CAMPUS CONNECTION
Rigor, Relevance and Relationships
November Edition
A note from the Principal
I hope this message finds your student and your family healthy and happy. When D49's Chief Officers moved the entire district to a full virtual model, it left a small window of opportunity for building leaders to prepare and communicate effectively. We acknowledge that communicating educational shifts of this magnitude are best done with face to face meetings. The change to full virtual occurred with an inability to gather all stakeholders and walk everyone through the changes. So we communicated the best we could in such a short time frame. Here is the gist of what is happening for the remainder of the semester:
We are not all working from home and running things virtually.
- Students are allowed to come into the building in small groups.
- We will get as close as possible to a 10 to one ratio with an adult.
- HS students had designated days before October break that they came into the building. They can continue to come in on that day for support.
- MS students are being contacted directly about who should come in on Tuesday and Thursday. They can come in on both days if invited by teachers.
- If something is confusing about building accessibility, please call a teacher for clarity.
- We have not abandoned direct instruction.
- Our online curriculum delivers direct instruction through videos and assignments. Doing the work will be crucial for growth and grades.
- Teachers will support students stuck with topics and skills necessary to complete their coursework.
- All content teachers will be supporting all students.
- We are utilizing our teachers as content area specialists
- Students will have access to a Math, English, Social Studies, and Science teacher when coming into the building. It may not be the one assigned to them. They are all fabulous and can help anyone.
- We are splitting up our teachers on different days.
- Cohort groups for teachers allow us to avoid a complete shutdown if we have to do a precautionary quarantine.
- Cohorts will allow us to continue to serve students on campus.
- We have not seen any transmissions on campus, and to this day, everyone who has gone on precautionary quarantine has not had a Positive COVID test.
- El Paso county health dictates our quarantines, which are legally binding and do not provide room for flexibility.
- We will email changes as clearly as we can, but we will occasionally confuse some with all that there is to communicate.
- Communicate to us if you have questions, and we will do our best to respond quickly and accurately.
If you have ever heard the phrase that we are building the plane and flying it simultaneously, we can use that metaphor for our current situation. We will work relentlessly to support your students. Still, we must lean on our partnerships with families to give us grace and increase communication to avoid frustrations and missed opportunities to invest in helping at the right moment. Please stay safe and we look forward to keeping the building open for those who need the support.
Sincerely,
David Knoche
Executive Principal
Impact Aid Program Survey Form
Harvest of Love (Care & Share) - November 2nd - November 19th
This is normally the time of year when we are celebrating our annual Harvest of Love support for our neighbors at Care & Share.
Obviously, this year will be different and distanced, but you can still help us!
Non-perishable food items (see attached flyer) and monetary donations can still be dropped by the North Campus front office through November 19th. This year we also have a direct donation link, The Campus Donations, for monetary donations directly to Care & Share.
Please reach out to Mrs. Danford, sdanford@d49.org, with any questions.
Screenagers: Growing Up in a Digital Age (you must register)
Exclusive Access to View Movie: Nov. 2 - 16
Are you watching kids scroll through their life with rapid-fire thumbs and a six-second attention span? Physician and filmmaker Delaney Ruston saw it happening with her own kids, which started her on a quest to delve into how it might affect their development. She learned average youth spend 6.5 hours a day looking at screens. Ruston wondered about the impact of all this time and worried about the friction occurring in schools and homes.
Through poignant and unexpectedly funny stories, along with surprising insights from authors, psychologists, and brain scientists, the movie "Screenagers" reveals how tech time impacts kids' development and also offers solutions on how adults can empower their kids to navigate the digital world to find balance.
Once you register for the exclusive showing for District 49, watch the movie anytime Nov. 2 - 16. Register to get your movie access pass and a link to join the live Q&A session Monday, Nov. 16.
https://www.screenagersevent.com/screenagers-el-paso-county-school-district-49
There is a QR code on the poster (download below) that will take you directly to registration.
December - Boots on the Ground
Student Attendance
Upcoming Events
November 2nd - 19th - Care and Share Harvest of Love Food Drive
November 13th - HS Virtual Fall Crafts Night - students received link to sign up
November 16th - Family Engagement Council
November 18th - Middle School ZOOM Movie Night (Free Birds - Rated PG)
November 23-27 - Closed for Thanksgiving Break