Scotty Updates
A Newsletter from Scotland Elementary School
December 6, 2021
Scotty Updates
The Scotty Updates has been created to provide families and staff with information regarding upcoming events, happenings, and programs at Scotland Elementary School. Please take time each Monday to review our newsletter. Thank you!
A Message from Mrs. Katkocin
Dear Scotland Families,
I hope you are all well, and had a wonderful weekend. This past Friday, we held our Scotland Holiday Boutique! Our PTA members supported our students to shop for special gifts for their loved ones. It was so fun to see our students enjoying the tradition! If your child was absent during the Holiday Boutique, there is a plan in place for them to be able to shop. All students who were absent on Friday will be invited to The Tutoring Club to complete their holiday shopping. Order forms will be sent home and more information will be coming from the PTA.
Each day the past few weeks during our morning announcements and morning meetings, we have been reinforcing the expectations of behavior during lunch, recess, while in the bathroom, and on the bus. We have been experiencing an increased number of incidents of inappropriate behavior, including physical interactions between students, unkind exchanges of words, writing on the walls, removal of masks on the bus, etc. We are reminding students of expected behaviors at all times during the day and would appreciate your support in doing so as well.
Our COVID screenings for families who have opted in will continue this week on Tuesday, December 7th, beginning at 8:50am. If you would like to opt your child in, kindly indicate so in PowerSchool, and notify Mrs. Martire (lmartire@ridgefieldps.net) and Mr. Crook (acrook@ridgefieldps.net).
Wishing you all a wonderful, healthy week!
Kind regards,
Jill
Snaps around Scotland ๐ธ
Events and Happenings ๐
WEEK AT A GLANCE:
Monday, December 6th:
- C Day
Tuesday, December 7th:
- D Day
Wednesday, December 8th:
- E Day
Thursday, December 9th:
- F Day
- Early dismissal for students (11:40am)
- Professional learning for staff
Friday, December 10th:
- A Day
*****************************************************************************************
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Thursday, December 9th:
- Early dismissal for students (11:40am)
- Professional learning for staff
Wednesday, December 22nd:
- Early dismissal for students (11:40am)
Thursday, December 23rd-Friday, December 31st
- No school - winter recess
Health and Safety Updates (Shared by Dr. Da Silva)
With the new Screen and Stay program now in place, it is important to remind families and staff that those who are experiencing a symptom of COVID-19, whether vaccinated or not, must stay home from school. We are still following Addendum 5 which states that any person with a COVID-19 symptom must get a negative antigen or PCR test to return to school, or isolate at home for 10 days if not tested. Students who are sent home by the school nurse may return to school immediately upon receipt of a negative COVID-19 test as long as fever, vomiting, or diarrhea are not present.
As shared last week, RPS has begun following the CT DPH Screen and Stay protocols. Unvaccinated students who are exposed to COVID-19 at school with masks on may opt to continue coming to school if parents or guardians attest that they are performing a COVID-19 symptom check daily for 14 days. Fully vaccinated individuals are not required to quarantine after exposure to COVID-19 if they remain symptom free. This applies even if the exposure happened within six feet during lunch with masks off. Students who are not fully vaccinated and exposed to COVID-19 within six feet while masks are off at lunch are not eligible for Screen and Stay and still need to quarantine at home. Students participating in Screen and Stay may continue to come to school but must quarantine from extracurricular and after-school activities. They can get a negative test on day five and return to after-school activities on day eight if they remain symptom free. The detailed protocols can be found here.
Health and Safety
With the adoption of Screen and Stay we have created a short FAQ for families:
Q: I have learned that some students within the classroom are placed in quarantine, while others can participate in Screen and Stay. Why didn't the entire class have to quarantine?
A: The DPH has found that student to student transmission is rare when masks are worn in school and has prioritized having kids in school given that transmission in school is rare. Screen and Stay was created to allow students who were wearing a mask during exposure to COVID-19 in school to continue participating in in person learning. When students are unmasked and within 6 feet like at lunch time, Screen and Stay does not apply and we follow Addendum 5.
Q: In regards to the Screen and Stay, it is my understanding that no one has to get tested and my child can still come to school tomorrow. However, if symptoms begin then he/she would have to get tested and quarantined from school. Is that correct?
A: Yes, if symptoms develop during the 14 day Screen and Stay period. Addendum 5 applies. A fully vaccinated student with a symptom would be able to return with a negative test after symptoms have resolved. An unvaccinated student would be allowed to return to school on day 8 with a negative test on day 5 or later. Those opting not to get tested must isolate at home for 10 days.
Q: Is it required that Screen and Stay students get tested?
A: Screen and Stay students are not required to get tested, but it is highly recommended.
Q: Is it OK for the students participating in Screen and Stay to take the bus to school?
A: Yes it is.
Q: How long are students in Screen and Stay quarantining socially (after-school programs, sports, etc.)?
A: Students should quarantine from social events for 14 days or get a negative test on day 5 and return to social activities on day 8.
Q: How long are we monitoring for symptoms?
A: 14 days.
A Note from Our PTA
The PTA Needs You! Volunteers Wanted!
We're so excited to get parents involved again at SES! We're so LUCKY to be able to offer opportunities for you to help our kiddos and our school!!
Volunteering with the PTA allows you to contribute your skills and knowledge for the benefit of both your own children and the greater school community. Youโll also meet and make new friends!
Please fill out the form and you'll hear back from us soon!
CLICK HERE to find out all the ways YOU can make a difference this year - opportunities available for those with extra time and those with little time!)
Important Information to Keep Handy! ๐
Cafeteria Snack!
Quarantine Learning Information
If an entire class is placed in quarantine, students will be logging into their Google Classroom, and will participate in daily lessons with their classroom teacher. Our essentials teachers will also be logging into the Google Classroom to provide virtual instruction for students.
If individual students are placed in quarantine (perhaps due to an outside exposure, or an exposure on the bus, sports, etc), students will be invited to join our Quarantine Learning Classroom. You can view the Quarantine Learning Parent Handbook here. During their time home, students will receive grade level appropriate instruction provided to all students in their grade level district-wide who have also been placed in quarantine. You can find additional information about Quarantine Learning, shared by Dr. Da Silva on September 10th.
Our virtual learning expectations in either situation remain the same as last year.
- Students will be visible to the teacher and other participating students (please remind your child to have their camera on throughout the lessons).
- Parents are encouraged to have their students independently participate via a location that is quiet and free of distraction, to the extent possible. Other individuals in the home are not permitted to participate in or be visible on the video conference, or otherwise observe the lesson, other than reasonable adult supervision of the student.
- Parents and students are prohibited from recording video conferencing sessions. The district will also not be recording any classes/sessions.
- Depending on each studentโs individual circumstance, teachers or service providers may request the facilitation of the supervising adult to assist the student in engaging in the session.
- In addition, if your child needs to leave for a period of time during instruction (i.e. doctor or dentist appointment), kindly notify the quarantine learning or classroom teacher ahead of time, just as you would if they were in the building.
As always, I thank you for your partnership and support as we continue to navigate this school year together.
Welcome Back Library Volunteers!
Click on the links here or find them on the SES PTA WEBSITE:
Schedules
School Lunch
- School Lunch will be available from the first day of school. Chartwells is the District-wide food service provider. The school lunch menu is available online on the RPS website; click District Offices and click on Food Service, as well as below.
- School lunch will continue to be free during the 21-22 school year. Snacks and additional items will be available through The Lunch Time POS system that allows students to purchase their lunch by entering a 5-digit code at the cash register. These items can be prepaid online at School Payment Portal Powered By LunchTime Software and at the school kitchen.
- Questions in regard to Lunch Time POS can be directed to John Morris, RPS Food Service Director at 203-894-5550 x1127 or john.morris2@compass-usa.com
We will follow a similar drop off / pick up procedure that we did last year.
Arrival
- Drop off begins at 8:30am. Please do not drop off your child prior to 8:30am as there will be no supervision at this time.
Dismissal
- Pick up will begin at 3:20pm.
- Each day, please have your child(ren)โs first and last name displayed on your passenger visor, and have it remain visible until your child is in the car. This needs to be bold and large enough to be visible at a distance. This is a very important step to ensure we have your child ready when you arrive.
- For the safety of both students and staff, proceed carefully and slowly through the lot.
- Please have your child exit/enter the vehicle when your gear is in the park position and is one of the cars at the front of the line designated for drop off.
- Students must exit the vehicle on the passenger side (building side) of the vehicle. Multiple children must exit on the passenger side. It is dangerous to exit/enter on the driver's side of the vehicle!
- Students need to have all of their items ready in hand and will then exit the car immediately.
- Parents, please stay in your vehicle at all times so that the process will prevent backups on Barlow Mountain Road.
- If you miss the drop off time (after 8:45 a.m.), please park in the front lot and walk your child across the designated crosswalk to the main entrance of the building. If you arrive after the drop off window and must park in the parking lot, we ask that you kindly use the crosswalk.
School Dismissal Manager
We will continue to use School Dismissal Manager this year at Scotland. Please click below for information regarding this system. This system will be available to families in late August. A welcome letter will be emailed to families when the system is available. If you have any additional questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to us!
Contact Us!
Email: jkatkocin@ridgefieldps.net
Website: https://ses.ridgefield.org/
Location: 111 Barlow Mountain Road, Ridgefield, CT, USA
Phone: 203-894-5825
Twitter: @Scotland_Elem