Springton Lake Middle School
Every Student. Every Day. No Matter What.
Springton Lake Middle School
Email: RSalladino@rtmsd.org
Website: https://www.rtmsd.org/2/home
Location: 1900 North Providence Road, Media, PA, USA
Phone: (610) 627-6500
Twitter: @SpringtonLakeMS
January 4, 2021
Happy New Year!
I hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday season, a relaxing winter break, and a very happy new year! After some well-deserved time away from the academic routine for students, teachers, administrators - and parents, too - it was great to welcome our students back to school today. I have high hopes that 2021 will bring great things - and maybe even a return to a little bit of "normal" at some point!
I am sending a short communication to start the week to address a few time-sensitive issues and a couple of topics that I hope will launch us into 2021 on a smooth and positive note. Thank you for taking a few minutes to review this information.
Have a great week, everyone, and once again, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
School Picture Re-take Days - THIS Wednesday & Thursday
Picture re-take days will be THIS WEEK - Wednesday, January 6th and Thursday, January 7th from 8am to 10am. Any student who was not photographed in November will be able to have their picture taken on these days. Students who ordered a photo package but are not satisfied, may return the photos for a re-take. Fully-virtual students who need a re-take may come in on either day during the indicated timeframe.
School pictures and student identification cards from Lifetouch have arrived. For students who are fully-virtual, parents may stop by the Main Office from 7:30am until 4:00pm daily for pick-up.
Student Cohorts and Option for Return to In-person Learning
Despite the overall rise in COVID cases in Delaware County, our in-school safety plans and protocols continue to remain highly effective. The students and staff are simply doing a great job and we continue to reinforce the importance of masking-up, washing-up, and backing-up - just ask your kids. We will remain diligent and vigilant in an effort to keep everyone healthy and safe.
The end of the 2nd marking period is Friday, January 15, 2021. Later this week, I will be reaching out to the families of students enrolled in the fully-virtual cohort to provide the option for students to join one of the in-person hybrid cohorts for the 3rd marking period. This decision will cover the period from January 19th thru the end of the 3rd marking period on Friday, March 26, 2021. We will continue to provide students with a fully-virtual option through the 3rd marking period, at least.
If you are concerned for any reason and would like to switch your child to the fully-virtual cohort, please email me and we will update our records. This will allow our teachers to plan appropriately for instruction. It will also stop the daily email that you receive with the symptom screener.
If you opt to keep your child in the in-person cohort but they will not be physically present in the building for any reason, including travel over the holidays, it is very important that you complete the daily symptom screener. If you traveled over the holidays and have questions about what is required, please review the next section of this newsletter.
Did You Travel for the Holidays? Here's What You Need to Know...
On November 25th, the PA Department of Health amended an Order on travel restrictions that they had issued on November 17th. The amended Order requires that travelers over the age of 11 entering Pennsylvania from locations outside the Commonwealth, as well as Pennsylvanians who are returning home from locations outside the Commonwealth, produce evidence of a negative COVID-19 test or place themselves in travel quarantine for 14 days upon entering, unless they receive a negative test result during the 14-day travel quarantine period.
The amended Order requires that students either quarantine for 14 days upon entering Pennsylvania OR take a COVID-19 test and receive a negative test result. Students can test upon entering PA (the previous Order required a student to get a test 72 hours prior to entering PA). Students must remain home while awaiting test results. A rapid antigen test or a diagnostic PCR test may be used to meet the testing requirement. Upon receipt of a negative test result, the student can begin attending school. Parents who elect to not have their child tested must keep their child out of school for the full 14-day quarantine period which begins the day they returned to PA. Individuals who are returning to the Commonwealth after traveling outside the Commonwealth for less than 24 hours are exempt from this testing/quarantine requirement.
COVID-19 Questions & Assistance
Parents & guardians who have COVID-related questions during the school day should contact our School Nurse, Ms. Hartner by email or phone - 610-627-6512. For COVID-related questions after school hours, you can reach a school district nurse. Contact information is located on the RTMSD website under District Reopening, After Hours-Covid Questions and Answers. There is a nurse available in the mornings before school from 5am to 7am, in the evenings during the week from 4pm to 10pm, and on Sunday evenings from 4pm to 10pm.
Annual Day of Service - Donations Needed
Our annual Day of Service in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr will look a little different this year. Due to our current social distancing needs, inability to share materials, and hybrid model, we have developed an alternate plan for 2021. We will be running a modified schedule on Tuesday January 18th & Wednesday January 19th. Students will report to their advisory on both days after 6th period in order to participate in a series of school-wide service activities. A menu of asynchronous service options will be available for our virtual students. Although we are very disappointed that we need to adjust plans for this year due to the pandemic, we are happy that we can still carry on King’s vision in some way. We are looking forward to next school year when we can resume our typical full day of events.
We have been in touch with Caring for Friends, one of our service partners, and the organization is still very much in need of Breakfast Bags. Caring for Friends provides meals for the homebound. Now more than ever, the elderly community needs theses generous donations. One of our service activities will involve creating and packing Breakfast Bags in a COVID-safe fashion. In order for this to be possible, we need your help...
The week of January 11th- January 14th, we will be collecting donations of the following items in the main lobby during period 1: cereal bars, oatmeal (individually packaged), granola bars, tea bags, fruit cups, cracker sandwiches, fruit snacks, & hot chocolate (individually packaged). Any assistance with a donation of these items would be greatly appreciated.