AES Community Connection 1/10/21
Stay connected with our school newsletter...
Greetings!
Dear AES Families,
Thank you all for doing your part to keep in person learning strong at AES! While we still have a high risk of transmission in our community, the measures we have in place at AES have been successful. We are going to need your ciontinued support. In order to stay open to in-person learning, we need to take reasonable precautions to keep our teachers and students healthy.
What can families do to help?
-Continue to promote healthy habits including proper nutrition, sleep and exercise.
- Avoid indoor gatherings; Given the very high incident rates in our surrounding counties and the contagion level of Omicron, we advise against attending any large indoor maskless gatherings for the next 2-3 weeks.
- Symptoms and Testing: We strenuously encourage you to vigilantly screen yourself and your children for Covid symptoms. If symptoms exist, please seek testing and stay home from school until symptom-free for 24 hours without medication. You can schedule a test by clicking here.
- Proper mask wearing: Students are set up for success when they have a well-fitted mask that easily covers their nose and mouth.
- Wear a better mask: Pitkin County Health has shared some guidance for school masking. The most effective masks for mitigating spread are the N95 or KN95. ACS has a supply of child and adult KN95 masks. Mask options in order of effectiveness are N95 or KN95, double mask with a cotton mask over a surgical mask, cotton or surgical mask.
- Continue sharing important health information so we can make informed decisions. Please report all absences to Carrie Milton in the main office cmilton@aspenk12.net and report all positive covid cases to Robin Strecker in the health office rstrecker@aspenk12.net
We really appreciate your help in starting healthy.
What will the school do to help?
- Maintain the joy and routines that exist in our classrooms
- Continue to monitor students for symptoms throughout the day.
- Gently remind everyone to wear their mask properly and provide proper fitting masks if needed.
- Practice healthy hygiene habits such as hand washing and cleaning our workspaces
- Temporarily pause experiences that mix cohorts of students such as Fundations, lunch in the cafeteria and All School Community Meeting. MTSS and Special Education groups will continue with social distancing and enhanced cleaning of workspaces, however there may be disruption to services due to staff absences.
- Mindfully distance students during maskless times of the day such as snack and lunch
- Plan for disruptions. In the event that we need to quarantine a classroom, we will shift to remote learning based on prevailing advice.
- Temporarily pause volunteers in the classroom and school building including lunch/recess volunteers. Volunteers for outdoor activities will still be welcome to volunteer.
- Continue sharing important health information so families can make informed decisions.
Thank you for supporting our school as we continue to provide a happy, healthy learning environment for your child.
All my best,
Ashley
Mark your calendar...
- Monday, Jan 17 - MLK Holiday- NO SCHOOL
- Friday, Jan 21 - Semester 1 Ends
- Monday, Jan 24 - Student Release Day; Staff Professional Development Day- NO SCHOOL
- Thursday, Feb 3 - Selected 4th graders to participate in NAEP testing. (Parent/Guardian Brochure)
Quick Links
- January AES Lunch Menu
- The AES Student Handbook (Click here for Spanish) outlines expectations for our school.
- Aspen School District Absences and Excuses Policy (Click here for Spanish)
- AES Attendance (Click here for Spanish)
- School Supplies and tech fees - Click here for more information.
- Please click HERE to see the staff's favorite things!
- Order SPIRIT WEAR anytime with this link!
AES's IB Learner Profile of the Month = Inquirer
Students who are Inquirers...
- Are naturally curious
- Enjoy learning about the world
- Love to gather research
- Discover and learn new things
Aspen Family Connections Presents FocusedKids
Raise calm children and create a calm home with the help of FocusedKids!
Simple mindful techniques are offered for daily use to train your child’s brain for success. Sessions are FREE but please register. Sessions are offered in English. (muy pronto en Espanol)Tuesday January 11th - 7-8 pm
Tuesday January 18th - 7-8 pm
Tuesday January 25th - 7-8 pm
For more information click HERE.
3rd and 4th Grade Fraser Writing Contest
Does your child ride the bus?
Bus Passes and Bus Changes:
If you need a new bus pass or want your child to catch a different bus home than usual, please visit the Transportation homepage. Links to the Bus Pass Replacement Form and the Bus Change Request Form can be found there. Students will not be allowed on a bus if they are not registered for a bus, and we will not be accepting handwritten notes or text messages from parents allowing students to ride a different bus.
What do I do if my child has symptoms or exposure to COVID-19?
Click here to review the PCH Testing and Isolation Algorithm (Oct 12)
*note isolation period in now reduced to 5 days. Rapid antigen testing prior to returning to school is recommended.
More community news...
Theatre Aspen Education Winter & Spring Classes
Story Adventures (K-2)
Wednesdays @ 3:30, starting January 26th
Play Lab (3-4)
Mondays @ 3:30, starting March 7th
Spring Break Drama Club (K-5)
Whether your child is new to performing or adores playing and creating, Theatre Aspen’s after-school programs are designed to bring out the best in our youngest performers. Students will let their creativity shine through theatre games, storytelling, art activities, and imaginative play!
Learn more & register at www.theatreaspen.org/education
Scholarships Available
Aspen Family Connections Presents Keeping Your Child Safe on the Internet
AHS Choir Performing at the Denver Nuggets Game 1/23!
Aspen Elementary SKIERS
At AES we have been working on establishing essential agreements which guide the way we behave and interact with others throughout our school in every setting. This year, we are adopting the SKIER acronym as a way to frame our essential agreements school wide. We hope that you will reinforce these positive attributes with your child at home.