Maltby Messenger
October 8th Edition
~A message from our Principal~
Dear Families,
The pumpkins are growing and patches are open! We welcome fall and all the things we enjoy about this season…..comfort food, fires, caramel apples, and pumpkins! I hope this early fall is a joyous time for you.
This coming week, we welcome some of our kindergarten students into our building. Twenty-six students will join us in school this week from 9-12. We are excited to have our students in school. While it does not look like what we left in March, it will be amazing to see our youngest students back in school. Many preparations have been made to keep our students and staff safe.
We continue to support our technology. If you need a different chrome book or you need a device, please come to school between 8-3 and our office staff will help you. Also, if you need support with remote learning, don’t hesitate to contact us! We are happy to help! Things are going a bit more smoothly, as we all become accustomed to virtual learning. Even now, though, sometimes things don’t work smoothly. As hard as we try, there are still some hiccups. Thank-you for giving us grace as we continue to work to support our students.
Our yearbook partners, Miss Shinstrom and Mrs. Birk are working to take student pictures. This will happen on October 20th and 21st. There is a flyer with this messenger that will provide you with necessary details. All pictures are free. If you are uncomfortable with coming in to get a picture taken, you may send in a photo. Please send your photo to shinstromj@monroe.wednet.edu. Be sure your student’s first and last name is on the picture with the school, grade and the teacher.
We will have an open house opportunity on October 22nd. There will be a virtual video on October 22nd at 6pm. Staff members will be providing information about their instruction and expectations this year. The week after open house will be conference week. Teachers will be meeting with you to discuss the progress of your child(ren.)
Currently, lunches are free to all children. That goes through December. If you and your family need support with breakfast and lunches, please fill out the free and reduced form. This form is available in Skyward. If you qualify for this, you are also able to apply for free internet or a hot spot. Also, if you are living with a family member, or a friend, please let us know. There are resources available for you! Please let us know how we can support you and your family.
You have done an amazing job parents with attendance! Thank-you so much! If your child will be out due to illness or other reasons, then please call the attendance hotline so we can excuse the absence. We so appreciate you!
On we go to our weekend! Enjoy the stormy weather and fall festivities!
Fondly,
Bonnie McKerney
MSD Self-Declaration Checklist Attestation Form
Kindergarteners return to In-Person Learning Oct. 12th
Dear MSD kindergarten families,
As we shared in our communication to families on September 14, the Snohomish Health District has recommended that school districts begin preparing to bring back elementary students for in-person learning now that COVID activity levels are in the moderate range in our community. In alignment with this recommendation, we are currently planning to welcome back our developmental preschool and all kindergarten students as early as October 12. We continue to follow guidance from Snohomish County health officials, and if their guidance changes, adjustments will be made to align with new or additional information from them.
Since our developmental preschool and kindergarten students are learning foundational skills they need for the rest of their school careers, we believe it is critical to provide in-person learning opportunities for them first.
Kindergarten Schedule
Beginning October 12, in-person instruction for kindergarten students will occur Monday through Thursday from 8:55 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Fridays will remain as online distance learning days. We are starting with half-days to allow our youngest learners to adjust back to school in the safest way possible. Because it is possible that COVID activity levels may increase in the coming months, we must be prepared to pivot back to a full distance learning model. It is still a requirement that students participate in a full day of learning activities, therefore, students will be provided additional independent learning activities to complete while they are at home in the afternoons. The kindergarten daily learning schedule can be found here.
If COVID activity levels continue to drop, we will reevaluate the kindergarten schedule and consider moving to a four day a week, full day kindergarten schedule. We will give advance notice to families to allow time for planning. More specific schedule details, including recess and lunch procedures, will be shared from our schools very soon.
Safety
The safety of our students and staff continues to be our top priority. In the weeks ahead, we will continue to ensure that all health and safety guidelines are followed, recommended protocols are in place, and that schools and staff members are ready to have students back in our school buildings.
We continue to work closely with the Snohomish County Health District to implement safety recommendations to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Some of these safety precautions include increasing student access to handwashing and hand sanitizer as well as requiring staff and students to wear face masks and maintain a six-foot distance around others. Our student safety plan in its entirety can be found here, which includes our daily health screening protocols.
We also continue to work to ensure protocols are in place in case there is a confirmed case of COVID-19 among staff or students. If there is a confirmed case, the Snohomish County Health District will determine if there was “close contact” and complete any necessary contact tracing and notifications. “Close contact” is defined as anyone who was not wearing a mask and maintaining a six-foot distance around others for more than 15 minutes.
We recognize there are varying opinions about whether we should or should not start returning students to in-person learning, and we know there is tension throughout our community related to this decision. I assure you that we are committed to walking through this process with care and attention so that our students are learning in classrooms that have the required safety measures in place, our staff is working in an environment that demonstrates our commitment to their well-being, and our community has confidence that we are taking responsibility for our role in reducing the spread of the virus. However, we understand that some families will still not feel comfortable sending their children to on-site school yet. These families are encouraged to enroll their students in our fully online Monroe Virtual Learning Academy.
Next Steps
In alignment with guidance from the Snohomish County Health District, we will wait at least three weeks after our developmental preschool and kindergarten students return before bringing any additional grade levels back for in-person learning. If, at that time, COVID-19 activity in the schools and community remains stable or continues to improve, then we will proceed with incrementally bringing additional grades back.
Please look for additional communication directly from your child’s school, and keep an eye on your school newsletter for continued updates and school-specific protocols. In the meantime, we suggest that families start preparing their students to return to school by practicing wearing face coverings, practicing frequent washing hands, and practicing staying 6 feet away from peers. More tips can be found here.
Thank you again for your grace, patience and kindness as we adjust our education system to support student learning during this worldwide pandemic.
Dr. Justin Blasko
Monroe School District Superintendent
FREE Drive-Thru Picture Day at Maltby is October 20th and 21st
From the Desk of Nurse Joy...
Dear Maltby Parents,
We wanted to inform you of the health guidelines our Health Room Staff will be following to screen children for COVID-19 who are either presently at school or who will be attending in person school at a future date. We have provided the flow sheet of this screening for your review and reference.
The district is following guidelines for COVID Screening from the Snohomish Health District. If a child has one of the symptoms listed or more, they will go to a separate room with a health room staff member while the parent is being contacted to pick the child up. Please make sure you have provided a local emergency contact person and phone number in the event we cannot reach you. We will wait 30” before calling the emergency contact.
Please review the attached Screening Tool paying close attention to the box in the lower right corner which explains when the child can return to school. Please note that if your child does not get a COVID test, they will need to wait 10 days from the time the symptom(s) started and at least 24 hrs. after a fever has resolved before they can return. The Snohomish Health District has informed us that they provide COVID testing if you cannot get one from your local medical provider.
We are working to ensure that all children at Maltby stay healthy and safe! Thank-you for your understanding and cooperation.
The public health recommendation is that children receive a flu vaccine this season as an extra protection to their immune status!
Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns.
Joy Good RN BSN
Maltby Certificated School Nurse
360-804-3170
From our Counselor, Mrs. Gronwall...
Hello Parents/Guardians,
We would like to show students all the career possibilities at their fingertips. Can you help?
Please take a less than 5 min video to tell us about your career and show you in your work site.
Things to include:
- Job Title
- What is a day like in your career.
- What kind of schooling you needed
- What you love about your career.
You could record on your cell phone if you have one and send a downloadable video file. You can also use this flipgrid to record with your gmail account: https://flipgrid.com/c8493301
Please send your videos to gronwallg@monroe.wednet.edu
Thank you,
Mrs. Gronwall
Changes During Distance Learning
Library Check-Out
Free Lunch Distribution:
Food Pantry at Maltby...
The Maltby Food Bank in partnership with the Monroe Public Schools Foundation has created a Food Pantry at Maltby Elementary. It will be open every Thursday during the lunch pick-up time 11:30-1:30 pm in the car drop area to the east of the school. Items available include: Peanut butter, Beef stew pouches, black and pinto beans, crackers, snack items, macaroni and cheese, canned chicken and canned vegetables.
Lunch and breakfast bags are available at all 5 elementary schools and Monroe High School every day from 11:30-1:30 pm (you do not have to attend that school to pick up lunch).
If you have any questions please contact Kathy Jackson at jacksonka@monroe.wednet.edu
Free and Reduced Lunch and Discounted Internet
While we are currently offering FREE breakfast and lunch to all students, the funding for this program ends December 31, 2020. We know that each year many of our families qualify for free or reduced price meals and it is very important that families who may qualify fill out the annual application now in order to receive free or reduced price meals beyond December 31st!
We know many families may be waiting until January to apply, but it’s imperative you do not wait. If you think there is a chance your family might qualify for free & reduced lunch, please submit your application as soon as possible. The application process is simple and confidential. New this year, is the online application process! Directions for filling out the application online can be found HERE. Prefer print applications? Those can be found here: English/Spanish and returned to any school office or the District Administration Office.
If you qualify for free or reduced price meals, you may also be eligible to receive free internet service at your home. If you qualify for the free or reduced price meal program, you will receive a letter of approval. Once you have this letter, and if you are interested in the free Internet Access Program from the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), please contact Brenda Hunt at: huntb@monroe.wednet.edu or 360.804.2500 (English) and Olga Flores at: floreso@monroe.wednet.edu or 360.804.2570 (Spanish) to receive the name of the internet provider and the offer/promo code to sign up for free internet. You can find more information on OSPI’s internet program here.
As a reminder, all families wishing to receive free or reduced meals must complete a new application each school year. We care about our students and want to do everything we can to make sure they receive every available support we can offer. If you need assistance filling out the application, please contact our office (360)804-3500 or the District Administration Office at (360) 804-2500.
Maltby Food Bank
WAYS TO DONATE
Amazon Smiles
Do you shop at Amazon? Did you know that you can help our school by shopping through AmazonSmile?
We have an account that each time you purchase on the site, our school will earn 0.5% of funds back on your purchase!
Charity Name: Maltby Parent Teacher Organization
To shop at AmazonSmile simply go to smile.amazon.com from the web browser on your computer or mobile device. On your first visit to AmazonSmile smile.amazon.com, you need to select a charitable organization to receive donations from eligible purchases before you begin shopping. We will remember your selection, and then every eligible purchase you make at smile.amazon.com will result in a donation.
Benevity
Does your company partner with Benevity to give back? Did you know that you can choose our school to receive funds?
Search for MALTBY PARENT TEACHER ORGANIZATION , our unique ID # 911126130
Important Upcoming Dates!
October 12 ~ Kindergarten students return to In-Person learning (8:55 am-12 pm)/School Board Meeting @ 6 pm
October 22 ~ Maltby Virtual Open House @ 6 pm
October 26-30 ~ Fall Conferences (K-12)
October 28 ~ School Board Meeting @ 6 pm
TRANSLATE THIS NEWSLETTER
We are so excited to be using Smore for our school newsletter this year! Our newsletter will be delivered directly to your email inbox and can be translated to any language in three easy steps:
When you receive the school newsletter in your email inbox, open the email and click on the title in the newsletter to open it in Smore.
Once in Smore, scroll to the very bottom of the newsletter. Above the red word ‘Report’ you will see the word ‘Translate’. Click ‘Translate’.
Next, select your preferred language in the drop-down menu and the newsletter will automatically translate to the language you chose.
About Us
Principal
Bonnie McKerney
Counselor
Gail Gronwall
Office Manager
Junelle Lewis
lewisj@monroe.wednet.edu
Office Support
Jamie Porter
Health Room
HR Assistant
Becky Urstad
Nurse
Joy Good
360-804-2984
Family Engagement Liaison
Kathy Jackson
Fax ~ 360-804-3599
Health Room ~ 360-804-3532
Attendance Hotline ~ 360-804-3501
Bus Delay Information ~ 360-804-2951
Transportation Office ~ 360-804-2650
School Hours: 8:55 am-3:25 pm (Monday-Thursday)
8:55 am-2:25 pm (Fridays)
Email: maltbyelementary@monroe.wednet.edu
Website: https://www.monroe.wednet.edu/mbe
Location: Maltby Elementary School, 212th Street Southeast, Snohomish, WA, USA
Phone: 360-804-3500
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Maltby-Elementary-School-153985141874072/
Twitter: @monroewaschools
About US
Principal
Jennifer Murphy
Email: MVLAelementary@monroe.wednet.edu
Website: https://www.monroe.wednet.edu/schools/monroe-virtual-learning-academy
Phone: 360-804-4900
Twitter: @monroewaschools
MSD Notice of Non-Discrimination
Monroe School District does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following employees have been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination: Civil Rights Coordinator: Joanne Dickinson and Title IX Coordinator, 360-804-2539, dickinsonj@monroe.wednet.edu; and 504 Coordinator: David Paratore, 360-804-2609, paratored@monroe.wednet.edu. Address: 200 E Fremont St., Monroe, WA 98272.