The Bee's Knees
Back to School Edition!
Message from Mr. G
Welcome to the 2020-21 school year! This will be a school year like no other and hopefully one that we will never experience again! I must first begin with a thank you to each of our patrons and our staff members. I need to thank you for the patience, flexibility and kindness that so many of you have demonstrated in recent weeks. I want to extend this gratitude into the future. I am not sure you can “pay it forward” with a thank you, but no doubt I need to as the coming weeks will require levels of patience and flexibility that are unprecedented. Whether your child is enrolled in the Virtual Academy or will be attending in person we will be doing everything humanly possible to nurture their growth and maximize their development. That is one of the few certainties you can count on this year.
This year will be a struggle to balance our collective desire for “getting back to normal” with our responsibility to provide a safe environment for our students. Safety must be our first concern and consequently this school year will look and feel like anything but normal. There is a major change that we are forced to implement to safeguard our students and staff this year. We will not be allowing any visitors into the building. We understand and appreciate how much our students and staff look forward to back to school events like Meet the Teacher. Meet the Teacher night provides an opportunity for an introduction of students and their families to their teachers and school staff. They also provide an opportunity for students and families to take a look around the classroom, and meet new friends. Given that the WSD will be reopening at Level 2, Meet the Teacher night, on August 20, will be done virtually in an effort to keep students, staff, and families safe and healthy. The “no visitor” rule even applies to the first day of school. I am heartbroken over this. I know how important the first day of school is for our families. For some the first day of school is tearful, typically more parents cry than students, but some students do require the support of a parent to make their way into their classrooms. I am so sorry that we will not permit parents to be there for their children on the first day. I can promise that we have the most loving staff in the WSD and we will be sure to provide all the support each of our students require to explore their new classroom and make new friends!
The fact is we are taking every measure possible to provide a window in time for students and teachers to have the chance to meet in person. If we are able to remain at Level 2 for four to six weeks, I personally will consider it a victory. The more time we are able to provide staff and students to meet in person the less challenging the transition to Level 3 will be (if/when the time comes). With classes typically around six students, zoning on the playground, strict hand washing schedules and modifications of the classroom routines, I believe we are well positioned to start the school year in the best way we can. To be clear we have some work to do before August 24!
One area that requires a bit more work is the WSD Pre-K Virtual Academy. I am very happy to report that BEC teachers will be teaching each of the AM and PM classes! The WSD Technology Department has professional development planned for the VA teachers as this year WSD will begin to use Google Classroom as the platform upon which virtual instruction will be built. We will be finalizing classroom placements for the VA students (and for that matter all BEC students) this week. Details about how the BEC Virtual Academy will be made available on the District Virtual Academy web site at the end of this week. I will also post a link to that page on the BEC homepage. Teacher assignments for all WSD students will be emailed on August 18.
The theme for this year will be flexibility. Please know we are working very hard behind the scenes to make this the best school year it can be. Also know that things can and will change. We will keep you informed as changes occur this year. Once again I thank you all for your patience and flexibility. With your support our students will learn and grow!
Important Dates
8/20- Virtual Meet the Teacher Night
8/24- First Day of School for A-A and Virtual Academy Students8/27- First Day of School for B-B Students
Tips for the First Day
If your child will attend in person here are few tips...
1. Please place a name tag of any kind on your child's shirt or their backpack.
2. Please do not send all of their school supplies on the first day. They will not need it all at first and it just makes the backpack too heavy.
3. If you think your child would benefit from having a photo of you, please place it in their backpack.
4. If your child has a favorite toy or object they find comforting, please send it in their backpack.
5. We encourage the use of water bottles. If possible please send a water bottle in your child's backpack.
From the Nurse's
Covid-19
Please contact the nurse directly if your child or anyone in your family have been exposed to COVID 19.
-Nurse Crissi carissaunner@wsdr4.org
-Nurse Amber amberwhyte@wsdr4.org
636-561-5757 ext 19233
Some Good News
We hired 3 amazing teachers!
- Tiffany Callahan
- Chelsea Coffee
- Anna Hamilton
We hired five wonderful instructional assistants!
- Ashley Fischer
- Abigail Hayden
- Stacie Lee
- Jennifer Rauch
- Julie Uglow
The back half of the parking lot, including the service road was repaved this summer.
New Mascot!
Maybe Our New Mascot Should Be...
Contact Us
Email: kevingarcia@wsdr4.org
Website: https://www.wentzville.k12.mo.us/site/Default.aspx?PageID=9
Location: 2025 Hanley Road, Dardenne Prairie, MO, USA
Phone: 636 561 5757
Twitter: @BECMrG