Cunningham Messenger
November 16th
Principal's Message
Dear CunningFAM,
The week before Thanksgiving is always a wonderful experience in schools - you can feel the excitement of a week off, and then you see drawings of turkeys (or tofurkeys) and little notes of gratitude sprinkled around campus. As we move into month 22 of this new normal, our hope is that we can all take a moment to be grateful that we are part of the CunningFAM.
We hope you enjoy your week off with families and friends - may there be nowhere to rush to for a few days and lots of delicious food to eat.
Pool Testing Starts this Week
What is pooled testing?
Pooling can test 25 people using one test. All students in a class, pod, or cohort swab their own noses and place their swabs in a single tube (that’s the pooling step). The samples in that tube are then run as a single sample, using one test. See it in action here.
Why pooled testing? Why should my student participate?
You know the old saying: “knowledge is power.” Tools like pooled testing empower us to make great decisions. Without knowing the specific prevalence of COVID-19 in our school, it’s tough for us to make informed decisions about safeguarding our school community, returning to school, or continuing in-person learning
Only students with completed consent forms are able to participate in testing. If you do not want your family to participate, your student will not be included in the testing program. Though, we hope you do!
Testing empowers us to make these informed decisions about in-person learning and allows students, teachers, and staff to come to school with peace of mind.
To learn more about pooled testing, read the attached overview of Concentric’s pooled testing program and watch this video from another school using this service.
In order for your student to participate: please fill out the consent form with your permission to perform a COVID-19 pooled test for your student at Cunningham Elementary. This process should take no more than 5 minutes to complete using a computer or a smartphone.
First, click here (https://testcenter.concentricbyginkgo.com/minor-consent).
Then, enter this access code: [COBRAS]
Finally, enter your child’s information, and you’re done!
Note: If you need to provide consent for more than one child, please complete the process once for each child.
Cobra Strong,
Heather Petruzzini & Roxanna Rodriguez
Principal & Assistant Principal
Mary E. Cunningham Elementary
Mensaje de la directora
Querida CunningFAM,
La semana anterior al Día de Acción de Gracias es siempre una experiencia maravillosa para todas las escuelas: ya se puede sentir la emoción la proximidad de la semana de descanso. Además, podemos ver dibujos de pavos (o tofurkeys) y pequeñas notas de agradecimiento esparcidas por todo el campus. A medida que avanzamos en el mes 22 de esta nueva normalidad, nuestra esperanza es que todos podamos tomarnos un momento para agradecer que somos parte de la CunningFAM.
Esperamos que disfruten de su semana de descanso con sus familias y amigos - y que no tengan estar apresurados por unos días y puedan disfrutar de mucha comida deliciosa.
Los exámenes agrupados comienzan esta semana
¿Qué es la prueba en grupo?
El examen en grupo permite evaluar a 25 personas con un solo examen. Todos los estudiantes de una clase, grupo o comunidad se extraen sus propias muestras nasales y las colocan en un solo tubo (ese es el procedimiento de agrupación). Las muestras de ese tubo se analizan como una sola prueba. Puede ver el proceso en acción aquí.
¿Por qué las pruebas en grupo? ¿Por qué debería participar mi hijo/a?
Ya conoce el viejo dicho: "el conocimiento es poder". Herramientas como los exámenes en grupo nos permiten tomar grandes decisiones. Sin conocer la frecuencia específica de COVID-19 en nuestra escuela, nos resulta difícil tomar decisiones sobre la protección de nuestra comunidad escolar, el regreso a la escuela o la continuación del aprendizaje en persona.
Sólo los estudiantes con las formas del consentimiento debidamente contestadas pueden participar en las pruebas. Si usted no desea que su familia participe, su estudiante no será incluido en el programa de pruebas. Sin embargo, ¡Deseamos que lo haga!
Los exámenes nos permiten tomar decisiones con fundamentos sobre el aprendizaje en persona y permiten que los estudiantes, los profesores y el personal vengan a la escuela con más tranquilidad.
Para obtener más información sobre los exámenes en grupo, lea el resumen adjunto sobre el programa de exámenes en grupo de Concentric y vea este vídeo de otra escuela que utiliza este servicio.
Para comenzar, por favor llene el formulario de consentimiento con su permiso para realizar un examen en grupo de COVID-19 para su estudiante en la Escuela Primaria Cunningham. Este paso no tomara más de 5 minutos para completar usando una computadora o un teléfono inteligente.
Primero, haga clic aquí (https://testcenter.concentricbyginkgo.com/minor-consent).
Luego, ingrese este código de acceso: [COBRAS]
Por último, introduzca los datos de su hijo y ¡ya está!
Nota: Si necesita proporcionar el consentimiento para más de un alumno, deberá completar el proceso para cada alumno.
Cobra Strong,
Heather Petruzzini & Roxanna Rodriguez
Principal & Assistant Principal
Mary E. Cunningham Elementary
November 16th - 18th - AISD Family Academy - Zoom info sessions on a variety of topics
November 18th - 3:30 CAC, 6:00 PTA
November 22nd - November 26th - Fall Break
December 10th - School Pictures
December 20th - January 4th - Winter Break
January 5th - Students return to school!
*Please check back for updates!
** Dates Subject to Change!
Cunningham's Holiday Giving Program!
Cunningham is accepting donations of gift cards for Cobra families in need. Gift cards should be in $25 increments and can be dropped off or mailed directly to the school. (Sorry no e-gift cards this year). Click HERE to learn more and to sign up to donate to Cunningham's Holiday Giving 2021!
If you are a family in need this holiday season, please fill out this Google form with your information. Donated gift cards will be distributed the week of December 13th.
With Peace, Love, and Gratitude,
Ms. O'Connor
AISD Family Academy
Check out this FREE AISD event taking place this week (11/16-18), featuring 12 live Zoom sessions around various topics such as the following:
-Mental Health Supports and Building a Community of Care
-Early Childhood Strategies
-Special Education and 504 Supports, including Dyslexia
-Elementary and Secondary Multilingual Programs
and more!
Click HERE or below to access the flyer for links to register.
Family Resources Over Thanksgiving Break
With many AISD students living in food insecure households, access to healthy food may be challenging when the district is closed. Families can use the community resources below to find free meals in their area while AISD offices and schools are closed from Nov. 22-26:
Texas Health and Human Services - Call 2-1-1 or (877) 541-7905 to speak to a live operator.About Us
Email: Heather.Petruzzini@austinisd.org
Website: https://cunningham.austinschools.org/
Location: 2200 Berkeley Avenue, Austin, TX, USA
Phone: 512-414-2067
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/CunninghamCobras/
Twitter: @CunninghamATX