The Bobcat Bulletin
1/September/2020
Dear Founders Families,
As we write this year’s welcome back letter to all of you, we are beyond excited for the day our students will once again enter Founders Memorial School. March 17, 2020 was the last day we were with our students in person. It has been almost six months. Last Friday, we walked the halls of our school, looking at the arrows on the floor, the physical distancing markers, the many hand sanitizing stations, the new welcoming bulletin boards, and the shiny hall floors, and our excitement grew at the thought of having our kids back with us.
The anticipation of a new school year has always been one of joy and excitement for us, as young children, as teachers, and now as a principals. This year is no different, although as you know, so much has changed for us this year. It is sure to be a year to remember, one that I believe will bring us even closer as a community. It is more important than ever that we work together as partners in learning for our students. We are including a link to a short article that outlines some ways you can support us so that our kids can have the most successful year, despite some of the challenges and changes they will experience.
Five Things Parents Can Practice With Their Kids to Help Teachers this Year
We have all been working hard to get ready for a safe, healthy, positive return for our students. We are making plans to teach our students what they can do to be safe and take care of each other in a way that empowers them, rather than creating anxiety for them. Founders staff are developing plans to meet not only the academic needs of our students but their social emotional needs as well. Our entire staff will be there for our students, to ensure the best possible transition back to school. Our SEL (social emotional learning) team, as well as our teachers, and our support staff personnel are poised to support our students.
Please know that we are here to support you as well. We believe in the importance of having a strong, collaborative relationship with our families is essential to the success of our students. We can’t do this work without you, especially now!
Take care of yourselves and don’t hesitate to reach out.
Your Partners in Learning,
Wendy Cobb and Peter Farrell
Important Things to Know...
Important Beginning of the Year - Things to Know about FMS:
COVID and Reopening UPDATES: Please check This Link! For all Covid related updates. It is very important that you read all of the information provided in this link. There is information regarding masks, health checks, instructional models, and a myriad of other information.
The First day of School Hybrid Model:
The first day of school for Cohort A (Monday/Tuesday) will be Tuesday, September 8th.
The first day of school for Cohort B (Thursday/Friday) will be Thursday, September 10th.
All students will receive Chromebooks. You will hear from your child’s teaching team regarding their plan for teaching students about the expectations when using Chromebooks and when they will send them home with students.
All students will receive all of the necessary supplies needed for in-person instruction. Please do not send supplies in with your child.
Students should come to school with a water bottle.
K-8 Remote Virtual Academy:
The first day of school for our fully remote learners will be Tuesday, September 8th.
All virtual academy students will also receive Chromebooks. Chromebook pickups are this Thursday (9:00-12:00) and Friday, 12:00-3:00. There will be a location for pickups in the front of Founders School.
All students will receive the necessary supplies needed for in-person instruction. You can pick these up when you come to get Chromebooks.
Masks
Masks are required for all children, faculty, staff and any person coming to Founders. We will be providing every child with two masks. Students should come each day wearing a mask and have an extra in their backpack. Masks need to be two ply. There are some masks that are not appropriate for use at school. These include gaiters, bandanas, ball cap shields, masks with respiratory valves, and those with inappropriate messages. Students will have mask breaks and be able to take their masks off outside if they are able to be socially distanced. This could occur in outdoor learning, PE classes, and recess.
Our school buildings and grounds are public spaces. Aligning with the Governor’s order on August 1, we are requiring facial coverings while in the building. When outside on our grounds, if adequate physical distancing cannot be maintained, face masks are required. Face masks are required on school buses and public transportation.
Facial coverings may be removed during outdoor activities where students and staff can maintain physical distancing and have ready access to put them back on as needed when activity stops.
While cloth face coverings are required, to reduce the spread of COVID-19, we recognize there are students or adults who have a medical or mental health reason for not wearing a facial covering. In these incidences, they will not be required to wear one as long as there is documentation and our nurses have an established partnership with their health care or mental health provider. For students not able to wear a facial covering, a form provided by the school will need to be signed by the health care or mental health provider. Documentation is required, there are no exceptions.
All adults dropping off or picking up children will be required to wear facial coverings.
Stigma, discrimination, or bullying will not be tolerated and if we are made aware of such behaviors it will be addressed following our C10: Prevention of Harassment, Hazing, and Bullying of Students policy.
Schools will have disposable face masks readily available to students, staff, or visitors who do not have access to them.
Communication at Founders:
We feel it is imperative that we are communicating with families regularly and in a number of ways. Please understand that information is changing rapidly. The name of the game this year is flexibility. We will do our best to provide the most updated information as it becomes available.
EWSD Mobile App:
Do you have the Essex Westford School District mobile app yet?
The EWSD Mobile App (pictured above) is a great place to get school and district news and headlines, lunch menus, the academic calendar, and connect with school and district social media. You can follow individual schools or all of them.
While the app provides an opportunity to enhance district community engagement, it is not a direct portal to the website. Teacher or department pages cannot be accessed using this tool. These can only be accessed by going directly to our website address listed above. You can download the Essex Westford School District app for free on the Apple App or Google Play Stores today!Check us out on social media:
Founders Memorial School Facebook Page - Like Us
Founders School Twitter Page: Follow Us @FMS_Essex
The Bobcat Bulletin: Our school newsletter, The Bobcat Bulletin, goes out electronically every two weeks. Please let your child’s teacher know if you would like a paper copy of the bulletin.
EWSD Updates: You will continue to receive ongoing updates from EWSD
Classroom Communication: Teachers will send home class/team newsletters discussing the specifics of their class and team. We encourage ongoing, positive, two-way communication. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us. The easiest way to do this is through email. You can reach a staff member through email by using their first initial, followed by their last name, @ewsd.org. Please allow teachers 24 hours to respond to emails, unless you identify there is an emergency and something needs to be addressed immediately.
Drop Off and Pick Up - We will be sending out separate, more detailed information about our new drop-off and pick-up procedures in the coming days. Please be on the lookout for it.
Bus Transportation: All students arriving by bus transportation will arrive at the main entrance and have their temperature taken. Students will be welcomed through the main doors by the office.
See the EWSD website for the latest Transportation Update regarding busing. Click this link: https://www.ewsd.org/2020-2021 Select the article: 08.28.20 EWSD To-and-From School Transportation Info/Registration. You will need to register your child for the bus!
IMPORTANT!!! Please click on this link for the registration form: If needed, please complete this survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScrFx-KcfdXJarT-5xHyj0Wk79JPDKkcUbeuVRh7uRtwHYeQw/viewform FOR EACH CHILD to register them for bus transportation. Registration must be complete by Wednesday, September 2nd to have students added to routes for the first day of school!!
For more information, click on this link: https://www.ewsd.org/domain/167 which will take you to the Transportation page. If you have additional questions, please contact the EWSD Transportation Department directly at 802-857-7077 or email to: transportation@ewsd.org
Parking and Responsible Pickup and Drop Off: When arriving for drop off and pick up, dropping off, please drive safely and slowly at all times near EWSD schools. For safety reasons, parents cannot park, even for a moment, in the fire lanes in front of the school at any time. I cannot emphasize enough the need for everyone to please drive slowly when driving anywhere on school grounds. The safety of our students, families, and staff is of utmost importance. Thank you for helping us to keep everyone safe and helping to maintain accessibility for all.
Morning Drop Off: School doors will open at 7:30 am. They will not open prior to 7:30. The school day starts at 8:00 am. More information is coming this week on a separate email.
End of Day Pick Up: Dismissal Time is 3:00 pm! More information is coming this week on a separate email.
Early Pick Ups: At this time, we are asking that you not arrive early to pick up your child. As we work on a very new system for all, one that has a specific focus on safety, we ask that you allow time for all of us to adjust. In addition, we need every minute possible with your children, when they are here with us. Late arrivals and early pick ups send a message to your child that their time at school isn’t important. Please do your best to schedule appointments after school, whenever possible. We will not dismiss students if you call the school any time after 2:00. More information is coming this week on a separate email.
Walking and Biking to School: If your children bike to school, we strongly encourage them to wear helmets. In addition, please take time with your children to carefully review safety protocols for crossing streets. We suggest walking or biking with your child, in advance of the first day of school, to review these important safety rules. We will have crossing guards at the end of Founders Road and at the crosswalk near Founders.
In-School Visitation: At this time, we are not allowing any visitors inside the building. All meetings will need to take place virtually.
Snack/Breakfast: Students will be able to access EWSD Child Nutrition Services for breakfast/snack and students will eat in their classroom.
Lunch: All students will have access to EWSD Child Nutrition Services and lunch will be eaten in their classroom.
Student Expectations: Our school uses the principles of Responsive Classroom as the guiding philosophy around student management. Essentially, we ask that students show RESPONSIBILITY, RESPECT, AND SAFETY in their interactions with each other and all adults here at school.
Responsive Classroom: We continue our work using a school-wide program called Responsive Classroom, which guides us in developing a sense of community and caring within each classroom and throughout the school. You will hear about morning messages, interesting greetings and activities that your child is doing to build community in their classroom, team, and school. These will occur in person and virtually.
You will hear about hopes and dreams children and staff have for themselves and for our school this year.
If you have any questions about what this overall school approach means, please contact your child’s teacher. There is an emphasis on Cooperation, Assertiveness, Responsibility, Empathy, and Self-Control (CARES). You can visit the Responsive Classroom website for more information. https://www.responsiveclassroom.org/
School-Wide Expectations
Take care of yourself.
Take care of others.
Take care of our school.
Take care of our world.
Teams will work with students at the start of the year to determine what these expectations look like and sound like. They will set classroom and team expectations that directly connect to the above-mentioned school-wide expectations. Adults will model, practice with students, and review these expectations at the start of the year and in an ongoing manner throughout the school year.
Discipline: As part of Responsive Classroom, all classes will be using the same series of consequences for students. If a classroom expectation is not met by a student, the teacher will give the student a friendly reminder of the expected behavior. If the behavior continues, then the student will be directed to move into a “take a break” area of the room. If the behavior continues, the student will have a timeout in another, pre-designated classroom, typically a teaching partner. The next step would be administrative intervention. Some behaviors (e.g. physical aggression, harassment, bullying) will be “fast-tracked” to administration and may be subject to in-school or out-of-school suspensions or loss of privileges. Your classroom teacher will be communicating with you if behavior is an ongoing concern, and we will be working together to develop a plan to help your child be more successful.
Physical Aggression or Unsafe Behavior on the School Bus:
Masks must be worn on the bus. The number one priority for all students is always safety. Kindness and respect towards others is the expectation at FMS. Like any other area of the school, all students have the right to feel safe on the school bus. Aggressive behavior and bullying on the bus is taken very seriously, just as it would be at school. When aggressive, threatening, or unsafe behaviors are reported, the principal and the student management specialist will review video footage of the day and time in question. Bus suspensions may be implemented if the video reveals students are being physically aggressive, threatening to others, or unsafe. Depending on the severity or number of infractions, transportation privileges may be suspended for a short period of time or for the remainder of the year. Parents are responsible for arranging alternate transportation for their child if this occurs.
All buses are equipped with video cameras to ensure that drivers and administration have access to objective and real-time evidence related to student behavior. Parents will not be allowed to view video recordings based on federal student privacy laws. Only the administration and designated school personnel are allowed to view the video footage, for confidentiality reasons. Please talk with your children about expected bus behavior. It’s important for students to know the school and their family are on the same page regarding expected behaviors at school and on the bus.
Hazing, Harassment, & Bullying: The EWSD School District is committed to providing all of its students with a safe and supportive school environment in which all members of the school community are treated with respect. We take all reported incidents of bullying, hazing, and harassment seriously.
Each school campus has at least two designated employees that are charged with receiving and investigating reports of hazing, harassment and bullying. Any person who believes they have been the victim of hazing, harassment and/or bullying or the victim of retaliation by making a complaint of such behavior, or any person with knowledge or evidence of conduct which may constitute hazing, harassment, or bullying shall report the alleged acts immediately to Wendy Cobb (principal) or Joe Arigo (student management specialist). For a more detailed outline of HHB policies and procedures, see the parent handbook or the district website.
Picture Days: This year we will have two picture dates:
Cohort A and 3rd Grade Virtual Academy Students - Tuesday, October 6: We will send information at a later time, regarding times for our Virtual Academy Students.
Cohort B and 4th/5th Grade Virtual Academy Students - Friday, October 9: We will send information at a later time, regarding times for our Virtual Academy Students.
Make up Dates: TBD
Founders Memorial School
Website: www.ewsd.org/fms
Location: 33 Founders Road, Essex Junction, VT, USA
Phone: (802) 879-6326
Facebook: facebook.com/https://www.facebook.com/Founders-Memorial-School
Twitter: @FMS_Essex