RICHLAND REFLECTIONS

Week of 12/21/20 at Richland Elementary School

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Dear Richland Families,


As we wrap up December, we look forward to a Richland tradition on Tuesday at 3:00 - our Holiday Sing! Although it's virtual this year, we will still be together. See details for joining the live Google Meet below, as well as details on another assembly in January, rescheduled from that perfect snow day we had Thursday!


As a reminder, if you would like to change your child's instructional environment for a period of time, please call or email me at nzuerblis@qcsd.org. We respect and understand the decisions parents need to make, and we can work with you to ensure a return to live or virtual instruction.


Please note, there is no school instruction from this Thursday, 12/24 through 1/1/21. We will see you when school resumes on January 4!


Best wishes for the happiest of holidays and an even happier New Year! Here's to 2021!



Nicole Zuerblis

Richland Principal

PTO SNOWMAN CONTEST WINNERS!

Wow! There were so many entries, and students had fun making their creations. Check out the snowmen pictures, and congratulations to our winners who each won a $10 Target gift card!


CONGRATULATIONS TO


Kindergarten: Declan S. and Madelyn S.

First Grade: Malina L.

Second Grade: Addison R.

Third Grade: Olivia L.

Fourth Grade: Corbin D.

Fifth Grade: Loralie F.

SEE ALL RICHLAND SNOW CREATIONS BELOW!

A PAJAMA DAY THANK YOU FROM CHOP!

VIRTUAL HOLIDAY SING ON TUESDAY AT 3:00!

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Our holiday sing will be virtual this year, and families are invited to join! To accommodate a large number of participants, there will be 3 Google Meets, all live streaming the Holiday Sing. Please log in on a student computer (Quakertown email) to join. For multiple siblings, choose one link to log in together.


Grades K and 1: meet.google.com/xbp-iwyx-vdp


Grades 2 and 3: meet.google.com/ocd-mgbm-pha


Grades 4 and 5: meet.google.com/hcb-vfog-iyu

ASSEMBLY RESCHEDULED FOR JANUARY 6 at 10:00

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We are so excited to invite Jared Campbell back to Richland for the third year in a row! On Wednesday, January 6, we will have a virtual assembly at 10:00 AM. Teachers will join from classrooms, and virtual students are welcome to join with families from home. Click this link to join the assembly. It will open on Thursday. You can learn about Jared Campbell and find his music at www.jaredcampellmusic.com.
A dedicated section of the website serves as a COVID-19 directory place for families to locate resources and see the impact of the pandemic on the district. It's located in the Community Section and titled COVID-19 directory.

LET'S MAKE THIS A DECEMBER TO REMEMBER!

A SPIRT DAY FOR EACH DAY IN DECEMBER!

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Students continue to receive these habit tickets in person or virtually when they are "caught" displaying one of the 7 habits. Student names go on a virtual leaderboard, and we will recognize students who are part of forming 10 in a row.


We recognized our first set of winners and are already finding more!

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DAILY QUESTION OF THE DAY

Each day, we read a question of the day that stems from our work with Leader in Me. We encourage you to continue the conversations at home! Below are this week's questions. We'd love you to participate! Share your answers each day on Twitter @RichlandQCSD


MONDAY: What book have you read more than others?

TUESDAY: Student choice! Create your own question!

WEDNESDAY: Student choice!

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YELLOW ALERT MESSAGE FOR SCHOOL CLOSINGS

As referenced in Dr. Harner’s recent blog, we will send you a Yellow Alert message the night before IF our school has a significant risk of not having enough adults present to safely open for students the next day. Think of the Yellow Alert like a winter storm warning or other weather alert to be prepared for possible closure.


We will review our absence data again the next morning and consult with Dr. Harner. If we cannot open our school safely, you will be notified by 7:30 a.m., and our school will operate virtually for the day. Please note that the notification/closure will apply to the individual school building only and other buildings will operate normally.


We will do our best and exhaust all strategies to avoid having to close our school for lack of adequate staffing, but it may occur. This will be our system that provides you advance notice as soon as we can.


If the school becomes virtual for a day or a period of time, teachers will teach synchronously and will supply all information needed to students and families about daily schedules.


Thank you for your support.

DO GOOD DECEMBER!

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HAPPIER JANUARY 2021!

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A great way to express gratitude. I share these weekly with staff. Keep the shout outs coming!

ALL SCHOOL YEAR FREE BREAKFAST AND LUNCH FOR ALL QCSD STUDENTS

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The free food program is funded by the United States Department of Agriculture.


The United States Department of Agriculture has extended a nationwide waiver to allow the Quakertown Community School District to provide FREE meals to ALL students regardless of need. No qualification or identification is needed.

ALL students are eligible to receive FREE breakfast and FREE lunch through the end of the school year in June.


Breakfast will be served at Richland in our lunch room or classrooms from 8:45-9:00.


Lunch will have three selections daily: A sandwich/wrap/hot entree, a salad with a protein and roll, or a Grape/Peanut Butter Uncrustable. An assortment of fresh fruits and vegetables along with milk will be available daily. Students will order their lunches in the morning and will eat lunch in their classrooms. Lunches will be assembled by the cafeteria staff in bags, with aides delivering to rooms at the scheduled lunch times.


For Virtual Learners, free meal pickup is now held two days a week, Mondays and Wednesdays. On Mondays, students can receive meals for two days, and on Wednesdays for three days. Pickup remains at the Quakertown Community High School bus loop from 11:15 AM until 12:30 PM.

DEVICE TECH SUPPORT

If you have a technology issue that requires a device repair or swap in person, please click here for the Sign Up Genius. There are appointment slots for Tuesdays through October 20th between 1 and 3:30 pm. This will take place at the district office, 100 Commerce Drive, Quakertown, at the loading dock on the side of the building opposite of Route 663.


If you have a technology issue that can be handled virtually (ie. login information, Clever badge, PowerSchool related questions, etc.), fill out the form by clicking here.

FROM MRS. STAUFFER, OUR SCHOOL NURSE

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WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO QUARANTINE?

What should you or your child do if asked to quarantine due to exposure to Covid-19? After an exposure to Covid-19, it may take between 2-14 days for symptoms to appear. When ordered to quarantine, you must stay inside of your home until cleared by the Department of Health. Even if you have no symptoms, you or your child should not be outside of your home having close contact with friends and neighbors. If you become infected with the virus, with or without symptoms, interacting with others not in your household can cause community spread of the disease.


While in school, we require children and staff to be masked, wash their hands often, and socially distance to prevent our Richland community from becoming ill. Even if your child has been diagnosed with a common cold, please ensure they avoid contact with other children to prevent transmission and missed school days. Following these same good habits outside of school will prevent you, your children, and others from becoming sick, whether it be from Covid-19, Flu, or any number of common fall and winter illnesses.


For more information, please read QCSD Exclusion from and Return to School Requirements.

LIVE AND VIRTUAL DAILY ATTENDANCE

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Attendance is mandatory for school age children, and the live portion of our school day is 9:00-2:00, with additional time allotted for work after these hours.


Every day Monday through Friday is a school day.


Please keep your child home if they show any symptoms and call to let us know. You will receive a follow up call from our school nurse. We will confirm if your child will become a virtual learner for a period of time so they are not marked absent from in person instruction while staying home with symptoms.


FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE PHYSICALLY IN THE BUILDING:

Attendance will be taken as in the past, and students will be marked absent if they are not physically present. *Please note, only students who need to quarantine or are approved by the school nurse will learn virtually instead of in person.


FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE 100% VIRTUAL LEARNERS:

Attendance will be taken daily. All students are to complete their "check-in" activity as explained by their teachers by 2:00 daily. To allow for the completion of work asynchronously, students may complete other school activities after 2:00, but the check-in must be completed by 2:00 in order to be marked as present.


IF YOUR CHILD IS ABSENT:

You will receive an email at 3:00 on the day your child is marked absent. The school must receive an excuse from you within 3 days of the absence.


New this year, you may respond to the email with your absence reason. If you prefer, you may send in an absence note to the office. All excuses must be received within 3 days of the absence.

ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL PROCEDURES

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Thank you for your support in making the changes to this year's drop off and pick up run so smoothly! To accommodate more car riders, that location has been moved to the back of the school. Please enter in the morning and afternoon from 313 on Chestnut Street.


The live school day begins at 9:00 and ends at 2:00.


Please note AM Kindergarten pick up at 11:00 and PM drop off at 12:00 are in the front of the school.


All buses will drop off and pick up in the front of the school.

OUR WORDS FOR 2020

Each year, Richland staff adopts one word. This year called for two! We invite you to join us in supporting each other with courage and grace and explore what these words mean to you.

Upcoming Events

DECEMBER SPIRIT DAYS!

VIRTUAL HOLIDAY SING 12/22 at 3:00

NO SCHOOL 12/24 - 1/1/21

SCHOOL RESUMES 1/4/21

JARED CAMPBELL VIRTUAL ASSEMBLY 1/6/21 at 10:00