Ridgeway RAP January 15, 2021
Phone (573)214-3550 ~ Fax (573)214-3551
Principal's Pen
Important Back to School Information
It’s time to head back to school! We look forward to seeing our ‘in person’ Ridgeway students on Tuesday, January 19! This RAP has A LOT of information in it. Please look over the various points prior to sending questions or calling the office. Read this information together out loud as a family so that all family members help prepare and plan.
- School will meet in person Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday each week. Our first day is Tuesday, January 19, due to the holiday on Monday. Doors open at 7:20 a.m. and school officially begins at 7:40 a.m. Wednesday will stay the same as it has been the past few weeks.
- Masks are required and expected for all students, staff, and families on school property. Students should load the bus and exit their vehicle at school with their mask in place. Students will wear their mask for the entire bus trip. Your child should bring two masks each day – one to wear and a spare. This protective measure is imperative for continuing in-person school in as safe a manner as is possible.
- Ridgeway’s ionizers have been installed in each classroom space.
- Watch for an email from your student’s homeroom teacher with a detailed list of supplies that need to come back to school. Pack up supplies over the weekend so that you are ready to go on Tuesday morning.
- Morning Arrival to school - As there are more families dropping off instead of riding the bus, this will take longer than normal. Please do not park or exit your vehicles. There is no crossing guard on Woodlawn as everyone will pull up along Sexton. Make sure that your kiddos are ready to exit the vehicle when you pull up to the drop-off area. All students will be dropped off in the morning along the front of the school on Sexton Road. Parents and buses share the same lane and should pull all the way forward. The front sidewalk can become congested very quickly. Please, please pull all the way forward! Students need to be ready to get out of the car, and parents should remain in the car. This helps our line keep moving. Staff members will be available to help students maintain distance and direct traffic. Thank you so much in advance for your patience! When we were in school this past fall, the biggest thing holding up the line was when students were not ready to exit the vehicle. They should put their mask on and get their belongings gathered as you turn onto Sexton Road.
- The City of Columbia notified us that the intersection of Sexton and Garth will be closed beginning on Monday, January 18 for several months. As you drive west on Sexton after drop-off in the morning, you will need to turn right on Grand or left on Mary before the road closes.
- Parent pick-up will start at 2:40 p.m. on the playground. Parents and guardians need to wear a mask while on school property. If you are not able to wear a mask, we will make an alternative arrangement with you. Parents will walk up the driveway behind the school building. You will enter the playground by the gate near the dumpster. You will go to the left and follow the path of stars painted on the playground. One family group per star. You will follow the star path and meet your child. Please follow the path of stars. Parents will exit the playground at the other, larger playground gate, walk down the stairs beside the school, and walk to their car. Please walk up the driveway and down the stairs. There will be staff to help. There will be many families picking up children and you will need to be patient.
- Each family will receive two cards for parent pick-up. As you approach staff and the student area, display your yellow card. If you need additional cards for others that are approved to pick up your students, please contact the office. The cards will be sent home with students on Tuesday, January 19. Please begin using them on Thursday, January 21 (see picture below.)
- Our teachers are being encouraged to take advantage of outdoor spaces as much as possible and as weather allows. It would be very helpful if students wear tennis shoes daily and bring a reusable water bottle to school. If your child(ren) need either of these items, please contact the Ridgeway Office so we can help you out.
- Have questions about bus transportation? Want to know where your child’s bus stop is? Go to Find my Bus Route, select Advanced Search, select Grade, Ridgeway, and the Program is Lottery. Enter the address your child will be boarding the bus from.
- Breakfast and lunch will be eaten in the classroom. All students are eligible for one free breakfast and one free lunch now until June 30, 2021. The Free and Reduced-Priced Meals Application is NOT required to receive FREE meals at this time, however, completing the application may make you eligible for additional benefits. More information can be found here: www.cpsk12.org/nutritionservices
- Grab-and-Go meals will be available for pick up every day for virtual students and will be available to in-person students on Wednesdays. You can pick up at any school for children ages 2-18. Ridgeway’s time slot for Grab-and-Go meals is 12:35-1:05. This is a firm time window. Meals will not be available outside of this time frame. Grab-and-Go meals will only include lunch at this time. Additional information on Grab-and-Go is available here: www.cpsk12.org/grabandgo
- Finally, I know you have a lot of questions. I have tried to answer as many as I am able but I know that I cannot possibly speak to every single concern. The district’s comprehensive return plan which outlines specific strategies is available at www.cpsk12.org/fall2020.
- Attached is the Columbia Public Schools FAQ document regarding our January return.
Thank you so much for your patience and continued trust. As our school staff learns more about the needs of our building as we return again to in-person school, we will/may make changes and adjustments.
Parent pickup cards will go home on Tuesday, January 19. Use this starting Thursday, January 21.
From the Ridgeway Kitchen
Hello Ridgeway families! We will begin serving a Grab-and-Go lunch meal from the back entrance of the school. The time will be from 12:35-1:05 p.m., Monday-Friday. Any child ages 2-18 will qualify. Please call the school at 573-214-3550 and ask for Lori in the kitchen if you have any questions.
Unit A, B & C News
We are looking forward to seeing all students on Tuesday! Please look for more information from your child’s classroom teacher about specific supplies to send back when we return.