The Prospector Post
July 26, 2020
Returning to School August 24, 2020
Dear Prospector Families,
I wrote this last week in anticipation of a plan being released; however, the state of California has issued new directives, and the district is responding to those. Please understand that hours of planning have taken place, but plans need to be changed in response to changing directives. With that in mind, I didn't want to delay further, so I will issue a new update as it comes. There will be a school board meeting on July 28 in which plans will be further discussed.
We hope you are well and finding joy in the small things each day. We. miss. you! We want to experience our students and staff learning, laughing, loving working through growth and caring for one another together. We want to receive sweet hugs, high fives, and shy smiles from our precious students. We want our life's work to come alive, continue in person, and fuel our passion to change the world. Most important, we want our Prospector Community to be safe.
In addition to working on ways to keep our students safe, we have been working and training on instructional models that support depth of knowledge and engagement. Whether in-person or at a distance, our instructional program will be intentional and engaging. Find out more about Project Based Learning, Outdoor Learning, and our plan for Unfinished Learning below.
As we prepare to return to school, Morongo Unified School District is planning for three ways to return if we are not permitted to return fully in person. In-person hybrid, distance learning, and independent study. More details on those models are below. Thank you for completing the survey below so that we can best plan for your family's learning needs. At this time, school will begin with either online distance learning or independent study options, but we will be prepared for the other models when we have permission to implement them.
Our offices are closed until August, but we are regularly monitoring email, Class Dojo (School Story), and Facebook. Please contact us with questions, concerns, or needs. We are also processing enrollments as they come in to ensure a smooth start to our school year.
Please know that it is our heart to see each family thriving, appreciating the slow down and time together, and meeting these challenges in a way that builds strength, positive character, and community. Please let us know if you have a need, and we will work to see if there is a way that we can support you. We miss you, and we love you, Prospector community!
On behalf of YVES,
Celeste Wahlberg, MA, MEd
Principal
Yucca Valley Elementary School
MUSD Return to School Survey
WIN Time, Unfinished Learning, & Tutoring
Unfinished learning due to school closures is a concern for all of us. Our plan is to assess students to see where they are at and scaffold, or build up, necessary skills for their new learning to bridge the gaps caused by unfinished learning. We will review and support standards where needed to bring students to grade level expectations.
Tutoring for Math and Reading is a support we used last year, and we plan to continue offering extra support before and after school.
Project Based Learning (PBL)
Outdoor Classroom
TK and Kindergarten Enrollment is Open!
- Kindergarten - Turning 5 by September 1, 2020.
- Transitional Kindergarten - Turning 5 between September 2 and December 2, 2020.
Families can enroll at www.morongousd.com Check out our video promo below!
Updates
- Class rosters are fluid, as we will adjust for different learning models and class sizes to prepare for a hybrid model. We work hard to balance classes for the best success for our students. We will inform you of your child's placement by August 21, 2020.
- Join our Facebook page for frequent updates and community opportunities. We are at Yucca Valley Elementary School (News). Thank you for answering the membership questions.
Our YVES 2019-2020 Yearbook is still in process. Lifetouch has had significant challenges due to COVID closures. We have extra yearbooks on order, and we will make those available for purchase when they come in. They are $15 for the soft covers and $20 for the hard covers.Shout out to Ms. Cole, who has been working on getting our yearbooks here.
Once we know more about preferences for school returns and plans, we will begin the process of identifying technology needs to check out devices.