New Lebanon Re-Opening Update #2
New Lebanon School
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Hello Bobcat Families!
First and foremost, it is important to acknowledge the transition we are all about to embark on - whether it is a return to in person learning or remote learning for your family - it is back to school season, and we all need to be there to support our children in the strongest way we can. Below are three bullets that stuck with me as I read them this past weekend:
Easing Back-to-School Transitions for Young Children — Amid COVID Uncertainty
- Be honest, clear, and direct. Talk to children about how they got to school last year, the door they went in, who was there to greet them, etc. Talk about the rituals they remember and how things might stay the same or look different this year.
- Talk explicitly about certainty and uncertainty, about what is likely to happen and what is still unknown. Learning to live with uncertainty and still be able to enjoy learning, friendship, and relationships is a key growth skill.
- Amid this time of stress, find 15 minutes, twice a week, to sit down with a child and just follow how they want to play a game. Children will be calmed and reassured by your attention.
You can read the entire article here: https://www.gse.harvard.edu/news/uk/20/07/making-smooth-transition.
Please know whether you are in person or remote, you will still receive all of our New Lebanon updates from our administration and PTA. There are many important reminders in this S'more, so please be sure to read on!
Arrival and Dismissal details will be coming soon, but in the meantime, there are several important updates we want you to know, so you can plan your family's schedule for this upcoming school year!
NEW ENTRY TIME - 8:00am: New Lebanon will open our doors at 8:00am every day - class starts at 8:15am. This is different than previous years. Please start planning a schedule with your family to accommodate this change - it is a tight window of arrival, but entry points will be spaced out (more details and map coming soon). If you need support brainstorming a new schedule for your family, please reach out to us. Breakfast will be available for your students at the door which they enter. Students will eat their breakfast in their classroom behind a plastic trifold for safety.
Lunch: Lunch will be in a brown bag this year - likely a sandwich, snack, and piece of cheese. There will not be hot food served to start the year, so please start talking to your students about this. If this changes, we will let you know.
Snack: Students will be able to have their snack outside or inside with their trifold plastic barrier up on their desk.
What if I need to drop something off to the main office? The secretaries will speak with you through the speaker system outside the front door. If you need someone who speaks Spanish, please let us know! Inside the first set of doors are plastic buckets where you can leave paperwork or anything else you need us to have.
After School: Please note there will not be any after school programs at New Lebanon this year. If your student(s) attend BANC, Family First, YMCA, or YWCA, please be in touch with the after school program for any updates they may have. All students must leave the building at 2:45pm. We will provide busses to after school programs as in years past.
Byram Shubert Library: The Byram Shubert Library will not be open for students to use after school. Please be sure to make other arrangements for your student(s) after school if they usually use the library.
Again, more details regarding arrival and dismissal will be coming soon, but if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to email or call me anytime!
Email: alexandra_bartholomew@greenwich.k12.ct.us
Cell: 475-333-1732
Love,
Mrs. Michaelson (formerly known as Ms. B.)
Sample Plastic Trifold for Student Desks for Breakfast, Snack, and Small Group Work
Check out this awesome video of Mrs. Michaelson (formerly known as Ms. B.) showing some of the changes at New Lebanon this year!
To maintain social distancing measures as outlined in our GPS School Reopening Plan, we will host a virtual classroom visit for families and students in grades 1 to 5 on September 8th beginning at 2:00 pm. Your child's classroom teacher will email you a Google Meets invitation to the virtual visitation event. The teacher will show you the classroom virtually and share some of the exciting plans that we have established for the beginning of the school year. Please look for an email from your child's classroom teacher during the week of September 1st inviting you to attend the virtual event.
Meet Nurse Nancy!
Nancy graduated from WCSU with a BSN and then went back to school to become a CRNA at Nazareth School of Nurse Anesthesia.
Nancy will be working closely with our teachers, staff, and students to train us on our new building safety measures. She is available by phone if you have any questions at 203-413-8505.
These are the 3 most important ways to stop the spread of the virus! Please review with your students before the start of school.
How are we checking for symptoms?
The second line of defense is the school. Teachers and staff, including our new school nurse, Nancy Minowitz, will be monitoring symptoms children may display throughout the day. If children display any symptoms in the classroom, they will call the school nurse who will follow a standard checklist/protocol that is approved by the town health department. We will notify parents of any concerns we have immediately.
Attention Incoming Kindergarten AND Pre-K Families - Save The Date for Tuesday, September 8th at 8:00am-9:00am. We will host an IN PERSON Visitation at New Lebanon. More information coming soon!
Answer: You will not attend the in person visitation. Please be on the lookout for more information from the GPS Remote School and your Remote Teacher about the beginning of the year.
Pre-K Supply List - NEW!
Sample Pre-K Classroom!
Google Classroom
See Saw: Turning In Assignments Virtually, Grades Pre-K-2 Only
Parent Technology Sessions
Black @: A Conversation About Race, Culture and Curriculum in Our Schools
Below is a link to a recording of the event. Please feel free to forward to anyone who may be interested in viewing it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0KiVrlipeI.
Do you have new neighbors with elementary school aged children who will enter New Lebanon this Fall?
Please tell your neighbors to email us or call us at the school so that we can register their child(ren) for school, so that we may adequately prepare for them for the upcoming school year. Please tell them to email Mrs. Gorbal at christina_fedyn-gorbal@greenwich.k12.ct.us.They may also call the school at 203-531-9139. We look forward to hearing from them!
A note on class lists...
We anticipate class lists and the home mailer coming out on or after August 28th. We will send this home via regular mail AND email. We thank you for your patience as we fine tune class lists and balance them appropriately based on remote learners.
Friends of the Byram Shubert Library’s Outdoor Book Sale Bonanza
The Friends of the Byram Shubert Library invite everyone to their Outdoor Book and Media Sale Bonanza to be held on Friday, August 28 and Saturday, August 29 in the parking lot of St. Paul Lutheran Church, 55 William Street West in Byram. Hours for the Opening Sale at 4:00 p.m. to 7:3 p.m. Admission on Friday evening is $20, offering shoppers the first chance to buy a box of wonderful books and media items for $60 a box. On Saturday, the sale is oen from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.there is no entry fee and each box you fill will cost only $20. Credit cards will be accepted.
The large assortment of items includes art books, self-help and psychiatry books, finance and business publications, children’s books and more, totaling about 25,000 volumes. In addition, there are thousands of CDs, DVDs and audiobooks.
Covid-19 precautions will be enforced. Entry to the sale requires wearing a mask covering nose and mouth. No one will be admitted who is not wearing a mask. Anyone who removes a mask while shopping will be immediately asked to leave. Social distancing is required while shopping. The sale is entirely outdoors; there will be no entry to the building.
All the profits from the sale support the programs sponsored by the Friends of the Byram Shubert Library. The more than 80 programs and events include music for people of all ages, craft workshops for the entire family, music, art and science performances for children and much, much ore. In addition, the Friends have added a variety of online activities for their community.
For more information you may call the library at 203.531.0426.
Feel free to download this Social Story to help talk to our younger students about why we wear masks and where we wear masks.
Here are some great no-touch greetings to practice with your students!
In case you missed the School Supply Lists...
IF YOU ARE IN NEED OF HELP/SUPPORT WHILE WE ARE OUT OF SCHOOL
Our School Social Worker School Psychologist are available during the summer via email if you need any support. Please expect a delayed response, as they are on summer vacation, too!
Kaitlin Cyr: kaitlin_cyr@greenwich.k12.ct.us
Sandra Saavedra: Sandra_Corrente@greenwich.k12.ct.us
Support in Greenwich
In case of an emergency, please call 911 or 211 (Emergency Mobile Psychiatric Services or EMPS).
Dial 2-1-1 or 1-800-203-1234 if you or someone you care about are experiencing a crisis or are concerned about someone who might be.
Kids in Crisis - 24 Hour Hotline - (203) 661-1911
Need help? Not sure? Any time of the day or night, there is always a live counselor on the end of the phone. These trained Crisis Counselors are available to provide immediate help and assess services needed to address and work through any situation
United Way - Housing, food, transportation, etc.
Town of Greenwich Human Resources
As the images reflect, we serve as your bridge. In addition to providing direct services, we connect you to the essential resources of the community. These resources provide the support you may need, such as:
Access to Health Care Services
Educational and Employment Opportunities
Food
Personal Safety
Shelter
The available services are diverse and support all ages. Our services are provided by a dedicated professional staff and a network of community partners. We also have staff that are bi-lingual.
To contact us, please call 203-622-3800 or come to our offices in Town Hall between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. After hours appointments are available on request. For those who wish to, complete the Intake form (PDF) and bring it to the office.
Neighbor to Neighbor- 203-622-9208 Provides clothing and food assistance to those in need.