Catena Colts Connected
October 2, 2020
Dear Catena Families,
What a beautiful start to October this week! Please take a few moments to review the important information within this week's Catena Colts Connected. Next week we celebrate the Week of Respect and each day students and staff will dress according to the Daily Spirit Wear Themes. Picture Day has been scheduled for later this month and details are included below.
Thank you, again, to our families for continuing to embrace each day with patience, flexibility, grace and oodles of kindness!
Today, October 2nd, is World Smile Day! Be sure to share your smile with others today and everyday!
Be well,
Ms. Shaw & Mrs. Cecilione
Upcoming dates to remember...
Monday, 10-12-20: School Closed
Wednesday, 10-14-20: Picture Day, Cohort A
Thursday, 10-15-20: Picture Day, Cohort B & Virtual
October 5th-October 23rd: MAP Growth & iReady Testing Window
JJC Celebrates: Week of Respect
October 5th-9th, 2020
Catena Picture Day
Connected Learning
SuperKids will continue learning in the afternoon. These PM Learning Blocks will be from 2:25-3:35 each day following time for all students to have lunch and recess at home. Small group instruction (intervention/enrichment), teacher/student learning conferences, asynchronous lessons and assignments and related arts classes may be conducted daily. Teachers will share schedules in their Google Classrooms and students will have personalized learning opportunities across the week!
Arrival & Dismissal
- Doors Open 8:40am
- Dismissal 1:00pm
- PM Virtual Learning Blocks 2:25-3:35pm
At Catena, all entrances and exits will be marked for arrival and dismissal. Look out for our new SuperKid lawn signs for directions! Staff will be stationed outside each day to welcome SuperKids and direct them to the appropriate and assigned entrances. Hand sanitizer will be provided to each student. We encourage families to review these assigned doors/entrances with their children.
Students will come in assigned doors to limit the need for two-way traffic
Main Entrance: 1st & 2nd bus students & walkers from Chatham Ridge/Longview
Flag Pole Entrance: K, 3rd, 5th grade bus students & walkers from Chatham Ridge
Fourth Grade Entrance: 4th grade bus students, walkers, car riders; 1st, 3rd car riders
K/5th Grade Wing doors: K, 2nd, 5th grade car riders
Signage around the school building will remind our SuperKids and families of the importance of and requirement to socially distance from others. We ask that families discuss with children theses expectations prior to our first Connected Learning Days beginning Monday, September 21st.
When on school property, parents must wear masks at all times and practice social/physical distancing from all others.
Arrival & Dismissal procedures and maps can be accessed below.
What do SuperKids need each day?
- K & 1 students who requested a district Chromebook should bring the charged device and charger to and from school each day.
- 2-5 students should bring their charged district Chromebook and charger to and from school each day.
- All students should have a snack. Students may also bring a water bottle.
- All students MUST wear a mask and have an extra mask in their bookbag.
- Personal size hand-sanitizer.
- A small lunch-size paper bag (or a mask lanyard) to place their mask in during snack.
- Students should keep any supplies needed in the classroom & at home in their bookbag.
- Students should always have their Cohort A/B tag on their bookbag so they are easily identifiable when entering the building.
Snack
Water fountains in the school will not be accessible. Students may bring a water bottle with them. Glass is not allowed. Messages on bottles should be school appropriate.
Please send along a small lunch-size-paper bag where your child can place their mask during snack.
Daily Health Screening
Thank you! Our families have been doing a great job completing the district required Daily Health Screening. We ask that families prioritize time each morning before sending students off to school (on a bus, in a car, or by foot!) to complete the Daily Health Screening by 8:30am.
Log on to Genesis Parent Portal each morning and fill out the survey by 8:30 AM for each of your children(https://parents.freeholdtwp.k12.nj.us/genesis/parents?gohome=true
Honesty is a must! If your child is showing symptoms, keep him/her home and allow him/her to participate virtually. Completing the Daily Health Screening must become part of each Catena family's morning routine. It is already part of ours~all staff monitor themselves for illness and completes a Daily Health Screening.
What happens if a student arrives to school without a Daily Health Screening completed?
If the Daily Health Screening is not completed, students will not be able to start the school day with their classmates. Screening by the school nurse will be conducted and families will be contacted. A parent must then complete the Daily Health Screening along with the nurse or a health assistant and confirm that the child is in good health and has not been in close contact with someone with Covid-19.
Completing the Daily Health Screening is crucial as we strive to maintain a safe and healthy environment for SuperKids, families and Catena staff!
Try this morning checklist:
- Completed Covid/Daily Health Screening on Genesis Parent Portal;
- My SuperKid has their mask on. We have labeled the mask;
- My SuperKid has a back-up mask in their bookbag;
- Snack and a water bottle are packed in my SuperKid's bookbag!
Daily Health (COVID) Screening Form
Reporting a SuperKid's Absence
Please follow these steps when communicating your SuperKid will not be attending school for illness related reasons:
- Call your school's main phone line 732-431-4430 to access the attendance line (press 1) prior to the start of the school day (9:00 AM)
- Leave a message or provide staff with the following detailed information: NAME, GRADE, TEACHER, REASON FOR ABSENCE, GIVE SPECIFIC SYMPTOMS
- School staff will inform you of when student can return to school
- A PHONE CONFERENCE with your School Nurse is REQUIRED if student is excluded for COVID-related symptoms (see above)
Be Responsible~Mask Up!
Masks may be removed for water breaks and during scheduled snack, when students are socially distanced with 6ft of space. By making sure we "mask up" we can keep ourselves and others safe at school.
Families should make time to review the district's mandate and school expectations for wearing a face mask. We will continue to review the expectations and appreciate your support in doing so at home.
Technology Support
Virtual Learning Expectations
Counselor's Corner
Joseph J Catena Elementary School
Email: tshaw@freeholdtwp.k12.nj.us
Website: https://jjc.freeholdtwp.k12.nj.us/
Location: 275 Burlington Road, Freehold, NJ, USA
Phone: (732)431-4430
Twitter: @catenacolts