. This meeting will be held virtually. More details will be shared on how to join the meeting closer to this date. At this meeting we will be having our board elections. We currently have the following positions open:
- Vice President or Co-Vice Presidents
- Co-Secretary
- Volunteer Coordinator or Co-Volunteer Coordinators
- Social Media or Co-Social Media Coordinators
If you have any interest in these positions or any other questions for the PTO please email nppto.president@gmail.com.
In case you missed important information from last week's newsletter, check out the topics below and click to learn more.
- One-Page Overviews of What Students and Families can Expect for Learning Experiences Model - Within the Overview of Learning Models and Schedules section
- Make sure your child's immunization records are up-to-date
- View School Supply Lists
Apply now for Free or Reduced-Priced Meal Benefits for the 2020-2021 School Year - Make a Plan for Internet Access
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