Deerfield November Newsletter
2020
Calendar of Events
November 2 Progress Reports EMAILED to parents (No hard copies)
November 4-5 Parent Teacher Virtual Conferences
November 5th-6th - No School
November 9 - Hybrid Learning Model Starts
November 10 7:00 pm - PTO Meeting - Zoom Link
November 17 4:30 pm - Site Council Meeting
November 25, 26, 27 - Fall Break - No School
Progress Reports will be emailed to parents / guardians by 5pm, Monday, November 2nd.
Please sign up for Parent Teacher Virtual Conferences - Sign Up link sent to you by your teacher.
School Starts November 9th!
School begins the week of November 9th for students in both the Hybrid and Distance Learning models. As a reminder, the Hybrid model will follow an AB/AB alternate-day rotation with approximately 50% of students learning on-site and approximately 50% learning remotely Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. All students will learn remotely on Wednesdays. Teachers will engage students learning remotely “live” each day for Morning Meetings, once daily for math, and once daily for English Language Arts.
Please note that Wednesday schedules will look a bit different. It will be altered to provide our staff with additional professional development and plan time as they strive to create an academically robust and relevant experience for your student. Teachers will be communicating their specific schedules, soon.
Please review these important safety measures.
Cloth face coverings/masks must be worn by all students age five years and older. Schools will work on a case-by-case basis with individuals unable to wear masks. Masks with valves may not be worn in schools.
Students will have daily temperature checks upon arrival. If showing a fever of 100.0 degrees or higher or other signs of illness, we will isolate and supervise your child until pickup is arranged.
Social distancing will be taught and reinforced with visual cues and signage.
We will take hand washing breaks each hour, per the Kansas Governor’s Executive Order. Hand sanitizer stations are available throughout the school.
All students should bring a water bottle. Students will use their own supplies, rather than sharing.
Art and music will be held in the general education classroom to minimize transitions. P.E. will be held in the gym or outdoors when weather permits.
Free prepackaged hot meals will be served to students on-site. Free weekly meal kits will be available for preorder online and pick up on Wednesdays at designated schools/times.
Our custodial team will follow district protocols, prioritizing high-touch areas including handles, handrails, counters and surfaces, tables, chairs, desks, etc. Restrooms will be cleaned regularly throughout the school day.
Busing is available for students living 2.5 miles or more from school. Buses will be regularly cleaned and disinfected. Riders will be assigned seats, one child per seat, and will wear masks.
Your child’s safety is our first priority! We need your family’s assistance to help keep our school safe.
Monitor your child’s temperature for fever. If they have a temperature of 100 degrees or higher, they must stay home. Children may return to school when they are fever-free without the use of fever-reducing medication for 24 hours.
If your child has any of the following new symptoms without any other explanation: fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, headache, runny nose, congestion; sore throat, muscle or body aches, new loss of taste or smell, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea; they must stay home.
If your child has been within 6 feet for 10 minutes or more of someone diagnosed with COVID-19 or in contact with their mucus/saliva in the past 14 days, they must stay home.
If your family has traveled to a location requiring quarantine, your child must stay home for 14 days and monitor for symptoms to prevent community spread of COVID-19.
Please contact your health care provider before seeking care for symptoms or exposure.
Please contact your classroom teacher or the office with any questions. We are here to support students and families!
Let's Get Ready For School!!!
Doors will open and students can begin entering the following doors at 7:45. Please do not arrive before 7:45.
Parents are not allowed to come into the building. Don't worry, we will have staff at each door to help students find their classroom. Please give your "have a good day" hugs outside.
Also, REMIND YOUR CHILD OF THEIR TEACHER'S NAME (this will help us get our little ones to the right classroom).
Students will use the following entrances according to their grade level:
- Front Door - Grades 4-5 only
- North Playground Door - Grades K-1 only
- South Playground Door - Grades 2-3 only
*Students arriving after 8:00 will use the front door. All other doors will be locked.
All children and grown ups must wear a mask while on school grounds.
Review the "Coming Back to School" presentation below with your child before November 9th!
When Does My Child Go To School?
As a general rule, students will be assigned to A or B group as follows by last name:
A-L will be "A" Group kids and will attend school on Mondays and Thursdays (Remote on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday)
M-Z will be "B" group kids and will attend school on Tuesdays and Fridays (remote on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday)
HOWEVER, to balance classes, some students have been moved from A to B and from B to A.
You will be (or have been) notified if your child will be moved. If you are NOT notified, you can assume that your child will attend school at Deerfield on the days listed above.
Traffic Plan
Substitute Contingency Plan!
If a class needs to be remote, we will notify families as soon as humanly possible via email, text reminder or call.
Sign Up to Get Text Reminders
A-D: @deera-d
E-K: @deere-k
L-Q: @deerl-q
R-Z: @deerr-z
When prompted, enter your name and your child's name in parentheses. Please know that you number is not shared with anyone else. You can unsubscribe anytime by texted @leave.
Attendance Reminder!
We are excited to partner with you as our students transition to learning in the hybrid or distance model. We have been planning and preparing to ensure student(s) receive a high-quality and appropriately-rigorous educational experience during this time. We appreciate your patience and want you to know that your feedback will continue to be important to us throughout the remainder of the year.
We also want to inform you that the truancy provisions outlined in Kansas Statutes are still applicable. The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) will accept students’ in-person learning, or a daily check-in for students learning remotely for attendance purposes.
Lawrence Public Schools encourages students enrolled in the Hybrid model to attend in person on their assigned A or B designated days and to log into "live" lesson opportunities with their teacher(s) according to their daily school/class schedule on remote days to satisfy attendance requirements.
Students enrolled in the Distance Year Long model should log in every day to “live” lesson opportunities with their teacher(s) according to their daily class schedule to satisfy attendance requirements.
If students do not attend in person, or log in to at least one "live" lesson opportunity with their teacher(s), daily, staff will reach out to the student and determine how best to remove any barriers and support them in engaging in their respective learning model. If there are technical barriers, the district may be able to assist. If, after a thorough investigation, it is apparent that the student is truant, then the principal may commence the attendance verification process for truancy.
We are here to support your family. Please let us know if you have any questions, or if we can help in any way.
Covid Slide Information
Greetings, Deerfield Families,
We wanted to take a moment to share some important information with you about our approach and commitment to teaching and student learning during these last several months. There have been a variety of conversations and reports on the news and through social media about student “learning loss.” This idea of halted learning or even a decline in learning has also been referred to as the “COVID Slide.”
We are definitely aware that not having all students fully attend school each day is not ideal and can present some challenges when it comes to teaching and student learning. Because of this, we wanted to share with you what we have been doing and what we will continue to do to maximize student learning.
Our team of teachers, administrators, and support staff have been continuously analyzing and evaluating what students need most during this time. Below are our continued priorities when it comes to designing and delivering instruction on a daily basis with your students, whether they are in-person or remote:
Social Emotional Supports: We start our days and classes with opportunities to truly connect and get to know each other. Establishing and continuing to strengthen trusting relationships with students is a critical and foundational step to maximizing student learning.
Curriculum: This is the “what” of teaching and student learning. We have followed and will continue to follow Kansas Standards for all subject areas as our guide. We also have the ability locally to determine which standards are the most essential for our students to know and apply. Our teachers plan instruction for each subject area using these selected or essential standards.
Instruction: This is the “how” of teaching and student learning. We have experienced the most growth in our profession during these last several months as our traditional method of delivering instruction has varied and may continue to vary in the future. Our teachers receive professional development and have opportunities to practice these new skills and techniques to use with students.
Assessment: We constantly gather data and information from students through observations, questioning techniques, discussions, and more traditional assessments or tests. Combined, this information tells us if students are growing and achieving. If they are, we continue to the next concepts or work to deepen their understanding. If they are not, we go back re-teach concepts and provide additional opportunities to practice and master the concepts.
In partnership with families, we know that the items below are critical to your student’s success, and we stand ready to help you with any questions you may have:
Attendance: When a student does not attend school, there is the potential that he or she could end up behind his or her peers. Whether we are in person or remote, you can help by helping make sure your child is on time and remains in school throughout the day.
Engagement: Asking your child questions about his or her day is a great way to stay engaged in what is going on with each class or subject.
Communication: Please be sure to let us know if you have questions, concerns, or notice anything about your child that you would like to discuss.
On behalf of our school, thank you for your continued support, patience, and dedication to your child’s success!
Utilities Assistance Program
https://lawrenceks.org/utility-billing/coronavirus-relief-fund
Non-Instructional Logisitics
Please pay particular attention procedures for arrival/dismissal and attendance.
Can My Child Go To School Today?
Reminder: Remote Learning Attendance
At this time attendance will still be taken twice a day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon:
- If your child is present online for remote learning anytime between 8:00-11:30, they will be counted present for the morning.
- If your child is present online for remote learning anytime between 11:31-3:05, they will be counted present for the afternoon.
If your child will be absent from remote learning:
- Parents must notify the office for the absence to be counted as "excused".
- If parents do not notify the office the absence will be recorded as unexcused.
- Teachers are required to contact parent by phone or webex for any full day unexcused absence. Unexcused absences will be changed if parents are reached by phone or webex and have a valid reason for the absence.
- Truancy will be enforced during all learning models (Hybrid/Remote, Distance). Truancy is filed when a student has 3 consecutive unexcused absences or 5 cumulative unexcused absences in a semester.)
Request to Change Learning Models
Due to effects on staffing and size of current classes, very few, if any, shifts in learning models will be allowed. However, if you would like to request a change in learning models, please print and complete the Request to Change Learning Models form. Email your completed form to learningrequest@usd497.org.
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Deerfield School
Email: japplema@usd497.org
Website: https://www.usd497.org/Domain/10
Location: 101 Lawrence Avenue, Lawrence, KS, United States
Phone: 785-832-5660
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/deerfield497/