StepUP
Family Newsletter May 21, 2021
Face Covering Update
Dear StepUP Families,
I wanted to let you know that we received a face covering update for Ready Schools Safe Learners (COVID-19 guidance for schools) yesterday afternoon. Moving forward, “students, staff, volunteers, and visitors are not required to wear face coverings outdoors (including, but not limited to: Outdoor PE, outdoor music, recess, and arrival & dismissal).”
We are excited for the choice to be given back to families in this area. We realize that some families may elect to have their children continue to wear face coverings outside. If you would like your child to continue wearing face coverings outside, please email your classroom teacher to let him/her know.
Thank you for your continued support and partnership to serve students,
Karen Mitchell, Principal
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month – a celebration of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the United States. The month of May was chosen to commemorate the immigration of the first Japanese to the United States on May 7, 1843, and to mark the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869. The majority of the workers who laid the tracks were Chinese immigrants. Join us in celebrating AAPI students, staff, friends, family, and community members!
IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:
- May 31 --No School - Memorial Day
- June 2 - NO EARLY RELEASE (same schedule as M, T, Th, F for all students)
- June 9 - Last Day for Transition
- June 16 - NO EARLY RELEASE (same schedule as M, T, Th, F for all students)
- June 17 - Last Day SECONDARY EARLY RELEASE-10AM, ELEMENTARY EARLY RELEASE 11:45AM
COMMUNITY RESOURCES AND HAPPENINGS
7UP NEWS
7up students collaborated while drawing on the white board during break time.
K-3 NEWS
Our class has been working on their individual desk pets. Each student was able to choose an animal out of molding clay. The last two weeks we have talked about habitats and where each of their pets live.
How do I sign up for text updates from Redmond School District?
You can receive text alerts about upcoming school events, attendance notifications, inclement weather delays and emergency notifications. To opt in, text “Y” or “Yes” to the number 67587 using the mobile phone number on file at your student’s school. You can opt out of these messages at any time by replying to one of our messages with “Stop”
May Is Mental Health Awareness Month
This past year has been overwhelming for many people. Mental Health Awareness Month is an important reminder to check in with ourselves and loved ones. Mental health is just as important as physical health. Good mental health helps you cope with stress and can improve your quality of life. Seek professional help if you are experiencing severe or distressing symptoms that have lasted two weeks or more, such as:
Difficulty sleeping
Appetite changes that result in unwanted weight changes
Struggling to get out of bed in the morning because of mood
Difficulty concentrating
Loss of interest in things you usually find enjoyable
Inability to perform usual daily functions and responsibilities
If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health emergency, please call 911 or the Deschutes County crisis line at (541) 322-7500, ext 9. Additionally, YouthLine is a free, confidential teen-to-teen crisis and help line that can be reached by phone at 877-968-8491 or by texting teen2teen to 839863.
FLASH UPDATE
On Tuesday, Deschutes County Public Health partnered with StepUP to provide supplemental Sexual and Reproductive Health education to students in grades 6-12 who were not opted out by their parent/guardian. The curriculum provided evidence based, age appropriate and medically accurate information on the risks and benefits of birth control and other disease reduction measures which reduce the risk of unintended pregnancy, exposure to HIV, Hepatitis B/C and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and promoted abstinence for school-age youth as the safest and most responsible sexual behavior to reduce the risk of unintended pregnancy and exposure to STIs.
If you would like to further the conversation with your student at home, here are some tips for talking about personal health and safety:
Find opportunities to talk about personal health and safety. Focus on creating open, honest, and ongoing dialogue. Build trust and comfort over time and adapt your conversations to be more informative and nuanced as your child ages. Try watching the news or a movie together and use the content to bring up specific topics.
Connect in side-by-side moments. Tweens and teens often find it easier to talk when they’re not looking directly at someone. The best time to connect may be while riding in a car or cooking a meal together. Ask open-ended questions, and listen carefully for any comments that might hint at discomfort.
Discuss and define what is appropriate. As your child explores relationships and touch, make sure they understand personal boundaries in the physical and digital world. Talk to them about consent and what it means to assault someone. For example, the absence of “No” does not mean “Yes.”
Be adaptive and available. Every young person needs a caring adult they can turn to for support and guidance. If you talk to them openly and often, you can be their trusted source of information and better prepare them for relationships and risks. This will encourage them to come to you with questions rather than consulting with their peers.
INFORMATION FROM OUR SCHOOL NURSE
Free Covid-19 testing
Wall Street Services Building
1340 NW Wall St
Parking Lot facing Wall St.
Bend OR, 97703
Thursdays
· May 6th
· May 13th
· May 20th
· May 27th
9:00am– 2:00pm
