Hollydale HERO Highlights
A news publication for the parents and students of Hollydale
Home of the Heroes
Email: ramirez26@gresham.k12.or.us
Website: https://www.gresham.k12.or.us/hdes
Location: 505 SW Birdsdale Dr, Gresham, OR 97080
Phone: 503-661-6226
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HollydaleElementarySchool
Twitter: @Hollydale_ES
UPCOMING IMPORTANT DATES
- Monday January 17, 2022 NO SCHOOL Martin Luther King Junior Day
- Friday January 28, 2022 NO SCHOOL C&I Day
Update from the Principal
It was wonderful to see students back to school following winter break this week.
With COVID cases on the rise, we are committed to doing everything we can to keep students in school and learning. Your Hollydale team has been working extremely hard this week to make flexible plans to support students with their learning amid staffing shortages. Please support this work by speaking with your child about the importance of wearing their mask appropriately and properly (over their nose), washing or sanitizing hands, and maintaining social distance to the extent possible.
Additionally, if possible please send an extra mask in your child's backpack so that they can switch it out if theirs gets wet, dirty, or soiled.
When there is a potential COVID exposure on-site, students who are identified as close contacts have the option of participating in the Test to Stay program or quarantining for ten days. More information about the Test to Stay program is available below.
Test to Stay and Test to Return Programs
With the generally low in-school transmission rate of COVID-19, the Gresham-Barlow School District has been exploring ways to maximize access to in-person learning while continuing to keep our COVID-19 numbers low. This week we started a Test to Stay and Test to Return Program so students exposed to COVID-19 can stay in school safely. Learn More About These Programs.
COVID Test Forms:
English Consent Form
Spanish Consent Form
Winter Bingo Winner
Wyatt in Ms. Yucho's class was our Grand Prize Winner!
Parking Lot Safety
- Please follow the directions of staff as they work to direct traffic to manage the flow of busses and passenger vehicles.
- Please use the crosswalk to cross through the parking lot. It is not safe for students to be crossing the parking lot at locations other than the crosswalk.
Many families have opted to drive their students to school so the drop-off line is quite long. If you are in a hurry and cannot wait in the drop-off line, it is recommended that you park in the neighborhood and walk your child down the sidewalk.
updates about covid and our school safety protocols
As we return to school from Winter Break, the new Omicron variant of the Covid virus is spreading rapidly across the country and our state. This new variant is highly contagious and is capable of infecting both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals.
Current modeling from OHSU shows that Oregon will likely experience a significant COVID-19 surge, driven by the Omicron variant, beginning in January and continuing through February. This surge is likely to be much steeper than the Delta variant surge we have experienced. The state expects impacts on workforce stability in schools, hospitals, and other sectors. Hospitals may be impacted even more severely than they were in the fall.
Based on the emerging experience of other countries, states and school districts, the Oregon Department of Education(ODE) and the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) expect rapid transmission of the Omicron variant in indoor settings in which people do not adhere with purpose and intention to masking requirements and other layered mitigation safety protocols.
As Oregon fully experiences the impacts of the Omicron variant over the next several weeks, student access to in-person instruction is under serious threat. Layered mitigation safety protocols (including vaccinations, boosters, face coverings, physical distancing, ventilation, frequent handwashing) are more critical now than at any other time during this pandemic.
For all of these reasons it is extremely important for students, parents, and staff to take all the steps possible to minimize the spread of Covid and to protect themselves and others from this virus. Our plan for student and safety includes all of these safety practices:
Masks must be correctly worn at all times when indoors. Correct wearing of masks requires covering both the nose and mouth.
Masks can only be taken down when actively eating or drinking (not just when holding a water bottle or piece of food) or when outdoors.
Maintaining physical distance between other people - at least three feet apart.
Frequent hand washing or sanitizing.
Staying home when feeling sick.
Following all quarantining or isolation procedures when necessary.
For families and community members:
We need your help to maintain in-person instruction for children across Oregon. When community spread increases, more COVID-19 is introduced in our schools and causes disruption of in-person learning due to quarantine and isolation. ODE and OHA shared these ways that you can help:
If your child has COVID-19 symptoms, do not send them to school. Please call the office at 503-661-6226 and leave a message anytime day or night explaining the absence. Seek a COVID-19 test. COVID-19 symptoms can be found on page 9 of the Planning for COVID-19 Scenarios in Schools A Toolkit for School Leaders and Local Public Health Authorities.
Get vaccinated now if you’re not. Vaccination remains the best protection against serious illness from COVID-19 and reduces spread of the disease. Get Vaccinated Oregon.
Get boosted if you’re not. If you’re eligible for a booster, make your appointment today. Boosters provide an extra layer of protection needed to slow spread of the omicron variant.
Families with school-age children and educators should limit gatherings and non-essential activities with people from other households to the extent possible throughout January and February. Before getting together with family, friends and loved ones, ask if attendees have received their COVID-19 vaccinations, including boosters, and consider postponing visits if many attendees are not up to date with recommended doses. If you are visiting people from another household, you should wear a mask, maintain a physical distance of at least 6 feet, and keep activities outdoors as much as possible.
Recess, Weather & Alerts
To keep our younger students safe and out of the mud we have closed the field for Kindergarten thru 3rd-grade students until further notice. Children will be able to play on the playground, blacktop, and undercover at recess.
In the event of a weather or emergency-related school closure, the district uses the following methods of communications to relay urgent information to district families and the community:
Auto-Dialer Calls - Please make sure we have the most current phone numbers for you on file. Check your ParentVUE account and contact the office @ 503-661-6226 to make any changes you cannot make on ParentVUE.
Flash Alert Emergency Notification System - This internet-based service is used to provide weather-related school closure information and is important in the event of an emergency. You can sign-up to Flash Alert @ http://flashalert.net/news.html?id=66
District Website - When possible the district website will be updated.
Local Radio & TV Stations - Area media outlets will receive information and updates.
CONNECT WITH THE PRINCIPAL
Email: ramirez26@gresham.k12.or.us
Website: https://www.gresham.k12.or.us/hdes
Phone: 503-661-6226