SES Dolphin News
November 22, 2021
School Hours
Stafford County School Board Approved the Temporary School Hours through December 17
7:40 a.m. to 1:40 p.m.
Car Rider Drop Off will Open at 7:10 a.m. and will close at 7:40 a.m.
Dismissal will begin promptly at 1:40 p.m.
Dear Stafford Elementary Community,
We hope you are enjoying the crisp, cool temperatures we have been having lately! Autumn is certainly here!
Lost and Found
Are your children missing coats, sweaters, sweatshirts, hats, gloves, lunchboxes, or water bottles? If so they might be on our lost and found tables. The tables have been set up for several weeks now and they are only growing in items. Therefore, below you will find pictures of what we have in the lost and found. If they belong to you, please reach out to your child's teacher and tell your child to go and get their items. We will be donating all the remaining items after Thanksgiving Break, so please take a look! SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM TO SEE ALL THE PICTURES!
School Hours Temporary Change Still in Effect
There still seems to be some confusion regarding our school hours. On October 12, our school hours changed to 7:40 a.m. until 1:40 p.m. That means the children should be in their seats starting instruction at 7:40 a.m., not just entering the building. We still have many car riders entering the school property at 7:40 a.m. The car rider line will be closed at 7:40 a.m. If you enter the school property at or after 7:40 a.m. we will wave/point you to the front of the building where you will need to park, take your children into the building, and sign them in because they are late for school.
The school board is slated to discuss school hours on November 30. Upon their decision, information will be shared regarding what is happening with school hours. However, until December 17, our school hours continue to be 7:40 a.m. until 1:40 p.m. and the car rider lane will continue to be closed at 7:40 a.m.
Thank You for your IDs
We appreciate everyone who has brought and shown their photo IDs to enter our building. Thank you for following SCPS requirements regarding this rule and helping to keep our students and staff safe.
Impact Aid Form
We want to thank everyone who has completed the Impact Aid Survey for their children. As a reminder, the Impact Aid Survey provides SCPS with federal funding based on military and federally connected families. On an average, Impact Aid has brought in $1.2 million dollars to Stafford County Public Schools.
If you have not completed an Impact Aid Survey for each of your students, please log into ParentVue to do so. Although it may appear that you are re-registering your child for the school year, please know that is not the case. The Division built the the Impact Aid Survey is the registration platform this year. If you are unable to complete this information electronically, please let the front office know and we will send a paper copy home with your children. If you have any questions regarding Impact Aid, please contact Kim Washington at washingtonkj@staffordschools.net.
Winter Weather Codes
As the weather continues to get colder, we are reminded that winter weather is on the way. Stafford County Public Schools will evaluate each weather situation that comes up and will make decisions with the entire county in mind.
In order to make notifications clear to all families and staff, SCPS will begin using weather codes again when making delay and closure announcements. Please feel free to see the information below, that is also posted on SCPS website.
We Are Thankful for YOU!
As you know Thanksgiving is this week. There is no school Wednesday, November 24 through Friday, November 26. We are very thankful for our school community. We appreciate all of the encouragement, care, and support many of have offered us. We wish you and your family a happy and healthy Thanksgiving.
Happy Thanksgiving!
S. Sanders, Principal
K. Hardman, Assistant Principal
Winter Weather Codes
Code I (1) Only Emergency Personnel Report
All Day Closing (All Schools and Offices Closed)
Decision Time - By 5:30 A.M.
Employees will be on Code I (1), No Virtual Learning.
- All school activities, day and evening, are canceled. No buses will operate. Students will not attend.
- Schools and administrative offices are closed. No employees shall report to work or engage in telework except as directed below.
- There is no synchronous or asynchronous learning.
- Certain administrators and emergency personnel, as designated by the Director of Safety, Security & Risk Management, the Director of Operations and Maintenance, the Director of Fleet Services, and the Director of Payroll and Benefits will report at specified times to perform emergency services. These emergency personnel and report times will have been identified beforehand and will be selected from the maintenance, custodial, fleet and payroll staff.
- All non-school activities, day and evening, are canceled including adult education, college classes, and recreational programs scheduled in school buildings and on school grounds.
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Code II (2) Only Administrative Staff Report, No Virtual Learning for Students
School Buildings are Closed for Students and Families, School and Administrative Offices Open for Staff at 10 a.m.
Decision Time - By 5:30 A.M.
Employees will be on Code II (2), No Virtual Learning. Liberal leave is in effect. Administrative offices will open at 10:00 A.M.
- All school activities, day and evening, are canceled. No buses will operate. Students will not attend.
- There is no synchronous or asynchronous learning.
- Staff with approved telework agreements may telework with notice to their supervisor regardless of whether it is a normally scheduled telework day.
- Licensed staff, nurses, paraprofessionals, bus drivers, school nutrition, and any other school-based staff who are not 12 month employees shall not report if the day will be made up by students. If the day will not be made up by students, these employees shall follow guidelines established by their principal or supervisor to make up the time required for their contract. Determination will be made after the weather notification.
- School/central office custodial and maintenance staff shall arrive on time, to the extent possible, to prepare for opening of administrative offices on a two-hour delay.
- Support services central staff to include Fleet Services and Maintenance and Operations are to make reasonable effort to arrive on time.
- All other 12-month employees will report to work two hours late. Staff with approved telework agreements may telework (liberal telework) with notice to their supervisor. Annual leave or personal leave may be requested after the fact (liberal leave) by those unable to report.
- All non-school activities, day and evening, are canceled including adult education, college classes and recreational activities scheduled in school division buildings and on school grounds.
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Code III (3) - Only Administrative Staff Report, Virtual Learning for Students
School Buildings are Closed, Administrative Offices Open at 10 a.m.
Decision Time - By 5:30 A.M.
Employees will be on Code III (3), Virtual Instruction for Students. Administrative offices will open at 10:00 A.M.
- All school activities, day and evening, are canceled. No buses will operate. Students will not attend.
- Schools and school division offices are closed.
- Students will engage in virtual learning from home. Asynchronous or synchronous will be determined the day of the call and communicated to families/staff.
- SCPS staff with approved telework agreements may telework (liberal telework) with notice to their supervisor. Other employees may engage in telework with supervisor approval, subject to limitations below regarding personnel who must report in person.
- Certain administrators and emergency personnel, as designated by the administrators for the Departments of Operations and Maintenance, Safety and Security, Transportation Services, and Fleet Services will report at specified times to perform emergency services. These emergency personnel and report times will have been identified beforehand and will be selected from the maintenance and custodial staff.
- All non-school activities, day and evening, are canceled including adult education, college classes, and recreational programs scheduled in school buildings and on school grounds.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Late Opening - Two-Hour (2) Delay
Decision Time - By 5:30 A.M.
Media Release - "All Stafford County Public Schools will open two hours late. Inclement weather conditions will be reassessed at 7:15 A.M. There will be no A.M. half day preschool classes. No change to P.M. preschool. Full day Preschool will open at 10:45 am."
- Students, teachers, nurses, paraprofessionals, and service personnel who work less than 220 days shall report two hours late.
- On delayed opening days, all administrative staff and all service personnel, with the exception of support services central staff to include: Fleet Services, Pupil Transportation and Maintenance and Operations are to make every reasonable effort to arrive at work one hour late. School/central office custodial and maintenance staff shall arrive prior to the arrival of other administrative and service staff.
- There will be no a.m. preschool classes and no change to p.m. preschool classes.
- Breakfast programs canceled.
- Lunch will be served.
- Regular field trips during the day are canceled. Any exception may be made for trips and contests scheduled for after school hours. Such exceptions MUST have the approval of the Superintendent.
- Dismissal will be at regular times.
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Early Closing - 1 Hour Early (1) Dismissal
Decision Time - By 11:30 A.M.
Media Release - "All Stafford County Public Schools will dismiss one hour early. All after school and evening activities are canceled."
- Phoenix Center - 11:30 A.M.
- Elementary Shift 1 - 12:40 P.M.
- Elementary Shift 2 - 1:20 P.M.
- Middle School - 1:55 P.M.
- High School - 2:35 P.M.
- A.M. Preschool - 11:45 P.M.
- P.M. Preschool - 2:00 P.M.
- All teachers, other instructional staff and all service personnel MAY be dismissed by the principal only after all students have safely departed school property. Administrative staff will remain on regular hours unless specifically dismissed by announcement from the Superintendent's Office, or if conditions warrant as evaluated by the principal and the Superintendent’s Office is notified. Principals may use their judgment as to when segments of their staff will be dismissed (i.e., the entire staff would not remain for a few children waiting). For communication purposes, school offices will be staffed until that school's buses complete their runs.
- Certain administrators and service personnel, as designated by their supervisor, will remain to perform essential services.
- Field trips and athletic trips canceled. No trips will depart after the closing announcement.
- Lunch will be served. Alternate schedules will be instituted to complete lunch before dismissal.
- All non-school activities, day and evening, are canceled including adult education, college classes, and recreational programs scheduled in school buildings and on school grounds.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Early Closing - Two Hour Early (2) Dismissal
Decision Time - By 10:30 A.M.
Media Release - "All Stafford County Public Schools will dismiss two hours early. All after school and evening activities are canceled. No change to A.M. preschool classes. P.M. half-day Preschool classes are canceled."
- Phoenix Center - 10:30 A.M.
- Elementary Shift 1 - 11:40 P.M.
- Elementary Shift 2 - 12:20 P.M.
- Middle School - 12:55 P.M.
- High School - 1:35 P.M.
- A.M. Preschool - 11:45 P.M. (No Change)
- Full day Preschool - 1:00
- All teachers, other instructional staff and service personnel MAY be dismissed by the principal only after all students have safely departed school property. Administrative staff will remain on regular hours unless specifically dismissed by announcement from the Superintendent's Office or if conditions warrant as evaluated by the principal and superintendent’s office is notified. Principals may use their judgment as to when segments of their staff will be dismissed (i.e., the entire staff would not remain for a few children waiting). For communication purposes, school offices will be staffed until that school's buses complete their runs.
- Certain administrators and service personnel, as designated by their supervisor, will remain to perform essential services.
- Field trips and athletic trips canceled. No trips will depart after the closing announcement. Recall efforts for field trips will be initiated.
- Lunch will be served. Alternate schedules will be instituted to complete lunch before dismissal.
- All non-school activities, day and evening, are canceled including adult education, college classes, and recreational programs scheduled in school buildings and on school grounds.
Car Arrival and Dismissal
Through December 17, 2021
Car Rider Drop Off will begin at 7:10 a.m. and end at 7:40 a.m.
Car rider staff open the doors at 7:10 a.m.
Children are required to be in their seats at 7:40 a.m. to start instruction.
If you arrive at 7:40 a.m. or later, you will continue to be motioned to park your car and
walk your students to the front office, and sign them in.
Please help us by doing the following to keep the car rider line running smoothly:
- Please DO NOT let the children out of the car before the staff is outside.
- Have the children ready with masks and backpacks on when you pull up to the sidewalk.
- Have the children get out of the car on the passenger side.
For dismissal:
- Please help your child learn their car rider number.
- Remind children to pay attention in class so they can see when their numbers are posted and can come to the car rider lane.
If you need to change your child's dismissal routine for any reason please send an email to your child's teacher and sesfrontoffice@staffordschools.net
Mark Your Calendar
- Nov. 24-26 - Thanksgiving Break - No School
- Dec. 4 - Holiday Shoppe with Santa @ 9 a.m.- noon
- Dec. 17 - End of Second Quarter
- Dec. 20 - 31 - Winter Break - No School
- Jan. 3 - Professional Day - No School for Students
Raise Craze was a SUCCESS
Thank you for all your help and support our our kindness-focused fundraising campaign - Raise Craze. During the fundraiser, students showed their appreciation to donors by completing Acts of Kindness for others. At the end of the two-week campaign, the students completed over 630 acts of kindness and raised over $16,000!
We loved how excited the kids were to complete their Acts of Kindness and see who they can make a difference in this world! The children did everything from picking up trash in their community to writing special letters to one of the many teachers at Stafford Elementary School. Some students even made blessing bags for the homeless. In addition to individual acts of kindness, the school hosted a community Chalk the Walk at the school to spread kindness messages and art.
Our Kindness Assemblies were such a success! The first included a message about ‘kindness’ from guest speaker Lieutenant Diggs of Stafford County Sheriff’s Department. Several displays were also brought in from the special operations unit which included the SWAT Team, the K9 Unit, and the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Team. The second assembly included the Stafford County Fire House 4 and their 100-foot fire truck. The students watched as Mrs. Sanders and Mrs. Hardman were raised into the air above them and read them the book “Be Kind” by Pat Zietlow Miller.
Then on Friday, November 19, with the support of many PTA members and staff, the students were surprised with a school-wide Magical Celebration day. Each grade level hallway, including the office, was decorated in different Disney movie themes. The teachers and staff went all out and dressed as all kinds of movie characters.
We are so appreciative to everyone who made this fundraiser a success. Together our Acts of Kindness can change the world. Please continue to spread your kindness on a daily basis.
"The Incredibles"
"Lilo and Stitch"
"Alice in Wonderland"
Lost and Found
School Mask Fundraiser
Stafford Elementary School
Email: sesfrontoffice@staffordschools.net
Website: https://www.staffordschools.net/Domain/21
Location: 1349 Courthouse Road, Stafford, VA, USA
Phone: 540.658.6340
Twitter: @SEDolphins