The Groves Grapevine
Building the future, one student at a time! 8/08/20
A Note from Mrs. Hudgins
Remember to visit our Back to School website which houses important information for all of WISD. We look forward to serving you and your student this year. Updates are made regularly, and I have tried to include the most relevant information in this newsletter.
Meet the Teacher - August 11th and 12th
Our traditional Back to School Meet the Teacher Bash has been cancelled for this year. Instead, our teachers will begin sending out sign-up lists to the families in their classroom. This will provide you with a 10 minute, individual time with the teacher so your child can see their classroom, find their seat, drop off any school supplies, and of course meet the teacher. Adults will need to wear masks while in attendance. Please complete this health screening form before attending our live Meet the Teacher.
Remote classes will also receive appointments with their classroom teachers by Google Meet. All appointments will be scheduled for August 11th and 12th.
Chromebook and Supply Pickup for Remote Learners
If you are unable to come during these times, please let us know! We will do what we can to work with your schedule.
Registration Information for 2020-21
Every year, we ask parents to complete registration paperwork. This forms are online and can be accessed through your Skyward account. Registration is different from enrollment. If you are new to the district, you enroll your child in school and THEN we will ask you to fill out the registration papers. These forms are now available and can be accessed through this link:
School Supply Lists
If you ordered school supplies through our Groves PTA, those supplies will be delivered to your child's classroom for on-campus learners, and will be available for pick up during Chromebook distribution for remote learners.
Campus Safety Protocols
CLASSROOM
Each classroom will be partnered with another classroom so teachers can design academic interventions and help support students learning in the best way possible. These will be known as "cohorts" and will attend recess, cafeteria, and PE together. This will promote the essential socialization on-campus learning provides to our students with kids they will naturally interact with while also preventing contact with the entire grade level.
Hand-sanitizing breaks will be practiced throughout the day. Classrooms will be cleaned thoroughly each day. Teachers will wear masks and face shields during the day.
RECESS ZONES
Cohort classes will be assigned recess zones to play while outside. Zones will rotate each day for students. Hand sanitizing practices will be in place before and after recess.
CAFETERIA
Students will come to the cafeteria with their cohort classroom to eat lunch. Social distancing will be implemented in lines and at the tables. General cleaning enhancements have been made in the lines as well as at the tables. Student ID numbers will be scanned to provide touchless lunch purchases. No visitors are allowed in the building.
ASSEMBLIES
All assemblies will be held virtually until further notice. Please stay connected with our community at Groves through Facebook.
No Visitors on Campus
To help maintain social distancing, no visitors will be allowed on campuses until further notice in the 2020-21 school year. This includes the first day of school. Please be sure to alert your child to this change so they are aware that they will walk into the building and teacher's classroom on their own. Parents will need to be masked if you walk your student to the building doors. Please try to maintain social distancing from other families.
Arrival and Dismissal Procedures
ARRIVAL
Doors will continue to open at 7:00 am. Breakfast will be served in the cafeteria where students will be socially distanced from one another. Students not eating breakfast will be socially distanced in the gym and alternate spaces as those areas fill up. We encourage families to send their students with personal books to read during this time. At 7:15, students will be escorted to their classrooms. School begins promptly at 7:30 am.
No visitors will be allowed into the building. If you park in the parking lot, please walk your child to the crosswalk and allow them to walk to the building alone to minimize the number of parents at the front doors of the building.
For parents who walk their child to school, please stop at the lightpost in front of the bike racks and allow your children to walk to the building alone to minimize the number of parents at the front doors of the building.
Parents coming to the Southfork gate will allow children to walk to the building alone to minimize the number of parents at the doors of the building.
DISMISSAL
To support social distancing within the school halls, we will begin a staggered dismissal. Walkers/bike riders/daycare/bus will be dismissed at 2:35. If parents would like to walk home with their child, please meet them at the crossing guard cottage or across the street at the crosswalk.
Carpool students will be dismissed at 2:40 and sit with their classroom cohort inside the cafeteria. Please post your yellow car tag sign (provided on the first day of school) and remain in your car as we bring your student to you. Any walk-up parents may wait in the designated location beside the Little Library. Teachers will bring your student to you when we see your yellow car tag sign.
All students will remain in the building each day at dismissal to maintain social distancing standards.
INDOOR DISMISSAL
In the case of rain, extreme heat, or extreme cold, we will socially distance student cohorts inside the cafeteria. No visitors will be allowed to enter the building, so we will call students out to meet parents in their cars.
Carpool Pattern
The busiest times are from 7:10-7:30. All instruction begins at 7:30 am so any students coming to the classroom after 7:30 am are counted as tardy. Please plan for travel time and carpool waiting time.
Due to lower numbers of students using the carpool lanes at dismissal, we use the inside lane only during this time.
Masks
Remote Learning
Chromebook distribution details will be shared next week. Please continue to check in Skyward for more information.
Curbside Meal Pickup Service for Remote Learners
Remote learning students who need to purchase lunches may pick up the lunches in the back carpool lane of Groves. Cafeteria personnel will enter the student ID to complete the purchase. Students will receive the hot entrée noted on the same menu as on-campus learners, along with the fruit and veggie for the day. Students will be provided a choice of is white or chocolate milk,
Students who would like to purchase breakfast for the following day will do so at the same time.
A note from Nurse Ashley
Hey Groves Gators!
I wanted to let you know a few things about our school clinic. Immunizations requirements are still in effect, this is for both remote and on campus learners. We will continue to accept medications to be administered in school. Please complete a medication administration form and bring the medication to the clinic for storage (wylieisd.net/health services). Medication may be dropped off during Meet the Teacher conference times and Chromebook/Supply pickup times on August 11th and 12th.
As part of safety precautions we are asking that you provide an inhaler, instead of nebulizer treatment if your child has asthma. Nebulizer treatments will only be able to be given with an asthma action plan and a note from your physician stating it is medically necessary for your child to have nebulizer treatments during the school day. If your child will be carrying their inhaler or epi-pen, please submit your physician note for permission. Our campus will take extra precautions this year when it comes to clinic visits. All students who are needing a medication or routine daily care will be attended to in in the “Well” clinic, to reduce contact with any ill students.
I am going to serve as your point of contact for COVID related issues including reporting illnesses and possible exposures. When a student is ill at school, the teacher will notify the nurse for the need for a clinic visit. The students who are sick will be seen by the nurse in a separate “Sick” clinic. When a student has potential COVID symptoms, they will be kept isolated as they wait to be picked up. If your student is experiencing symptoms at home, please complete the health survey or notify me. I will contact you to work out a return to school activities date.
See you soon!
Nurse Ashley
Other important notes from the clinic
Birthday Treats
No birthday treats or materials will be allowed on campus at this time.
Lunches
Any lunches brought to campus must be labeled with the student's name and teacher's name. Lunches will be left in a basket in the foyer as no visitors are allowed on campus. Students will be called to the office to pick up the lunch in the basket.
Upcoming Events
August
11-12 Meet the Teacher scheduled visits/school supply pick-up
13 First day of school for on-campus and remote learners
September
7 Labor Day holiday (no remote or on-campus instruction)
Our Groves mission statement -
#gatorvision
Groves Guarantees
- We believe success is no accident; each of us can succeed.
- We believe we are positive role models that have an excitement for learning.
- We believe every person at Groves should know they are loved, appreciated, safe, and cared for.
- We believe in the grace of each day being a new day.
- We believe in taking the time to respect and celebrate each other's differences.
Groves Elementary Administrative Team
Leslie Coble, Assistant Principal leslie.coble@wylieisd.net 972-429-3466
Christie White, Counselor christie.white@wylieisd.net 972-429-3469