The Eagle Express
Week of: November 13, 2020
A Note:
Today is World Kindness Day. We have spent this week talking about different ways we can be kind to ourselves, others, and our community. It is such an important characteristic to me, that I have the words "Choose Kind" in big letters on my office wall. In my conversations with students, I often ask them, "Did you choose kind?" So much can come down to those two, simple words. So, in honor of World Kindness Day, how could you "choose kind" today, and in the weeks ahead? This includes:
- Kindness for others
- Kindness for your community
- and most importantly, Kindness for YOURSELF
November is the month of Thanksgiving. We all truly have so much to be thankful for. In the coming weeks, I encourage you to take some time to reflect. I have been doing a lot of reflecting, as of late, given the climate of our world. One thing I am truly thankful for is this amazing Ronald Reagan community. I feel truly humbled to be here with all of you.
Take care of yourself. Take care of your families. Take care when out in our world. We're so glad you're here.
Yours in Gratitude,
Angela Patterson, Principal
Matt Stich, Associate Principal
At a Glance:
- Note from Superintendent Garza
- Veteran's Day Update
- Virtual Book Fair begins Monday
- Dining for Dollars
Out and About
Honoring our Veterans
Corn Dog Kindness
Fall Sunshine
Important "Save the Dates"
- Report Cards and IEP Progress Reports will be viewable in IC today at 4:00PM
- All SDNB students will participate in virtual learning on Monday, November 30 and Tuesday, December 1st. Face to face instruction will be back in session on Wednesday, December 2nd.
Fall Parent/Teacher Conferences
Below is a link to the conference times for Ronald Reagan students. If you have questions about times or specifics, please reach out to your homeroom teacher.
A Message from Superintendent Garza
Good afternoon families and staff,
For the last several months, all of us at the School District of New Berlin have worked hard to keep our schools open during the COVID-19 pandemic. We have implemented several safety measures, altered our schedules, conducted extensive contact tracing and monitored daily data and information all as means to help mitigate the spread of the virus and keep our students, staff and families as safe as possible.
Throughout the process, our Pandemic Response Team has been working with Waukesha County and the Waukesha County Health Department and consulting neighboring school districts. As of today, our district has been fortunate. Whereas other County schools have been forced into an all-virtual instructional model, we have avoided the need to do so. Likewise, other districts chose to start in a hybrid model with the hopes of transitioning to a full in-person option and have been unable to do so.
Yes, we have had confirmed student and staff cases of COVID-19 and quarantines - all of which have been reported on our COVID-19 dashboard - but we have not yet been put in a position to consider a school or schools because of, or to prevent, an outbreak.
That said, the number of confirmed positive cases is near 400 per day countywide, and the County health experts expect that number to continue to increase through the holiday season. Waukesha County, as outlined in this letter, is not able to keep up with contact tracing and must change how it conducts contact tracing. In summary, the County will no longer:
- contact close contacts outside of the household;
- contact close contacts identified in school;
- contact schools to let them know if a parent has tested positive; they are relying on families to do this.
What does this mean for the SDNB? We continue to need your help to mitigate the spread of the virus and to keep our schools open. If the district is not made aware of confirmed cases of COVID-19 within a student’s household, we may not be able to conduct our own effective contact tracing and notify close contacts in a timely fashion. The inability to do so could cause entire classrooms, schools or even the district to shift to virtual learning as a means to control the spread of the disease and keep all of our stakeholders safe.
While our goal continues to be to keep our schools open, the district is prepared to pivot to a full virtual learning model for all students should we need to, or be instructed to by the state. We encourage all of our families to be prepared for this as well. We know such a transition would be difficult for many of you, but we ask that you continue to consider how you can best make that scenario work for you and your student(s).
Thank you for your continued support and understanding.
Sincerely,
Joe Garza, Superintendent
Veteran's Day Honors
A huge thank you to all that participated in honoring our Veterans! A few updates:
- Honor Flight: Thanks to your generous donations, we raised enough money to send THREE Veterans on their honor flight to their memorials in Washington, DC! THANK YOU!!
- Honor Wall: So many contributions! It was humbling walking by the wall each and every day! Thank you to all that have served and continue to serve our country!
- Flags: We "planted" almost 500 flags on our front lawn on Veteran's Day. It is a beautiful reminder for all that see our school.
- Video: Please check out the beautiful video below that was created by our district. In normal circumstances, we host an assembly to honor our Veterans. We are so thankful for the hard work that went into this pandemic-friendly tribute. And a huge shout out goes to our very own Mrs. Zarske for her help in organizing this!
Virtual Book Fair
Dear Families,
You’re invited to shop our Scholastic Book Fair online from November 16-29! All purchases benefit our school and connect kids with new books, favorite characters, complete series, and more.
You’ll love the NEW option to shop for Book Fair exclusives directly from the interactive booklist and enjoy these special online shopping features:
· Over 6,000 items, including new releases, best sellers, and value packs
· All orders ship direct to home
· FREE shipping on book-only orders over $25*
· All purchases support our school and earn 25% in rewards
Visit our Book Fair Homepage and click “Shop Now” to get started:
https://www.scholastic.com/bf/ronaldreaganelemschool4
Futura Spanish Spring Offering
Live Interactive Spanish in a Virtual Setting!
ALL NEW MATERIAL THIS SPRING. . . Join Futura for a live, interactive Spanish class in real time! From the comfort and safety of your home, your child will learn Spanish in a dynamic, lively manner that incorporates songs and games. There are two options for learning: ‘Vamos a Explorar’ is a theme based class where students will “explore” all in Spanish. ‘Essential Spanish’ will include all the basics to create an amazing language foundation for years to come. Various times and days to choose from to fit your family’s needs for language learning. Please check our website for course details and offerings. https://futuraadventures.com/virtual-learning-registration/ Enroll today! Space is limited.
Student Council Updates
- Thanks to all that participated in our Food Drive for the New Berlin Food Pantry! It was a great success!
- SPIRIT DAY: Friday, November 20th is DISNEY DAY--dress as your favorite Disney Character or wear Disney gear.
Securly Tipline
Starting Nov. 2, the School District of New Berlin is proud to partner with Securly to offer Tipline, an anonymous tip-reporting system designed to give students another voice in our “See Something, Say Something” efforts.
All tips, whether submitted via phone, text, online or the app, go to the Securly 24 team, highly trained specialists with backgrounds in psychology, sociology and working / volunteering with children. The Securly 24 team determines the validity and risk level of all tips, and, based on the assessment, time of day, etc., the team determines whom to alert about the tip.
You can download the Securly Tipline app in the Apple App Store or in Google Play (app store for Android phones). You can also submit tips on the web at www.securly.com/tip, by phone at 1-833-300STOP or email at tipline@securly.com.
Girl Scouts Drive Through
Girls! Drive-thru and find out about all the AMAZING things you could do in Girl Scouts!
Join us for this fun, contact-less event! We have opportunities available for girls in grades 4K-12.
Whether you prefer an online troop or a traditional troop, Girl Scouts has so many ways for you to have fun and connect with other girls this year! Please check out the flyers below for more information!
Dining for Dollars
WHERE: MOD Pizza (3721 S. Moorland Rd)
WHEN: Wednesday, December 2nd from 10:30AM-9:00 PM
You can participate in this fundraiser by:
- Take out
- Delivery
- Pick up
To place your order visit MOD Pizza's online order website. Use the coupon code of "GR160392R" and 20% of your meal’s price will be donated back to Ronald Reagan HSA.
Check out the link below for more information!
Congratulations Katie Mulloy!
A huge congratulations goes out to Katie for this well-deserved honor! We are so fortunate to have her talents here at Ronald Reagan serving our students and families!
Ready, Set, GO Screenings
To build foundational skills and support readiness for school, the School District of New Berlin holds “Ready, Set, Go!” screenings for all of our early learners, ages 3-5 years old.
During this 60-minute screening we will observe the children’s skills in the areas of speech/language, motor, self-help, early learning and social development. The goal of the screening is to offer parents feedback regarding their child’s development and helpful information to get their child ready for school.
Please go to our website for enrollment information and the necessary forms to register for Ready. Set. Go!
www.nbexcellence.org/prospective/kindergarten-register.cfm. Call District Office to make an appointment after enrolling your child in Infinite Campus for screening online. 262-789-6242
More information can be found in the flyer below.
Masks are Mandatory
FROM THE RE-ENTRY HANDBOOK
Teaching, Re-teaching, & Reinforcing
The first weeks of school will include a heavy emphasis on providing clear expectations, support, and instruction to students regarding required face coverings. This will include the information regarding consequences of repeated refusal to wear a face covering. There will be some leniency during the first weeks of school, which may include things such as reminders to wear masks, teaching students how to properly wear masks, reinforcing the mask mandate, and helping students follow this new procedure and requirement for all students and staff. However, all incidents of refusal will be logged in Infinite Campus. Blatant refusal to comply with the district and state’s mask-mandate during the first weeks of school and when instruction resumes 5 days per week, starting Sept. 21, will result in the disciplinary action, as follows:
First Refusal
Teacher redirection
Parent contact
Infinite Campus documentation
Second Refusal
Infinite Campus documentation
The student will be referred to administration and suspended out-of-school for the remainder of the school day.
A reminder of the consequences for further violations will be provided to the parent and student along with the written notice of suspension per BOE POLICY 5131.2 CONDUCT - CAUSES AND PROCEDURES FOR DISCIPLINARY ACTION linked here
Third Refusal
Infinite Campus documentation
The student will be referred to the administration.
An out-of-school suspension will be issued and the student will be auto-enrolled in virtual learning for the remainder of the first semester.
The student will be suspended for no more than 5 days until the enrollment in virtual learning and the student’s course schedule is finalized. A written notice of suspension will be provided with a resolution detail of "enrollment in virtual learning."
**If the student has an individualized education plan (IEP) or Section 504 plan, face-covering accommodations should be discussed with the case manager. In the event a disciplinary response is necessary, the administration will follow all federal and state guidelines for discipline, which will include working with the IEP/504 team and potentially proceeding with a manifestation determination process.**
What are the student face covering expectations on the bus? What if a child at the bus stop is not wearing a mask?
No students will be left curbside if they refuse to wear a mask while getting on a bus or while on the bus. If a student doesn’t have a mask, they’ll be offered one by the driver. If they refuse it or refuse to wear it, they will be directed to sit in the front seat and the driver will contact the building administrator as soon as possible.
The first mask offense on a bus will result in a warning and a referral. A second mask offense results in another referral AND a bus suspension for 5 instructional days. A third mask offense after suspension will result in a bus suspension for the remainder of the semester.
Updated Sept. 22, 2020: Per Gov. Tony Evers’ new Emergency Order, all students in all grades (ELP-12) are required to wear masks while in our buildings and on our buses (with the exception of during lunch and other designated “mask breaks”) through at least Nov. 21. We recognize some students will not be able to wear a mask / face covering all day and we will evaluate this on a case-by-case basis. If a child has a medical reason to be exempt from wearing a mask, they must provide a note from their physician to a building administrator indicating the reason for the exemption. The SDNB will address any issues related to students intentionally refusing to follow these safety procedures. The CDC and Waukesha County have shared reasoning why masks / coverings should be worn to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
Will staff be required to wear a mask / face covering at school? What about visitors?
All staff will be required to wear masks / face coverings or work behind a plexiglass partition while in our buildings. At this point, families are not allowed in the building, unless it is an emergency. All visitors will be required to wear masks / face coverings while in our buildings.
How is a face covering defined in the Governor’s order?
A face covering is defined as a piece of cloth or other material that is worn to cover the nose and mouth completely. Face coverings include, but are not limited to, bandanas, cloth face masks, a disposable or paper mask, a neck gaiter or a religious face covering. The order states face coverings do not include face shields, mesh masks, masks with holes or openings or masks with vents.
The SDNB suggests all students have a minimum of two face coverings / masks among their school supplies, provided they satisfy the above-definition. The district may be able to provide masks / face coverings to students whose families are unable to provide / purchase them or to students who forget or lose them. The SDNB reserves the right to require students to wear a District-provided face covering if the District determines that a student's face covering does not satisfy the above-definition.
For our younger students, we encourage families to have their child(ren) practice wearing and getting used to masks / face covering prior to the start of the school year. You can make it fun or a game. Perhaps they could pick out their masks or try different ones on to see how they feel and what they prefer.
Please reach out if you have additional questions regarding face coverings.
We're Still Hiring!
- 1 Student Learning Assistant (5.45 hrs per day)
- 1 Building substitute (full year, full time position)
If you know of anyone that might be interested in these positions, please have them reach out to Mr. Stich at matthew.stich@nbexcellence.org
Save the Dates
RR Home & School Association
About Us:
The Home and School Association (HSA) at Ronald Reagan is a collection of Moms, Dads, Grandparents, Teachers and Staff Members working together to make our school a better place. Our mission is to build a strong community at the school and to support students and teachers in their academic efforts. Our HSA funds, organizes and hosts many of the programs and functions held for Ronald Reagan Elementary students. Our general monthly meetings are open to all wishing to attend and membership is free. All Reagan families are HSA members.
Ways To Connect:
Webpage - www.ronaldreaganhsa.weebly.com
Facebook - Ronald Reagan Elementary - Home and School Association (link to join)
Email - rrehsaexec@gmail.com
HSA Executive Board 2020-2021
President: Angela Kloskey - atkloskey@yahoo.com
Vice President: Mari Patterson - mari_p81@ymail.com
Treasurer: Tom Kloskey - tom.kloskey@fisglobal.com
Secretary: Julia Arnold - julia.arnold10@gmail.com
Latest HSA Updates:
6th Grade Promotion Committee Meeting
In case you missed the last meeting, there is still time to join! The 6th grade Promotion
Committee Meeting will be Thursday November 19th at 7:00pm
Interested, but can’t make the meeting please contact Mari Patterson at mari_p81@ymail.com
Use this meeting link to join:
https://meet.google.com/mrr-daek-nje
New Family Breakfast:
HSA would love to get creative this year and still host the new family breakfast (or lunch). We will need creative ways to gather and need a volunteer to plan this event. If you are interested in being the new family breakfast committee chair, please contact Mari Patterson (mari_p81@ymail.com).
We can't host these amazing events without wonderful volunteers to help.
Upcoming HSA Meetings
The HSA holds general meetings once per month. This is a great way to vote on ways to spend the HSA funds, learn about the budget and how the money is spent, help plan events, hear from the administration and see what is happening in your school. Meetings will be held virtually through Microsoft Teams until further notice. Meeting invites will be included in the Eagle Express and on the HSA Facebook page.
Upcoming Meeting Dates:
November 25, 2020
January 27, 2021
March 31, 2021
May 26, 2020
Food for Thought
In honor of our "corn dog wall" that hosts the kind notes kids wrote each other, you may be wondering where that came from? Below is the famous "Kid President." This video focuses on the 20 things we should say more often! One of which, is, of course, "Here is a surprise corn dog I bought you, because you're my friend!" That phrase inspired our corn dog wall of kindness! Mr. Hetzel even got in on the fun and made corn dogs for all of the 6th graders!
Choose Kind. Share a corn dog :)
About Ronald Reagan
Website: https://www.nbexcellence.org/schools/rr/
Location: 4225 South Calhoun Road, New Berlin, WI, USA
Phone: 262-789-6550
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ronald-Reagan-Elementary-267815246680257
Twitter: @ReaganSDNB