March Newsletter
Full In Person Learning Starts March 15th
March Calendar
March 8-12 No School - Enjoy Spring Break
March 15 Full In Person Learning Begins
March 16 7:00 pm PTO Meeting (Add Zoom Link)
March 22 Boys and Girls Club begins
March 25 No School - Staff Professional Development
March 26 No School - Staff Planning Day
No Remote Learning After March 4th!
For those students who requested a change in learning model (from hybrid to distance or from distance to full in person), the district will notify you on March 5th as to whether your request has been approved. If approved, you will be notified of class placement on March 6th.
Full In-Person Learning Begins March 15th
As shared earlier, we will welcome back all of our Hybrid students on March 15th. Students will come to school all five days!
As a reminder, brick and mortar teachers will no longer be responsible for managing two learning environments beginning March 15th. However, as in a typical year, if a student is absent (e.g. sick, quarantined) teachers will need to provide opportunities for the student to continue learning while at home. Teachers may offer assignments online, have the student remote into the classroom using WebEx, provide asynchronous work, or a combination of these options.
Due to the pandemic and the reality it has posed, teachers have been prepared to instruct remotely on a moment’s notice all year long. Please be aware that this potential still exists after March 15th. We will maintain our protocols of contact tracing and quarantining, as necessary. Therefore, teachers will continue to send iPads home with students on a daily basis and ensure they are prepared to remote in should circumstances dictate the need to do so.
Deerfield Start and End Times
Wednesdays - Doors open at 7:45 am and school will begin at 8:00am. Students will be dismissed at 12:15. Students will eat lunch at school.
Entry Doors:
7:45-8:00 Students will enter the following doors:
K-1 - Enter through the North Playground door
2-3 - Enter through the South Playground door
4-5 - Enter through the Front Entrance door.
Students arriving after 8:00 will enter through the Front Entrance.
Volunteers/Visitors/Field Trips/Assemblies
Student Retention (Holding Students Back a Grade)
Thank you for your continued support of our students, teachers, and our Deerfield school community. Thank you as well for continuing to play such a key role in supporting your child(ren) as they learn and grow, even as we navigate new circumstances together. We wanted to reach out today to share with you some information about student retention for the 2021-2022 school year. This is a topic that is beginning to be discussed in many school districts, both nationally and throughout Kansas.
Student retention is the practice of “holding students back a grade” and has come up in response to learning loss attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have found that student retention is generally not supported by research as an effective practice to support students. Additionally, the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) recently released the “Navigating Next” guidance for school districts, which discourages broad-based retention strategies (p. 13).
As we look ahead to the 2021-2022 school year, we will not be recommending student retention as a learning loss remediation strategy for our PreK-12 students. We believe that our exciting and engaging summer learning opportunities and classroom-based strategies and interventions will successfully and effectively address any suspected learning losses over time caused by the pandemic. Our school is eagerly preparing to implement these strategies this summer, next school year, and beyond for each student as needed.
As we move forward together, we understand and appreciate that each child is unique. Therefore, please know that your feedback, thoughts, and questions are very important to us. Based upon what we have shared with you today, please let us know if you would like to visit any further about your child and/or your child’s needs as we continue to plan for the 2021-2022 school year.
Kindergarten Orientation for 2021-22 Incoming Kindergarten Students
We are excited to welcome our incoming kindergarten students for next fall! It's time to start the enrollment process.
Children who reach age 5 on or before Aug 31, 2021, are eligible for kindergarten registration for the 2021-2022 school year. Please share this information with your neighbors, friends and/or family who may also have an eligible student.
Click Here to begin the on-line enrollment process and select the link for the 2021-2022 school year.
Next, be sure to email or bring the required registration documents below to your school/administrative assistant:
- *Certified Birth Certificate - *We will need to see the original prior to the first day of school, but can use the scanned copy for now
- Proof of Residency -Proof of Residency (accepted: a current utility bill - water/gas/or electric, current car registration, or a new lease agreement/buyers agreement)
- Current Immunizations - We will take immunizations that your child has had to this point. You may follow up with any updated immunizations prior to the first day of school.
- *Physical - *We understand that some children may not have had their 5 year physical yet and will have more immunizations at that time. You may email it as soon as it is complete, or prior to the first day of school.
Once your student's registration has been completed, you will be added to your school's email/mailing list to receive an invitation to their kindergarten orientation/information sessions that will be held this spring.
If you are unsure of your school boundary or have questions, please call the enrollment center at 785-330-1921.
BGC Information
The Boys and Girls Club will be resuming childcare after school at Deerfield on March 22 Specific programming information will be forthcoming from BGC.
State Assessments
Students in grades 3-5 in both Distance Year Long and 5 Day/Week Full In-Person Learning Models will be taking the Kansas State Assessment in April and May of this year. Students enrolled in the Full In-Person Learning Model will take the assessment at their home school. Students enrolled in the Distance Year Long Model will be assigned to a common site to take the assessment in person which is a requirement of the Kansas State Department of Education. Further information will be forthcoming.
Mitigation Measures
Wearing masks, temperature checks, and frequent sanitizing and hand washing are still required practices. Six feet social distancing will be practiced, if and when possible (in classrooms students will be closer than six feet).
Lunch will continue to be in the classroom for the time being. Since students will be closer than 6 feet we will limit the amount of talking while masks are off for eating.
Air purification systems are scheduled to be placed in all learning spaces and offices during spring break. We have also ordered more plexiglass for tables.