Spring Mills Shark Nation Notes
1/7/2022
Important Upcoming Dates
January - Ski Club Starts
January 17th - No School in Session Martin Luther King Jr. Day
January 27th - Yearbook Club and Candid Pictures
January 28th - 1/2 Day For Students 12:45pm
January Updates
I hope you were all able to enjoy some restful time over the holidays. I feel very fortunate that I was able to spend time with family and recharge. Here are some updates as we head into our second semester and 2022:
Staffing:
The district still faces challenges in terms of day-to-day operations in our schools. Staffing continues to be a concern with very few substitute teachers available. We are also in need of lunch/recess supervisors. This position could be a few days per week or everyday, a couple of hours a day during lunch periods. If substitute teaching in our schools or supervising in our lunchroom are things that you are interested in doing, I encourage you to reach out to our office for more information.
Circle Drive Pick-up/Drop-off - Changes coming!
Things are really running smoothly overall during arrival and dismissal in terms of traffic. However, we do have some unavoidable changes coming. Due to our construction timeline, beginning in March, we will be going down to one loop for car riders and one loop for bus riders.
The reason for this is that the back part of our building, including the basketball courts where buses park, will be enclosed as construction on the new addition will begin. The new addition will include an actual gymnasium (no more gym in the cafeteria!) and two classrooms - one for music and one for art. In order to get these items completed for next school year, construction needs to start in early spring.
We are working on the logistics of how this will impact our arrival and dismissal traffic. Once our plan is finalized, we will share it with families so that you are well-prepared for the change.
We appreciate your patience as we enter our construction phase. We are also very thankful for the support of the bond that allows for these important and much needed renovations to Spring Mills. Thank you!
COVID mitigation
We are continually monitoring our cases at Spring Mills and will make changes as needed to keep in-person learning for students. We are committed to doing everything we can to keep our doors open. A large part of this is our partnership with you in following the guidelines and protocols that we have in place. Please refer to the letter from Dr. Salah that was sent out prior to our return from break.
One change that we are making in an effort to better mitigate spread is that we are moving back to lunch in the classrooms. This will decrease the number of students together in one space while masks are down inside because of eating. We are going to do this for a couple of weeks and then re-evaluate. Students will still be going outside on the playground with their grade levels. The change will take place starting Monday, January 10th.
If any changes in our district timelines or protocols are made, we will communicate them to you as soon as possible.
Thank you for working together with us. We support our families and students and appreciate the support in turn!
Despite challenges, we are committed in doing our best to make sure our kids have a great place to be together and learn each day. It is most important that our students feel safe and loved so that they can learn to their potential. Again, we appreciate you all and look forward to a terrific second half of our school year!
Take care,
Sarah Bentley
Spring Mills Principal
Spring Mills Ski Club
Covid Questions
Has Huron Valley Schools changed COVID Protocols?
Please see the above letter from Dr. Salah that was sent to HVS Parents on January 2, 2022
How do I get notified if my student has a positive case in their class or is a close contact?
When a family notifies an HVS school regarding a COVID positive student, we strongly encourage families to get a lab-collected PCR test. At-home and rapid tests may provide an initial screening, but a molecular test (PCR) is required by the Oakland County Health Division in order to report the case. Only lab-confirmed cases are listed on the district's COVID dashboard and reported through our COVID notifications.
Outdoor Recess Parameters
Students stay in for recess if temperatures are below 15 degrees actual or 0 degrees wind chill.
Early Dismissal Protocol Reminder
If you must sign your child out early, we request that you do so prior to 3:30pm to avoid the end of day pack up and dismissal procedures.
Protocol for picking your student(s) up early:
You do not need to notify or call the office in advance. Students are called to the office after their parent/guardian arrives. Please enter the front vestibule of the school with a mask on and press the call button into the office. We will then call your child from class and have you sign them out. Please share this protocol with any of your Emergency Contacts that may be picking up your children.
Circle Drive Reminders
Thank you to everyone following the guidelines making the circle drive a smoother experience for your community! Please see reminder below and share these rules with other family members who may pick up your student at times.
Arrival/Dismissal - updated information
We are very thankful that our transportation department is fully staffed so that all of our routes can run. As a result - our arrival and dismissal is moving much more quickly and smoothly!
- Our building doors open at 9:07am. Please do not drop off early, as there isn't adult supervision outside of the building. Please note - you can use either lot in the morning for drop off - it's not specific to last name. This should help alleviate traffic.
- Upper El Centrum doors close at 9:15am If your child arrives later than this, please use the front doors of the building.
- Safety first! Drivers will need to remain in their lane until all students have been unloaded; you are not allowed to pass other cars if your children unloaded first.
- Also for safety reasons, drivers and other adults must remain in the car during pick up and drop-off. If your child requires help getting in or out of their vehicle please park in the parking lot and walk to the doors to get your child/pick your child up.
- Always have your Anchors Away sign on the passenger side window during afternoon pick up - this keeps things moving quickly for the entire Spring Mills community. Please let your child's teacher or the office know if you need another sign and we will send one home with your child.
- When possible, please move your child seat to the passenger side of the vehicle. Children should not be exiting out into traffic, but rather on the curb side.
- The school day ends at 4:07 pm. Please do not arrive before 4pm. DO NOT EXIT your vehicle from the circle to meet students.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION!
Attendance Procedures
You can call our 24-HOUR ATTENDANCE LINE AT 248-684-8086 for all attendance related calls. Please state your child's first and last name and reason for absence.
Attendance is an important component in a student’s education. If we do not hear from you regarding your student's absence, it is our policy to call to verify your student’s absence.
ILLNESS
Please do not send your child back to school until they have been vomit-free, diarrhea-free, or fever-free for 24 hours.
EXTENDED ABSENCES AND VACATIONS
If your child(ren) will be absent for an extended period of time, please make sure to complete a pre-arranged absence form available from the office or on our website under Parent Resources.
BUS CHANGES AND QUESTIONS
Transportation:
2366 S Milford Rd
Highland, MI 48357
Phone: (248) 684-8200
Fax: (248) 684-8038
Office Hours:
5:30am - 5:30pm school days
Email us at:parentlink@hvs.org
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER!
Spring Mills Elementary
Together We Can, Together We Will!
Email: Sarah.Bentley@HVS.org
Website: www.hvs.org
Location: 3150 Harvey Lake Road, Highland Charter Township, MI, USA
Phone: 248-684-8130
Twitter: @_Springmills