EBE Home Connections
November 7, 2021
Weekly Message from Mr. Hanzeli
Hello Elger Bay Families!
Welcome to blustery November...right on cue :-) Here is a quick update about a few items and events taking place at Elger Bay. Thanks for taking extra safety precautions at the bus stops both in the morning and afternoon.
Veterans Day Expressions of Gratitude
Please watch for a special edition of the newsletter coming out this Wednesday evening in honor of the countless veterans who have served our country over the years in one of the military branches. The children have been spending time in their classes on these expressions of gratitude and we will be able to feature many of them in this special edition. We hope you will enjoy AND share forward these expressions with all of the veterans in your life.
SCSD Strategic Plan Student Survey
The Stanwood-Camano School District is embarking on a long-term strategic planning process that will inform the district’s future direction and priorities. Our District values input from our community--and we need to hear from your child(ren)! Students are important partners as we work towards our long-term plan.
Next week, students in Grades 3-5 will be asked to take a short 10-15 minute survey. The purpose of the survey is to gather feedback that will help our teachers, principals, staff and district administrators make each school the best it can be for all students, without exception. Over the weeks, this feedback will be gathered from our families as well.
We are hoping for 100% participation, as their feedback will provide invaluable insights into their experiences in school. All responses are completely anonymous and confidential.
Thank you for being valued partners in this effort.
Upcoming Dates
Sunday, November 7
Clocks Fall Back One (1) Hour
Thursday, November 11
Veterans Day Observed, NO SCHOOL
Wednesday, November 24
No Late Start - Early Dismissal - 12:00
Thursday/Friday, November 25/26
Thanksgiving Holiday, NO SCHOOL
SCSD School Full Year Calendar Link
For your convenience, I am going to permanently leave the SCSD Student Calendar Link at the bottom of my newsletter calendar so you might always have it handy.
Counselor's Corner (Repeat)
Hi EBE parents and guardians!
It is now November and with the start of a new month your kiddos will be learning about a new character trait. This month we will be talking about COURAGE. Please see the links below to access the Family Letters with ideas of how you can continue the conversation at home.
I have also created a virtual counseling office where I have resources linked for parents/guardians along with a link to request a meeting with me. I also have a page for students to access content regarding the character trait of the month and a page for teachers to connect with me. Please see the link below to visit my virtual office!
Again if you have any questions, concerns or would just like to connect with me regarding your student you can find my contact information below.
Have a great week!
Allie Nosker, MEd
School Counselor
Elger Bay Elementary Explorers
Phone: 360-629-1290 ext. 2541
Email: anosker@stanwood.wednet.edu
Superintendent Deborah Rumbaugh’s Friday Message, 11.5.21 (Repeat)
Hello Families,
The picture to the right was taken on Tuesday morning as I pulled into Port Susan Middle School. The sunrise was stunning and caused me to think about the beauty that fall and winter brings...along with occasional inclement weather. We all know that fall and winter weather can impact our schools. I would like to take the opportunity to share with you the steps we take to make decisions about weather-related late starts or school cancellations.
First and foremost, there is no perfect method for predicting the weather and the potential impact it may have on schools, transportation, families, food services, etc. That said, we do have procedures that we follow:
SCSD monitors multiple weather predicting tools before, during and after weather events.
SCSD staff drive the roads in our district, including exceptionally challenging roads and neighborhoods as early as 3:00 am during weather events.
Based on our data collection from 3:00-4:00 am, we determine the safety of students, staff and families along with the feasibility to run ALL bus routes given current weather conditions.
By about 5:30-6:00 am, we make a decision as to whether we will:
Open schools on time and run bus routes as normal
Open schools late and run bus routes as normal
Open schools late and run bus routes on modified routes
Cancel school
These decisions are made collaboratively by a group of people in our system, including transportation professionals, district office staff and myself. Our district is unique in that our weather is highly variable from one end of the district to the other. Some neighborhoods might be experiencing sunshine while others are flooded, icy or impassible. We acknowledge that if a family is not experiencing inclement weather it can be frustrating as to why we have a late start or have cancelled school. Please know that we are aware of this as we make decisions about school closures and the impact it will have on students, staff and families.
Washington state Department of Health COVID Updates:
The Washington state Department of Health (DOH) has issued new requirements to school districts that will help reduce the number of days students are quarantined from school when they have been exposed to COVID-19 at school. This is the sixth update for schools since last May. Updates reflect the state’s commitment to ensure safety for students and staff and, in this case, provide options for families to reduce time away from school.
The state is requiring all schools to offer families to option test their students that are identified close contacts from exposure at school. A negative test would require an at-home quarantine. This process is outlined in detail as a Test to Stay Protocol. Please contact your school if you have questions. Additionally, you may reach out to:
Deborah Rumbaugh at DRumbaugh@stanwood.wednet.edu
Mary Hoffman at MHoffman@stanwood.wednet.edu
Cedarhome Elementary Enrollment
Cedarhome Elementary 4th grade classes are currently at capacity. This is due, in part, to new construction in the nearby neighborhoods. In an effort to keep families and students intact at CES, we have utilized all physical space within the building and added a portable. In anticipation of potential new 4th grade enrollment, the following will occur effective immediately:
Any new 4th grade students within the Cedarhome Elementary School boundary will be enrolled in Twin City Elementary School for the 2021-2022 school year.
All elementary age siblings of new 4th grade students may choose to attend Twin City Elementary.
Transportation to and from Cedarhome elementary will be provided.
We are in the process of developing a long-range plan to address enrollment trends across all schools in the district. Our goal is to have a long-range plan to the school board in March, from there we will engage the community in any immediate next steps for schools in the 2022-2023 school year. Please look for opportunities to participate in community input sessions after the new year.
District Strategic Planning
We have talked a lot about developing a multi-year district strategic plan that reflects YOU! We are currently in the data collection phase of strategic planning. We have started surveying students this week about their needs, wishes and priorities for our district. Schools will be communicating directly with families about the student surveys. In December we will be hosting listening sessions to further understand the values and priorities our families have for the district. We have created a Strategic Planning page on our website that will house details as we begin the work.
Bus Driver Shortages
You may have heard about a nationwide bus driver shortage. The Stanwood-Camano School District currently has enough drivers to cover our regular routes. However, we have limited ability to cover routes if drivers are out due to illness. We have a contingency plan in place in order to protect in-person learning opportunities for our students. All routes assigned to students with special needs will continue as currently scheduled. This contingency plan is outlined below.
Morning Routes
In the event that we have 1 to 5 uncovered routes the following plan will be followed:
By 6:00 am families will be notified via School Messenger by phone that their child’s route does not have a driver, and their route will be delayed. Families will then have two options:
Families may find alternative transportation to get their children to school; or
Families may keep their children at home until drivers returning from other routes can be dispatched to drive uncovered routes.
Afternoon Routes
In the event that we have 1 to 5 uncovered routes the following plan will be followed:
By 1:00 pm families will be notified via School Messenger by phone that their child’s route does not have an afternoon driver, and their route will be delayed. Families will then have two options:
Families may find alternative transportation to get their children homel; or
Students may remain at school until drivers returning from other routes can be dispatched to drive uncovered routes.
We are always hiring bus drivers! Please see our Employment Page on the district website for more information and application materials.
Fall Back to standard time
Lastly, please remember to turn your clocks back one hour before you go to sleep Saturday night as we return to standard time.
If Needed, Covid-19 Tests Available (Repeat)
Hello,
Covid-19 testing is available, if needed, to EBE students. This is for the convenience of our families so you don't have to make a separate appointment with your health provider. To access this, please just call the EBE office and ask for the nurse's office and we can schedule you an appointment.
We can also do a test for older students that attend Stanwood-Camano schools, but for whom it would be more convenient to test here at EBE.
Let us know how we can help.
Thank you,
Donna Hunter RN
ONLINE REGISTRATION AVAILABLE HERE
If you have a child to register for next year, you may stop in to the office. Please bring:
- Registration Forms
- Copy of their birth certificate (or other age verification document, as noted)
- Immunization records.
For enrollment purposes, we accept birth certificates, adoption decrees, baptismal certificates, immunization records, previous school records, or entry in a family tree. Other documents not outlined here may also support age verification.
Students entering kindergarten must be 5 years old by August 31, 2021.
Please call us at 360-629-1290 if you have any questions.
REGISTER ONLINE: New Student and Kindergarten Registration for 2021-2022
PTA EMAIL CONTACTS
Following are the contact information for the president, treasurer, and secretary of the Elger Bay Elementary PTA.
ebeptapresident@gmail.com (Suzanne Twining)
ebeptatreasurer@gmail.com (Elizabeth Butler)
ebesecretary@gmail.com (Roxanne Cardon)
Weekly Message from Mr. Hanzeli
Hello Elger Bay Families!
Welcome to blustery November...right on cue :-) Here is a quick update about a few items and events taking place at Elger Bay. Thanks for taking extra safety precautions at the bus stops both in the morning and afternoon.
Veterans Day Expressions of Gratitude
Please watch for a special edition of the newsletter coming out this Wednesday evening in honor of the countless veterans who have served our country over the years in one of the military branches. The children have been spending time in their classes on these expressions of gratitude and we will be able to feature many of them in this special edition. We hope you will enjoy AND share forward these expressions with all of the veterans in your life.
SCSD Strategic Plan Student Survey
The Stanwood-Camano School District is embarking on a long-term strategic planning process that will inform the district’s future direction and priorities. Our District values input from our community--and we need to hear from your child(ren)! Students are important partners as we work towards our long-term plan.
Next week, students in Grades 3-5 will be asked to take a short 10-15 minute survey. The purpose of the survey is to gather feedback that will help our teachers, principals, staff and district administrators make each school the best it can be for all students, without exception. Over the weeks, this feedback will be gathered from our families as well.
We are hoping for 100% participation, as their feedback will provide invaluable insights into their experiences in school. All responses are completely anonymous and confidential.
Thank you for being valued partners in this effort.
CONTACT YOUR ELGER BAY TEAM
Email: ebeinfo@gmail.com
Website: ebe.stanwood.wednet.edu
Location: 1810 Elger Bay Road, Camano, WA, USA
Phone: 360.629.1290