The Seahawks Call
Week of March 1, 2021 Volume 23
What students and how many students at Somers are included in the different phases?
- Students receiving special education services;
- English Learners (EL) students;
- Students who have a 504 plan;
- Students who do not have internet access at home;
- Students who are homeless or displaced/living in foster care;
- Students who are children of CCPS employees; and
- High school juniors and seniors enrolled in the following Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses.
Phase 3 students are our *eligible 6th graders
Phase 4 students are our eligible 7th and 8th graders
The number of *eligible students in each phase for Somers are:
Phase 2 - 125 students
Phase 3 - 69 students
Phase 4 - 159 students
*Eligible means you completed the survey and requested for your child to return for in-person learning
When does each phase start and what will learning look like with some students reporting to school while others remain in the virtual learning setting?
Phase 2 – March 22, 2021
- Phase 2 students return for in-person learning Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.
- Wednesday is an asynchronous day for all students (in-person and virtual).
- Phase 2 only includes students who have parental consent with CCPS to return.
- Any student eligible for Phase 2 who is not returning to in-person learning remains on the virtual learning schedule for the rest of the 2020-21 school year.
Phase 3 and 4 – April 19, 2021
- Phase 3 & 4 students return for in-person learning on a rotating schedule of two days per week.
- Last name begins with A-K: attend school Monday and Tuesday, virtual from home Thursday and Friday.
- Last name begins with L-Z: attend school Thursday and Friday, virtual from home Monday and Tuesday.
- This applies only to students who have parental consent with CCPS to return.
- Phase 2 students continue to attend in person Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.
- Wednesday is an asynchronous day for all students (in-person and virtual).
- Any student eligible for Phase 3/4 (all students in prekindergarten through Grade 12) but is not returning to in-person learning remains on the virtual learning schedule for the rest of the 2020-21 school year.
I've changed my mind, what should I do?
- Any parent who indicated to CCPS (ie. completed the survey) they would like for their child to return to school for in-person learning, but wants their child to stay with virtual learning for the rest of the school year should call the school to report the change.
- Any parent who indicated to CCPS (ie. completed the survey) they would like for their child to remain with virtual learning, but now wants their child to return to school for in-person learning should call the school and ask to be added to the wait list.
- Any parent who didn't indicate anything to CCPS (ie. didn't complete the survey), their child will remain in the virtual setting. However, if you want your child to return to school for in-person learning, you should call the school and ask to be added to the wait list.
Board Recognitions on March 9th
Let's show our support!
Exemplary Employee
Monica Strobel - 8th grade ELA Teacher
Outstanding Student in the area of Academic Achievement
Last chance to take your 20-21 School Picture and be included in our Yearbook
Attention Seahawks,
This past Wednesday, February 24th, approximately 189 students reported to Somers to take their school picture with Life Touch. It was great to have students walk through our doors again and see students' smiling faces even if for a brief moment.
We really want to have a picture of every single student in our Yearbook this year. So, if you didn't report in person on Wednesday to take your school picture, then we need you to submit your own photo by March 1, 2021. Please review the "How to take a Selfie Portrait" attachment which provides detailed instructions to ensure a quality photo as well as directions on how to submit your photo taken at home into the yearbook portal.
Lastly, if you want to order a yearbook, please review the attachment as well.
You may wonder, what's going to be in our yearbook and we haven't been in school since March 13, 2020? Our Yearbook Coordinators are phenomenal and creative. This yearbook should definitely be in your collection because capturing everything that has gone on during this pandemic is truly a memorable experience that we all will never forget!
If you have any questions about submitting photos to the yearbook or ordering one, please email Ms. Strobel at mstrobel@ccboe.com or Ms. Villela at avillela-villela@ccboe.com.
Library News from Ms. H-J!
Seahawks Read
End February by reading strong! Somers students have read 31,646 minutes this month and earned 419 badges in our Black History Month challenge. But there is still time to read and log a few more minutes before we begin our March 30 for 30 Challenge. Regular reading helps students be successful across the curriculum. A strong reading habit even translates into higher grades and future work success! So in the month of March, we are using Beanstack to encourge Somers students to read for 30 minutes every day. Parents, you can help by sitting down and reading your own book alongside of your student! I can’t wait to see what students are reading in March!
Curbside Pickup
Need something new to read? The next opportunity for Curbside Pickup will be Tuesday, March 2. Directions on how to place a book on hold for Curbside Pickup are on our Destiny Library site. Students can access Destiny through their Office 365 accounts.
Somers Celebrates Black History Month
During the month of February, Somers staff members will be sharing poetry and book excerpts centered around this year's Black History Month theme of The Black Family: Representation, Identity, and Diversity. Gather your family around our YouTube channel to listen. And be sure to check back weekly for new videos.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqrBKZUpwoGGr1U815k2FooLDS40RlYc6
SCHOOL SUPPORTS
Marlon Walker - 6th Grade VP - mwalker@ccboe.com
Cynthia Panizzi - 7th Grade VP - cpanizzi@ccboe.com
Wualanda Thenstead - 8th Grade VP - wthenstead@ccboe.com
Sonia Matthew - Administrative Asst. - smatthew@ccboe.com
COUNSELING SUPPORTS
Kenneth Tojek - 6th Grade Counselor - ktojek@ccboe.com
Nancy Franklin - 7th Grade Counselor - nfranklin@ccboe.com
Brittany Williams - 8th Grade Counselor - bwilliams@ccboe.com
INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP TEAM
Andrea Johnson - Reading Resource Teacher (Reading) - afjohnson@ccboe.com
Jennifer Branham - Instructional Resource Teacher (Math) - jbranham@ccboe.com
Suzanne Johnson - Learning Resource Teacher (Gifted Education and Testing Coordinator) - srjohnson@ccboe.com
Email: somersms@ccboe.com
Website: https://www.ccboe.com/schools/somers/
Location: 300 Willow Lane, La Plata, MD 20646
Phone: 301-934-4663
Twitter: @miltonsomersms