Wrightstown Ravens' News
September 4, 2020
Dear WES Families,
We had a successful distribution of instructional materials on Wednesday and Thursday. I would like to thank all of the families who picked-up these items to ensure students are ready to go on Tuesday, September 8th. I would also like to recognize and thank the WES Staff for contributing to this task. Seeing the excited children was a reminder of how much we miss them and look forward to being together again in our school.
I am proud of the diligent work that the Wrightstown teachers and staff have prepared during these unfamiliar times to ensure a fantastic year of learning and growing. As we continue to support one another through this journey, your partnership and patience means so much!
On behalf of the WES staff, please have a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend! We look forward to seeing tons of smiling faces on Tuesday, September 8th!
Sincerely,
Beth
WES Staff Meet and Greet
As previously shared, our Meet and Greet and New Student/Family Orientation had to be modified due to the current circumstances. For now, please enjoy this VIDEO!
In the coming weeks, a detailed video will be shared for our new and returning families.
Virtual Back to School Nights
Wednesday, September 9th - Virtual Back to School Night (Grades 1-3)
Grade 1 - 6:00 PM
Grade 2 - 6:45 PM
Grade 3 - 5:15 PM
More information to come from your child's teacher
Monday, September 14th - Virtual Back to School Night (Grades 4-6)
Grade 4 - 6:00 PM
Grade 5 - 6:45 PM
Grade 6 - 7:30 PM
More information to come from your child's teacher
Specialists and Special Area teachers will be sharing informational slides that will be available on individual websites and in teachers' Google Classrooms.
I recognize many parents will likely have questions about new protocol for the classroom and school for this school year. Please note that teachers have yet to try some procedures and there is ongoing professional development going on. In addition, some of the protocol for instruction and activities are still being developed prior to the start of in-person learning at the end of the month. It's quite possible that a teacher may not have a definitive answer to some questions, and I ask parents for flexibility and support as we begin this new phase of teaching and learning.
Share Your Back to School Photos
Although we are starting the school year virtually, we won’t let that dampen our WES spirit! Be sure to capture photos of our awesome students in action during their first few weeks of virtual learning in the new school year! You can upload your photos at the following link
Specials Color Rotating Schedule
A change is being made this year to move the four special areas (Art, Music, P.E. and Library) to a color rotating schedule. The rationale for this change is to provide more balance to student participation in the specialty area classes. The color schedule is as follows:
Monday is Red
Tuesday is Orange
Wednesday is Yellow
Thursday is Green
Friday is Blue
Attached below is the specials schedule students will follow for the first three weeks of school. Since schools are closed on Monday, September 7th, the color rotation was adjusted. Teachers will share their specials schedule with families.
A Note from the Library
Welcome Back WES families! We are excited about the start of our 2020-2021 school year. In library, students will be using digital resources during virtual, hybrid and sometimes in person learning. Our library has partnered with the Bucks County Free Library, including the Wrightstown Village Library, to offer students a free library card.
This card will allow students to access digital resources such as BookFlix, digital picture books and chapter books. While some digital resources are available through the WES library, and we are continuing to add digital sources to WES, we do not have the extensive collection of authors and illustrators provided by the BCFL. The link to sign up for your students’ ecard (library card) is below along with the parent steps of “how to”. Please contact your librarians if you have any questions regarding this voluntary program at: jventresca@crsd.org OR hadams@crsd.org
Steps involved:
1. school provides information with online library card sign up link
2. parents fill out form online
3. parents will receive an email with card number and will have access to all online resources
4. the library calls the parent when the physical card is ready to be picked
5. parents must go to the library during curbside pick up hours to pick up the card (we are still curbside only) – there is a 3 month window
https://buckslib.org/onlinelibrarycardapplication/
*NOTE: If your student has a library card they can get a PIN number from the BCFL and no additional card is needed*
Hybrid Cohort Groups
As you may have noticed, cohort assignments are not currently posted in the Home Access Center (HAC) for elementary students at this time. For your reference, please see the following guideline for the alphabetical cohort divide.
In the hybrid option, students will attend school in person two days a week and online the remaining three days of the week.
Last names beginning A to Ld will attend school on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Last names beginning Le to Z will attend school on Thursdays and Fridays.
Some parents were contacted personally by WES staff to help balance our cohort numbers & make a switch to another cohort. These are the only instances in which the last name DOES NOT follow the above guidelines.
Home Access Center (HAC)
Transportation information will be available for viewing on Tuesday, September 15th in the Home Access Center opened for families to access.
Digital Etiquette
Here are some recommended guidelines for students as they begin their virtual learning:
- Students are expected to conduct themselves appropriately. Students' actions should always reflect our district policies and procedures. Failure to act appropriately could result in disciplinary actions in accordance with the Student Handbook and School Board Policies.
- All students are to adhere to the same standards of behavior online as they would face-to-face.
- All content posted in chat windows will be viewed and accessible by the teacher.
- Students are not permitted to take or post images, videos, or screenshots of classmates, teachers, or class content.
- All students are to support and assist efforts to promote acceptance of others. Teasing, hazing, or harassment will not be tolerated.
- Students should follow the school dress code when participating in an online meeting.
- Students should utilize school appropriate language during an online meeting.
- Students should understand that teachers are Mandated Reporters and are legally required to report any questionable behavior or items that may be seen during an online meeting.
- Students should sit in a well lit area and choose a non-distracting background.
- Students should mute their microphones when they are not speaking.
- Students should not access phones, devices, or any other distracting materials during the online meeting.
Problem-Solving During Virtual Learning
As adults, we’ve all encountered issues when using technology. Often problems are minor, but sometimes even the small issues can be very frustrating. It’s possible that the children may encounter obstacles, and there are proactive measures to take that may mitigate the impact of these problems.
Before the school year begins, it’s important to write down this important information:
- Teacher Email
- Student ID Number
- School Email Address
- School Password
- Other Sites and Passwords
And here are some steps that children can take when they come across a problem with their device or electronic resource:
1. Let an adult or older sibling know that you are having difficulty.
2. Try to take a picture of what is on the computer screen with a phone or a screenshot. (Links to an external site.)
3. Go to https://mail.google.com/ (Links to an external site.) and sign in with your CRSD school email listed above OR a parent/sibling can use their email.
4. If the problem is with an assignment or a website, send an email to your teacher at the address that is listed above. If the issue is with your Chromebook, email chromesupport@crsd.org AND your teacher.
5. In the email, write what you were trying to do and what was not working. Tell them what device you were using. Was it your school Chromebook? If possible, attach the picture or screenshot to the email. Then send the email.
6. Some things you can do while you wait for a response:
- Try to save your work in some way. Maybe take a picture with a phone.
- Try a different browser. We suggest using Google Chrome, signed into your CRSD account.
- Try to refresh the screen or restart your device.
- Ask a classmate and/or Google it.
- Come up with another creative way that you might be able to complete the assignment.
Upcoming Events
Tuesday, September 8th - Happy First Day of Virtual Learning
Tuesday, September 15th - Transportation Information available in HAC
Tuesday, September 29th - First Day of Hybrid Learning
Free and Reduced Lunch
Council Rock Reopening Plans
If you have questions about the reopening of school, there are many resources available from the school district to provide information. The following links can be very helpful in answering many questions.
Preparing for Virtual Learning
During the initial days of school, all students in Council Rock will be taking part in virtual learning activities. Here are some tips for creating a supportive learning environment in your home:
Consider establishing a dedicated space for learning. This should be a space that is comfortable, is free from distractions, and has an area designated for school supplies. When the school day is done, encourage your child to clean up the area to prepare the space for the next day.
Students should consider waking up at a regular time each day, and getting dressed just as they would for school. This will help support a smoother transition if your child is returning to the hybrid model or if you child will continue with the virtual model.
Fill a water bottle and consider preparing lunch and a healthy snack in advance.
Teachers will be establishing daily routines with breaks throughout the day. Be sure that your child uses these breaks as a time to get away from the screen and get movement.
Start the day with a charged device and have the charger handy with an outlet nearby. This is a great habit for this year and into the future.
Consider purchasing inexpensive headphones with a microphone. This is helpful if you anticipate more than one child sharing a learning space in a family room, kitchen, etc.
Tips for Face Covering Training
As any parent knows, there are many protective things children find uncomfortable or simply don’t want to do. Many children dislike car seats and seatbelts, yet we know car seats and seatbelts save lives. Here are some tips for mask-training:
Start now so that your children can build up comfort wearing a mask for long periods.
Begin in a comfortable setting that is low risk (such as watching a movie or playing a computer/video game inside your home).
Set a timer so that you can see how long your children are able to tolerate the mask. Then, slowly increase their mask time each sitting.
Practice self-soothing behaviors to manage any anxious feelings that might be experienced. It’s normal for kids to feel like they're having trouble breathing when there’s a piece of cloth covering the mouth and nose.
Offer rewards (praise goes a long way!) and continue to provide encouragement.
As children become more comfortable sitting with the mask, try to engage them in conversation. Teach them how to speak louder and articulate their words more clearly so that others can understand them.
Council Rock Attendance Policy
From our CR Transportation Department
The Council Rock Transportation Department has been hard at work adapting, inventing, and planning. We have coordinated with our software provider to create a unique filtering process for routing the hybrid schedule. The process we developed allows us to keep stops consistent and bus routes generally similar to where we left off in March. While uncertainty looms large in many aspects of school this year, we expect that in the vast majority of cases, the stops and general routes you remember from March will be the same as they were last year. Our goal in routing this year is to provide safe, consistent, and efficient routes that encourage a predictably high service level while minimizing double backs and other disruptions as much as possible.
Given the extremely unique nature of the 2020-2021 school year, there are challenges we will face. Hopefully, these scenarios will be minimal, but in the spirit of open and honest communication, we believe they can and will happen at times. The pandemic will hurt our overall driver count. Fewer drivers will be comfortable returning to work, as is the case with any profession. Should a positive case occur in the driver population, fear may spark mass call-outs to the point where we cannot provide transportation that day. As the hybrid schedule is brand new and untested, every day we will be in uncharted waters. While we are planning to mitigate problems, there will likely be timing issues, delays, and double backs on a frequent basis.
What can you do to stay informed and be ready?
Expect the unexpected, be patient, and flexible
Make sure to sign up for CR Text & Email Alerts
Download and use FirstView
Have a backup plan if we cannot provide transportation
For more information please visit the CR Transportation Webpage and Reopening Hub FAQs under the Transportation heading.
CR Calendar
The Council Rock School Board recently approved the 2020-2021 district calendar, and you can find it at the following LINK.
WRIGHTSTOWN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Principal
Email: bfox@crsd.org
Website: https://www.crsd.org/wrightstownes
Location: 729 Penns Park Road, Newtown, PA, USA
Phone: 215-944-2300
Twitter: @BethFox_WES