Wrightstown Ravens' News
September 13, 2020
Dear WES Families,
Week One of the virtual start to the school year came and went in what seems like a blink of an eye! Was it perfect, no. Were there some technical challenges at times, yes. However, it is important to recognize that our students were able to interact with their classroom peers, get to know their teacher, and hopefully sense a feeling of familiarity with class routine. The structure of school, although currently virtual, is still structure that our students crave and need. I am proud of our students and appreciative of your efforts to best support your children during this time. I know how much our teachers care about their students and I continue to be amazed by their work and commitment to ensure students' learning.
I would like to thank all of the parents that were able to join the LIVE Back to School Night presentations last week. On Monday, September 14th, Back to School Night presentations will be held LIVE for students in grades 4-6. More information is included further down the newsletter.
As previously shared, our Meet and Greet and New Student/Family Orientation had to be modified due to the current circumstances. For now, please enjoy this VIDEO!
Thank you to everyone who shared positive emails and feedback this week. Your words of support and encouragement are truly appreciated by the WES staff and me.
I wish everyone a great week ahead!
Stay well,
Beth
Virtual Back to School Night Grades 4-6
Monday, September 14th - Virtual Back to School Night (Grades 4-6)
Grade 4 - 6:00 PM
Grade 5 - 6:45 PM
Grade 6 - 7:30 PM
More information to come from your child's teacher
Specialists/Special Area teachers have provided their Back to School Night information at
the following link: Visit the Specialists of Wrightstown!
Some specialists have provided a ZOOM link for you to attend a LIVE session with them from 6:15 - 7:00 PM. Others have provided information about their program. Be sure to visit this link and click on the individual special areas for more information.
Mrs. Laforgia Kane, our Math Specialist will provide LIVE sessions at the times listed below. When you click on the link above you will find the information to join these specific sessions.
Math Enrichment - Monday, 9/14/20 (5:30-6:00 PM)
Math Club - Monday, 9/14/20 (8:00-8:30 PM)
Student Pick Up During Hybrid Model
Expectations for Virtual Learning
Across the district, there were several situations in which students did not make the best electronic choices (Memes, Photoshop, screen shots, Tic Tok, etc.) during their virtual instruction. As a result, all schools are sending a reminder to families about expectations for children as outlined in the Mobile Device-Virtual Instruction Interactive Live Streaming Agreement and Board Policy 816 (https://go.boarddocs.com/pa/coun/Board.nsf/vpublic?open#). At WES, we have behavioral expectations for children to Be Respectful, Be Responsible, and Be Safe and these are maintained during our virtual learning, as well.
Workspace Tips from Mrs. Keen
STUDENT ART KITS
All of our students received a large ziplock bag containing Art Supplies. This is your child’s Art Kit. The Art Kit includes a special Sketchbook, a Tagboard portfolio folder, some white drawing paper, a box of crayons and a pencil.
This Art Kit is only to be used for Art Projects. Students should wait for instructions from Ms. Miguelez, our Art teacher, and not draw anything in the Sketchbook yet. Please keep everything in the big Ziplock plastic bag, all year. Students should bring their Art Kit to every Art class (virtual and hybrid).
Welcome Back to School from the WES PTO
Dear WES families,
We would like to welcome all of our new families and welcome back all of our returning families to a new year at Wrightstown Elementary School! We hope that the first few days of virtual learning have gone well for your family and that you are starting to get settled into this new routine.
Thank you to the WES teachers and staff for all of the hard work, long hours, and dedication they have put in to create this fantastic new virtual learning environment for our students. You are amazing!
This will certainly be a year to remember and one like no year before. Even with all of these changes, the PTO is determined to do everything we can to support the WES community through it all. Please feel free to reach out to us at any time with questions, ideas, or offers to help!
We will be in touch soon with more information about our school directory, homeroom parents, PTO meetings for the year, and more. Please stay tuned!
All the best for a great school year!
The WES PTO
uPCOMING EVENTS
Monday, September 14th - Virtual Back to School Grades 4-6
Tuesday, September 15th - Transportation Information available in HAC
Wednesday, September 16th - Student Pick Up during Hybrid forms due
Tuesday, September 29th - First Day of Hybrid Learning
Share your back to school photos
Although we are starting the school year virtually, we won’t let that dampen our WES spirit! Be sure to capture photos of our awesome students in action during their first few weeks of virtual learning in the new school year! You can upload your photos at the following link
Specials Color Rotating Schedule
A change is being made this year to move the four special areas (Art, Music, P.E. and Library) to a color rotating schedule. The rationale for this change is to provide more balance to student participation in the specialty area classes. Attached below is the specials schedule students will follow for the first three weeks of school. Since schools are closed on Monday, September 7th, the color rotation was adjusted. Teachers will share their specials schedule with families.
Home access center (HAC)/Transportation Information
Transportation information will be available for viewing on Tuesday, September 15th in the Home Access Center opened for families to access.
IT SUPPORT
WiFi Issues: Contact your provider (Comcast, Verizon, Xfinity, etc)
Password Issues: Contact our Librarian Assistant, Kristi Marino at kristi.marino@crsd.org
Tech Issue: Contact chromesupport@crsd.org
If you are having issues with your Chromebook that was issued to you or if you are in need of a Chromebook, please email chromesupport@crsd.org
a note from the library
Welcome Back WES families! We are excited about the start of our 2020-2021 school year. In library, students will be using digital resources during virtual, hybrid and sometimes in person learning. Our library has partnered with the Bucks County Free Library, including the Wrightstown Village Library, to offer students a free library card.
This card will allow students to access digital resources such as BookFlix, digital picture books and chapter books. While some digital resources are available through the WES library, and we are continuing to add digital sources to WES, we do not have the extensive collection of authors and illustrators provided by the BCFL. The link to sign up for your students’ ecard (library card) is below along with the parent steps of “how to”. Please contact your librarians if you have any questions regarding this voluntary program at: jventresca@crsd.org OR hadams@crsd.org
Steps involved:
1. school provides information with online library card sign up link
2. parents fill out form online
3. parents will receive an email with card number and will have access to all online resources
4. the library calls the parent when the physical card is ready to be picked
5. parents must go to the library during curbside pick up hours to pick up the card (we are still curbside only) – there is a 3 month window
https://buckslib.org/onlinelibrarycardapplication/
*NOTE: If your student has a library card they can get a PIN number from the BCFL and no additional card is needed*
Problem-Solving During Virtual Learning
As adults, we’ve all encountered issues when using technology. Often problems are minor, but sometimes even the small issues can be very frustrating. It’s possible that the children may encounter obstacles, and there are proactive measures to take that may mitigate the impact of these problems.
Before the school year begins, it’s important to write down this important information:
- Teacher Email
- Student ID Number
- School Email Address
- School Password
- Other Sites and Passwords
And here are some steps that children can take when they come across a problem with their device or electronic resource:
1. Let an adult or older sibling know that you are having difficulty.
2. Try to take a picture of what is on the computer screen with a phone or a screenshot. (Links to an external site.)
3. Go to https://mail.google.com/ (Links to an external site.) and sign in with your CRSD school email listed above OR a parent/sibling can use their email.
4. If the problem is with an assignment or a website, send an email to your teacher at the address that is listed above. If the issue is with your Chromebook, email chromesupport@crsd.org AND your teacher.
5. In the email, write what you were trying to do and what was not working. Tell them what device you were using. Was it your school Chromebook? If possible, attach the picture or screenshot to the email. Then send the email.
6. Some things you can do while you wait for a response:
- Try to save your work in some way. Maybe take a picture with a phone.
- Try a different browser. We suggest using Google Chrome, signed into your CRSD account.
- Try to refresh the screen or restart your device.
- Ask a classmate and/or Google it.
- Come up with another creative way that you might be able to complete the assignment.
Free and Reduced Lunch
Attached is the 2020-21 Free and Reduced lunch application.
Council Rock Attendance Policy
As we begin the 2020-2021 school year, we want to inform you of our policies regarding attendance. You can read the district attendance guidelines in a letter found at the following LINK.
From our CR Transportation Department
The Council Rock Transportation Department has been hard at work adapting, inventing, and planning. We have coordinated with our software provider to create a unique filtering process for routing the hybrid schedule. The process we developed allows us to keep stops consistent and bus routes generally similar to where we left off in March. While uncertainty looms large in many aspects of school this year, we expect that in the vast majority of cases, the stops and general routes you remember from March will be the same as they were last year. Our goal in routing this year is to provide safe, consistent, and efficient routes that encourage a predictably high service level while minimizing double backs and other disruptions as much as possible.
Given the extremely unique nature of the 2020-2021 school year, there are challenges we will face. Hopefully, these scenarios will be minimal, but in the spirit of open and honest communication, we believe they can and will happen at times. The pandemic will hurt our overall driver count. Fewer drivers will be comfortable returning to work, as is the case with any profession. Should a positive case occur in the driver population, fear may spark mass call-outs to the point where we cannot provide transportation that day. As the hybrid schedule is brand new and untested, every day we will be in uncharted waters. While we are planning to mitigate problems, there will likely be timing issues, delays, and double backs on a frequent basis.
What can you do to stay informed and be ready?
Expect the unexpected, be patient, and flexible
Make sure to sign up for CR Text & Email Alerts
Download and use FirstView
Have a backup plan if we cannot provide transportation
For more information please visit the CR Transportation Webpage and Reopening Hub FAQs under the Transportation heading.
CR Calendar
The Council Rock School Board recently approved the 2020-2021 district calendar, and you can find it at the following LINK.
WRIGHTSTOWN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Principal
Email: bfox@crsd.org
Website: https://www.crsd.org/wrightstownes
Location: 729 Penns Park Road, Newtown, PA, USA
Phone: 215-944-2300
Twitter: @BethFox_WES