The Bell Bear Bulletin
A Parent/Guardian Newsletter of CC Bell Elementary School
Update for Back to School - 8/4/2020
Although this is going to be a Back to School for the record book, I have to tell you our teachers are excited to begin working with our students again. Our remote learning plan has been upgraded for the return to school. Through more guidance from the state and the hard work of our county office leadership team our remote learning plan has more accountability for students and systematic structure for this fall.
Plan B Students:
The students on Plan B Beyond will attend school as follows:
- Monday, August 17 and Wednesday, August 19 -- Week A students will attend in -person instruction from 7:30 - 12:30.
- Tuesday, August 18 and Thursday, August 20 - Week B students will attend in -person instruction from 7:30 - 12:30.
- Mr. Fusco has assigned the students to Week A and B. Families will be receiving a post card in the mail with your teacher assignment and week assignment. These postcards will be mailed from the school on Friday, 8/7. Should there be any issues with these teacher and week assignments please contact Mr. Fusco at <danny.fusco@bcsemail.org>.
- Siblings will attend on the same week unless otherwise arranged with Mr. Fusco.
- Friday, August 21 - Friday, September 25 -- Both Week A students and Week B students will become remote learners.
- All Plan B students need to bring their devices to school on the in-person instruction days to allow teachers the opportunity to prepare the students for the remote learning days from August 21 through September 25.
- All students will be required to wear a face covering and maintain 6ft physical distancing while attending in-person instruction. Please contact Mr. Fusco directly if you have any concerns about the face coverings. We are expecting every student to follow the 3 W's -- Wait, Wear, and Wash.
- Meet the Teacher will take place virtually on Friday, August 14 with multiple sessions between 8:00-10AM. The multiple sessions will help accommodate our families that have students at multiple grade levels.You teacher will contact you with the correct times and Zoom meeting link information next week.
- Third grade students should bring their iPad devices to school on Monday, August 17 and Tuesday, August 18. These devices will be collected, sanitized, and then assigned to our new kindergarten students. In order for your student to receive their new device for 3rd grade, they must turn in their iPad from last year. The swap will take place on Monday and Tuesday.
- Devices for our in-person kindergarten students will be given out on Wednesday, August 19 and Thursday, August 20.
All other grade levels already have your student devices which came home last March. Every student should plan to bring your device (fully charged) to school on August 17th and 19th for Week A and August 18th & 20th for Week B. It is important that students bring their device back during the" orientation days", so that he or she can begin remote learning on Friday, August 21st.
Remote Only Students:
- These students have been grouped together as "Remote Only - Group C" by grade-level and will be contacted by their teacher next week. They will begin their classes on August 17 and stay remote through the end of the fall semester (December 18th). Please reference the FAQ document on the BCS website linked in below for more information on the Remote Only plan. <https://www.buncombeschools.org/cms/One.aspx?portalId=92531&pageId=7529855>
- These students will have a Bell teacher.
- All students -- both Remote Only and Plan B students will follow the same curriculum with the same standards and follow the same pacing guides for each subject area.
- The teachers will continue to work in PLC teams to plan and coordinate grade-level, standards based instruction.
- Your child's teacher will set the expectations for synchronous instruction and assignments.
- Remote only Kindergarten students can pick up BCS supplied iPads and charger from the school on either August 19th or 20th between 2:00 pm and 4:00 pm as well as Friday the 21st between 9:00 am and 12:00 pm. If you do not feel comfortable with coming into the school contact us and we will make arrangements to meet you in the car rider line.
- Remote only third graders will swap their iPads and charger for a Windows device and charger at school on Thursday, August 13th between the hours of 9:00 AM and 3:00 pm. You will need to log in using your numeric UID and current my.ncedcloud.org password before leaving campus. If you do not feel comfortable with coming into the school contact the school and we will make arrangements to meet you in the car rider line.
Items that pertain to Both Plan B students and our Remote Only Students:
If you have technical issues with the iPad or laptop, please visit <VirtualDays.buncombeschools.org> for Help Desk information and helpful videos. Our Technology Help Desk is also available by calling 255-5987.
If you are moving/transferring out of BCS, please call the school now to make arrangements to drop off your device and charger so that it can be sanitized and prepared for use by a new BCS student. We must get your student’s equipment in order to process their withdrawal.
Also, our Free and Reduced Lunch Applications are available and online. To apply, please visit <LunchApplication.com>. This application is also linked on the FES website. If you prefer a paper copy, please contact our front office at 828-298-3789.
As we keep hearing, this is an unprecedented time that we are facing. But the CC Bell community members are leaders and life long learners. There is nothing we can not handle as long as we communicate with each other. We are involved in a situation where we are having to deal with change on a daily basis which can cause a lot of stress. The important thing is that we continue to model sensible decision making and problem solving skills for our students with compassion, resiliency, and collaboration. Thanks for your flexibility and understanding as we navigate Back to School 2020- 21.
School Supply Lists
This year we are using a new resource to post our school supply lists and hopefully make school supply shopping easier and safer for families with the feature to order the school supplies online and instantly through the retailer of your choice.
Learn more information here: <https://www.teacherlists.com/parents>.
Please use this link to view school supply list as "Charles C. Bell Elementary School" or search for zip code: 28805 at: < TeacherLists.com >.
PTO News
#1. For the fall fundraiser project the PTO is creating a "Bell Wear Shop." The plan is to have online ordering up and available by the August 14th Virtual Meet the Teacher Day. Families will be able to order gaiter style face coverings with the Bell logo, school themed t-shirts, and other items through this online shop. Kids and adult sizes will be available.
#2. The PTO is planning a socially-distanced work day at the school this coming Saturday, August 8th at 9AM. The plan is clean up the courtyards to make this space ready and available for students to use the week of August 17th and beyond. We will be working outside but ensure to wear a face covering. Please click <here> on this shared Google doc to sign up for Saturday's work day.
BCS Return to Learn website
https://www.buncombeschools.org/cms/One.aspx?portalId=92531&pageId=7529855
Kindergarten Registration for 2020-2021
We need your help with getting the word out to the community that it is time to register for kindergarten. If you have family and friends that have kindergarten age children, please encourage them to go online and register as soon as possible. Here is the link for registering for kindergarten for the 2020-21 school year:
If you have any questions, please call the CC Bell front office at 828-298-3789. Our office staff will be glad to answer any questions and address any concerns.
Child Care Options, Ideas, and Partnerships
An issue for many parents and guardians presently is providing childcare on the remote learning days of August 21st - September 25th and every other week rotation. We understand this concern fully and we want to help. Listed below are some resources and ideas that may be helpful. Mr. Fusco will work with all of the childcare providers to arrange a joint collaboration and planning Zoom meeting between the school staff and camp/childcare staff before school begins.
YMCA - 828-210-2278
Families can sign up for afterschool care, full day care, or both. The rate for afterschool is $95 per week, per child. The rate for full day care is $200 per week per child. Scholarships are available for each program on a sliding scale, thanks to generous community donations. Mr. Fusco learned this week that that Bell will be the site of the YMCA day camp for the remote learning days.
Camp Cedar Cliff Partnership
https://campcedarcliff.org/fall-day-camp
Mr. Fusco continues to work with Camp Cedar Cliff for a day camp option. This is now going to be opened to other surrounding schools. The drop off time will be from 7:30-8:30AM at the camp welcome pavilion and pick up from 4:00-5:00PM. The cost will be $360 per week. Students will complete their school assignments under the direction of camp staff (as proctors during what will be called study blocks) and would receive a full outdoor camp activity schedule once they are completed with finished schoolwork. The activities list would include camp activities. The enrollment information is now posted on the Camp Cedar Cliff website.
Sun Soo Martial Arts
After School Program: We are currently enrolling for our award-winning After School Program. There is uncertainty surrounding the plans for schools this fall, and we intend to be there for our After School families, working with the structure implemented by the school systems to provide a high level of service and support for all of our participants! For more details, or to register, call us at 828-505-4309 or fill out the contact form on our website!
Camp Good News - Gerry Kumpf- email gekfsi@gmail.com In the Fairview area.
-7-year-old to HS.
-Space for 25 students
-Air-conditioned building space
-Meals Included
-Summer Camp type amenities
$ 150 a week ($ 100 with second child, $ 50 with third, 4th child free)
About CC Bell Elementary
Email: danny.fusco@bcsemail.org
Website: https://ccbes.buncombeschools.org/
Location: 90 Maple Springs Road, Asheville, NC, USA
Phone: 828-298-3789
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ccbes