EPE Express
East Pennsboro Elementary School Newsletter
October 2020 - Level II/Hybrid Kickoff!
We are very excited to have students back in our school building next week, beginning on Monday, 9/28/20 with Group A students! As we transition from level I to level II, we will be meeting with each half class in person at school. Our students who are on their remote learning day or are enrolled in full time live streaming will have assignments posted to seesaw.
Please note, students in most classes will not be livestreaming into the class next week. This flexibility will allow us to learn the students on their face to face days, develop classroom norms, and build relationships. This investment in time will pay off when we are doing both - teaching the students physically in school and livestreaming simultaneously. Thank you for your understanding and flexibility.
Below is a link to the Level II presentation from last Thursday's School Board Meeting. Mr. Etter and I added audio recordings to slides containing important information. The final slides contain EPE specific information for your review. In order for the audio recordings to play, click the link, open the presentation in power point, and click the speaker icon on any slide which has the icon.
Respectfully,
Mr. T.
Technology Update
During this process, the following will need to occur:
- Drop off of district issued chromebooks (we will need these for 4h and 5th grade students).
- Signed EPASD Device Agreement for district issued i-pad
- Payment for the i-pad insurance ($25, $12.50 if on Free/Reduced plan, free if on the free plan
- Pick up of the new i-pad
During this temporary transitional phase where we have students coming back to the building and do not have the 1:1 devices distributed yet, we will allow students to bring their device from home such as a personal i-pad, smartphone, laptop, kindle fire, chromebook, etc. We will have a temporary wi fi network that the students can join while in the school building that will not require a password in order to make this as seamless as possible. Please note, the school is not responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged personal devices.
Please let Mr. Etter or Mr. T know if there are any questions about the next two weeks and our technology distribution plan.
EPE Happenings
Elementary COVID-19 Procedures
EPASD Face Mask Guidelines
COVID-19 Related Information
Volunteers: To help ensure student and staff safety and mitigate the spread of germs, volunteers will be prohibited from participating in activities within the school building.
Meetings: We continue to welcome open communication and encourage parent/teacher meetings. We ask that such meetings be conducted virtually, if possible. Otherwise, all meetings will occur in the school office.
Snacks: All snacks, inclusive of birthday treats, must be individually wrapped and cannot be shared with other students. (Acceptable items include individually packaged fruit snacks, granola bar, zip lock bag of carrots, etc). Birthday cakes and cupcakes cannot be brought into the building.
Field Trips: All off campus field trips are cancelled. Students will remain on school premises at all times.
Supplies: The district has purchased personal supplies for each student (pencil, pencil boxes, glue sticks, etc). We ask that all students bring a backpack and water bottle to school each day.
Masks: All students will be provided a button to wear throughout the day. The button will serve as a barcode for ordering lunch to be scanned at the point of sale and a place to drape the mask when students are eating lunch and/or sitting at a workstation 6 feet from peers.
Breakfast Cards: All breakfast students will be given a barcode to place on their backpack. The card should remain on your child’s backpack throughout the school year. The barcode will be scanned should your child eat breakfast at school.
Parent Drop-off and Pick-up Loop
In the morning, your student must be in the building by 8:50 AM to be considered on time. If tardy, students will need to report to the main office for a tardy pass.
In the afternoon, we anticipate a higher demand due to COVID. Please be patient. What normally takes 15-20 minutes may take longer due to using social distance inside the building, and some students remaining in their classrooms until their parent pulls up to the portico.
In general, the first week of the afternoon pick up loop usually takes the longest as parents learn the drive up procedures.
Lastly, if you car does not have a name hanger, you will be required to pull over at the portico and report to the main office before we can release your child at the loop. This is done as an extra security precaution for you and your child. If you need a name hanger for your car mirror, please contact our secretary, Mrs. Wadlinger at pwadlinger@epasd.org. We can make sure your child has one for the first day!
PTO Spirit Wear Sale
If you missed the EPASD Elementary PTO Spirit Wear Sale, do not worry....we are now accepting more orders!! Exciting news...due to popular demand, we have added a hooded sweatshirt and polo shirt, too, in addition to our face masks, t-shirts, long sleeve shirts and Class of 2033 t-shirts for kindergartners! If you are interested in ordering any of these, please visit https://epelementaryptofall.itemorder.com/sale
**Items ordered can be shipped directly to you (for an additional cost) or it will be available for you to pick up either October 23 or October 26. You will be contacted with exact date/time/location.
PTO Cards of Gratitude
Do you want to show our teachers support and how much you and your kids appreciate them? We invite you to participate in our " Cards of Gratitude Card Shower"! All you have to do is mail in a greeting card(s) with words of encouragement, support and/or appreciation to the teachers & staff at EPE (cards can be hand made too!).
EPE mailing address:
EPE Teachers/Staff (or a specific teacher if you like) - Cards of Gratitude
c/o East Pennsboro Elementary School
840 Panther Parkway
Enola, PA 17025
Mail in your card(s) to show our teachers how much we support and appreciate everything they do!
Please see our previous newsletters:
General EPE Information:
Change in Routine Procedures
The classroom teachers follow routine dismissal procedures daily. Changes in those routines
should be for urgent reasons and must be accompanied by a Change of Routine Notice or a
written parental notice requesting such a change. All student verbal requests for such changes will be denied without written notice or a phone call from a parent/guardian. Class Dojo messages, Remind messages, text messages, and emails will not be accepted during the school day of a change of routine. Please have these requests into the school ahead of time so we can ensure students are where they need to be for a safe and secure dismissal. The
Change of Routine Notice can be found at the following link:
Morning Drop Off
Afternoon Dismissal
During afternoon dismissal, it is important for your student to follow their routine on a daily basis. Whether your student rides the school bus or gets picked up in the parent pick up loop, please adhere to the following procedures for Afternoon Dismissal:
Parking in the main lot in the front of the building is prohibited for parent pick up.
Parking in the van cueing area on the East side of the building is prohibited for parent pick up.
Please utilize the parent pick up loop on the West side of the building. You must have a student name hangar for your car mirror for this process. The school office can provide this to you if requested.
As an alternate, you may park at the administration building lot and walk up the the EPE sidewalk to pick up your student.
Attendance
Important Dates
October 1 - School Board Meeting 7:00 PM (Zoom/You Tube)
October 12 - In-service Day - No School for Students
October 13 - PTO Meeting 7:00 PM - Zoom - To receive the Zoom link for the PTO meeting, email: epasdelempto@outlook.com
October 15 - School Board Meeting 7:00 PM (Zoom/You Tube)
October 26 - Group A Picture Day
October 28 - End of Marking Period 1
October 29 - Group B Picture Day
All above dates are subject to change based on current federal, state, and district guidance regarding the COVID-19 epidemic.
About us
Email: rtysarczyk@epasd.org
Website: https://www.epasd.org/
Location: 840 Panther Parkway, East Pennsboro Township, PA, USA
Phone: 717-732-0441
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EastPennsboroElem/