Cypress Woods Elementary
REMINDERS AS WE ENTER THE SECOND QUARTER
Ready To Begin The Second Quarter
Below are some important reminders and updates regarding our processes on campus. Please read these in its entirety. This will help for us to have a smooth start to the second quarter.
Just a friendly reminder that we have no school on Monday, October 26th. We will see everyone back on Tuesday, October 27th!
Schedule Changes
- Teachers reached out to families last week who have a change in teacher beginning on Tuesday. We will have staff available on Tuesday morning to assist students in finding their classrooms if needed.
- Our lunch times are slightly adjusted to accommodate the additional students returning to campus.
- Students may have a change to art, music, and PE days based upon the shifts in the schedule.
- At this time there will be no additional requests for changes in learning options honored for the second marking period.
My PCS Eagles
Computer Return
Computer Drop Off Times:
- Although there is no school on Monday our front office will be open. Parents may drop off computer on Monday, October 26th between the hours of 8:30-3:00.
- Car Riders can drop off computers (and charger) in the front car line on Wednesday this week during drop off. We will have staff in the car line to collect devices, so you don't even need to leave your car.
- Bus Riders can bring their computer (and charger) on the bus Thursday morning and we will have staff in the bus circle to collect as students get off the bus.
- Parents may also drop off computers in the front office Tuesday-Friday this between the hours of 9:00-2:00.
We will begin calling parents this week who have not turned in computers reminding them of these drop off times. If you have any questions, please email our Tech Specialist, Taylor Huggan at huggant@pcsb.org. Thanks for your help!
The campus opens at 8:15 and school begins at 8:45!
Arrival to Campus
- When students arrive on campus they will go directly to their classrooms. Please make sure that you don't drop your child off in the car line before 8:15. Students enter the campus through the blue doors near the front of the car line. Students cannot be left unattended before 8:15am
- Walkers and bike riders may enter the campus through the front doors.
- If a student would like breakfast, he/she will stop at a Grab and Go cart just inside the blue doors for car riders or in the bus circle for bus riders. Students will take their breakfast with them to the classroom.
- Students are required to wear a mask during arrival.
- Staff will be on campus to assist student getting to class each day
How Can Parents Help With Arrival?
WE NEED YOUR PATIENCE AND SUPPORT IN THE CAR LINE! SAFETY IS OUR FIRST PRIORITY!
- Make sure your child arrives to school each day between 8:15-8:45. Please be patient as our car line may be busy as we have more students returning to campus for the second quarter.
- If you are driving on campus you must use the car line for drop off. Parking and walking up will not be permitted. Staff will ask you to return to your car and utilize the car line for drop off.
- Make sure that your child is seated on the passenger side of the car so that they can safely get out of the car once in the unloading area.
- We will not have safety patrols on duty so it will be important that your child can easily exit the car. We will have some staff to help.
- Parents MUST stay in the car while in the car line.
- Please DO NOT try to pass another car unless you are directed to do so by a staff member.
- If you are riding a bike or walking with your child to school, please stop at the PreK gate and allow your child to continue walking or bike riding along the sidewalk to enter the campus.
- Make sure your child wears his/her mask on when they enter the campus.
Arriving to School By Bus
- Students MAY ONLY ride the bus to and from school if they are assigned to a bus. Students MUST use their assigned bus stop each day.
- Students returning to campus for second quarter will only be permitted to ride the bus after a bus stop is assigned. We notified parents via email last week for those returning to campus if a bus stop has been assigned. Please call the front office on Monday if you need assistance.
- Make sure your child is at the bus stop 10 minutes prior to the assigned pick up time.
- Remind your child that there will be assigned seats, loading from back to front, based upon bus stops.
- Make sure your child wears his/her mask while riding the bus. They must have it on before entering the bus.
- If you have multiple children riding the bus, the driver may ask for siblings to sit together.
Pre K Arrival & Dismissal
- Pre K parents will pull up to the Pre K building between 8:15-8:45.
- Make sure all of your child's materials are in his/her backpack.
- Parents will walk their child to the front of the Pre K building and drop their child off with one of the staff members outside who will then walk your child in to the classroom.
- Parents will sign their child in each morning at the table outside of the building.
- Parents and students must wear masks during arrival.
- If you have other children (K-5) to drop off, please utilize the car line or have them walk along the walker/bike rider sidewalk to enter the campus immediately.
PRE K DISMISSAL
- Pre K dismissal begins at 2:20 (3 year olds) and 2:30 (4 year olds)
- Pre-K parents will park in the same area as drop off in the morning.
- Pre-K parents will sign their child out and a staff member will bring your child to you.
- Parents should wear a mask at arrival and dismissal and maintain social distancing.
- After picking up your child, please go directly to your car and exit the campus.
- If there are siblings to pick up, please enter the front car circle line (K-2) or the back car line (3-5) after picking up the PreK student.
Front Car Line Dismissal (K-2 and their older siblings)
- Kindergarten - Second Grade and their older siblings are picked up in the front car line.
- Students are staged socially distanced in our courtyard area and called out once parents are in the loading area.
- Car riders are NOT permitted to be dropped off in the PreK area.
- Students are required to wear a mask during dismissal and transitioning on the campus.
- Make sure to have your child's name and grade level on a hanging tag. If you don't have a tag yet, please use a piece of paper. We will issue car tags to families returning to campus in the car line next week.
- Parking and walk ups ARE NOT be permitted. This will help us prevent gatherings of large groups in the front of our campus. You will be directed to your car and asked to enter the car circle line.
- Please be sure your child can safely load from the PASSENGER side of the car.
- Parents must stay in their car while in the car circle.
Back Car Line (Grades 3-5)
- Students in Grades 3-5 are picked up in our bus circle area on the east side of campus.
- Parents are asked to line up on the right side of the road to allow buses to enter the bus circle.
- Buses are loaded and dismissed BEFORE we begin the back car line.
- Students are staged socially distanced in the car loading area and called to their car once in loading area.
- Students are required to wear a mask during dismissal and transitioning on the campus.
- Make sure to have your child's name and grade level on a hanging tag. If you don't have a tag yet, please use a piece of paper. We will issue car tags to families returning to campus in the car line next week
- Parking and walk ups ARE NOT be permitted. The back car line is located within the secure perimeter of our campus so no parents are allowed to walk up.
- Please be sure your child can safely load from the PASSENGER side of the car.
- Parents must stay in their car while in the car circle.
WITH THE ADDITIONAL STUDENTS RETURNING TO CAMPUS, THE CAR LINES WILL TAKE SOME EXTRA TIME NEXT WEEK.
SAFETY IS OUR TOP PRIORITY SO PLEASE BE PATIENT WITH US! Please see the car line map below!
Masks & Face Coverings
- Last week we noticed an increase of students forgetting their masks. Please double check that your child has a mask EVERY DAY. Your child will be given a mask to wear in the event they forget one.
- Please take time this weekend to discuss with your child the importance of wearing a mask each day AND the proper way to wear their mask (covering the mouth AND nose).
- Students ARE NOT permitted to wear masks with holes or vents.
- Students are required to wear their masks throughout the day. This will include arrival/dismissal, transitions throughout the campus (to and from lunch, specials etc.) and during classroom instruction.
- Mask breaks are built into the day by the classroom teacher. When in the cafeteria for lunch students may have their masks off while actively eating or drinking. Once they are finished eating, they will put their masks back on.
- Students returning to campus this week will receive a package of 5 cloth masks on Tuesday morning (you may have your child wear his/her own mask as long as it is appropriate for school)
- Please make sure reusable masks are washed regularly!! Good hygiene helps to promote good health and wellness for our students.
- Students will be reeducated on the proper use of wearing their mask daily and the importance of why we wear masks if they are having difficulties. For continued non-compliance, we will contact parents to help. If non-compliance continues, it COULD result in the student being moved to the MyPCS platform.
Cafeteria Updates
- Breakfast is ONLY served from 8:15-8:45. ALL students are eligible for free breakfast each morning.
- Two Grab and Go Breakfast carts are located on campus for students to get breakfast and head directly to their classrooms in the morning.
- Only students in our YMCA before care program are eating breakfast in the cafeteria.
- Pre K breakfasts are delivered to the Pre K building.
Lunch
- NEW CHANGE: Beginning on November 2nd, ALL students are eligible for free lunch. This does not include a la cart snack and ice cream. Please check the PCSB website for more details.
- Our lunch times are scheduled to promote social distancing.
- Each class has assigned tables and students will have assigned seats. Plexiglass is used to support our mitigation efforts.
- Stickers are placed on cafe benches to support social distancing.
- Students wishing to have a cafeteria lunch are socially distanced in the lunch line before heading to their assigned seat.
- Students wear masks to and from the cafeteria AND when they are done eating.
- Our Pre K and Access classes are eating in the classroom. Some K-5 classes may choose some days to also eat in the classroom.
Other Eagle Updates
Visitors and Volunteers
Our campus is still closed for to all volunteers and visitors. The district will continue to reevaluate this based on health recommendations. Mentors will be virtual for the entire school year and will begin their mentoring this coming week. Mrs. Shipley, our Family Community Liaison, has worked on creative ways for our volunteers to help from a distance. Please contact her if you are able to help us from a distance.
Water Fountains
For the time being, water fountains are closed. Just a reminder, that we ask each student to bring a full water bottle to school each day. We do have a water bottle filling station in the cafeteria that students may use to refill bottles or they can use the sink in the classroom. We have disposable cups for students who do not bring a water bottle to school.
Signage
We have signage and floor stickers to support one way directional traffic and social distancing.
Handwashing and Sanitizing Stations
Hand sanitizing stations are placed in areas of the school without sinks to support handwashing. Students have multiple opportunities to sanitize/wash their hands throughout the day.
YMCA Before/After School Program
Our onsite YMCA program provides curb service for families for drop off and pickup. Currently, our program is full and we have a wait list for availability. If your child attends the YMCA they must arrive at the Y before 8:05 for drop off to not interfere with the carline. At dismissal, please wait to pick up from the Y until after 3:15 to avoid the traffic in the car line.
Front Office
During this time, please try to call or email the school if possible with any questions. If you must stop by, please know that we will only have one person in the lobby at a
time. You may be asked to wait in your car or outside. Thank you for your patience during this time.
Dropping Off Items
At this time, we are not accepting items left at home (i.e lunchboxes, homework) in the front office for delivery to classrooms. Please help your child get organized with all items for each school day. If a lunch is forgotten, students will receive a lunch that day from the cafe.
Early Release
If you must pick your child up from school early, please notify his/her teacher and the front office. Students will not be called for dismissal until you have arrived. No students will be released after 2:15 unless they are ill.
Notes From The Nurse
CDC guidelines state a Negative Covid 19 rapid test must be confirmed with a PCR test. (That’s the one that gets sent out to the lab and takes a few days to come back). If your child is rapid tested for Covid 19 and the result is negative, please ask your provider to confirm that result with a PCR. All physician offices in Pinellas County were notified of this by the Department of Health earlier in October.
If there is a pending Covid test in the household (student, sibling, parent, live in grandparent, random tenant in the spare room above the garage, etc.) all students must stay home until a Negative test result is received. (Please see above!)
If your student is sent home from school with covid like symptoms they will automatically be excluded from school for 10 days. (May return on the 11th day.) The 10 day exclusion can only be avoided by providing the school with a negative Covid 19 test (please see above!) or a doctor’s note with an alternative diagnosis noted. (i.e. step, flu, URI, etc.) Doctors notes which only state “Cleared to Return” without a documented diagnosis will not be accepted and the student will not be allowed to return.
Please be sure your student has a clean mask on each day and that they have an extra in their backpack. (These can be placed in the same bag as their change of clothes!) Masks get soiled, break or get lost throughout the day and it’s important your student have another available. Masks with valves or holes are not permitted.
On another note: Vision and Hearing screenings were recently completed for our Kindergarten, 1st and 3rd grade students, as well as any students new to the county. If your child did not pass either screening you received a failure letter. Please follow up with your child’s eye doctor or general provider and have them complete the bottom portion of the failure notice, which can then be returned to the clinic.
Reminder: Flu season is upon us! This year, more than any other year, it’s important to get your flu shot! The symptoms of Covid 19 and the flu can be very similar and dual infection CAN happen! To prevent misdiagnosis, and severe illness, get yours and your child’s flu shots done early!
PTA Updates
- Oct 16 - pumpkin gallery opens https://ptapumpkins2020.shutterfly.com/ Password: Pumpkins (See flyer attached below)
- Oct 26 - ALL pumpkin pics must be submitted to cwepumpkins@gmail.com by 10:00 PM
- Oct 29 - Spooky Story Night and Pumpkin Winners announces (Virtual) Link will be sent out soon
- Nov 6- Poinsettia Sales begin
- Nov 19 - Poinsettia Sales due to CWE