Scotty Updates
A Newsletter from Scotland Elementary School
Week of November 2, 2020
Scotty Updates
The Scotty Updates has been created to provide families and staff with information regarding upcoming events, happenings, and programs at Scotland Elementary School. Please take time each Monday to review our newsletter. Thank you!
A Message from Mrs. Katkocin ❤️
Dear Scotland Families,
As shared in Dr. Da Silva's Friday communication, beginning tomorrow, we will resume full in-person learning. Per Dr. Da Silva's email:
Change in learning models beginning Monday, November 2
On Monday, November 2, we will be shifting back to a low-risk learning model as follows:
Pre-K-5: Full in-person learning will resume Mondays through Fridays
At this point in time, there is no evidence to suggest that COVID-19 transmission is occurring in our school buildings. Additionally, no student or faculty member who has been required to quarantine due to an exposure at school has tested positive for COVID-19. We believe that the mitigation efforts being practiced in our school buildings are effective and that our RPS cases are likely coming from outside sources. In addition, State of Connecticut epidemiologists said that the incidence of transmission within school buildings across Connecticut is remarkably low.
Tomorrow at Scotland, we will celebrate Halloween for all students! Students and staff are excited to engage in festivities throughout the day. All students are welcome to come to school dressed in their costumes, or participate in Crazy Hair Day.
Our virtual Parent/Teacher Conferences will be held on Friday, November 20th, Monday, November 23rd, and Tuesday, November 24th. These three days will be early dismissal days. Your child's teacher will be sharing conference information in the coming week. Afternoon conferences will be held from from 12:40pm to 3:20pm. On Monday, November 23rd, there are also evening conferences from 5pm to 7pm. School will be dismissed at 11:40 on November 20th, 23rd, and 24th. Lunch will be served, but there will be no recess.
Wishing you all a wonderful week!
Kind regards,
Jill
Reminder: If your child is going to remain a temporary remote learner, please complete this form, and email both your child's classroom teacher and Mrs. Anderson at canderson@ridgefieldps.net to notify us.
*Follow Scotland on Instagram @ScotlandElementarySchool
Events and Happenings
WEEK AT A GLANCE:
Monday, November 2nd:
- C Day
Tuesday, November 3rd:
- No school - Election Day!
Wednesday, November 4th:
- D day
Thursday, November 5th:
- E day
Friday, November 6th:
- F day
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UPCOMING EVENTS:
Scotland PTA Online Auction
- Visit https://www.32auctions.com/supportSES to bid today!! LIVE now - Nov 7th at mid-night!!
Saturday, November 7th:
- PTA Virtual Wine Tasting from 8-9pm. Visit ScotlandPTA.org for more information.
Friday, November 20th-Tuesday, November 24th:
- Parent/Teacher Conferences - Early Dismissal (11:40am dismissal)
Wednesday, November 25th:
- Students will have virtual, asynchronous REMOTE learning from 8:55-11:40am
- Early Dismissal Day for Students and Staff
Snaps around Scotland 📷
Virtual Learners
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Information to Keep Handy! 📓
Halloween - Part Two! 🎃
All students K-5 are invited to wear Halloween costumes to school on Monday, November 2nd. If your child would prefer not to wear their costume to school, they are welcome to participate in crazy hair day instead. Mr. Tornatore and I are working to reimagine our Scotland tradition of a Halloween sing-a-long.
Our classroom based Halloween celebrations (with individual crafts or games, no food) will take place at the end of the day to ensure that students are engaged and learning throughout the day at school. We would like to ask the following to ensure safety of all students and staff:
- If students choose to dress up, please have them come dressed to school in their costume, as there will not be a space for them to change once here.
- Costumes must allow easy bathroom use so students can independently use the restroom.
- To ensure safety, costumes may not include props or masks, and please limit makeup to the eyes only. Students will be expected to wear their day to day mask, as they have been doing.
- Please encourage your child to choose a costume with a non-violent theme. Costumes should be “kindergarten friendly” (not scary or gory). Gentle storybook characters or heroes often lend themselves to fantastic costumes as they encourage reading for pleasure!
- Kindly refrain from sending your child in an inflatable costume or any other distracting costume.
We are so very excited for this festive day!
Dismissal 🚘
Our dismissal process has been working smoothly, and I am incredibly grateful for your patience and flexibility as we navigate the space we have to use. We will continue to work with Ridgefield Police to ensure a safe, efficient pickup at Scotland! Just a few dismissal reminders as we head into the week...
- Please be sure to enter dismissal information into School Dismissal Manager. If a family arrives to pick up a student whose name is not entered in SDM, the family will be asked to park, and then sign out their child with our security guard. This is to ensure the safety of each and every student.
- Please have your students name(s) visible in the front windshield on the passenger side of the car. This will allow our staff to call students for dismissal in the most efficient way possible.
- In the pick up line, students MUST enter the car on the passenger side of the car. We cannot have students walking between cars to enter from the driver's side. If your child must enter on the driver's side, please park your car, and one of our staff members will walk your child to you.
- If you need to help your child buckle, or perhaps open a snack for their ride home, kindly park the car in one of the available spots to do so.
A Note from Mrs. Martire 👩🏻⚕️
If your child is ill or has been exposed to Covid-19 please contact me at 894-5825 extension 6575 or email me at lmartire@ridgefieldps.net.
Attached below is the letter that was sent out from the RPS nurses at the start of the school year for your reference. It includes a link to Addendum 5 ( also attached below: link to CT Guidelines) which was a collaborative effort by the Connecticut State Department of Education and the State Department of Public Health to provide schools districts with guidance and protocols for responding to specific Covid-19 scenarios that may occur with school reopening.
Due to COVID health and safety concerns, any student with any one of the potential COVID symptoms (cough, difficulty breathing, fever or chills, fatigue, muscle or body ache, headache, new loss or taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea) must remain home until the CSDE and CT DPH guidance is met in accordance with Addendum 5.
Addendum 5 has several scenarios based on symptoms and exposure. Becoming familiar with the document will be helpful as I will be referring to this often this year as we continue to experience this global pandemic.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions .
Stay well,
Lisa Martire
Virtual Learning Reminders
- Students will be visible to the teacher and other participating students (please remind your child to have their camera on throughout the lessons).
- Parents are encouraged to have their students independently participate via a location that is quiet and free of distraction, to the extent possible. Other individuals in the home are not permitted to participate in or be visible on the video conference, or otherwise observe the lesson, other than reasonable adult supervision of the student.
- Parents and students are prohibited from recording video conferencing sessions. The district will not be recording any classes/sessions.
- Depending on each student’s individual circumstance, teachers or service providers may request the facilitation of the supervising adult to assist the student in engaging in the session.
- In addition, if your child needs to leave for a period of time during instruction (i.e. doctor or dentist appointment), please notify the classroom teacher ahead of time, just as you would if they were in the building.
Thank you so much for your partnership in making this experience a success!
School Dismissal Manager
We continue to use School Dismissal Manager this year at Scotland. Please click below for information regarding this system. This system will be available to families in late August. A welcome letter will be emailed to families when the system is available. If you have any additional questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to us!
A Note from Our PTA
Virtual Wine Tasting & Auction Details
Scotland PTA Online Auction LIVE Now-Nov 7!
VISIT https://www.32auctions.com/supportSES to bid today!!
Contact Us!
Email: jkatkocin@ridgefieldps.net
Website: https://ses.ridgefield.org/
Location: 111 Barlow Mountain Road, Ridgefield, CT, USA
Phone: 203-894-5825
Twitter: @Scotland_Elem