Pleasant Hill Weekly Update
April 2, 2021
Message from Mrs. Steele
Last week, we shared information about our plans to increase student learning time under the board approved "scenario 2"- alternating Wednesdays and "scenario 3"- a targeted approach. Many teachers were ready to share additional opportunities for face to face time during parent teacher conferences this week but if you have not yet heard from your child's teacher they will be in touch next week. I want to emphasize again that we wish we could have all students back, all the time but we just do not have the physical space to do so until the CDC guidelines around distancing are eliminated. The district is aiming for a 5 day/week return for Fall 2021 and will be reconvening phase level stakeholder groups later this spring to help each school meet that goal. Meeting dates are not set yet so please stay tuned and please stay hopeful!
Pleasant Hill staff have given great energy and thought to a very complex issue under a very short timeline. I could not be more proud or supportive of the effort and care they are giving to addressing student needs. We have committed as a school to increase face to face learning opportunities under the targeted approach for as many students as we can while maintaining curriculum integrity, addressing student academic and social/emotional learning needs and adhering to the CDC guidelines. Cohort C families will receive a survey today from your teacher asking about your thoughts and comfort level with some on-site SEL activities this spring. We know this has been an exhausting year and we all want this to be over yesterday, but please bear with us just a little longer so we can keep your children, your family and our staff as safe and healthy as possible.
If you have questions or concerns, please reach out. We still need your help, partnership and support, especially around providing transportation to/from school. Our buses are still adhering to the same requirements for physical distancing that they have been all year. Please know that even though we have space in a classroom for some targeted extra time, that does not mean the bus has space for transportation on non-cohort days. This is part of our complex reality! With that said however, regarding bus transportation, we have a list of "let's check and see" and if you need help, please reach out so I can add your student to our list. There is no guarantee but you never know unless you ask!
I'll wrap up with something that is hopefully a little more inspirational... A few weeks ago I think I shared how much I love spring- especially the sound of peepers. There's another sound I love in spring and that's the crack of a baseball bat hitting a ball. Live baseball is amazing and I really don't watch games on TV because it's just not the same. Live baseball has a smell of hot dogs and popcorn, green grass and sunshine, baseball caps and short sleeve shirts, and an energy that's indescribable. The thing about baseball (and softball) that applies to life right now is that no matter how far behind a team is, there's always a batter sent out of the dugout, going up to bat. I grew up in Atlanta so the professional games I went to were for the Braves. When they were really losing a game, the fans would trickle out of the stadium pretty early. But even when the Braves lost, there were fireworks at the end and the players came out onto the grass to wave and thank the fans. I never understood why anyone would want to miss that part.
We're in that 7th inning stretch right now. We hope our fans don't give up and leave the stadium just yet. Our entire team is going to keep showing up to bat until the very end of 2020-2021 and our dugout is full of people cheering each other on. There may not be real fireworks in June, but we're still going to have so much to celebrate!
Enjoy your weekend and if you celebrate Easter or Passover I hope you have a wonderful holiday!
Jesseca Steele
PH Principal
Pleasant Hill Book Fair
Pleasant Hill School Virtual Scholastic Book Fair is HERE!
You’re invited to shop our Scholastic Book Fair online from Monday, March 29 through Saturday, April 11, 2021! 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 Book List 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.
Thank you for your support!
From Nurse Dorice
Maine's Travel Guidelines have been updated:
Maine residents may now travel to these exempt states and return without testing or completing a 10-day quarantine.
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
Exempt effective March 5, 2021:
If you are planning to travel with your student to a non-exempt state or outside of the United States please reach out to Nurse Dorice for additional guidance. International travel guidelines (this includes US territories) differ from the above guidelines and can be found here.
Safe travels!
Primary PTA Message
Restaurant Night:
Thank you to everyone that joined us for the restaurant fundraising night at Nonesuch River Brewing. We raised around $300.
PTA Meeting:
Please join us for our next PTA planning meeting Monday, April 12th at 7PM
Link will be available on our Facebook page that morning.
May & June we'll be setting up our plan & budget for next school year along with electing board members and coordinating event committees. We'd love your input!
Coaches Corner
Please take a look at our new K-2 Learning Resources Website intended for families and caregivers: https://sites.google.com/scarboroughschools.org/k2learningresources/home
Kindergarten Registration 2021-2022
We are eager to welcome our newest Kindergarten students to Scarborough Public Schools! We are currently planning for Fall 2021 and will be able to release more information about what school will look like later this spring. If you have a child who turns 5 on or before Oct. 15, 2021 and you are considering sending them to school in the fall, please complete this form. Formal registration packets will be available on our website at a later date.
The information you provide is important for us to accurately plan for the number of classrooms, teachers and materials we will need in the fall. Please complete the form so we can contact you through email with updates and news about the 2021-2022 school year as the situation evolves and decisions are made. We will hold registration appointments at each school later in the Spring.
Upcoming Dates
March 29th-April 9th: Spring Conferences
Thursday, April 1st and Monday, April 5th: Report Cards go home
April 7th- Cohort A begins alternating Wednesdays
April 14th- Cohort B begins alternating Wednesdays
April 16-April 23rd- Spring Vacation- NO SCHOOL
April 26th- Targeted approach to increase face to face learning time begins for PH students
School Nutrition
Please remember you must order the night before. Here is the link to menus: http://www.scarboroughschools.org/central-office/nutrition-program/menus