Geneva Family Gnome News
October 2021
A note from the principal...
Hello Grown Gnomes!
I hope this finds you well, and enjoying the change of seasons.
You will soon notice a large tent installed on our blacktop behind the field backstop. We are working to continue finding creative solutions to make school feel as typical as possible, while utilizing COVID protocols. The tent will provide a dry protected space from the elements when we have inclement weather.
Remember that this year, children will go outside to recess rain or shine. Please help prepare your child for inclement weather and ensure they have appropriate outer wear. This is a good time to write your child’s name inside their coats if you haven’t already done so. If an item is labelled, we will return lost items. Our lost and found is overflowing, please encourage your child to search it daily on the way to lunch to be sure they find any items they may have misplaced.
You may also consider sending a backup pair of socks, pants and undergarments. We have a very limited supply of clothing for children to borrow.
In addition to recesses, classes are eating in either the cafeteria or outside under the covered play shed. Lunches require a higher level of social distancing because children are unmasked while eating. I have heard from a handful of families who feel strongly that their child eat lunch in one or the other location. As you can imagine, ensuring 443 children safely eat lunch and follow COVID protocols is no small feat. If you have an urgent reason for your child to be either inside, or under the play shed for lunch, please communicate that need with your child's teacher and we will do our best to accommodate.
I look forward to hearing from you if you have any questions, ideas or suggestions.
Warmly,
Sharece Steinkamp
Upcoming Events
Oct. 21 - 12:45 Early Release
Oct. 22 - Kindergarten Field Trip to Pumpkin Patch
Oct. 28 - 12:45 Early Release
Upcoming...
Nov. 4/5 - Parent/Teacher Conferences
Nov. 4 - Early Release
Nov. 5 - NO SCHOOL - Teacher Workday
Nov. 8 - Picture re-take Day
Nov. 11 - NO SCHOOL - Veteran's Day
Nov. 18 - Early Release
Nov. 24 - Early Release (Wed. before Thanksgiving)
Nov. 25/26 - NO SCHOOL - Thanksgiving Break
A few reminders if your child is sick
Below are two different scenarios you may encounter as a parent. One is in the event that your child has been a close contact to an infected individual.
The second is the more complicated and nuanced situation if your child has ANY of the symptoms of COVID. Please note that if your child has more than one symptom, your child will need either a negative PCR test, or isolate for ten days. We cannot accept a rapid result test from a pharmacy as a substitute for a negative PCR test.
We have good news though! Geneva is now a testing site. If your child has symptoms, with your permission and insurance information, we can provide a test on site. Results are typically available through Test Directly within 24 hours.
In addition to COVID, there is a high community transmission rate of cold, flu and tummy bugs. Please keep children who are feeling under the weather home, even if they test negative for COVID. Children should be fever free and free of symptoms for 24 hours before returning to school.
Fall State Testing for 4th and 5th Grade
A reminder that students in grades 4 through 9 and high school will be taking state assessments this fall to measure English language arts (ELA), mathematics and science proficiency. These assessments typically happen in the spring but were postponed because of the pandemic. Fall tests will reflect the grades the students were in during last school year, 2020-21
• If you’re wondering how you can help get your child ready for testing, a good night’s sleep and a healthy breakfast are an essential part of every school day. Your child’s teachers will provide necessary instruction, as well as adequate practice using the testing software to ensure familiarity. We recommend parents and guardians talk to their child about the tests without overemphasizing them.
• The Smarter Balanced Assessments measure student proficiency in English language arts (ELA) and math.
• These tests include performance tasks that allow students to demonstrate critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• State tests are only one benchmark; other measures and evidence are just as important in assessing the development of our kids. I encourage you to keep these tests in perspective of our overall goals.
• And always remember your child’s teacher(s) is the best resource for a complete picture of your child’s academic proficiency.
Parent Teacher Conferences
Conferences this year are twenty minutes long and can be either in person, through Zoom or via telephone. The bulk of conferences will occur November 4th and 5th.
Remember that you can request a conference with your child's teacher anytime over the course of the school year.
Do you know a child entering kindergarten next year who is not currently in preschool?
Bellingham Public Schools is running a program this winter to provide a free, full-day early entrance kindergarten, called Promise Kindergarten (Promise K) for children who are scheduled to enter kindergarten in the fall.
Our Promise K program is a free, full-day program (8:00 am – 2:30 pm) located at several of the elementary schools in our district (sites determined based on enrollment). This program will focus on basic academic and social skills to help qualifying students get a jumpstart toward success in school. Students will be screened in early December and may qualify based on ability, academic and/or financial need. The anticipated start date is January 3, 2022. Promise K will follow the district calendar; the last day of the school year is currently June 17, 2022.
Apply here
If your child qualifies and you are interested in enrolling them into our Promise K program, please fill out the online application. We invite you to share this information with friends and neighbors who may also have a child within Bellingham Public Schools boundaries who qualifies for Promise K.
If you have any questions, please contact Kris Newberry in the Department of Teaching and Learning or call 360-676-6488.
COB and NSEA volunteer opportunity for Make a Difference Day 2021
Gardening with Common Threads
Upcoming Volunteer Events
i-Ready Reading Program
Dear Parents and Guardians,
We are excited to share that our district is implementing a reading assessment program called i-Ready in our primary grades. Below, you will find information and how we will be using it in the classroom.
What is i-Ready?
i-Ready is an online program that will help us determine your child’s strengths and areas for growth in reading, personalize their learning, and monitor their progress throughout the school year. i-Ready allows us to meet your child where they are and provides us with data to inform instruction.
The i-Ready Diagnostic is an adaptive assessment that adjusts its questions to suit your child’s needs. Each item a student receives is based on their answer to the previous question. For example, a series of correct answers will result in slightly harder questions, while a series of incorrect answers will yield slightly easier ones. The purpose of this is not to give your child a score or grade but to determine how to best support their learning. First and second grade students will take the diagnostic assessment in their classroom this month.
i-Ready has a component called My Path that provides students with practice lessons based on their individual strengths and areas for growth. These lessons are interactive and provide strategic supports to keep your child engaged as they learn.
Thank you for your continued support and for being a partner in your child’s learning! We look forward to sharing i-Ready information with you throughout the year. If you have any questions about i-Ready, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher or the school. You can also learn more about i-Ready by visiting i-ReadyCentral.com/FamilyCenter.
Are you interested in volunteering?
In-Person Volunteer Guidelines
- All volunteers serving in-person are required to complete the volunteer application and be on the approved volunteer list. Under order of the governor of WA State, all volunteers are required to verify their COVID-19 vaccine status for the 21-22 school year.
- Upon volunteers entering the building front office staff will:
- check their volunteer approval status. If not on the approved list, direct them to the online volunteer application site. They may start their service only after approval is granted.
At this time in-person volunteers may serve in the following capacities:
- outdoor recess with a small group of students (3-4) OR
- inside the school building with a small group of students (3-4) in a large room or area such as the cafeteria or library to minimize exposure. Volunteers must maintain six feet of social distancing, and avoid being in contact students for more than 15 minutes.
- unfortunately, we cannot have volunteers work safely inside classrooms at this time.
- whether indoor or outdoor all volunteers must maintain six feet of physical distancing and wear a mask at all times.
The COVID safety training is now imbedded into the volunteer application.
If you have ideas of ways to help safely from home, we'd love to hear from you!
Do you know how to report a safety concern?
Below is an additional way to to anonymously and immediately report safety concerns through our Safety Tip Line. If you have a concern, we want to hear from you!