WHPS Remote Elementary School
One Community * One Year
Message from the Principal
Welcome to the West Hartford Public Schools Remote Learning Experience (RLE) School for elementary students! Our teachers, office team and I look forward to meeting all of you in the coming weeks as your children begin the new school year in our online learning environment.
As Director of Elementary Education and town resident with two children who attended our elementary schools, I bring my relationships with the principals, teachers and leaders in West Hartford and experience with summer remote learning to my principal role. We appreciate your trust and patience as we prepare for the over 700 PreK-Grade 5 students who will log in for their first day of school (Sept 8th) with their classroom teacher and new friends from all across the district.
We are committed to making your child’s PreK or Kindergarten entry into school or transition back-to-school a positive experience. You will find detailed information on the Remote Learning Experience (RLE) schools on our district website at http://whps.org/remotelearning (click link at left or button below to access). My team and I will maintain communication sending you monthly newsletters with school and district updates.
Within this new setting, our neighborhood school contains voices from across all of West Hartford. We will develop new bonds among educators and families in our online school. We are one West Hartford community, here to support each other this year!
In partnership,
Kerry Jones
Remote Elementary School Principal
Director of Elementary Education
What will the Remote Learning school day look like?
Details are included in our Remote Learning Experience (RLE) School Handbook posted to the http://whps.org/remotelearning website. At all grades, students will have daily small group instruction (4-8 students) for 1-1 ½ hours per day with their classroom teacher. Students will see specials teachers for 30 min per day beginning the week of 9/14. They will also have daily or weekly assignments posted to their digital learning platform (SeeSaw in Grades PreK-2 or Google Classroom in Grades 3-5) to work on independently at home.
On Wednesday mornings from 8:30 - 9:00, each teacher’s entire class of 20-24 students will meet online together for a Morning Meeting group activity.
If your child is enrolled in the Aiken or Whiting Lane Early Learning Center (ELC), please contact Melissa Cook, ELC Supervisor, for information specific to programming schedule. She can be reached via the Whiting Lane School office at (860) 233-1455.
When will I know my child's teacher and group assignment?
Early week of August 31 (postponed from Friday, August 28) We know families are anticipating this information; however due to shifts in remote/school enrollment, we have needed to make staffing shifts over the past few days. Remote School placements will be emailed to your designated primary parent/guardian email address early next week and will include:
small group time of day
teacher name
Week of August 31 -Your child’s teacher will contact you to share your child's class Google Meet log-in link and other information for September 8. Please note that you do not need to have a Google account to access the Google Meet, just the email you designate for your child. Grades 3-5 students will log in with their WHPS Google email address once they get started with Google Classroom during the first week of school.
What supplies does my child need?
Quiet home learning space without distraction and access to an electronic device. Students in Grades 3-5 will need a Chromebook or laptop to access their Google Classroom learning platform. Grade PreK-2 students can use an iPad, tablet or laptop/Chromebook. A mobile phone will not be sufficient to support student remote learning. Please contact Angela Tokarz at (860) 561-6609 or Angela_Tokarz@whps.org if you do not have an electronic device with internet connectivity available for student use.
Basic school supplies are always helpful if available (a few pencils and eraser, writing paper of any type, child scissors, a gluestick, ruler, colored pencils or crayons). If your child would benefit from school supplies provided by the district, please let your child’s teacher or our office team know the week of August 31 @ (860) 561-6609.
Our remote school team will provide children with a remote learning toolkit of math manipulatives, journals/whiteboards or other hands-on materials appropriate to each grade level for pick up. More information to follow.
How do I contact the remote school office?
Our remote school office opens on August 31 with a dedicated phone line for elementary and secondary schools (860) 561-6609. Please call that number to report absences or to contact our office team or me with any questions or concerns.
Beginning the week of August 31, Mrs. Sarah Falvey will provide office support to the elementary remote learning school via the number above or email at sarah_falvey@whps.org. Mrs. Angela Tokarz is the remote school secretary for both the elementary and secondary remote schools and can be reached at (860) 561-6609 or angela_tokarz@whps.org.
Who are the teachers in the remote school?
The WHPS Elementary RLE School is composed of professional elementary educators from across the district. We will post the names of WHPS staff who will be part of the Elementary Remote Learning Experience (RLE) School to the remote learning school website by Monday, August 31.
Important Dates
August
- 8/31 @ 7:30 a.m. or 6:30 p.m. Overview of District Technology Platforms for Families (Multiple Languages) - Register here
September
- Tuesday, 9/1 @ 7:30 a.m. or 6:30 p.m. Overview of District Technology Platforms for Families - No need to register for 6:30 p.m. session (click here for Google Meet direct link)
- Saturday, 9/5 Back to School Book Bag Giveaway (see event listing below)
- Tuesday, 9/8 @ 7:30 a.m. or 6:30 p.m. Overview of District Technology Platforms for Families (Multiple Languages) - Register here
- Tuesday, 9/8 - First Day of School (online)
- 9/8-9/11 Remote Learning Toolkits available for pick-up (Location/Times TBD)
- Monday, 9/21- Principal Meet-Up (online) 10 a.m. & 5 p.m.
- Monday, 9/28-Yom Kippur (no school)
Grab & Go Meals Program-Remote/Hybrid Learning Students
Mondays and Wednesdays
12:15 PM – 1:15 PM
@ Conard High School or Hall High School
Student name & ID Number required
(click here for more information)
West Hartford Social Services Back-to-School Supplies Program
West Hartford Social Services offers a GIFT CARD to help your student(s) with school supplies for the 2020 – 2021 school year! (click here for eligibility guidelines and more info)
WHPS Health and Safety Videos
Back to School Book Bag GiveAway*
*First 100 students
Bags include folder, notebook, two pencils, and a cloth mask
Click here for the flyer and more information.
Saturday, Sep 5, 2020, 09:00 AM
Front Lawn of Town Hall 50 South Main Street West Hartford
First Day of School for West Hartford Remote Learning Elementary School
Students will begin their day with their classroom teacher by logging in to the Google Meet at their assigned time (morning or afternoon).
Tuesday, Sep 8, 2020, 08:30 AM
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http://whps.org/remotelearning
Mrs. Sarah Falvey, Remote Elementary School Office Support
Mrs. Angela Tokarz, Remote School Secretary
Location: 50 South Main St, Room 412
Phone: 860-561-6609