The Dolphin Digest
October 26, 2020
Upcoming Events
October 29th- Parent Town Hall Meeting (Last Minute Questions) @ 9am : Zoom link below
October 29th-November 11th- Smithfield Virtual Book Fair
November 2nd- CMS In-Person K-5 Begins
November 2nd- "A" Group comes to Smithfield for in-person learning
November 3rd- No School- Teacher Workday
November 4th - All students (A/B/FRA) Remote Learning (Asynchronous Wednesdays)
November 5-6- "B" Group comes to Smithfield for in-person learning
November 11- No School- Holiday
Parent To Do's:
- Review Smithfield Parent Guide for Back to School
- Review Smithfield Safety Videos with child
- Consider joining the Smithfield PTA!
- If you, or someone you know, wants to sign up to receive the Dolphin Digest, email: smithfielddolphinnews@gmail.com
Parent Town Hall- Last Minute Questions: 10/29 @ 9am
We ask that you review all documents and links included in the DD prior to the meeting, as there is a plethora of information out there that might provide clarity. Thank you!
Topic: Parent Town Hall
Time: Oct 29, 2020 09:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82732944913?pwd=ZUkyeWk3b0txbjh1ZllrUE5GdzBCQT09
Meeting ID: 827 3294 4913
Passcode: 2a1S7a
Car Rider Reminders for next week...
ARRIVAL TIMES:
Students should arrive at the following times by last name:
7:15-7:25 A-F
7:25-7:35 G-O
7:35-7:45 P-Z
-Car Riders- please help our morning carpool line move quicker by:
- Please remain in your car. Do not park and walk you children from the parking lot to the sidewalk. We need all car riders to remain in the carpool line.
- Please have the children wear their masks while interacting with school staff during temperature checks.
- Please help your children unbuckle their car seats and seatbelts and gather their belongings while you are sitting in the line waiting to be screened.
2020 Capital Campaign Kick-Off
Please consider donating to our 2020 Capital Campaign and watch the video below to see one of the ways your donation is used to support Smithfield. Ways to donate include:
· Cash or Check: Payable to Smithfield PTA
· Credit or Debit Card Online at: https://smithfield.memberhub.store/shopping/categories/6857
· Venmo: @SmithfieldElem-PTA (Please add Capital Campaign in the memo.)
· Double your donation via Corporate Matching: Contact your employer’s Human Resources Department for details. Some employers who match include: Ally Bank, Aon Hewitt, AT&T, AXA, Bank of America, Beacon Partners, Charlotte Palm Corps, Duke Energy, GE Foundation, Goodrich, Home Depot, Kraft, LPL Financial, Premier, and TIAA.
o Please include a copy of your employer’s matching form
Projected A & B Attendance #s per Classroom
Please note that these numbers are constantly changing.
If you want to request a transfer between FRA and Plan B (or vice versa), please complete this form ASAP.
In-Person Teaching Pairings
CMS COVID-19 Guidance for Parents
- What happens if someone tests positive for COVID-19?
- How will our schools be maintained to prevent the spread of COVID-19?
- How will I be notified if someone tests positive for COVID-19 in our school?
- What should I do if my student tests positive for COVID-19?
- When can my student return to school in-person after a positive COVID-19 test?
- What should I do if my student develops COVID-19 symptoms?
- When can my student return to school in-person after developing symptoms?
- What should I do if my student was a close contact to someone who tested positive for COVID-19?
- What else should I keep in mind?
In-Person Attendance from CMS
On days when a student is scheduled to receive In-Person Learning, the student must attend school for at least half of the day (elementary/middle) or period (high) to be marked “Present On Site.” If the student does not attend school on scheduled in-person learning days, the appropriate absent code will be used.
Attendance in elementary grades is based on daily attendance.
The Present-Off Site (1R) code can only be used for a student who does not attend on scheduled In-Person Learning day only when the student is at home due to Covid-19.
Dolphin Studios Presents...Smithfield Safety Videos
Smithfield K-5 Return to School Instructional Plan
Recorded Town Hall Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1v8UjN7Oxg&t=2772s
Smithfield Parent Guide to Back to School
Procedures, Safety, & Logistics Parent Town Hall Recording (10/15): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNKJk_oQexU&t=694s
Student Daily Arrival Requirements
-Smithfield website
-provided QR code in material bag
Parents will be prompted to enter their child's CMS Student ID# to begin the screener.
Please review the video below to find out more.
In addition to the Daily Health Screener, all bus riders must complete the CMS Bus Attestation form once a week (turned in the first day they ride the bus a week). The CMS BUs Attestation can be found at any of the following locations:
-Smithfield website
-Direct Link: https://www.cms.k12.nc.us/cmsdepartments/transportation/
-Q2 Student Material Bag
Student Medicine for In-Person Instruction
For CMS Medication Authorization and Self Carry Order forms and various Action Plans/ Order forms (example: Asthma, Allergy, Diastat for Seizure):
https://www.cms.k12.nc.us/cmsdepartments/csh/Pages/Forms%20and%20Documents.aspx
PTA Fall Book Fair
Hi Smithfield Dolphins! We hope you are all staying well, and getting excited to come back to school sometime in November. Since we can’t be together yet, we wanted to let you know that we will be hosting another virtual Scholastic Bookfair! Please follow the link below to enter the fair, which will run October 29th through November 11th. Remember, a $25 books-only purchase will get you free shipping!!
Parent Corner
No doubt this Halloween is going to be a tricky proposition! But even though it will be different, it’s a perfect time to encourage your child’s growth in many ways, especially with the essential skill of being FLEXIBLE. Without the usual trick-or-treating, parties, festivals, or haunted houses, your child (and maybe you) might be feeling disappointed. But with some creative thinking, there is still fun to be had and opportunities for social, emotional, and executive functioning skill-building.
First and foremost is the ability to problem solve and be flexible! This can be done by modeling flexible thinking yourself and getting your children to collaborate with you on some creative and alternative plans that are doable during this pandemic. This is a time to emphasize to our kids that just because they’re accustomed to a certain routine, there are plenty of other ways to celebrate. That growth mindset we talked about a few weeks ago comes in handy here, as we talk to our kids about being more open and inventive and brainstorming new possibilities. Here are some ideas for getting into the Halloween spirit while also building social and emotional learning:
Pumpkin Faces:
Decorate small pumpkins with different facial expressions using markers, paint, stickers, or Mr. Potato Head pieces and have your child guess how the pumpkins are feeling. This gives kids a chance to identify different emotions, build their emotional vocabulary, and practice being an emotional detective.
Pumpkin Carving:
Carve pumpkins to display various emotions. Make up stories for why the pumpkin feels that way.
Halloween Baking:
Bake cookies, cupcakes, or other treats decorated for Halloween. In the spirit of flexibility and creativity, try making substitutions in your recipe.
Costumes:
Help your child write a story or draw a picture that goes along with their Halloween costume, and how their chosen character might be feeling. Invite a group of friends to show their costumes virtually.
*This information is adapted from makesociallearningstick.com
"Looking for a fun activity for your family? We have just the thing for you!"
October Fun with Mrs. Solar : A Pumpkin Book Report!
Choose one of your favorite children’s book characters and decorate a pumpkin to look like that character!
How creative can your family get?
Snap a picture of your finished pumpkin and send it to Mrs. Solar by October 25th: sara1.solar@cms.k12.nc.us
All pictures will be published in the Dolphin Digest and on Smithfield’s FaceBook and Instagram!
Some examples for inspiration:
Join the Smithfield PTA!
The Way to a Teacher's Heart... Snacks!
If you are able, families can drop off canned drinks and individual packaged snacks and fruit. Please pull to the front of the school and call the front office (980-343-6550). We will come right out to get the donations from your car.
Thank you in advance for your support!
CMS Meal Bundles
CMS Eats at Home deliveries end on Friday, Oct. 23, as buses will be fully involved in transporting students to and from school at that point. Beginning the following Wednesday, Oct. 28, pick-up of weekly meal bundles at no charge will begin at the 32 locations below. Pick-ups will take place Wednesday each week from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. On Nov. 11, Veterans Day, and Nov. 25, Thanksgiving Week, pick-up will occur on Tuesday, Nov. 10, and Tuesday, Nov. 24, respectively.
The school locations were identified with a wide geographic distribution in mind to the extent possible, but also where the kitchens and dining areas can support the necessary production and storage areas (particularly freezer space). In addition, School Nutrition Services needed to consider ease of distribution of boxes without transporting them far from the kitchen for long periods of time to allow for food safety and keeping temperatures.
An important and exciting note: Weekly meal bundle pick-ups will be available for all students, regardless of whether they are in school for a portion of the week (i.e., K-5 on A or B rotations can still pick up weekly bundles). There is now a waiver in place which allows us to feed students seven days per week. As such, they can receive their two meals in person each day they are in school (Monday/Tuesday or Thursday/Friday) and still receive a meal bundle for the remaining five days. The only exceptions to this would be our Pre-K and EC students who are receiving meals in school five days each week.
Bundles will still need to be ordered via PayPams so that School Nutrition Services knows how many to prepare. Families will select their pick-up location and can change that location from week to week if that provides convenience for them.
Finally, in addition to the locations listed below, School Nutrition Services is providing daily breakfast and lunch to the CMS remote learning sites as well as other locations around the community that are not official remote learning sites but have applied to receive meals to support their daily programming with children.
CMS Meal Benefits
https://mealapps.cms.k12.nc.us/lfserver/CMS_FRA_APP_ENG-20-21
Meal prices will remain the same next year. All students will receive breakfast at no charge. Lunch prices are $2.50, pre-kindergarten; $2.75, kindergarten to eighth grade; and $3, ninth to 12th grade.
Stay Connected!
Each child will have an Agenda that will go between home and school every day.
Weekly ConnectEd email newsletters
Facebook (Smithfield):
www.facebook.com/smithfieldelem
Facebook (Smithfield PTA):
www.facebook.com/SmithfieldElementaryPTA
Twitter:@SmithfieldES
Instagram: smithfieldelementary
School Website: http://schools.cms.k12.nc.us/smithfieldES