Werner Cares and Shares is a special tradition where we come together to make meaningful contributions to our community and

give our children opportunities to experience the satisfaction of helping others. In the past we have hosted an evening full of hands-on projects and activities for families to do together. This year, instead, we will focus on one special group within our community each month and make handmade cards to express our gratitude and support.

The project is simple: We encourage you to use any materials you have at home to make a card. Notebook paper, construction paper, markers, tape, glue, scissors, etc. We will also have a stash of extra supplies in a box near Werner’s front door that you are welcome to use. When you are done, you can bring your card to Werner (bring them to your class table on distribution days or drop in the box by the front door) and we will collect them and deliver them for you to the group of the month.

For the month of JANUARY we will focus on saying THANK YOU to local Law Enforcement. We will deliver our cards to the Fort Collins Police Department. Feel free to make one card or a whole stack!

Please turn your cards in by Friday, January 29th.

Some ideas on what to write:

-Thank you for taking care of people.

-We are grateful for all you do to keep our community safe.

-Thank you for maintaining peace and cooperation in our town.

-We appreciate all your hard work.

-You are the Best!

-THANK YOU!

For over 20 years, Box Tops for Education has given families an easy way to earn cash for their school, with products they already buy. Now you can simply scan your store receipt with the Box Tops mobile app to identify participating products and instantly add cash to your school's earnings online.

Last year, Werner made $195 from this simple act. For more information, please go to: https://www.boxtops4education.com/. You can also drop off your box tops at the office. Thanks for your support!

Jan. 6, 2021

Dear PSD families,

Welcome back. I hope that you and your family had a restful and safe winter break. Regardless of the circumstances we faced during the first five months of the school year, it is always good to connect with family and friends over the holidays and still celebrate our traditions in some way.

The purpose of this message is to provide you with updated information as we begin our second half of the school year. I will start with the most important details, first. We adjusted our January/February schedule for our secondary students. While PSD preschool and elementary students remain on-schedule to resume in-person learning Tuesday, Jan. 19, our secondary schedules are changed to allow students to begin their in-person learning sooner than previously announced and, in some cases, for more days per week. Additionally, we have set future dates for our secondary students to begin in-person learning, five days per week.

• Poudre Global Academy, Centennial and Poudre Community Academy will communicate schedules to their families and students.

After evaluating Larimer County COVID-19 data and PSD-specific data gathered throughout the fall while students were in school, we decided to move forward with in-person learning for all PSD students. PSD data and other reputable sources suggest there is minimal spread of COVID-19 in schools, particularly for students ages 5 to 14. Students grow most when they are with their teachers and classmates, and they deserve nothing less than the best chance at success, academically and social-emotionally.

In-person learning presents safety challenges that differ by school level. In elementary school, students are generally grouped by their homerooms. When it is necessary to go to remote learning due to a COVID-19 case, the shift can be limited to a homeroom or a smaller group of students. Secondary students have multiple classes in a day and are around more people throughout the day. As a result, you will see a shifts to remote learning for larger groups of middle and high school students who may be close contacts with a COVID-19 case.

Regardless of the grade level, student and staff safety remain a high priority. You will see this commitment in action as we make our decisions for shifting students to remote learning in response to COVID-19 cases. We will monitor our data and quickly address higher risk situations; actions may include temporary closure of individual schools when percent positivity rates are 1% or higher. Although there will be shifts to remote education, we are opening our schools for in-person learning with the intent of keeping them open for the remainder of the year. We are pointing forward in 2021.

COVID-19 testing: With the Larimer County Department of Health and Environment (LCDHE), PSD will offer testing to symptomatic staff and students by about Jan. 19, to coincide with students’ return to school. We will share more information as it is available.

Vaccinations: The state, not PSD, controls the distribution of COVID-19 vaccinations and has a tiered plan based upon risk level. The 1A-tier, highest-risk healthcare workers are receiving vaccinations now, and people in the 1B tier will follow. In a Jan. 5 announcement, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said that vaccinations will be allocated to those in the top 1B tier (moderate-risk healthcare workers, people 70 years and older) from about mid-January to late February. After these groups, CDPHE estimates providers will be ready to vaccinate bottom 1B tier, frontline essential workers, including teachers and childcare workers, likely beginning around the end of February. PSD will work with LCDHE, so we are ready to go as soon as vaccinations are made available to us.

Health and Safety: Upon their return, students and staff will be expected to continue following our health protocols. We will maximize distancing and practice the 3 Ws, but 6 feet of social distance will not always be possible due to physical space limitations with more students attending more of the time. PSD will align with CDPHE’s updated Return to Learn guidance for when staff and students may return to work and school after experiencing illness symptoms (not a COVID-19 case). These replace the previous iteration of illness protocols.

COVID-19 protocols: Contact tracing will look different at the preschool/elementary and secondary levels. Read more on the PSD COVID-19 Protocols web page. Track the district’s data on PSD’s COVID-19 data dashboards.

Meals and transportation: Meals will be free to all PSD students through the rest of the school year. Distribution information plans will be posted on the Meals During 2020-21 web page. The Transportation Department is working quickly to re-design routes for all grade levels and will notify families as soon as possible about whether their students will be bussed. More information >>

It is incumbent upon each of us to wear a mask, wash our hands and watch our distance. We are counting on students, staff, families and community members to build and maintain our shared culture of safety. Let’s open our schools and keep them open.

Thank you, and I hope you all have a great start to the second semester.

Sincerely,

Todd Lambert, Ph.D.

Interim superintendent

Stay up-to-date with PSD's plans, protocols, etc. for the 2020-21 school year at: https://www.psdschools.org/psd2020-21. This site will house all the information needed for the different phases and updates throughout the year.