August 27: Tour de Cat Family Bike Ride @ 4:45-6:30 pm (parade begins at 5:00)

We have a two-team approach for accountability with a Shared Leadership Team (Council) that is composed of staff representatives and a School Accountability Committee (SAC) comprised of parents and staff. These teams will have a similar function in advising and recommending to the principal on matters of school improvement. If you are interested in joining this team, please email Mr. Camp (hcamp@psdschools.org). For more information about SAC, go this link.

• Breakfast/Lunch: Meals will continue to be offered for free for students through the remainder of this school year. Students may also bring their own lunch. Breakfast will be available in the cafeteria and students will need to go through the office to access the cafeteria. Students will eat meals inside the cafeteria and will be distanced by at least 3 ft. Students will need to enter their Student ID on a pin pad, so please work with your child on memorizing that (cards will be provided to students the first weeks to help support).

• Arrival/Dismissal- Please do not drop-off or pick-up in the north parking lot unless you have a disability parking placard. This lot is for staff parking and buses. Be patient, understanding, and kind. Our staff will do our best to load kids safely and efficiently into cars.

• Buses- We appreciate your patience as PSD implements a new bus scan-card system to help with safety. They, also, are working through seating charts for contact tracing purposes. One tool that is helpful is the Here Comes the Bus app that will give you live updates on where your child's bus is. We encourage you to download and use for tracking your child's bus. For more information about transportation, go to the PSD website.

• Communication- Each week, we will send out the Werner Weekly with important information from Werner, PSD, and our PTA. You can always find those on our website, as well as other important information.

• PSD Fall COVID Protocols- This flier has information about what to expect this fall to with our health/safety protocols.

Please use the PSD website for 2021-22 School Year FAQ’s for more updated detail and guidance.

Health and Safety 2021-2022

PSD Protocols for COVID-19: Please use the PSD website for more guidance on what happens with a positive case for COVID 19.

Screening: Please screen your child for symptoms prior to sending them to school. If your child is sick, they will need to stay home. Call our attendance line (488-5551) to report absences. Communicate with office staff first if there is any information regarding the health of your child or someone in your family that the school needs to know, please do NOT reach out to the teacher first. There is a COVID Response Team (CRT) at each school which includes the front office staff and there are processes and procedures we need to follow. Once you communicate with the office, we can start determining next steps which include communicating the right message to the intended people. PSD will be following the Return to Learn guidance from CDPHE.

Face Coverings: Everyone (staff, students, and visitors) will be required to wear face coverings that covers their mouth and nose in PSD schools, buildings, and on buses (in accordance with federal law). Masks are not required outdoors. Parents/guardians are responsible for providing their students with face coverings, but we will have them available for students needing one. Please provide your child with a spare face covering to keep in their backpack or desk. Staff will be providing mask breaks throughout the day.

Handwashing: Hand washing and frequent cleaning practices will continue. Handwashing is preferred over hand sanitizer. Hand hygiene will happen upon arrival, after using the bathroom, before eating, after recess or completing activities that involved shared materials. Students may bring their own hand lotion from home.

Social Distancing/Interactions: Where possible, three feet of distance between students and desks will be followed. Small groups consisting of different cohorts are allowed, provided three feet of distance is maintained. Seating charts will be maintained for all classrooms and small groups. Cohort mixing during outside recess is acceptable.

Transportation: During the 2021-22 school year, PSD’s Transportation department is striving to maximize student ridership and ensure safety while following public health guidelines for bus transportation. The Transportation Department emailed families Aug. 9 to let them know if they will receive bussing services starting the first day of school.Masks are required on PSD buses: In accordance with federal law and CDPHE’s executive order, everyone must wear a mask on buses regardless of vaccination status.

Student Absences: Absences and make up of work will be treated like previous years. If your child is out, please connect with their teacher to get the missed work. Laptops will not be sent home because there will not be synchronous remote teaching occurring unless the whole class is required to shift to remote by the health department. We will look at each case separately and make sure the student is getting the needed materials to make up the work missed.

Breakfast/Lunch: Meals will continue to be offered for free for students through the remainder of this school year. Students may also bring their own lunch. Breakfast will be available in the cafeteria and students will need to go through the office to access the cafeteria. Students will eat meals inside the cafeteria and will be distanced by at least 3 ft. Students will need to enter their Student ID on a pin pad, so please work with your child on memorizing that (cards will be provided to students the first weeks to help support).

Recess: Students will look more normal this year with students being able to play together from other classrooms. Masks are not required outside. As students transition from the building to outside they can put their mask in their pocket or around their arm. Classrooms are provided with balls and equipment.

Technology: Students will be provided with technology to use if they need to isolate/quarantine because of a positive case or exposure.

Snack/Water Bottles: Students may bring a snack and filled water bottle. Your child’s teacher will communicate any other needs with this.

Birthdays: Students may have a pre-packaged (store bought) treat to celebrate birthdays. We encourage non-food rewards like an extra recess or special activity (work with teacher on this). If your child has a summer birthday, please let your teacher know when you plan to celebrate it.

Visitors/Volunteers: Nonessential visitors are not allowed at schools until further notice. Essential Visitors are:

• Parents with scheduled meetings

• Prospective families for school tours/visits

• Child Protective Services/Law Enforcement

• District approved contractors or District Staff from other buildings

• Essential visitors must complete a symptom check upon arrival.

• Before or after school, in-building enrichment clubs run may be run by volunteers, community partners, or staff as long as protocols are followed.

More details will come about volunteer opportunities.

AlphaBEST: Before and After School Child-Care is available on a space available basis. For more information, go to: https://www.alphabest.org/poudreco.

Classroom Teachers will host Back-to-School nights on the following dates/times:

• Sept. 7: Kindergarten @ 5:00 pm and 1st grade @ 6:00 pm

• Sept. 8: 2nd grade @ 5:00 pm and 4th grade @ 6:00 pm

• Sept. 9: 3rd grade @ 5:00 pm and 5th grade @ 6:00 pm

The purpose of these times is to orient parents to the grade level curricular program and expectations. We look forward to seeing you attend these important nights. We will update you later whether these will be in-person or virtual.

Student wellness and achievement starts with excellent nutrition. Well-nourished students perform better in the classroom. That is why Poudre School District is dedicated to providing healthy, nutritious meals in all school cafeterias. Check out our Child Nutrition Newsletter and our website https://www.psdschools.org/programs-services/school-meals for menu links, meal prices and department information.

Free Meals During the 2021-22 School Year

Thanks to an extension of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s school district reimbursement program, PSD will once again offer free meals to any enrolled PSD student during the 2021-22 school year. Ala carte items will be sold at the secondary level. Cash will be accepted but no change will be given, all change will go on the student’s meal account. Please email refund requests to nutrition@psdschools.org and include your student’s name and ID number.

Families are encouraged to apply for Free and Reduced meals for the coming school year. Those who qualify for benefits are eligible for school fee/charge waivers, possible P-EBT payments, and their school will also receive additional student funding. Many community programs and businesses (City of Fort Collins Parks and Rec, Comcast, Fort Collins Soccer Club) also waive or reduce fees with proof of free or reduced meal eligibility.

Families can also apply for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Emergency Broadband Benefit Program (FCC BB information) that provides a temporary discount on monthly broadband bills for qualifying households. A qualification is a household that is approved under the free and reduced school lunch or breakfast program.

Qualifying Students may Apply for Fees/Charges Waivers

Did you know? If your child is eligible for free or reduced-price meals in Poudre School District, you may also be able to take advantage of another fantastic benefit: waivers for some school fees and charges. To be eligible for these benefits, you must be approved to receive free or reduced-price meals and complete an additional form each school year.

• Free and Reduced-Priced Meal Application: Families can apply on-line at https://www.myschoolapps.com/Application or pick up a paper application at your child's school. Applications must be completed annually to stay registered for the program. Answers to frequently asked questions can be found here - Letter to Parents. Your child's free or reduced-price meal eligibility status is confidential.
• Once approved for free and reduced-priced meals, complete PSD’s Permission to Share Information for Fee Waivers and Programs to Receive Goods and Services Form. This form is available on-line through the PSD ParentVUE portal. Completing this form gives PSD's Child Nutrition Department permission to share your child's eligibility status with other district officials. These officials must also maintain confidentiality of your child's eligibility status. You must fill out the Permission to Share form each year.

Waivers are available for some but not ALL school fees and charges, including summer school tuition, extra-curricular activities and supplies, curricular supply costs and more.

After you submit the form and your child is approved, SchoolPay will automatically update fees/charges that are eligible for a waiver, displaying a $0.00 balance due once you proceed to checkout in SchoolPay.

SchoolPay is Poudre School District's online payment partner. SchoolPay allows convenient online payment to all Poudre School District fees. To set up an account, view meal activity, view balances or make payments visit https://psdschools.schoolpay.com. Purchase activity and balances are updated each evening.

Special Food Needs

For those families with students who require meal modifications, please read this Meal Modification Letter and follow the instructions included.

• Medical Statement for Meal Modification
• Dietary Preference Form for Meal Modification
• Discontinuation of Meal Modifications

Need Some Additional Food Assistance?

Reach out to see if you are eligible at https://snapcolorado.benefitslaunch.org/

Have a question and you’re not sure who to contact? Send your question to nutrition@psdschools.org and we will get it forwarded to just the right person.

Have a great school year! We look forward to seeing you In the Café!

The COVID-19 pandemic has created financial hardships for many in our community, leading to housing instability and food insecurity. There are financial resources available to help families and landlords and protections in place to help people stay housed. The PSD Department of Language, Culture, & Equity has worked with community partners to put together resources to support families.

Please see the LCE Family Resources Information (English and Spanish) for information on support with housing, food, and utilities.