Family Newsletter
August 9, 2020
Finalizing Preparations
I hope that you and your family are doing well. We are beginning to finalize our preparations for the start of the school year. There is a lot of information in our newsletter this week and I want you to begin marking your calendars for opportunities in the next few weeks.
Our staff is really diving into their professional development to prepare for virtual learning with your children. We are excited to learn more about the tools that will help keep kids engaged and motivated as we are learning remotely. Our other focus area for professional development is around Social and Emotional Learning. We are learning more about how the pandemic is traumatic and impacting our youngest students. Our learning is helping us to develop new tools to support all students and feel prepared for the year no matter which format we are utilizing.
We look forward to getting to know your children and helping them learn and grow. We will continue to keep kindness, joy, and a love of learning at the heart of our Robinson School Community. I am so excited to be working along such a dedicated, caring, and hard working staff who truly puts students first.
Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
Take Care-
Angeline
Robinson Elementary Finalized Schedules
The ABCDE Specials Rotation Schedule tells you which specials class your child has for which day.
Classroom Teacher's ABCDE Specials RotationThe ABCDE Calendar tells you if it is an A,B,C,D,E day- this corresponds to your classroom teacher calendar above.
ABCDE Calendar for Specials Rotation
The links below are specific to the schedule for each grade level. All students across the district will be following the same online learning schedule. The blocks in dark red denote "synchronous" or live learning blocks of time for all students.
Meet Your Teacher
Because we are living during a pandemic, some of our teachers are unable to do an in person meet and greet. We would like to honor and respect their decision to do what is best to keep themselves and their families safe. By the same token, if you or your child are unable to attend an in person meet and greet, we will honor and respect your decision to do what is best for your family.
Teachers will be emailing their welcome letters and class rosters on August 17th by noon. In their letter, it will let you know which option (in person or via zoom) your meet and greet will be. You will be provided a sign up genius link to sign up for a 15 minute time slot to meet your teacher. If your teacher is offering the in person option, and you would prefer zoom, you will simply designate that in the comment box while still reserving your time slot.
We will do K-2 Meet and Greets on August 24th from 8:00 - 11:00 am and 4:00-7:00 pm. Kindergarten will be at the benches in the front of the building. 1st grade will be in the OLC, and 2nd grade will be at the soccer field.
We will do 3-5 Meet and Greets on August 25th from 8:00-11:00 am and 4:00-7:00 pm. Third grade will be at the benches in the front of the building, 4th grade will be in the OLC, and 5th grade will be in the soccer field.
All Meet and Greet locations will have a long table which allows for social distancing. All participants must wear face masks. Administrators will be walking around to guide families to their appropriate meeting space. Please be cognizant of staying within your time slot to allow teachers to stay on schedule and meet all their students.
Student Supply Curbside Pickup
For those students who will not be attending an in person meet and great with your teacher, you will get a bag of supplies to support your online learning through curbside pickup at Robinson. Our curbside pickup dates are August 19th and 20th from 8:30-10:30 am and 5:00-7:00 pm.
School Supplies
Our teachers have finalized their at home learning (first nine weeks of online learning) supply lists. Please purchase the list of supplies that has been previously shared on our website and via our newsletter. We will use all of these supplies before the end of the year. Here is the link to our school supply lists.
Many grade levels have a few additional supplies that need to be purchased for this year. Please purchase these additional supplies prior to beginning online learning.
Kindergarten-
- 2 black or blue felt-tip pens
- Play dough (2 or 4 pack)
- 10 dice
- 1 deck of cards
First Grade-
- 2 colored ink pens
- Pencil sharpener
Second Grade-
- 1 pencil box
- Crayons
- Eraser
- Two colored ink pens
- 1 additional composition notebook (3 were on the original list, and now we need 4)
- Sticky Notes
Third Grade-
- No additional supplies required
Fourth Grade-
- Box of Crayons
- Set of 7 page dividers
- Ruler (shows both inch and centimeter)
- Deck of Cards
Fifth Grade-
- Box of crayons
- 3 packs of sticky notes
- 12 inch ruler (inch and centimeter)
- 3 spiral notebooks (wide rule and 1 subject)
- Deck of cards
PTO is working with a school supply company, Bright SchoolKitz, to provide families an opportunity to purchase all of their school supplies with a click of a button. Once ordered, the supplies will be shipped directly to the student's address within 2-3 weeks. This option would allow families to purchase supplies without having to go into stores or find each item independently. We hope that you will find this service to be convenient and efficient. The additional supplies for online learning can be added at checkout as an "add on" to the school supply list that automatically goes into your cart. Please visit the website to view supplies and prices. www.schoolkitz.com
We wanted to communicate this list of supplies in a timely manner. We did not plan for learning to be in the virtual format when we had created our original list. If your family needs support securing school supplies for online learning, please email your child’s counselor (K-2 students, indria.harris@kirkwoodschools.org and 3-5 students julie.cohen@kirkwoodschools.org) and we will ensure that you have all the supplies needed to ensure your child’s success.
Thank you for your flexibility and support. We are looking forward to a great school year!
Technology Information and Updates
Please only turn in your iPads and keep your chargers. We will change out your iPad case and redistribute it to you via the meet and greet or the supply pick up if you are not doing the in person meet and greet.
Kindergarten families will get their iPads at either the meet and greet or supply pick up (depending on if you do the in person meet and greet option or not).
Current 1st-5th grade families:
Please complete the software update on your iPad by following these instructions:
- E-mails were sent to every student with their Apple ID information. They will need to enter the password after they do the update so please make a note of what it is before starting the update. Parents of our younger students, check your child's email on their iPad.
- Plug the iPad into a charger.
- Go to Settings>General>Software Update>Download and Install.
- If it says your software is up to date, no further action required.
Please reach out to our technology specialist Shelley Armstrong with any questions, concerns, or support needs. Thank you!
There's an App for that!
Did you know there is a KSD App? The KSD App organizes all communication resources in one
location. The app provides links to communication tools, event calendars, staff contact information, and posts from Twitter and Facebook. Download the KSD App from the Apple Store or the Google Play Store. The following video shows some highlighted features of the app. Please make sure your "closed captioning" is turned on, as it contains subtitles only.
Click here to view the video of how to download.
Social and Emotional Supports
The social, emotional, and mental health of our students, parents, and families is a priority of the Kirkwood School District. There are many resources to share with families during the summer months that can help parents and students navigate COVID-19:
Kirkwood School District uses Second Step as a social/emotional learning curriculum. Second Step's website contains resources for parents.
Resources for Parents for COVID-19
Free and Reduced Lunch Information
Please note that all these forms may be emailed directly back to shanon.orelup@kirkwoodschools.org, may be dropped off at our front office, or may be mailed to:
Kirkwood School District
Attn: Shanon Orelup
11289 Manchester Rd
Kirkwood MO 63122
All information and inquiries will remain confidential.
District FSM Policy for Meal Charges
Kirkwood School District Nutrition on the Weekends Registration for 2020-21
KSD N.O.W. - Nutrition on the Weekends
Registration for the 2020-2021 School Year
Kirkwood School District offers the KSD N.O.W. program to supply an array of nutritious, non-perishable meals and snacks for children experiencing food insecurity over weekends and extended breaks, free of charge. During the 2020-21 school year, boxes will be distributed to families at their homes via delivery in a discrete and caring manner once per month.
If you wish for your child(ren) to participate in the program, please complete the online form. Only one form is needed for all the school-aged children in your family, but please include information for each child on the form. This information is kept confidential between KSD N.O.W. and your child’s school.
Once your child is signed up, they will receive boxes of food each month of the school year or until you no longer wish to participate. KSD N.O.W. operates with a first come, first served model. If your form is received after the capacity has been reached, you will be placed on a waitlist.
If you have any questions or need a paper form, please contact program coordinator Emilie Lytton at ksdnow@kirkwoodschools.org. All inquiries will remain confidential.
Thank you.
If you have unmet food needs for your family, including older children, babies, or toddlers, please contact KirkCare at 314-965-0406 or dial 2-1-1 for referrals to food banks and social services in your area.
In order to receive support through KSD N.O.W. for the 2020-21 school year, please complete the online registration at https://www.kirkwoodschools.org/KSDNOWRegistration.
ALL FAMILIES MUST COMPLETE THIS FORM TO PARTICIPATE IN KSD N.O.W. Students who currently participate will not automatically be re-enrolled.