Kutz Cougar Courier Times
KUTZ ELEMENTARY SCHOOL'S NEWSLETTER
September 18, 2020
Dates to Remember
- September 23- Last day to turn in summer reading logs to Mrs. Vilbas at bvilbas@cbsd.org (see information below)
- September 28- SCHOOL CLOSED - Yom Kippur Holiday
September 30- Traditional Students return to school (Monday-Friday On-Campus)
October 1-2- Hybrid 2 Students On-Campus (Thursday & Friday On-Campus)
October 5-6- Hybrid 1 Students On-Campus (Monday & Tuesday On-Campus)
Attendance Expectations
Students are expected to be logged on virtually daily and present for daily instruction - both synchronous (LIVE) and asynchronous instruction. Children will be expected to attend all elements of the school day, unless they have an excused absence (i.e. illness, appointment). It is important to understand that attendance is mandatory for all students per the compulsory attendance laws of Pennsylvania. Attendance will be taken each school day. Students that are not logged on at the start of class will be marked absent or tardy if they arrive late to their virtual class.
If your child will not be able to attend school virtually or needs to miss part of the day for an appointment, parents need to email kpirrone@cbsd.org. Email is strongly preferred but if you are unable to email the school, please call the school attendance line at 267-893-3900.
STUDENT EMERGENCY AND INFORMATION FORM
Dear Central Bucks families,
It is time to update your children’s “Student Emergency & Information Form.” This must be done each year. The process will take approximately 10 minutes to complete, and will ensure we have current contact information for you and your family, which is even more critical as we begin the school year virtually. All CBSD families (with the exception of those who are new registrants for 2020-2021) are required to complete this update on/before September 30, 2020.
The online form will ask you to confirm and/or update the following:
· Demographic Information
· Emergency Contacts
· Health Information, including permission for emergency care and analgesic administration
· Media Release Preferences
Visit the CBSD Infinite Campus parent portal at www.cbsd.org/parentportal and don’t forget to hit submit at the end. You will receive an email verifying that your submission was received. Thank you!
Home and School Request
Kutz’s Home and School would like to invite you to help support our wonderful Teachers and Staff! We are planning to stock the break room with individually wrapped grab and go snacks and drinks for the week of September 28th. With your donation please consider including a drawing/card from your child with well wishes that will be given to teachers/staff to view. Please see below Signupgenius for details.
News from the Nurse
District Health and Safety Plan
Frequently Asked Questions
There were a few questions that multiple parents had at BTSN that I wanted to clarify. Please let me know if you have any further questions by reaching out to me at cadelberger@cbsd.org or calling the office at 267-893-3900.
Will lunches remain at the same time?
While all students are still virtual, yes. A schedule is being developed for when students return to the building.
What do we do if our child needs to log off early for an appointment or log in later? Should we contact the school, teacher, or both?
Ideally both. Mrs. Pirrone is our attendance secretary and can be reached via email at kpirrone@cbsd.org.
Will there be standardized testing?
Typical unit assessments will still be given in each of the three modes. We will not know about the state standardized tests (PSSAs) until later in the school year. At this point we are anticipating that students in grades 3 through 6 will take the PSSAs.
Can we get a material list ahead of time?
Material/supply lists were supplied at the technology pick up prior to the school year starting. This list was also included in the newsletter for the past 2 weeks.
What do we do if our child needs to miss a subject session if we need to transport sibling to preschool?
Please let the teacher know and they can record the missed direct instruction and work with your family so the child can make up the content/assignment later that day. We will work with families on this.
How and when will reading DRA’s and math levels be assessed?
Dates and protocols for reading assessments will be coming soon. We will use this data to create new reading basic skills groups. Teachers will administer the universal screener late September/early October to assess math baseline data. We will use this data to create new math basic skills groups.
When will small group instruction/Basic Skills begin?
All basic skills/RTI student’s parents from last year have been contacted. Mrs. Vilbas is setting up meetings with IAs or Mrs. Vilbas until students return and testing begins. First students meet this Thursday, 9/17. New students that qualify will receive support in later October/early November. Guided reading should begin when teachers feels ready. Teachers will aim to see 1-2 groups a day.
Can my child stay virtual if we signed up for traditional? If yes, will my child switch to the virtual teacher?
The district has asked families to remain in their originally selected mode until November 10.
What assurance can the district give that when we go back we will stay open?
This is a fluid situation that we are constantly monitoring and adapting to. No assurance can be provided for that reason.
How are sixth grade activities like Halloween, ropes, etc. being handled?
We will continue to monitor the situation and follow district policies and rules.
Will there be any additional updates to the supply list?
Possibly. We are working through this and will share this information as soon as possible.
Will there be contact tracing?
Yes, the Bucks County Department of Health would handle that as needed. See the district health and safety plan for further information.
Who checks the students during the day?
If a student feels ill, they will be sent to the nurse.
Are kids able to buy lunch?
Yes. We are confirming the exact procedures with Aramark and will share these next week.
Will students have any sort of case provided for the device-how will this get back and forth to school safely?
Grades 5 and 6 across the district are receiving laptop bags. Kutz 5th and 6th graders are picking up these bags on September 18. We are waiting on more bags to arrive for other grade levels.
Technology Tip
As we continue with our virtual learning you may need assistance. Although your classroom teacher can answer many of your questions, they will not be able to immediately assist you as they are teaching. Here are a few things to consider when you are looking for help:
Is it a password problem? Email Mrs. Jones, our school librarian (mjones@cbsd.org)
Is it an issue with logging on, Canvas, or other app? Email Mr.Controy, our QUEST teacher (acontroy@cbsd.org)
Is there something wrong with your device? For example, it won't turn on, keys are broken. Submit a Help Desk Ticket here.
Summer Reading Challenge
Turning in your book log
Yoga and Exercise Videos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrM62aMK4LY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbDlv4U0qqY&t=30s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uhVt1wCVoE&t=15s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IvLxm7qGps&t=190s
District Information
Breakfast and Lunch Programs
During the period of online-only learning to begin the 2020-21 school year, grab-n-go breakfast and lunch will be available to all students at no cost. The student does not need to be present at pickup. Meal distribution will occur as follows beginning on the first day of school, September 8, 2020:
- Meals will be available for pickup at the following locations on Mondays and Thursdays, from 10:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m.:
- CB East
- CB South
- CB West
- Barclay Elementary School
- Groveland Elementary School
- Meal distribution will occur on Mondays and Thursdays from 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
- Exceptions:
- Distribution will be held on Tuesday 9/8/20, not on Monday 9/7/20
- Distribution will be held on Tuesday 9/29/20, not on Monday 9/28/20
Enrollment in the free and reduced lunch program for the 2020-2021 school year is now open online. Visit www.cbsd.org/freeandreduced for more details on how to complete the necessary forms. Questions may be directed to Renee Ziccardi by sending an email to rziccardi@cbsd.org or by calling 267-893-2000, ext. 2076.
Kutz Information
Daily School Hours
Effective 9/30/2020
Elementary School B (Kutz)
- Grades 1-6: 8:50 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
- AM Kindergarten: 8:50 a.m. – 11:10 a.m.
- PM Kindergarten: 12:10 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
DAILY SCHEDULE – ONLINE-ONLY
The daily schedule for ALL CBSD elementary schools (A/B/C schools) will be as follows. This schedule is in effect only for those students enrolled in the online-only program model. (This schedule is similar to the “Virtual Learning Schedules” distributed to families on Friday, September 11.)
- Grades 1-6: 9 a.m. – 2:45 p.m.
Student Directory 2019-2020
Kutz Student/Parent Handbook
Below is the Kutz Parent and Student Handbook. This handbook provides a comprehensive summary of school and district policies and programs for students and their families. We hope you will find this to be a valuable resource.
*We are in the process of updating the handbook for the 2020-2021 school year. This will be shared soon.
"Free" Money for KUTZ !!!
At no extra cost to you, you can help us raise money while you shop!
Please take a few minutes to review the below options and sign up, so Kutz will get the maximum benefit from each company's donations! Ask your neighbors and family members to sign up too!
How Can I Contribute?
Collect Boxtops!
Collect box tops throughout the year, and your teacher will let you know when to send them in for the classes to compete for prizes. Or drop them in the Box Top box in the hallway at Kutz any time!
Shop with Amazon Smile!
Turn your Amazon purchases into donations to Kutz by using Amazon Smile! Amzon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible Amazon Smile purchases to Kutz!
Shop at GIANT
The more you shop the more money Kutz makes. Please follow the directions attached to register your GIANT card and start benefitting Kutz TODAY!
The CB App!! Do you have it??
Want CB info on the go?
There’s a free app for that. Learn more about it here.
About Kutz
Perseverance, Integrity, Respect, Responsibility
Website: www.cbsd.org/Kutz
Location: Kutz Elementary School, Turk Road, Doylestown, PA, USA
Phone: 267-893-3900
Twitter: @CBKutzElem