March 8, 2021 Principal Message
Jeffreys Grove Magnet Elementary
GUIDELINES FOR IN-PERSON LEARNING IN PLAN B
Dear Jeffreys Grove Families,
We hope you’ve had a great weekend and found time to rest and relax! Below you’ll find pertinent information and reminders for the upcoming week.
Update for 4th and 5th grade Families in Plan B:
As you are aware on March 2nd, the Wake County Board of Education agreed to consider a plan that would return students in grades 4 and 5 to daily in-person instruction as early as Monday, March 15. The Board is scheduled to take a final vote on the issue March 9.
If approved, the decision would not apply to students who are registered in the our Virtual Academy.
This means students in grades 4 and 5 currently attending classes in person in three-week rotations would attend school every day beginning March 15, if approved by the school board next week.
Stay tuned for announcements later this week from our district on Twitter @WCPSS
Calendar
- March 8 - 4th and 5th Cohort 2 in person (and PreK through 3rd grade in Plan B).
- NEW! March 10-11 - regular school days for staff and students.
- March 12 - teacher workday - no school for students
- NEW! March 24 - remote learning day - asynchronous school day (no live)
- March 29 - Spring Break begins
- April 7 - first day back for students
- April 14 - remote learning day - asynchronous school day (no live)
- April 28 - remote learning day - asynchronous school day (no live)
Cohort 2 will return in-person on March 8th.
If you have student(s) returning to in-person instruction on Monday, March 8th please read the reminders below:
· Please read and review the district’s Student Accountability and Required Health Protocols information and sign the acknowledgement form. Return this form with your student when they come to school. This only applies to students that have not already been in the building in the first semester.
· All visitors/students must wear a mask on our campus. If your child forgets a mask, we will provide a disposable mask for them at the front door.
· All parents will drop students off outside the main entrance door. Parents are not permitted to enter the building for any reason. If you have business to conduct at the school, please let the person at the front door know and they’ll get a staff member to come outside to assist you.
· Carpool patterns remain the same as in previous years.
· Students riding carpool in the morning need to remain in their car until they’re screened by a staff member. Be patient, this process may take longer than usual. Please open your car windows and turn off your heater to avoid repeated screenings.
· Walkers will stand by the flagpole and wait to be screened.
· If your student is a bus rider, please make sure to read and fill out the Bus Attestation form and return it electronically or print and sign a copy to give to your child to bring to school.
· When you return via carpool to pick your child up in the afternoon, please know it will take longer for them to get outside because they must dismiss from their classroom.
Student Accountability and Required Health Protocols
Earlier in the school year, the district sent the Student Accountability and Required Health Protocols information. Please ensure you’ve read this information and reviewed it with your child. Additionally, please sign the acknowledgement page and return it to school with your child.
Carpool Reminders
When you arrive for morning carpool, you will be greeted by an adult that will conduct a health screening for your student(s). Students MUST remain in the car for this and parents must stay until it is completed. Thank you for your patience, as we know this will require additional time.
Parents cannot exit the vehicle in the carpool loop for any reason. It is not safe for adults to be outside of the car and it can hold up the carpool process. In the morning, parents should remain in the car and unbuckle any child safety seat straps that may prevent their child from exiting the vehicle.
Students need to exit the car onto the sidewalk, not in the middle of the carpool loop.
Lastly, please be conscientious of your speed in the parking lot.
Daily Health Screenings
As you know, daily health screenings are conducted for all students prior to entry into the building. These are mandated by NCDHHS and WCPSS. To gain entry to the building, students must pass a temperature check and symptom screening. When staff conduct temperature checks, they are checking to see that each students’ temperature is below 100.4 degrees. If your child’s temperature is 100.4 degrees or higher, you will be asked to pull up to a wait zone spot so that the temperature can be re-checked in 5 minutes. When the temperature is rechecked, if it’s below 100.4, it’ll be taken again in another 5 minutes and if it remains lower than 100.4, they can enter the building. However, if the temperature remains at 100.4 degrees or above on the second screening, students must leave the campus immediately. If you have multiple students in the car, all students must return home.
A student that cannot pass the health screening cannot return to school until one of the following is met:
· Negative PCR/Molecular COVID Test
· Doctor’s visit with an alternative diagnosis
· It’s been at least 10 days since the original symptom emerged and the child has been fever free for 24 hours (without fever-reducing medication), the symptoms have improved and the student has felt well for at least 24 hours.
I know this is new and a lot to remember. So, if your child cannot pass the daily health screening, you will be provided with a sheet of paper giving guidance on next steps. This includes the information listed above as well as information regarding how long they’ll need to remain at home.
If your child(ren) must go home due to failing the health screening, you will have the option to engage in remote learning with a Virtual Academy classroom so that your child does not miss instruction.
I know this will be frustrating for some families, but we must follow all health policies and guidance provided. Our goal is always to keep everyone safe and because of that, we cannot break protocol.
If you have concerns regarding this, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me directly.
Student Illness
As a reminder, students experiencing ANY symptoms of illness cannot attend school. For your convenience, I’ve listed such symptoms below. I recognize that this list is long and that in the past we have not sent students home for some of these symptoms. However, our current guidance tells us that students cannot be in school with any symptoms of illness. Additionally, you will need to follow all district health guidance regarding how long your child will stay out of school.
Symptoms of an illness include:
· Fever of 100.4 degrees or higher
· New cough (unrelated to allergies)
· New shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
· New loss of taste or smell
· Rash
· Runny nose
· Sore throat
· Headache
· Nausea or Vomiting
· Diarrhea
Student Absences Due to Illness, Exposure, or Positive COVID-19 Diagnosis
If your child stays home due to symptoms of an illness, COVID-19 exposure, or COVID-19 diagnosis, please reach out to the teacher via Talking Points or email to let them know.
Teachers and other school staff may reach out to you to ask questions regarding your child’s illness. This is to ensure we have all the information we need to make an accurate assessment of when they can return. If you have multiple children in WCPSS and one has symptoms of illness, has been exposed, or has tested positive for COVID‑19, all children must stay home.
Please refer to the district’s Return to Campus Guide and the Student Accountability and Required Health Protocols for more guidance on this topic.
Accessing Instruction While Absent
If your child must quarantine due to having a symptom of illness, exposure or a positive COVID diagnosis, we will temporarily place them in a Virtual Academy classroom so that they can access their work. They are only expected to access their work if they are feeling well enough to do so! If they are ill and cannot complete their work, please let the teacher know and they will work to allow them to make it up upon their return.
When to Stay Home and When you Can Return
Students and all household members that are also students or staff of WCPSS must stay home if someone in their household is sick or experiencing any symptom of illness. The amount of time to stay home is dependent on the illness and/or symptoms. Please read this guidance for further information including when and why your child may have to be out of school for up to 24 days!
Important: Technology Guidance for In-Person Learning
When students return to in-person learning, the school does not have devices for them to use. Therefore, the following guidance will apply when we return to in-person learning:
- Students with WCPSS devices should bring their device to and from school.
- Students who are using a personal device can choose to bring their device to school. If you choose to send your child with his/her own personal device, parents will be required to sign a BYOD form or email the teacher to let them know you approve of your child bringing his/her personal device to school. Additionally, students will be responsible for following Health and Safety guidelines which state that students cannot share a device with another student.
REMINDERS
Rising Kindergarten Registration
If you have a rising kindergartener for the 2021-2022 school year, registration is now open. Please visit the Wake County website for more information.
If there is anything that we can do to support you, please don’t hesitate to reach out to myself and/or Ms. Scott.
Sincerely,
Juli Ventura
Principal
Academic Spotlight on P.E.
At Jeffreys Grove P.E. is fun, fun, fun!
Our amazing Coach Smith has been doing a great job keeping all our VA and Plan B students engaged and motivated.
Through a variety of fun physical exercises and creative activities our students have been learning about Black Athletes and Women Athletes who paved the way for others.
They have also been learning how to use behavioral strategies that are responsible and enhance respect of self and others.
In each P.E. class JG students are experiencing the benefits of positive social interaction to make activities more enjoyable.
High five to Coach Smith and our amazing Eagles!
Counselor's Corner
Hello JG Community,
Happy March! In my newsletter this week, you will find information about middle school elective registration for our 5th graders and lessons being completed with our K-4 classes. You can also review the character strengths we will focus on this month through the Positivity Project.
Take care and SOAR on Eagles!
Mrs. Jacobs, School Counselor
Backpack Buddies Program
The Backpack Buddies Program at Jeffreys Grove Elementary is starting up again on Thursday, March 18th.
This program provides participating students with a weekly (or biweekly, if in Virtual Academy) bag of non-perishable food items. Each individual food bag will include: 2 protein items, 2 milk items, 2 fruit items, 2 breakfast items, and 2 juice boxes.
Any Jeffreys Grove student, preK-5th grade, is eligible for this program.
Please click on this link for more details and to enroll your child in the program: https://forms.gle/bT3t75en4JpN58AF7
El programa Backpack Buddies en Jeffreys Grove Elementary comenzará nuevamente el jueves 18 de marzo.
Este programa proporciona a los estudiantes participantes una bolsa semanal (o quincenal si están en la Academia Virtual) de alimentos no perecederos. Cada bolsa de comida individual incluirá: 2 productos de proteína, 2 productos de leche, 2 productos de fruta, 2 productos de desayuno y 2 cajas de jugo.
Cualquier estudiante de Jeffreys Grove, de prekínder a quinto grado, es elegible para este programa.
Haga clic en este enlace para obtener más detalles y para inscribir a su hijo en el programa: https://forms.gle/bT3t75en4JpN58AF7
PTA Corner
Looking to get more involved at JGMES? You came to the right place! We are in need of volunteers year round to help make JGMES the best school it can be. Please take a moment to fill out our PTA Volunteer Interest Survey. Thank you in advance; we couldn't do this without YOU!
Note: Completing this survey does not obligate you to do anything.
Join Memberhub
If you are looking for ways to get connected with the JG PTA and other Jeffreys Grove families, I invite you to join Memberhub. The Jeffreys Grove PTA uses Memberhub as a means of communication with families throughout the year. Cheri Thomas, the JG PTA President, sends out a weekly newsletter, providing "save the date" information, fundraising updates, advocacy information, and other school-wide information. Please click here to join Jeffreys Grove Memberhub."
Click here to read past PTA newsletters. And click here to fill out the JG yearbook form.
Jeffreys Grove Magnet Elementary
Website: wcpss.net/jeffreysgrovees
Location: 6119 Creedmoor Road, Raleigh, NC, USA
Phone: (919) 881-4910
Twitter: @JeffreysGroveES