Baron Elementary Parent Newsletter
Nov. 20th
Principal's Message
Thank you,
Mr. Michael Pyle
Principal, Baron Elementary
Virtual Learning: Nov. 23-Dec. 4 (Message from Dr. Aiken and Dr. Flannery)
Dear Parents and Guardians of Manheim Central School Learners,
As a district, we have been tracking our county and district COVID data since the return to in-person learning this fall. In the last two to three weeks we have seen a consistent rise in COVID cases. Additionally, the number of COVID cases in our school district has been consistently on the rise.
We have consulted with Lancaster General Hospital/Penn Medicine throughout the fall and they have confirmed that the last two weeks of COVID data puts our county in the “substantial” level of spread. This data is not isolated to the city of Lancaster like the spring but represents a spread in all communities in the county. Additionally, they have prepared us to anticipate an increase in spread in the upcoming weeks as a result of the holidays and students returning home from colleges.
As a result, our administration and school board has decided to take preventative action to mitigate the risk of spread and transition to virtual instruction (Red Phase of our Instructional Plan) for learners at Manheim Central School District from Monday, November 23 through Friday, December 4, 2020. We will continue to monitor data during this time, but expect to be able to resume in-person instruction on Monday, December 7, 2020.
We will monitor our data throughout the month of December, and if COVID rates do not improve, we could transition to virtual instruction again from January 4 through January 8, 2021. We wanted you to know this now for your planning purposes but will not make a final decision until the end of December.
Information will be coming from your individual school buildings later this week as we transition to virtual learning. During this phase, please continue to notify your school building administrator and/or school nurse as soon as possible if you or anyone in your household becomes symptomatic or tests positive for COVID. This will allow us to continue to monitor our local data.
Covid-19 Website and Data
Red Phase Schedule
*Please note that on Tuesday, November 24th, learners will have a half-day...dismissal begins at 11:10AM.
Home Access Center / Marking Period 1 Report Cards
Parent-Teacher Conferences (Nov. 23 and 24)
We look forward to meeting our parents for our Fall Parent-Teacher Conferences on Nov. 23 and 24. The conferences will be held virtually using the Meet the Teacher program. If you have not done so already, please use the Meet the Teacher link (below) to schedule a conference with your child's teachers. Along with your child's homeroom teacher, you can meet with their Music, STEM, Art, Health & PE, Library, and Reading teachers. Conferences are 15 minutes in length. We ask that you be ready to connect at your scheduled time in order for our teachers to stay consistent with their time. If the meeting ends before your questions are answered, please feel free to communicate to our teachers through email to finalize your conversation. If you have any issues scheduling a time, please call our office (717) 665-8900.
For quick tips on how to use Meet the Teacher during your video conference, please click on this link.
Parent-Teacher Conferences:
Nov. 23 (5:00pm-8:00pm)
Nov. 24 (12:00pm-3:00pm & 5:00pm-8:00pm) *This is a 1/2 day for students
Virtual Learning Environment and Etiquette
Please see the Learner/Family Streaming Notice below for details, in regards to expectations for learners and families in the areas of preparation, connection, participation, engagement, attendance, and safety.
The essential items to note are:
The camera MUST be on and facing the learner.
Learners should refrain from playing with background settings.
Learners should be in a quiet location...free from distractions.
Learners must be fully and appropriately dressed.
In order to be present, learners must log onto scheduled Zoom links and complete the assigned work.
Daily Attendance
Daily Attendance:
In order for a learner to be marked as "present", they must attend the class via Zoom and complete all of their work for the class. There are asynchronous work times built into the schedule for learners to complete work for their classes.- If circumstances arise where a learner is not able to connect for a lesson, please contact your child's homeroom teacher.
- If a learner is not feeling well and is unable to participate or complete assignments, please contact your child's teacher. Please submit a doctor's note to avoid any unexcused absences after 3 consecutive days have been missed. Please send attendance information to lipskys@manheimcentral.org
MC Virtual/Online Learners
Technology Information
T-Mobile is running a free program that offers WiFi to qualifying families. If you are a household that needs assistance with WiFi, please refer to the link below and sign-up today!
If a learner requires assistance with a device or connection, immediately contact the helpdesk by calling 717-664-1865 or emailing helpdesk@manheimcentral.org.
iPads may be dropped-off at respective buildings during the Red Phase if maintenance steps are required. Please call our office (717) 665-8900 to make us aware that you are here. Baron Elementary will be open from 7:30AM-4:00PM each day.
Food Services/Meal Distribution
Nurse
Guidance Counselor
Important Dates
Nov. 23...Parent-Teacher Conferences (5-8PM)
Nov. 23-Dec. 4...Virtual Learning (Red Phase)
Nov. 24...1/2 Day (early dismissal at 11:10AM)
Nov. 24...Parent-Teacher Conferences (12-3PM & 5-8PM)
Nov. 25-27...No School (Happy Thanksgiving) *Learners do not need to log on.
Dec. 4...School Picture Retakes are postponed...new time/day is yet to be determined.
Dec. 7...Learners return to school for regular instruction
Baron Elementary
Email: pylem@manheimcentral.org
Website: www.manheimcentral.org
Location: 123 East Gramby Street, Manheim, PA, USA
Phone: (717) 665-8900
Twitter: @mrmikepyle