Klem South Penguin Press
January 2020
Welcome to 2021! I think it is safe to say that 2020 brought about its challenges and for many, we are eager to usher in the hope and good tidings of a fresh new year. Through struggle, we often learn life's most important lessons and the education field will forever be changed by what we have learned this past year.
Things are hardly back to normal in our schools and we know that. We have adjusted to a very unique schedule and new rules in our classrooms. Our children have proven to be adaptable warriors. As parents, you have had to make the most sacrifices and changes to support your children with our new schedule and for that we are extremely grateful. It will not be like this forever.
As we face the dead of winter, we encourage our whole school community to be vigilant to safe and healthy practices. We will continue to prioritize cleaning, distancing and mask wearing at Klem South. We ask that you continue to follow the district's procedures for COVID by completing the daily health screener and reporting absences to school in a timely manner. Further information can be found within this newsletter.
We are in this together and we thank you for your partnership. May 2021 bring the best of days for you and your family.
Sincerely,
Martha End
Principal
Upcoming Dates
**Important Change- The Kindergarten Parent Night scheduled for January 25th has been cancelled. A video will be shared with incoming kindergarten families.
Tuesday, January 19th- F.I.R.E. Meeting (6:30-8:00) A link to a Google Meet will be shared soon.
Tuesday, January 26th- KS PTSA Meeting (6:30-7:30)
Use this link: https://meet.google.com/xit-bvaq-irh?hs=122&authuser=0
Friday, January 29th- School is closed for a Superintendent's Conference Day
February 15th - February 19th- School is closed for February Break
Monday, February 22nd- KS PTSA Meeting (6:30-7:30)
Tuesday, February 23rd- F.I.R.E. Meeting (6:30-8:00)
Special Swap- Art and Music
Elementary Art & General Music teachers have been diligently working with Grades K-5 over Google Meet this year. I have personally sat in on a few sessions to enjoy seeing the faces of our Fine Arts students participating in activities we would usually have in our classrooms. We have been doing our best to bring some authentic music and art experiences to their 'at home' part of the day. All students have now had one Art and one Music rotation thus far.
Beginning on Monday, January 4th, students will be switching their Fine Arts offering back to the first rotation of grade levels. These will be ALL NEW learning experiences for our students.
K-2 will visit again with their ART teacher online during live Google Meet sessions.
3-5 will visit again with their MUSIC teacher online during live Google Meet sessions.
Codes were shared with grade level classroom teachers to access the Art or Music pages through SeeSaw (K-2) or Google Classroom (3-5). The links to the live sessions will be available on those platforms. The portals used for the first round of learning should still work to allow students into class. If your child needs the Art or Music code, please coordinate with your classroom teacher.
If your child has not been able to participate up to this point, please take this change opportunity as a fresh start at the beginning. We would love to have all our One Webster artists and musicians online with us.
Again, on Monday, January 4th, Art and Music switch grades.
K-2 will be in ART.
3-5 will be in MUSIC.
Thank you for your support,
Michael Roller
Director of Fine Arts
Reminders from the Klem South PTSA
We have another great school-wide event for winter! Join us for a Winter Read-A-Thon! Details are linked here: Klem South Winter Read-A-Thon. For hybrid students, this flyer will go home this week!
The next Klem South PTSA meeting will be Tuesday, January 26th from 6:30-7:30. Please use this Google Meet Invitation to join: https://meet.google.com/xit-bvaq-irh?hs=122&authuser=0
Planning ahead? Here are the dates for our meetings for the remainder of the school year:
Tuesday January 26th
Monday February 22nd
Tuesday March 23rd
Monday April 19th
Tuesday May 18th
Tuesday June 8th
Important Information from the Health Office
Please call (585) 217-4136 if you have any questions about sending your student into school. If you mark YES to ANY question on the health screen, your child SHOULD NOT come to school that day.
Thank you for doing the daily health check in on the PIK MY KID app. If your child will be absent, please mark them absent on the PIK my Kid app. Please email your child's teacher if your child will be out of school for an extended time.
As per the Department of Health, if a student has symptoms of COVID-19 that are new and not usual for them, they are required by the Department of Health to be evaluated by a healthcare provider within 48 hours. These symptoms include:
Fever (greater than 100.00)
Chills, Shivers
Shortness of breath, Cough
Body or muscle aches, fatigue
Headache
Sore Throat, Nasal Congestion, runny nose
New Loss of Taste or Smell
Nausea or vomiting
Diarrhea or frequent bathroom use
Please call your child’s healthcare provider and share your child's symptoms. In order to return to school, your child must remain fever-free (<100℉) for at least 24 hours without fever-reducing medication and exhibit significant improvement of symptoms. You must also provide the school nurse with written medical clearance prior to returning to school as follows:
If the healthcare provider determines these symptoms are due to an alternate diagnosis and COVID-19 is not suspected, provide the nurse with a note signed by the healthcare provider explaining the alternate diagnosis.
If the healthcare provider recommends COVID-19 testing, your child must stay out of school and remain in isolation until the test result is back. If the test result is negative, provide the nurse with a copy of the negative lab report or a note from the healthcare provider indicating the test was negative.
If you choose not to have your child evaluated by a healthcare provider or if you refuse COVID-19 testing recommended by the healthcare provider, the nurse will refer your contact information to the Department of Health, who will direct your child’s return to school.
If your child tests positive for COVID-19, please notify us immediately. Your child's return to school will be directed by the Health Department.
Thank you for everything you are doing to keep our kids healthy and safe.
Tracy Cole, RN
P: (585) 217-4136
F: (585) 217-4754
Some Tips from our Mental Health Team
As we approach colder weather and anticipate that families will have less outside time, be planful as you continue to support your family's emotional health. Dr. Harold Koplewicz, president and medical director of the Child Mind Institute recommends:
-develop a social life with your kids - "positive interactions at home have a positive impact on kid's mental health"
-stay active - even stopping 3 times a day to do 10 jumping jacks can make a difference
-practice gratitude and focusing on the present - perhaps asking each family member to identify what they are thankful for each night at dinner.
-restrict and monitor screen time - breaking it up into short increments throughout the day .
THANK YOU to Janice Allocco who organizes these reading sessions!
From the Board of Education January 2021
Census Helps District Plan for Future Students
If you have children residing in your household who are birth to 5 years old, please complete the brief ONLINE CENSUS that will be used to help forecast student enrollment.
Don't wait! This census will close January 10, 2021. If you do not have access to a computer, you may participate by calling Student Registration at 216-0029.
Please share this information with your friends and neighbors with small children.
Families Reminded of Emergency Remote Day Procedure
At any time this school year, Webster CSD may need to pivot to 100% remote learning for ALL Webster students. This may be due to an increased infection rate, a staffing shortage, inclement weather (what used to be snow days!), or a closure called by the Monroe County Department of Public Health. (Because of this, all students and staff are asked to take their tech devices home daily.)
These Emergency Remote Days will be announced in the same way a snow day would have been announced: district website, www.websterschools.org; social media platforms, Facebook @WebsterCentralSchools and Twitter @WCSDProud/@superwebstercsd; and IC Messenger, the district's online messaging system that has the ability to send emails, phone calls, and texts to students, families, and staff. Local media will also be contacted.
The decision to have an Emergency Remote Day will usually be made by 6:00 a.m. and every attempt is made to announce afternoon and evening cancellations by 2:30 p.m.
Pages 10-12 of the Return to School handbook on the district's reopening website outlines in detail what families can expect during an Emergency Remote Day or an extended period of those days. Parents/guardians are asked to please reach out to their child(ren)'s school principal if they have questions.
About us
Email: martha_end@webstercsd.org
Website: https://www.websterschools.org/klemSouth
Location: 1025 Klem Road, Webster, NY, USA
Twitter: @klemsouth