Kingsley Families,

Happy New Year and Welcome Back!! We're excited to see students again. It's hard to believe that we are putting one semester behind us and headed into a new semester of learning new and exciting things - together! Last week, students participated in asynchronous learning. This week we are back to synchronous learning (virtual live lessons - Monday and Tuesday). This week is a little busy, please see dates below:

Monday, January 11, 2021

• Students will receive synchronous (live) instruction from their teachers
• Board of Education meeting
• 11:30am ~ Virtual Community Input Meeting
• 1:00pm ~ Board Meeting ~Superintendent Watson-Harris will be sharing updates about the district's reopening plan)

Tuesday, January 12, 2021

• Students will receive synchronous (live) instruction from their teachers

Wednesday, January 13, 2021

• Last Day of First Semester

Thursday, January 14, 2021

• Post/Pre-Planning Day for Teachers (No School for Students)

Friday, January 15, 2021

• Professional Development Institute for Teachers (No School for Students)

Monday, January 18, 2021

• Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday (No School)

Thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,
Dr. Harris-Thompson

Thank you for joining us last Thursday for Kingsley's Town Hall Meeting. The copy of the presentations (English and Spanish) can be found below. You can also find the FAQs below in the newsletter.

Dekalb schools will reopen for in-person learning in January 2021 (click the attachment below for the reopening staggered schedule for students).

PreK-2nd grade students will return on January 19th.

3rd-5th grade students will return on January 25th.

Disclaimer: The District will continuously monitor current COVID-19 data and assess the level of spread to determine if and when the current learning model should be adjusted.

*****A Reopening update will be given at the Board of Education Meeting on Monday, January 11, 2021.

In order for us to finalize our cohorts - we are asking parents to fill out this reopening survey once again.

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=iiMrMYPAwUGhi3NrAmlveUmXkzAwkGpOiUG6EB11hX5UQTU3NVlHTTVIUTE1VThMREVHQUIwQzYyNS4u

Thank you so much for understanding! The deadline to complete the survey is January 8th.

As we plan for a safe reopening, we would like to offer a school tour to our PreK, Kindergarten, and other new students in grades 1-5 on Thursday, January 14, 2021. Tours will only be offered on this date. Please use this link to sign up: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0E4EABAD2FAB9-school

Please arrive on time. Masks are required for adults and students. Only one adult should accompany your child during the tour. This tour is only for PreK, Kindergarten, and new students. Siblings who are returning students should not come to the tour, unless the student is currently in Kindergarten. Please do not bring any items with you.

Please adhere to these guidelines so that we are able to socially distance in the building. Please review the available slots below and click on the button to sign up. If you have questions, please contact front office secretary, Mrs. Yazmin Acevedo yazmin_acevedo-mendez@dekalbschoolsga.org or our PTO presidents, Ms. Stephanie Gordon strephking@yahoo.com and Mrs. Tova Norman tova.fruchtman@gmail.com .

Thank you! 😊

https://www.dekalbschoolsga.org/school-choice/news-and-updates/

YEARBOOK ALERT

Are you ready to tell your Kingsley friends and teachers all about yourself? We would love to hear from you all about you and your school year with information that we can use in our yearbook. Please complete our Google form to answer questions and submit photos of your 2020-2021 school year!

Still need to order a yearbook? Check here to place your order for a yearbook or recognition ad.

Click on the link or QR code below to complete this short survey to recognize a teacher or staff member that has gone above and beyond!

The DeKalb County Schools Comprehensive Master Plan will help the District determine how, when, where, and why resources are used to improve the quality of public education in DeKalb County.

Visit the website to learn more: http://bit.ly/3mBd3GF

Complete the THINK BIG survey: http://bit.ly/3oUjC8y

Please click the link for many wonderful social emotional resources provided by the district. These resources are for students, parents, and teachers.

https://sway.office.com/spOO1bfmsrwFu89G?ref=email

When will I find out specifics regarding the Kingsley Elementary Reopening Plan?

We will host a Parent Town Hall Meeting on January 7th at 5:30 PM (English) and 6:30 PM (Spanish) on Microsoft Teams. At this time, we will review, in detail, our reopening plan and answer questions you may have.

Will students and staff be required to wear masks once we return for F2F learning?

Yes! If students or staff come to school without a mask, one will be provided to them.

Will After School @ Kingsley Elementary be offered starting in January?

No, the district is not resuming After School Extended Day Programs until students return for 5 days of F2F learning.

Once we return to school for F2F learning, will students be in school for a full day?

Yes, our instructional day is from 7:40 AM - 2:15 PM.

Here are our school hours below:

• 7:00 AM - Bus riders begin arriving to school
• 7:10 AM – 7:35 AM - Carpool begins
• 7:40 AM - Students are tardy
• 7:40 AM - 2:15 PM - Daily instruction in Reading/Writing, Math, Science, Social Studies, Recess, Specials, Lunch
• 2:15 PM - Dismissal Begins

We will present a full daily schedule that includes all content areas, Specials, recess, and lunch at our Reopening Parent Town Hall Meeting on 1/7/2021.

Can students in pods return for F2F learning on the same day?

We are unable to fulfill requests for students in pods to return for F2F learning on the same day. To ensure we are following social distancing guidelines and our class sizes stay at the recommended range of 12-16 students, we will only assign cohorts by last names and ensure siblings attend on the same day.

Is my child required to come to school for F2F learning once schools reopen in January?

No. All parents have a choice. You have a choice for your child to remain virtual or return for F2F learning. Please complete the survey to make your decision: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=iiMrMYPAwUGhi3NrAmlveUmXkzAwkGpOiUG6EB11hX5UQTU3NVlHTTVIUTE1VThMREVHQUIwQzYyNS4u

Parents may change their child's instructional mode (F2F or virtual) at the end of every 4.5 week period.

We encourage all Kingsley Elementary students to wear uniforms each day. However, Fridays are Spirit Day. On Fridays, students may wear an Kingsley ES/Comet shirt and denim bottoms.

Will DCSD school buses run when school reopens for Face-to-Face learning in January?

Yes, please find a link to the bus routes in the Kingsley ES Principal's weekly newsletter.

My child needs a school-issued Chromebook. How can I obtain one?

If your child needs a school-issued Chromebook or the one you currently have does not work properly, please come to the school any weekday, 9 AM - 2 PM, to obtain a new one.

Who do I contact to obtain a hotspot due to internet connectivity issues?

To obtain a hotspot, please send an email to Dr. Harris-Thompson and a request will be made with the district IT department. Once the request is approved and the hotspot is delivered to the school, someone will contact you for pickup.

Who do I contact for password resets or trouble accessing virtual learning platforms? If your child needs their password reset or can not access a learning platform, please contact the school front office (678) 874-8902 any weekday 9am-2pm and someone can assist you.

How can I order spirit wear or sign up to volunteer?

Please visit our PTO Membership toolkit website to purchase spirit wear and sign up to be a parent volunteer: https://kingsleypto.membershiptoolkit.com/

Please complete the Free & Reduced Meal Application for SY20-21. During the previous school year, as of 10/5/2019, our DCSD School Nutrition team processed 21,776 household applications versus approximately 9000 applications processed to date.

The district receives valuable funding such as Title I, E-Rate, and other funding resources annually based on October 31st free and reduced lunch data. Parents must submit a new application every year to receive meal benefits. Parents may complete the online application at www.schoolcafe.com. The meal application process takes 10-15 minutes to complete. A paper application can be obtained at one of the curbside meal production sites linked here and returned to any site. You may also click on the promotional flyer (in English and Spanish) to spread the word in our school community. The flyers are also below.

School Meal Service continues during virtual learning.

A bus will be in our bus lane every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 11am-1pm to distribute meals.

Please click the link for more information and view the menu below. https://www.dekalbschoolsga.org/student-meal-service/

Want to make sure you are up to date on all school news? Register with the PTO today!

1. Register with the PTO website/Membership Toolkit (this will ensure you receive PTO/Kingsley Newsletters).
(If you are a returning Kingsley family, update your information as necessary!)

2. Pay your School Dues of $40 per student to help with supplies, teacher stipends for materials, etc. (YES—supplies are needed for virtual learning!)

3. Donate to the Kingsley Annual Fund. Annual Fund donations help for major projects such as the recent playground renovation.

Remember registering with the PTO website/Membership Toolkit ensures you’ll receive the PTO/Kingsley newsletter--- you need this newsletter--- it has LOTS of information about virtual school and other fun activities for your students!

Here’s the website: https://kingsleypto.membershiptoolkit.com/