Cottonwood Creek Monday Memo
August 3rd- August 7th, 2020
Greetings, CCE!
It's Back! Yes, it's the Monday Memo!
Hopefully everyone is resting and trying to absorb the summer sun before we head back on contract officially. This time, my memo message is short since I will speak with the group soon in person. It is jammed packed with lots of need-to-know information! Please read all sections, no skipping :) Thank you, CCE, for all of the innate qualities that you possess!
Our TEAM has courage, resourcefulness, commitment, determination, and love to name a few! We've got this! Remember that we are always #BetterTogether!
I'm looking forward to seeing everyone this week and welcoming back all of our students and families remotely on the 18th!
Thank you, CCE, for being the best!
Stay Home, Stay Connected, Stay Informed, Stay Healthy & Be Well~
Virtual Hugs & Fistbumps,
Linda
Celebrations, Good Things, and Launch!
Celebrating Birthdays!
Happy Birthday! Enjoy your day! Felicidades!
August 2nd- Jaclyn Muma
Good Things...
From Greg Althoff~
Milo celebrated his birthday recently! He is now 2 years old!
Happy Birthday, Milo! (Check out his picture below!)
Let's Launch! 3....2....1....Go!
As we get started to kick-off this school year:
"The secret to getting ahead is getting started."
~ author unknown
OMG! Isabel Marquez, who will be in DL Kinder in a few weeks, is already looking forward to school! She was so excited, that her family converted a section of her bedroom to have her practice being a teacher! Like mother like daughter!
Class is now in Session!
Getting ready to learn!
This is how you do it, Mom!
What's Happening at CCE... Progress & Renovations!
New Classroom Furniture! We are looking SHARP!!!! BUT HOW DOES IT WORK?
CCE will be getting a digital marquee! Changes and updates are exciting!
Want to learn more about BrainPop? Click on video above & Yes, we are getting the full subscription! Online learning, here we come!
The Hutto Education Foundation Needs YOU!
The Hutto Education Foundation and CCE needs you! If you would LOVE to be the campus captain for the Hutto Education Foundation please let me know as soon as you can!
Duties would include:
- Meeting twice a year for a Campus Captain meeting
- Acting as a liaison and cheerleader for the foundation on your campus
- Serving as the point of contact for staff during employee drives/teacher grants/student leadership grants/any questions
- Serving as the point of contact for the campus baskets prepared each year for the Annual Event
HEF will be having their first meeting soon, please reach out and let me know if you are willing to give back the organization that gives SOOO much to Hutto educators!
Let's Get Ready to Social Distance! Start to think about helping students adapt to our new normal in fun manner! Check out these videos and songs below for ideas!
Need a Mask Song for the our little ones? Check out Dr. Bop & Pop
PTA Shout-Out! Help and Support WHO supports You, CCE! That's our PTA!
Also, please begin thinking about saving your $10 to join our PTA again this school year! Lots of incentives for staff to join! Last year, 100% of our staff was a member of PTA! Let's have a repeat year! Be on the lookout for more information from our PTA campus reps once the year gets started! Gracias!
PTA committee lists will be included in our Bucee's List again this school year for more information. Bucee's list will be ready for distribution when teachers return on August 6th!
I still need my 6 Hour Update for GT! Help!
No need to panic, check out the information in the prior update sent over the summer:
Technology Updates: What staff needs to know now & later
Teachers- Set up a time to "swap" your chromebook for a new one. If you have not signed up for a time to get your laptop yet, please see all the details and sign-up info at http://bit.ly/hisd-laptop
Paras/IAs- You will get more information at the start of the school year for your laptop as well.
2. Will all students get a chromebook at elementary campuses?
All classrooms will have access to technology/chromebooks via carts issued to grade levels in early childhood classes, as needed. 2nd - 5th grade classroom teachers will be assigning individual students their own chromebook to use to minimize contact of shared among students. Teachers will use this linked document to assign students their own chromebook. Start familiarizing yourself with the process by following this link.
3. What if some of my students opt for remote learning?
Students who opt out for remote learning at home rather than attending school in-person will be issued out a chromebook individually by the technology department during 1:1 distributions. Any students needing a hotspot will also receive that through our technology distribution process.
4. What if I missed my chromebook swap?
Sign up on the link above (#1) and schedule a new time. If you can't make that time, you will need to wait until August to pick your device up at that time.
5. Will I be teaching remotely and in person at the same time?
Teachers will not be responsible for face-to-face instruction in a classroom and children in synchronous settings (Grades 3-5). Teachers assigned to virtual classrooms will work from a campus setting and be responsible only for the students assigned to them.
We will need staff/teachers to remain flexible to support in any of these ways to ensure quality deliver of instruction to our students. Once we know the number of students that will opt out of attending in person, we will begin planning for staff who will be responsible for supporting the online learning option for students. More district guidance will be forthcoming to campus leaders soon. I will share updates as they come in, thank you for being rock stars!
20/21 COVID-19 In-Person Guidelines at CCE
As we prepare to receive the majority of our students in person, Hutto ISD and CCE is committed to the health and safety of all. We will focus as a district on 4 guidelines to support successful re-opening:
1. Provide Notice
Our district and campus will provide a unified message and share exposure notification from the health office, if needed
Staff and student education will be part of the first day of school (videos will be created and shared with staff to share with students regarding health and safety expectations to follow while at school). Staff will receive information from their health nurse and campus leadership team.
Screenings and monitoring (done by staff and students before coming to school)
Changes to visitor policies (no entry into building for at least the first 12 weeks of school)
Changes to field trips and gatherings (no school travel, small grouping/cluster groups of students staying together during the school day, breakfast will be had in the classroom, students will report directly to the classroom upon arrival to school)
Masks, hand hygiene, and social distancing measures (masks will be worn at all times during transitions, we will discuss recess/breakfast/lunch logistics upon our return) by all staff and students, recess and lunch designated areas will be created for the campus & teachers will create a rotation schedule to allow all classrooms to rotate through the areas to play, students in 3rd-5th grades will participate in disinfecting their own spaces at CCE before transitioning to the next teacher, hand sanitizer and PPE equipment will be available to campuses.
- Scheduled notification (to notify staff/students/families if we have a positive case of Covid)
- CDC disinfection procedures (staff will be trained to support disinfecting and keeping spaces as sanitized as possible)
- School closure guidelines (will be forthcoming from our campus and district leaders, if necessary)
- Hand hygiene (We will teach students how to practice safe washing/disinfecting our hands, keeping them away from our faces and each other, washing hands frequently and especially when returning from a transition, a different classroom, lunch/recess, teachers will make this part of their routine).
- Increased collaboration with families (we will keep our families informed of what we are doing to keep students safe and our campus healthy, this is everyone's responsibility,i.e. explaining the importance of keeping students home if any symptoms, communicating with families to support concerns, etc.)
- Disinfection and sanitization (We will increase our role in maintaining our classrooms clean and safe, this will take everyone and some grade levels will have students take an active role in wiping down their desks before each transition. Teachers should plan to do their part and model what they expect students to do to keep their areas clean/safe/sanitized. Younger grade levels will need adults/teachers to support in this task. All PPE equipment needed will be provided by our campus/district. Do not bring your own home products/personal cleaning supplies as we must adhere to OSHA guidelines.
- Masks and face shields (All teachers/students will need to provide their own masks, we will be providing face shields for our special education teachers to support our interactions with our all ability students. Each classroom will also receive a 6-8 plastic privacy folders to minimize sneeze/coughs in the classroom and add an additional layer of protection during small group/teach table work. Teachers will be able to decide in their specific use based on their classroom needs.
- Training and education (All staff will receive additional training over the use of equipment, safety/health guidelines, etc. More information will be forthcoming from our district health office)
Welcome & Goodbye's
We would like to say a fond farewell to someone special!
Colleen Qualls- CCE Lunch Staff Member
Enjoy your retirement, Colleen! Thank you for your service to CCE & Hutto ISD!