Wrightstown Ravens' News
August 28, 2020
From the Principal's Desk
Dear WES Families,
There's a lot of information being provided to all of you, and I certainly hope to avoid overwhelming anyone. There is new information included in this newsletter to help you plan for the upcoming school year.
One of the more important items that I am communicating in this message is with regard to the Chromebook and Instructional Materials Distribution event that will take place at school on Wednesday, September 2nd and Thursday, September 3rd. This activity will allow families to retrieve those grade level materials necessary to support our Virtual Learning Classes (starting September 8th). These items include textbooks, workbooks, planners, and art supplies. It is important that you complete the Mobile Device/Virtual Instruction/Interactive Live Streaming Agreement. This document is attached below.
I hope you enjoy the last week of your summer before the start of school!
Beth
Hybrid Cohort Groups
As you may have noticed, cohort assignments are not currently posted in the Home Access Center (HAC) for elementary students at this time. For your reference, please see the following guideline for the alphabetical cohort divide.
In the hybrid option, students will attend school in person two days a week and online the remaining three days of the week.
Last names beginning A to Ld will attend school on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Last names beginning Le to Z will attend school on Thursdays and Fridays.
Some parents were contacted personally by WES staff to help balance our cohort numbers & make a switch to another cohort. These are the only instances in which the last name DOES NOT follow the above guidelines.
Home Access Center (HAC) - Date Change
Teacher assignments will be made public on Friday, August 28th when the Home Access Center opens for families to access. Transportation information will be available for viewing on September 15th in HAC.
Materials and Chromebrook Pickup
On Wednesday, September 2nd and Thursday, September 3rd, Wrightstown Elementary will be hosting a Chromebook & Materials Distribution. This time will allow parents to retrieve those grade level materials necessary to support our Virtual Learning Classes - starting September 8th.
Chromebook distribution is designated ONLY for those families who requested a Chromebook during Registration (July 31st - Aug. 7th). Unfortunately, we are unable to honor any more Chromebook requests at this time; but we should have another distribution when we receive more Chromebooks in October.
This process will work much like the materials pick-up in June. Parents will pull up to the GYM doors and a member of the staff will provide you with your materials. Keep the following in mind:
- Be sure to use the Sign-up Genius to reserve a designated time for pick-up
- Please remain in your car
- Please wear a face covering
- Pick-up will take place at the GYM side of the building
- Prior to your arrival, please prepare a sign and provide your child/children’s NAMES & GRADE LEVEL/S in LARGE print. Once you have been identified, staff will retrieve your belongings and bring your materials outside to your car. This will allow the process to work more efficiently.
- Social distancing guidelines will be implemented at all times. Please stay in your vehicle and open/unlock your car door. Items will be placed into your vehicle with NO contact.
- You can pick-up materials for another family if they are unable to come on either of these days
Attached to this email is our “CRSD Mobile Device/Virtual Instruction/Interactive Live Streaming Agreement”. We are asking that this form be completed by you, the parent, for each student in your family, and returned to us the day you pick up the chromebook. This document covers the expectations of appropriate use of a District-issued device as well as considerations regarding the submission of photo, audio, and video assignments in a virtual class. Please take some time to read through the document, and respond accordingly.
If you do not have printing capability at home, we will provide a blank form/s at the pick-up. You will be provided with a form for each child in your family. A signed form is required to retrieve a district Chromebook.
Please click on the Sign-up Genius for your day/time to pick up your child’s materials.
KINDERGARTEN ORIENTATION/BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT - VIRTUAL
Please join us for a virtual Kindergarten Orientation for the children and a Back to School Presentation for parents!
Date: Tuesday, September 1st
Time: 6:00-6:20 for (AM) Students
6:25-7:05 for (AM) and (PM) Parents
7:10-7:30 for (PM) Students
Refer to information sent from your child's teacher, Mrs. Stahl.
Meet and Greet/Beginning of Year Orientation
Because the start of this school year will look much different, we will not be conducting an onsite Meet and Greet and New Family Orientation as we have done in the past. Parents will receive a link sometime next week to meet the staff and learn a little about Wrightstown! Whether you are a new or returning family, this link is for everyone! Each grade level will be connecting with families to introduce themselves prior to the start of the year.
VIRTUAL BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHTS 2020
Wednesday, September 9th - Virtual Back to School Night (Grades 1-3)
Grade 1 - 6:00 PM
Grade 2 - 6:45 PM
Grade 3 - 5:15 PM
More information to come from your child's teacher
Monday, September 14th - Virtual Back to School Night (Grades 4-6)
Grade 4 - 6:00 PM
Grade 5 - 6:45 PM
Grade 6 - 7:30 PM
More information to come from your child's teacher
Friday, August 28th - Home Access Center (HAC) Opens
Tuesday, September 1st - Virtual Kindergarten Orientation (Look for information from Mrs. Stahl)
Wednesday, September 2nd - Chromebook and Instructional Materials Distribution (See information above)
Thursday, September 3rd - Chromebook and Instructional Materials Distribution (See
information above)
Tuesday, September 8th - Happy First Day of Virtual Learning
Tuesday, September 15th - Transportation Information available in HAC
Tuesday, September 29th - First Day of Hybrid Learning
Staffing Updates
At times, staffing changes occur within a school for a variety of reasons: organizational/personal growth; ever-changing student needs; life changes (i.e. retirement), etc. Concurrently, student needs are always kept as a top priority when making such changes.
Fond Farewell…
- Mrs. Danielle Marcus will be teaching 3rd grade at Goodnoe Elementary School.
- Mrs. Kim Kaehler will teached Gifted Support at Newtown Elementary School.
- Mrs. Lisa Weiss will no longer split her time as the Librarian at WES. I would like to thank each of these teachers for their great work while at WES and wish them all the best in the coming school year!
We thank you for your patience as we continue to update our teacher webpages. Many new teachers DO NOT have a CRSD email address or webpage yet. However, the IT department is working to get these activated as soon as possible.
Free and Reduced Lunch
Council Rock Reopening Plans
If you have questions about the reopening of school, there are many resources available from the school district to provide information. The following links can be very helpful in answering many questions.
Preparing for Virtual Learning
During the initial days of school, all students in Council Rock will be taking part in virtual learning activities. Here are some tips for creating a supportive learning environment in your home:
Consider establishing a dedicated space for learning. This should be a space that is comfortable, is free from distractions, and has an area designated for school supplies. When the school day is done, encourage your child to clean up the area to prepare the space for the next day.
Students should consider waking up at a regular time each day, and getting dressed just as they would for school. This will help support a smoother transition if your child is returning to the hybrid model or if you child will continue with the virtual model.
Fill a water bottle and consider preparing lunch and a healthy snack in advance.
Teachers will be establishing daily routines with breaks throughout the day. Be sure that your child uses these breaks as a time to get away from the screen and get movement.
Start the day with a charged device and have the charger handy with an outlet nearby. This is a great habit for this year and into the future.
Consider purchasing inexpensive headphones with a microphone. This is helpful if you anticipate more than one child sharing a learning space in a family room, kitchen, etc.
Tips for Face Covering Training
As any parent knows, there are many protective things children find uncomfortable or simply don’t want to do. Many children dislike car seats and seatbelts, yet we know car seats and seatbelts save lives. Here are some tips for mask-training:
Start now so that your children can build up comfort wearing a mask for long periods.
Begin in a comfortable setting that is low risk (such as watching a movie or playing a computer/video game inside your home).
Set a timer so that you can see how long your children are able to tolerate the mask. Then, slowly increase their mask time each sitting.
Practice self-soothing behaviors to manage any anxious feelings that might be experienced. It’s normal for kids to feel like they're having trouble breathing when there’s a piece of cloth covering the mouth and nose.
Offer rewards (praise goes a long way!) and continue to provide encouragement.
As children become more comfortable sitting with the mask, try to engage them in conversation. Teach them how to speak louder and articulate their words more clearly so that others can understand them.
Council Rock Attendance Policy
From our CR Transportation Department
The Council Rock Transportation Department has been hard at work adapting, inventing, and planning. We have coordinated with our software provider to create a unique filtering process for routing the hybrid schedule. The process we developed allows us to keep stops consistent and bus routes generally similar to where we left off in March. While uncertainty looms large in many aspects of school this year, we expect that in the vast majority of cases, the stops and general routes you remember from March will be the same as they were last year. Our goal in routing this year is to provide safe, consistent, and efficient routes that encourage a predictably high service level while minimizing double backs and other disruptions as much as possible.
Given the extremely unique nature of the 2020-2021 school year, there are challenges we will face. Hopefully, these scenarios will be minimal, but in the spirit of open and honest communication, we believe they can and will happen at times. The pandemic will hurt our overall driver count. Fewer drivers will be comfortable returning to work, as is the case with any profession. Should a positive case occur in the driver population, fear may spark mass call-outs to the point where we cannot provide transportation that day. As the hybrid schedule is brand new and untested, every day we will be in uncharted waters. While we are planning to mitigate problems, there will likely be timing issues, delays, and double backs on a frequent basis.
What can you do to stay informed and be ready?
Expect the unexpected, be patient, and flexible
Make sure to sign up for CR Text & Email Alerts
Download and use FirstView
Have a backup plan if we cannot provide transportation
For more information please visit the CR Transportation Webpage and Reopening Hub FAQs under the Transportation heading.
The Council Rock Calendar
The Council Rock School Board recently approved the 2020-2021 district calendar, and you can find it at the following LINK.
Mrs. Beth A. Fox, Principal
Email: bfox@crsd.org
Website: https://www.crsd.org/wrightstownes
Location: 729 Penns Park Road, Newtown, PA, USA
Phone: 215-944-2300
Twitter: @BethFox_WES