Words from Weston
January 2022
Jessica Hevel, Principal / Debbie Case, Secretary / Rhonda LeBrasseur, Clerk
Weston School Day: 8:45-3:35
PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
Hello Weston Families,
Winter is here and in full force! I have to admit that I actually love the calm and all of the fun outdoor activities that come along with Winter. If we have to live in the cold, we might as well enjoy all of the fun that comes along with it. We try to get the students out as much as possible, so please be sure to send your child bundled up each day.
Report cards will be sent home with your child on Friday, January 28th. It is such an exciting time for you to celebrate your child's successes. They've each already grown so much! If you have any questions or concerns about the report card, please contact your child's teacher.
Valentine's Day will be here before we know it. Individual classroom teachers will be reaching out to share how their classrooms will be celebrating. At this time, visitors are still not allowed for the celebrations.
I wish all of our Weston Families a very fun-filled, restful Winter!
Respectfully,
Jessica Hevel
KIDS READ NOW PROGRAM
We are so excited to announce that Weston students are participating in the Kids Read Now program. Within the next 7-10 days, each student will be receiving their first book in the mail, along with an illustrated writing journal. The students will then receive a new book every week, totaling six books over the course of the next 7 weeks. These are books for you to keep and to enjoy at home.
For more information, please read the attached Parent Guide. https://kidsreadnow.org/.../2021-Book-Bridge-Parent-Guide...
Happy reading!
PTA MEETING
MASK MADATE EXTENDED
The Genesee County Health Department (GCHD) released updates to their K-12 toolkit which provides us guidance in response to COVID-19 cases in schools. A significant change included within the new guidance is the reduction of quarantine timelines for close contacts from 10 days to 5 days. Any student or staff member who has tested positive or is currently in quarantine for being a close contact on their 6th day or beyond will be able to return to school tomorrow (Friday, January 14th) if they are symptom free. Any individuals who cannot wear a mask or have a mask exemption cannot return to school until 10 calendar days have passed.
We will also be extending the district mask requirement through Thursday, February 17th. Our extension of the mask requirement was necessary due to the significant differences in GCHD protocols for those districts that universally mask vs. those that do not require masks. This will include all students and staff in instructional settings and on buses. Athletics and extra-curricular participants, staff and spectators will be strongly encouraged to mask but it will not be required.
School Safety: Threat Assessment Process
In the wake of the Oxford tragedy, area school districts have dealt with a rash of verbal, digital and social media threats. We take each and every one of these threats seriously and have systems in place to evaluate these threats to help ensure the safety of all students and staff.
Prior to this school year, the district adopted the CSTAG (Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines) approach to threat assessment. This is an evidence-based approach for examining student threats developed after years of conducting field tests and studies. Most of our district administrators, all social workers and our security personnel are all trained in our CSTAG threat assessment tool. We have also recently ensured that a school psychologist is a part of the evaluative process for more serious threats. We also work alongside our local law enforcement to make determinations whether the student has access to weapons and the ability to harm themselves or others.
We are fortunate to have a school counselor in each building and four district social workers to assist and support our students each day.
Sadly, over 20 students in Genesee County have been charged with felonies for making threats to school buildings. Please take every opportunity to talk to our children about the severity and seriousness of making a false threat.
WINTER GEAR
Lost and Found: Our Lost and Found is overflowing! Please encourage your child to stop and look for lost articles of clothing.