Chartwell School: The Bulldog Bark
From: Jodi Amaditz and Alyse LeValley
January 21, 2021
Please Read This Message: Important Update from Kate Regarding On-Campus Learning
Dear Chartwell Families,
When we began the new school semester in January, we announced some necessary changes to our on-campus program and safety requirements given the major community spread of COVID-19 in Monterey and surrounding counties this winter. These changes are reasonable, and very important in order to keep our employees, students, and families safe. I want to take this opportunity to remind you of those:
Mask Requirements: Masks must fit properly in order to be worn tightly around the face, over the nose, and under the chin. They should be sturdy and double-layered. We use these masks for our employees: https://www.vogmask.com/. PLEASE, no gaiters, bandanas, or loose-fitting masks that slip below the nose.
Color-Coded Clothing: When students come on campus to learn, we like to use our outdoor spaces and give them plenty of time to learn and play outside. It is VERY helpful for the adults who must supervise students to be able to identify each cohort on sight. We have marked different play areas for students so they do not commingle. You should have received one long-sleeved and two short-sleeved shirts from Chartwell at no charge. (If not, please write to nprakash@chartwell.org and let her know your color and size and we will make sure you get them). Shirts can be worn OVER a hoodie or sportswear long-sleeved tops. If your child needs a coat or sweatshirt for cold days, please purchase one in the cohort color. You do not need to purchase uniforms this year, so we hope you can easily find something online that would work.
Travel Requirements: We are asking all of our families who wish to come to school on-campus to please adhere to the Stay-at-Home order and NOT travel. This includes visits to friends and family around the state or weekend trips away from home. The state guidelines currently require anyone who travels to self-isolate at home after travel. This means your child cannot return to school and we cannot accommodate them in our on-campus program for 10 days. We realized this fall the safest way we can run our on-campus learning is if the children spend time outside, especially for PE, science, and even some academic classes. We also realized that children “zooming in” was not possible for outdoor classes and significantly impacted how we were able to respond to the students who were here on campus, thus compromising the learning experience for everyone.
Using Outdoor Spaces: Our safest on-campus learning environment is dependent on using outdoor spaces and keeping windows OPEN for ventilation while we are inside. When students are eating snacks and lunch, they have to take off masks, so the best place for them to be is outside. When students are on-campus, outdoor PE, science, and playtimes are a crucial component of our program and our Chartwell Safety Plan.
Please be aware that excessive WIND and RAIN may trigger a last minute switch to distance learning for the day or a decision to have a PRE-LUNCH 12:20 pick-up for all students. We will inform you through email, text messaging if possible, and a post on our website’s homepage.
Conclusions: In trying to provide the highest quality instruction, we have learned that what works best is either students are on campus or online, with teachers dedicated to specifically serve them in those models. For this reason, we have offered both options. As you read through these requirements, if you feel you cannot comply with these expectations or wish to continue traveling during the stay-at-home order, please contact Jodi Amaditz to discuss options for switching to an online cohort for the remainder of the year.
Sincerely,
Kate Mulligan
Head of School
Transition to On- Campus Learning Schedule (Through February 5)
Lower and Middle School Schedule - Online and On-Campus for Week of January 25
Recommit to the Chartwell Family Pledge
Returning to live school is not without risk. As a community, we must work together to foster the safety of our students, parents, faculty and staff. In light of the current statistics and increase in cases in California, we are asking our families to review and recommit to following specific community guidelines while we slowly and safely return to campus. Please review the below “pledge” and, for the safety of our faculty, students, parents, and community, uphold the following commitments on a daily basis:
Conduct a health and symptom screening before your child leaves home each day. Keep your child home when they are sick or exhibiting symptoms of general illness. If the temperature reads 100.4 or above, keep your child at home for the day. A temperature check will be done upon arrival at school, and students with temperatures in this range will be sent home.
Wear a mask or cloth face covering to minimize risks to others when out in public, and clean and sanitize them often.
Come to school directly from home, and return home after school, minimizing stops to essential errands when possible.
Limit your child’s outside of school engagement to only immediate family or students in the same cohort.
Wash hands frequently.
Avoid unnecessary travel this includes visits to or from family and friends in other parts of California, out of state, or out of the country. We will not accommodate students who miss school due to unnecessary travel.
If travel is necessary you must notify us and self-isolate for 10 days after traveling. Your child cannot come to school during this time.
Avoid all gatherings and events - especially those where people are not adhering to state and local safety guidance.
Self-report to Chartwell immediately if your child or a member of your household has been exposed to COVID-19.
Wear masks (adults and children) when carpooling, with windows open if possible. Masks are required to be double layered and cover the nose and mouth,
Abstain from the practice of providing fever reducing medicines for the purpose of sending your child to school.
Not following the guidelines of the Chartwell Family Pledge may put others at considerable risk. We ask all members of our community to embrace with positivity and an open mind the changes required this school year, understanding that because of COVID-19, our learning spaces, activities, and other events may look and feel different than in other school years.
If you do not feel you can follow these guidelines, we encourage you to continue with the online learning model. Thank you for being part of our community and working with us to bring our students back together, where they learn and grow best.
IMPORTANT UPDATES
Lower School Reminders
- Drop off between 8:00 - 8:30 am for an 8:30 am start.
- Pick-up is at 1:00 pm. This is the same schedule we used in the Fall. This modified day will last the first two weeks and is necessary because other groups and teachers will not be on campus at this time.
- Bring your CHROMEBOOK.
- Please bring a lunch, snack and water bottle to school. We think that staying for lunch and recess gives students very valuable social and outdoor playtime. If you would like to pick your child up before lunch, you have that option and can pick-up at 12:20 pm.
- We plan to return to FULL DAYS after February 1, 2021 and pick-up will be at 3:15 pm
High School Family-Teacher Conferences
At these mid-year conferences, all of the student's teachers, the family, and the student will meet to discuss the student's work and progress this school year. Students are required to attend their conference and should expect to participate. In order to accommodate all the conferences, we have a revised schedule for the week of January 25-29 at the high school only:
Please note that M, T, W & TH, students will be dismissed from online classes at 10:20 am (see schedule below). Students may have independent work to do for their classes after this time and tutoring appointments will continue to take place that week.
Chartwell Sweatshirts 50% While Supplies Last
UPCOMING EVENTS
Chartwell Family Network
ARTICLES AND RESOURCES
Phone Proximity and Academic Performance
Read this article for some helpful strategies that will support your child's learning.
"Angst" Zoom Screening - Open to Parents
There is an upcoming Zoom screening of the documentary film "Angst" which deals with anxiety in teens shared through teen voices with candid conversations and interviews.
The screening is 4:00 pm on Monday, January 25. The event is free.
Description:
Angst is a film-based education program designed to raise awareness around anxiety, with an emphasis on youth and families. The film includes interviews with kids, teens, experts, and parents. Our goal is to help people identify and understand the symptoms of anxiety and encourage them to reach out for help. We will be showing the film, which will promptly be followed by a panel discussion and include access to further resources and materials.
Learn more at www.angstmovie.com
Amanda Gorman, Inaugural Poet, Has Speech and Auditory Processing Issues
Amanda's mom says, "Every child has a gift, it just has to be discovered. Where there’s a deficit, there’s a place where the child makes it up.”
Enjoy the complete article here. The poem is included below.
CLASSROOM SNAPSHOTS
Artist of the Week: Auden Morris
Artist: Auden Morris
Title: "Anguish"
Study: Surrealism
Medium: Charcoal
Making Physics Physical
An Important Historical Moment
The Science Behind Alka Seltzer
Mr. Owen’s class learned about variables and hypotheses this week in STEAM class by way of film containers and Alka Seltzer - and the resulting explosion. Video here.
Technology and Nature
Can You Sing Like Freddie Mercury?
Cartographers at Chartwell
PARENT RESOURCES
Chartwell Support Site
We encourage everyone to visit this site created by our STEAM Director, Topher Mueller. He is the mastermind behind the creation of our Distance Learning Platform. You will find the most up to date information regarding the 2020-2021 school year, answers to frequently asked questions, and technology tutorials to support distance learning from home.
Important Dates for the 20-21 School Year
School Calendar 2020-2021: Link
2021
January 19: Tiered transition to on-campus learning begins (see schedule above)
February 12-16: In-Service for Teachers and President’s Day Holiday. NO CLASSES for students.
April 2: Tentative date for Grandparent and Special Friends Day (LS/MS)
April 5-12: Spring Break - No Classes
April 13: Students return to campus and classes resume
May 31: Memorial Day - No Classes
June 10: Last day of school and closing ceremonies for LS/MS
June 11: Last day of school and Graduation for High School
JUST FOR FUN
Skateboard Stop-Motion Animation
Kevin Perry has found fun ways during quarantine to use stop-action animation to create realistic and fun videos. Enjoy!
Questions?
If you have questions for us, please contact one of the following Chartwell Team Members:
Head of School, Kate Mulligan: kmulligan@chartwell.org
Director of Lower and Middle Schools, Jodi Amaditz: jamaditz@chartwell.org
Director of High School, Alyse LeValley: alevalley@chartwell.org
Director of Outreach and Family Engagement, Danielle Patterson: dpatterson@chartwell.org
Director of Campus Management and Safety, John Langrill: jlangrill@chartwell.org
Director of Advancement and Communications, Elena Mueller: emueller@chartwell.org
Technical Support: John Langrill at jlangrill@chartwell.org or Topher Mueller at tmueller@chartwell.org