The Waldron Weekly ‘20-‘21
volume 24
SUSD Family Communication 1/29/21
January 29, 2021
Hello again, Scottsdale Unified Families,
The soggy and, on the nearby mountains, snowy start to the week closes out with much to report to you. First off, we want to thank you for taking time to respond to the recent Thoughtexchanges on school calendars, proposed revisions to the district's COVID-19 metrics and next year's budget. This digital tool provides SUSD's numerous stakeholder communities with the opportunity to have robust conversations on important district matters, and we appreciate the insightful and instructive observations you share with us through it.
Calendars
The SUSD Governing Board has approved calendars for the next four school years. All four years' calendars will be posted soon at www.susd.org/Calendar in both English and Spanish. We appreciate your patience while these were being developed.
Weekly COVID-19 Update from Supt. Menzel
At its special meeting on Tuesday, the Governing Board approved Building-Specific COVID Metrics for the district that further clarify the process and thresholds that lead to additional consideration and, potentially, a mandatory return to virtual learning at an individual school, based on the number of active cases there. I want to thank the committee comprised of SUSD teachers, support staff, building administrators, nurses, central office administrators and our COVID specialist for the thoughtful approach taken in the recommendations to the Board.
The adopted plan enhances the system we have been using since in-person learning began in Sept. 2020, which has been to consider each school's active student and staff COVID-19 case count individually, monitor case activity in our 15 zip codes, and consult closely with the Maricopa County Department of Public Health (MCDPH). All of that will continue.
In addition, the new Board-endorsed plan includes case thresholds for each of our 28 campuses and creates a Virtual Evaluation Team (VET) that complements the normal, daily monitoring of school cases by our building administrators, school nurses and the district's COVID specialist, and convenes when a threshold is reached. If the VET decides virtual learning is necessary as an enhanced mitigation strategy to address a concerning spread of COVID in a school, the recommendation will be considered by the Cabinet within 6 hours. Should we authorize a return to virtual learning, staff and parents will be communicated with immediately. Virtual learning would be in effect for a minimum of 10 school days. Our revised plan has also been reviewed and is supported by our public health partner, MCDPH.
As has been stated many times, SUSD is committed to offering a safe, in-person learning environment to the families that have chosen that instructional model for their students. Our successful first round of vaccinations last weekend is just one example of our commitment to your students' and our employees' health and safety. The importance of in-person instruction to student success has been reinforced through our experiences during this pandemic, which is why establishing this additional mitigation strategy was necessary in order to ensure we avoid a major COVID outbreak in any of our school facilities.
As you know, the district has also invested in other mitigation strategies and continues researching additional approaches to enhance student and staff safety while at school. We believe these efforts have been and continue to be effective. A recent report by three CDC researchers also outlines evidence supporting the approach we've taken to date. We also can't say enough about the teachers who have gone the extra mile to embrace new, state-of-the-art technology to bring classroom-like experiences to their distance learners.
At the same time, news continues to circulate about three new mutations in the virus, referred to as the UK, South African, and South American variants. While there are still many unknowns, it appears that all three variants are more transmissible, which is an important reminder for all of us to consistently follow the known mitigation strategies of properly wearing a mask, frequent handwashing, physical distancing, and remaining home when sick or if someone in your house is sick. While vaccinations represent a significant turning point in our battle against COVID-19, it will be some time before enough people are vaccinated to reach herd immunity, which means we cannot afford to let down our guard now and for some time to come. I want to thank you for continuing to model what we need and expect from your students and from our community in order to stay the course.
Tax Credit
You support SUSD in so many ways, both seen and unseen. From making sure your students eat a healthy breakfast to helping them navigate virtual studies in the midst of a pandemic, we deeply appreciate the many contributions you make that result in your students' success. We also recognize that it has been frustrating not to be able to volunteer on school campuses for almost a year now. We look forward to the day when we can safely welcome you back!
One way you can always support your students and schools is through a tax credit contribution. Arizona law allows taxpayers to receive a dollar-for-dollar tax credit of up to $200 for individual filers and up to $400 for married filers, and contributions made through April 15, 2021 can still be claimed on your 2020 state tax return or roll over to 2021. Schools depend on tax credit contributions to fund programs and activities that the state and District cannot, such as the arts, athletics, field trips, tutoring, enrichment, and college and career testing. We encourage you to find out more about this win-win-win - for you, your students and their schools - on our website at https://www.susd.org/Support.
Thank you for your continued partnership,
Scottsdale Unified School District Cabinet and Leadership Team
Urgent Reminder
Please keep your child home with any of the COVID-like symptoms, even if your child only has one and you attribute it to a minor cold or allergies.
Plan to discuss with Nurse Renee prior to sending your child to school with any of the symptoms below:
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- New loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
This week we saw snow at Anasazi!
We celebrated the 100th Day of School
Picture retakes were a success.
This Week
Pre-K Enrollment is quickly approaching for '21-'22. Please see flyer below.
Tuesday, 2/2
In person at MDA (Mohave District Annex) or you can view online on SUSD's YouTube Channel
Wednesday, 2/3 - *New* EARLY RELEASE - 1:15pm
New, Safe Place Early Release
- All students dismiss at 1:15pm
- Safe Place provided for those signed up
- Kids Club through Community Education begins at 3:15pm
*If you need Kids Club, a licensed before-and-after school paid program, please visit: https://www.susd.org/site/Default.aspx?PageID=479
Click on PDF below to see how students can log in at home to access SUSD planned activities for this Early Release.
Anasazi virtual tours for incoming families held weekly at 9am. Spread the word and call Anasazi for link.
Friday, 1/29 - SPIRIT FRIDAY
Sports Team Jersey Day
🏈 Friday, 2/5, come to school wearing your favorite football jersey or ANY sports team attire as we gear up for Super Bowl LV. Where are our Chiefs and Buccaneers fans?!?
(Not limited to NFL 🏀 ⚾️ ⚽️)
Chick-Fila-A Fundraiser 5-8pm
Anasazi Spirit Wear
Hooded sweatshirts, t-shirts, bags and more for adults and kids are available.
February 5th – Chick-fil-A Fundraiser 5-8pm (Ms. Waldron will be dressed as the Chick-fil-A Cow)
Student Council Elections
We are so proud of all who ran for office.
This year's elected officers:
🦂 President - James W.
🦂 Vice President - Lucy K.
🦂 Secretary - Delaney D.
🦂 Treasurer - Lauren N.
Friendship Day Celebration Coming Soon
Anasazi classrooms will have their Friendship Celebrations on Friday, February 12, 2021. This letter and a permission slip is coming home soon from your child's classroom teacher.
Due to COVID restrictions, please adhere to the following guidelines:
*Please have your child bring Friendship Cards to school no later than Monday, February 8th. Please do not bring your child’s cards to the office. They must come to school with the students. Teachers will store the cards until the day of the party.
*Parents will not be able to come into the school or classrooms for parties.
*Please label each card with the following: To: My Friend From: (Student’s name). Teachers will not be providing class lists.
*Due to COVID-19 concerns, envelopes should not be sealed.
*We understand many of the cards come with sweets/candy attached. Candy will not be eaten in the class but instead will be sent home with your child. Also, please do not send your child to school with baked goods such as cupcakes, cookies, etc. They will not be passed out.
*The handing out of cards will be done with safety measures in place to ensure a fun and safe celebration for all students.
Anasazi Masks for Sale
PTO will be doing another order in the future for the youth size masks. The deadline for the masks order is 2/16.
The masks are machine washable and you have the option of personalizing the masks with your child's name! Each mask is $12.
You can still purchase these masks through the PTO Membership Tool Kit page. This link can be found under the "Fundraising" Tab under Spirit Wear.
Anasazi Elementary PTO - Custom Masks (membershiptoolkit.com)
- Go to https://smile.amazon.com
- Login to your amazon account..
- Go to your account settings
- Then closer to the bottom go to charity and find Anasazi PTO
From the Desk of our Community Specialist
Dear Families:
As we enter this month of love, let me remind you that we, at SUSD, are committed to ensure a successful year to all our students, year after year. If this means there are a few needs that need to be met, please call me at 480-389-8115. Your call and need is completely confidential. We are here to help you.
Thanks you!
Luz Dicono-McClenny
Community Specialist
Desert Mountain and Chaparral Complexes"
IB Corner
IB in Action from Home
This month's IB Learner Profile is REFLECTIVE.
“We thoughtfully consider the world and our own ideas and experience. We work to understand our strengths and weaknesses in order to support our learning and personal development."
Read The Bad Seed by Jory John https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu772gNfA68
How was the main character reflective?
Did he change his behavior? Was he perfect?
What behaviors could you improve?
Another way to become more reflective and aware of one’s feelings is through mindfulness. Research has shown that mindfulness benefits people of all ages.
“11 Ways to Teach Mindfulness to Kids” https://www.verywellfamily.com/ways-to-teach-mindfulness-to-kids-4134344
“Mindfulness for Kids” https://www.mindful.org/mindfulness-for-kids/
Coming to Us from an IB School?
What is a tax credit?
A tax credit is NOT a donation! It IS a dollar-for-dollar reduction in the state income tax you pay. If your tax credit contribution is more than the amount of state tax you owe, the credit can be carried forward up to five years. Receiving this tax credit will allow you to reduce the amount you owe the state or increase your refund. When filing your income tax return for the State of Arizona, the amount you designate to your school will be the amount you may claim as a state tax credit. This payment is eligible for Arizona state income tax credit as allowed by A.R.S. §43-1089.01. Tax credit contributions are non-refundable.
Designate your Tax Dollars to help Students of Scottsdale Unified School District #48
It’s a win-win situation for you and the school! Contributions can be claimed on your Arizona State tax return for either 2020 or 2021.
Complete the form below. Thank you in advance for supporting Anasazi and our students.
COVID-19 Testing and More!
If you are looking for COVID-19 testing, many convenient locations continue to be available.
SUSD has partnered with Embry Women's Health to conduct zero-cost, COVID-19 testing five days a week at our Oak facility at 7501 E. Oak St., Scottsdale. The drive-thru clinic is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. It conducts several different kinds of COVID testing. Results are reported within 36 - 72 hours. Embry also has many other testing locations around the Valley. Find them at https://embrywomenshealth.com/testing-blitz/.
Maricopa County and Banner Health Urgent Care have teamed up to offer COVID-19 testing at no cost to anyone who may have been exposed to someone who is, or suspected to be, COVID-19 positive. Appointments must be made ahead of time online using this link: https://urgentcare.bannerhealth.com/. COVID-19 testing and drive-through flu shots are also being offered at the Arizona State Fairgrounds. Registration is required ahead of time at this link or by calling 844-549-1851. Insurance information will be requested; however, you will not be asked for any out-of-pocket payment or co-pay.
Other community COVID-19 options include:
· City of Phoenix Mobile Testing Sites
· CVS Pharmacy Retail Testing Sites
· Walgreens Pharmacy Drive-Thru Sites
Maricopa County's COVID Parent Hotline
For more questions or concerns about COVID-19, including testing, contact the Maricopa County Department of Health's parent information center at COVIDparenthotlione@maricopa.gov or dial 2-1-1, select option 6 (for COVID-19) and then option 3 (for the COVID Parent Hotline).
Download SUSD's UPDATED (1/28/21) Covid Response Plan Below:
SUSD'S Covid-19 Related Information
- Type this phrase into your browser: www.susd.org/COVID19
- Select “COVID-19 Response” from the very top of any SUSD web page in the “Channel Menu”
- Once you get to the section, you will see navigation on the left that guides you through all of the sections.
- There is a handy index of pages including a brief overview of each section at www.susd.org/COVID19. This changes as needed, so please check regularly.
Back to School
Everything you need to know about school starting.
Briefings
An archive of the District Office weekly briefings to stakeholders.
COVID-19 Case Dashboard
Our official COVID-19 case count among employees and students.
COVID-19 Resource Directory
An A to Z listing of helpful resources related to COVID-19.
COVID-19 Response Plan
Our protocol for managing COVID-19 illness.
FAQs
Answers to the most Frequently Asked Questions.
Incident Command Team
The emergency management leadership team structure.
Metrics
The latest SUSD specific metrics to guide reopening.
Mitigation Strategies
Steps we are taking to reduce the risk to students, teachers, staff and families.
Reopening Status
The District’s status as determined by the adopted metrics.
Return to Learn
The District’s plan for reopening schools.
Superintendent Menzel Letters
A collection of letters from Superintendent Dr. Scott A. Menzel.
Support Services Newsletter
A collection of newsletters to share resources and contacts for support.
http://www.susd.org/SENewsletter
Survey Results
A collection of results from recent COVID-related parent and employee surveys.
Older Videos
Front Office Contacts
Dijana Schlegelmilch
Administrative Support Coordinator
Elise Hepner
Administrative Support Assistant/Registration
Renee Tosto
Nurse
Andrea Martin
Assistant Principal
Jennifer Waldron
Principal
BE SURE TO CONNECT WITH US!
About Us
Our Mission - Anasazi is a diverse learning community committed to fostering a rigorous, compassionate, and inquiry-based environment, that empowers students to be globally competitive in a complex and changing world.
Our Vision - Empower and inspire each child to become life-long learners, within a culture of academic excellence, creativity and critical thinking, to take action and serve in our global community.
Email: jwaldron@susd.org
Website: https://www.susd.org/anasazi
Location: 12121 N 124th St, Scottsdale, AZ 85259, USA
Phone: 480-484-7300
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anasazisusd/