Family Newsletter
9/27/20
#RobinsonStrong
I have had many families email or call and ask if/when we are returning to school. I wanted to share the information that I've told them with all of our families.
As we continue to see decreases in the spread of COVID 19, our primary focus is creating a phased-in approach to return to in-person learning with continued safety measures in place. We are working with K-5 teachers, staff members, and administrators to develop a plan for our elementary schools to bring to the Board of Education for approval during the Board meeting on Monday, September 28. All Board meetings are conducted virtually via a webinar and can be found at kirkwoodschools.org/virtualboe. Our webinar license only covers 1,000 viewers. We also stream the board meetings live on the Kirkwood School District’s YouTube Channel. Link.
The District will send out information to all families and staff members immediately after the vote by the Board of Education.
I anticipate that I will have a special report newsletter for families and staff next week once we know more. I would rather over communicate than not share the information in a timely manner.
Please reach out if you have any questions, concerns, or if we can provide your family any support.
Take Care-
Angeline
The Distance Learning Playbook for Parents: How to Support Your Child's Academic, Social, and Emotional Development in Any Setting
Our staff members have been reading the teacher version of this book as part of their staff development. I'm inviting staff and families to join me in learning more about how to support our kids while they are learning at home.
We will have four zoom meetings to discuss the four sections of the text. Even if you are unable to read the text, you can join us for collaborative conversations regarding the tools that are shared. You will join via the same zoom link for all of our meetings.
https://kirkwoodschools.zoom.us/j/96634940690
1. The Basics- October 6th, 9-10 am or 5:30-6:30 pm
2. The Value of ...- October 20th, 9-10 am or 5:30-6:30 pm
3. The Principles of Wellbeing- November 3rd, 9-10 am or 5:30-6:30 pm
4. The Mindframes- November 17th, 9-10 am or 5:30-6:30 pm
Staff and Families please register to participate in this book study. I will be emailing a study guide, notes, and agenda from the reading prior to our meeting. I look forward to learning with you!
Click here to order a paperback version that is ready to ship now (the Amazon version is preorder for paperback)
Click her to order a digital version from amazon
Theme Days for Wacky Wednesday
The Glory Run/Walk Virtual Marathon
We are a little over a week away from the Glory Run. We are closing in on 400 participants, and the goal is 500. Proceeds from the Glory Run will establish a fund that will award annual scholarships to Kirkwood students of color as part of the Kirkwood School District Foundation Named Awards program. Find more information and register for the event HERE.
The virtual marathon starts on October 1, 2020. This is your chance to run or walk a full marathon over the course of 31 days in October while supporting a great cause. Participants may run/walk 26.2 miles, or bike 100 miles.
Participants will receive the long-sleeved t-shirt shown and a decal. You can download the free Strava app or this printable calendar to help track your progress, and/or join our Facebook Event The Glory Run/Walk Virtual Marathon , where you can share your progress and/or photos with others on the same journey!
If you decide you would like the shirt and decal, but would rather sit this one out, we have a Couch Potato option as well: visit our Kirkwood School District Foundation donation website to make a donation.
Robinson PTO Executive Board
Robinson Community,
We have a critical need for Executive Board Position Co-Chairs. After this year, all current officers will have fulfilled their two year term. We would like to create an opportunity for a co-chair(or two) to sit with us this year and learn the ropes before we hand the duties off next year! Elections will take place at our October PTO Meeting at 6:30p.m. on October 13th!
If you feel as though this is something you are considering, please see the attached document that lays out what each position entails! We are also offering three Zoom Meetings over the next week to answer any and all questions about each position. If these times do not work for you, or you have a question that you'd like to discuss before/after the Zoom meetings, please email Christina: robinsonpresidents@gmail.com
We have an incredible Executive Board and we look forward to adding you to it!
Tuesday, September 29th, 2020 at 1p.m.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/77183667108?pwd=eWZNTUpBbGh3VG9GUDErMVVhK1NGQT09
Meeting ID: 771 8366 7108
Passcode: 3HiSbr
Wednesday, September 30th, 2020 at 8p.m.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/71093131114?pwd=RUxPMUFjb0ljSlBhZjlQdmdKWUt0QT09
Meeting ID: 710 9313 1114
Passcode: 4KaV2s
Sunday, October 4th, 2020 at 4p.m.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/76608250344?pwd=U1NYcXJ3U1gzeDFTQ2Rjcjg0OGorZz09
Meeting ID: 766 0825 0344
Passcode: 4ZABWW
Is your child feeling disconnected from their peers?
We need your help cleaning up our grounds! PTO Outdoor Learning and Sustainability Committee
Come join us for our first outdoor workday of the school year! We'll be getting our spaces cleaned up and ready to use for when our students make their return to Robinson. Our outdoor spaces are going to be more important than ever this year! Come early, come late, stay for 30 minutes or 3 hours. No special skills needed. We will practice social distancing between families and ask people to wear masks when close to others.
When: October 10, 8:30 a.m.-12:00 noon (come at any time and stay for any length of time)
Where: Robinson Outdoor Learning Center (OLC) and Garden spaces
Who: Everyone is invited!
What: We will be cleaning out/weeding our garden spaces, doing some planting, and getting our outdoor spaces ready for our students again. You can check out the event page on the Robinson PTO FB group to see video of the spaces we'll be focusing on and hear about the plans for these spaces
Please bring shovels, hand shovels, gloves, etc. to work with if you have them.
Dialogue for change: Wed. Oct. 7th 6-8pm Keysor & Robinson Elementary Schools in dialogue with Diversity Awareness Partnership
Robinson Equity Group
We'd like to welcome all new Robinson families, and invite all new Robinson parents and caretakers to participate in the Robinson Equity Group. We advocate for inclusion and acceptance by establishing a brave space that produces authentic conversations about race, equity, privilege, and oppression. We strive to build meaningful relationships that connect families and work to create equity in our schools and communities.
We've had some discussion about how to move forward when we can't all meet in person, and we are all consumed with navigating online learning. We had a great online book club session this summer on Ibram X. Kendi's book How to Be An Anti-Racist, but we realize reading a book and investing in several sessions of discussion might be more capacity than some of us have given the circumstances. At the same time, now is not the time to take our foot of the pedal in our equity work. We want to keep moving forward!
So . . . this fall we're going to try a PODCAST discussion group instead. One podcast episode, once a month. All you need to do is listen to the podcast episode, and join us on Zoom to dig in to the issues and ideas in the episode.
We are VERY excited about this month's podcast, which is an interview with anti-racist author, educator and media producer Austin Channing Brown from Brene Brown's podcast, Unlocking Us. It is a GREAT dialogue, and we can't wait to dive in.
Please join our first podcast discussion on Thursday, October 1 from 6:30-8:00 on Zoom. We'll make an event post with the link to join before the date. All Robinson parents and caretakers, old and new, are invited!
https://open.spotify.com/episode/524Kg4l5UyP8nQB1Qh6sGV?si=pjnS7YHlTZeB_SQExHiE8Q
Join our discussion via zoom:
https://kirkwoodschools.zoom.us/j/98060595971
New parents and caretakers can request to join our REG Facebook page, @RobinsonEquity or email questions or thoughts to co-chairs Alicia Stowers and Emily Kohring at robinsonequity@gmail.com
PTO Robinson Spirit Wear
Here is the info for our Robinson PTO apparel orders. Please feel free to share, post and promote as PTO will make a few dollars on each piece purchased which benefits all students! Our spirit wear sales have been extended-
Store - https://stlouistees.com/robinsonelementary/shop/home
As I shared in last week's newsletter, our PTO does a lot to support our staff and students to ensure that everyone has what they need and that they are also giving back to our community. Your spirit wear purchase will support these efforts that make our school community so special. Thank you to PTO for all you do!
Library Updates
Robinson Curbside Library Check-Out
We will continue to offer curbside check out of library books during our virtual learning time. Please use either Destiny Discover to place holds on specific titles or the Google Form to request books by Wednesday each week. Mrs. Davis will email on Thursdays if you have books ready for pick up. Pick up will be in the OLC from 8AM-7PM every Friday.
Virtual Author Visit
Author Sherri Rinker will meet with all K-1 students in the Kirkwood School District on October 2nd at 8:30 over Zoom. This visit is being provided through the Novel Neighbor bookstore in Webster Groves. Mrs. Davis will be teaching K-1 students about Sherri Rinker and reading her books in upcoming library lessons. If you would like to know more about Sherri Rinker and her books, you can visit www.sherririnker.com.
All Robinson students are able to order books by Ms. Rinker. After her visit, you will be able to pick up the books at Robinson during our Friday curbside pick up, or pay to have the books shipped to your home. Here are links to order the books. If you would like to pay with cash or check you will need to bring payment to The Novel Neighbor.
cash/check: https://forms.gle/eqeNjAcG4ZGgNxnr6
credit card: https://thenovelneighbor.com/srinker/
iPad Battery Tips & Insurance
iPad batteries might be draining more quickly than usual, which is to be expected with videoconferencing which uses quite a bit of processing power. In the past, a student could start the day with 50% charge and make it through a day or two in a non-remote learning setting. Now, with structured Zoom meetings and heavy use of the iPad, students can start the day at 100% and need to charge midday. This is normal and to be expected. Even as students are charging the iPad during use, charge speed can be slow due to video conferencing demands. It’s more crucial than ever to start the day with a 100% charged iPad. To check the iPad battery, please go to settings > battery.
(Please see the illustration provided.)
Other measures that can help preserve battery life:
-dimming the screen or turning on auto-brightness when the iPad is in use
-settings > display&brightness > set auto-lock to 2 minutes
Payment for iPad insurance is no longer offered through Infinite Campus. However, you can pay for iPad insurance through your MySchoolBucks.com account:
- Log in to MySchoolBucks.com or create a free account.
- Click School Store at the top of the page and select Browse All Items.
- Choose the Store Item and add it to your cart.
- Check out!
Parents can also download the "MySchoolBucks" app to set up an account and make payments. Those who prefer to not use our online payment option can pay via cash or check, working directly with Robinson.
Tech Support
If you have an issue or breakage to your student's district-issued device, please contact the “Tech Help Chat, not Keysor's main office. The tech chat online is available Monday-Friday from 8:00am to 4:00pm. There is also a new Tech Support phone number, 314-213-6199. You may call between 8 to 4 pm weekdays.
Click Here for Parent Academy. This has help with all things KSD technology
Online Tools Status - This page serves as your go-to place to see if any of our systems, particularly Schoology and Zoom, are experiencing service issues on a national level. You can click on the invididual icons for additional information.
KSD Univeral Apps & Tech Tools - Brief information and links regarding shared tech resources available across our schools and grade levels
How-To Guides & Resources
- Viewing Your Student's Account in Schoology
- Using Your iPad Clock to Stay Organized
- Using Split Screen to Multitask on iPads
Students - General Tech Questions
Accessing Accounts & Information
Schoology Support
Meals for Families
KSD NOW is currently serving 170 students for the 20-21 school year. Since July, KSD NOW provided approximately 11,230 meals to students in the District, plus snacks, books, and gift cards.
The Grab and Go program has served 7,484 breakfasts and 8,699 lunches since July 1, 2020.
For more information about KSD NOW, please visit the KSD NOW donation website. KSD NOW would like to provide additional items for the upcoming holiday months and longer breaks for the increasing number of students in the program and would appreciate continued support of this program. For more information about Grab and Go Meals, please visit our Parent Academy website.
20-21 Buzz Book
If you want to connect your child with their classmates- the 20-21 Buzz Book can help you do that! This is an opportunity for families to connect to set up zoom Friday afternoon play dates, in person get togethers, or share invitations to modified birthday celebrations. Thank you to PTO for putting this resource together to help our families connect!