Mondays From The Mesa # 18
Alta Mesa Parent Newsletter (11/3/2020)
November is Here!
I have always felt that the end of October and the start of November ushers in the Holiday season. We had a wonderful "Trunk or Treat" event on Friday. Students were dressed up and there was plenty of candy to go around. Now we turn to November, which brings us cooler weather, Trimester 2, Parent/Teacher Conferences, and Thanksgiving!
Our teachers have been working feverishly to prepare all the relevant information for parents to review during conferences. This year it is incredibly important that ALL parents participate in parent-teacher conferences. This year conferences will look different and will be done virtually via Google Meets or over the phone. Teachers will be reaching out to parents over the next two weeks to schedule conferences. If you need assistance with how to do a virtual meet, please contact our office.
Lastly, I want to let you know that next week will be another 4-day week but will be a bit different than most 4-day weeks. Veterans day is on Nov. 11th which is a Wednesday. So students will come to school on Monday and Tuesday, we will have Wednesday off, then return to school for Thursday and Friday. It will be a nice mid-week break for everyone.
Looks to be another great week at Alta Mesa!
Thank You,
Ryan Miller
Principal
District Update
Some of you may have heard that two of our district schools have moved to temporary Distance Learning for this week. This is due to staffing shortages correlated to isolation/quarantine and does not impact Alta Mesa School. Last week we moved a single class to temporary distance learning, but that class has since been returned to full physical instruction. We are currently fully staffed and able to continue with physical instruction. If a situation arises that requires us to move to temporary distance learning we will work to give all our parents as much advance notice as possible.
Thank You,
Ryan Miller
Announcements and Updates
Election Day- Nov. 3rd
Veterans Day
A reminder that we will have NO SCHOOL on Nov. 11th in observance of Veterans Day. We will have School Nov. 9 and 10th, then be off for Wednesday the 11th, then return for Nov. 12th and 13th.
END OF T-1 and Conferences
It's just unbelievable to think, but we are 1/3 of the way through the school year! Our teachers will be contacting you soon to start setting up Parent-Teacher conferences. Our conferences will look a bit different this year as all conferences are going to be done virtually. Our teachers will be communicating with you about setting up conference times. There will be two ways to conduct conferences. The first, and preferred way, is through Google Meets. We can also do conferences via phone if you are not able to conference via Meets. Teachers will send home children's report cards and a form called an "Educational Compact." The "Educational Compact" is tied to our school funding and it is very important that this form is signed and returned to school.
If you have any questions about conferences please call the office or contact your teacher.
Potential Impact of Isolation and Quarantine on Staffing
Pick-Up and Drop-Off Schedule
Arrival
1st-3rd Grades and SDC (Gate 1 opens at 8:10 with an aide supervising student entry)- The traditional morning entrance gate at the West side of the school near Wing 1 will be the entry point for 1st-3rd grades. Students are encouraged to maintain social distancing when entering and will proceed directly to their classroom.
4th/5th Grade (Gate 4 Opens at 8:00 with an aide supervising student entry)- Students in 4th and 5th grade will enter on the East side of campus between Wing 3 and the portables. Students will be required to maintain social distancing and report directly to their classrooms. The aide will be verifying that students arriving have the required PPE to enter school.
All students will be required to wear masks upon entry to school. Students in K-2 can remove their mask once in a classroom. Students in 3rd-5th grade must keep their mask on.
Dismissal
Kindergarten- Will be dismissed at 1:05 from the Kindergarten playground. Parents will be asked to stay outside the fence. Mrs. Schmitt's class will dismiss from Gate 2, the nearest her room. Mrs. Sturgeon's class will dismiss from Gate 3, near Wing 3.
1st Grade- Will be dismissed at 1:15 from the Kindergarten playground. Parents will be asked to stay behind the fence. Mrs. Haag's class will dismiss from Gate 2, the gate nearest to the office. Mrs. Ackernecht's class will dismiss Gate 3, nearest to wing 3.
2nd/3rd Grade - Will be dismissed at 1:15 from Gate 4 near wing 3. Parents will be asked to stay outside of the fence.
2nd Grade and 3rd Grade- Will be dismissed at 1:15 Mrs. Brewers and Mrs. Dukes class will dismiss from Gate 1 on the West side of campus. Parents will be asked to stay outside the gate.
4th/5th Grade- Will be dismissed at 1:25
Mrs. Joscelyn- Will be dismissed from Gate 4, between Wing 3 and the portables on the East side of campus.
McNeely- Will be released from Gate 2 on the Kindergarten playground (Gate nearest to the office)
Nunn- Will be released from Gate 3 on the kindergarten playground (Gate nearest to wing 3)
Important Notes
- Students will remain with their cohort/class all day.
- Students in 3rd-5th grade will be required to wear masks.
- Students in K-2nd are not required to wear masks but are encouraged to do so.
- We ask all parents to drop their students off as close to their start time as possible. Do not leave your child prior to our aide staff opening the gate.
- If you have children in K-3rd grade and another child in 4th/5th grade please drop off at the 4th/5th grade start time of 8:25. Tardies will not be given to any student until 8:40
- At dismissal, for parents of children in multiple grade levels, your children will be dismissed at the youngest child's dismissal time.
- ALL parents on campus will be required to wear a mask
- Volunteers will no longer be utilized in classrooms
- Breakfast will be given to students at the end of the day. It will be a shelf-stable and eaten at home the following day. (BREAKFAST WILL NOT BE SERVED IN THE MORNING ON CAMPUS)
Safety Protocols
Alta Mesa Elementary School
Email: rmiller@eesd.net
Website: altamesa.eesd.net
Location: 2301 Saturn Skyway, Redding, CA, USA
Phone: 530-224-4130
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/altamesaschool/