Falcon Flyer
Volume 25 Issue 10
Principal's Nest
Finley Farms Community,
This week marks the first day with all students on campus for in-person learning starting on Monday, September 21st. All GPS families received the following communication on September 15th in relation to our transition to full-time school on campus:
Our Governing Board and district leadership continue to monitor the health benchmark data provided by the Arizona Department of Health and Maricopa County Health. This data is updated weekly and the next update will be available Thursday, September 17th.
On Monday, September 21st, we will transition to full-time in person for all those students who selected on-campus instruction. All safety mitigation strategies will continue and wearing face coverings will remain a requirement. After looking at the metrics provided by the Arizona Department of Health for Maricopa County, and given the fluid nature of the metrics, we believe it is reasonable to make this transition. In spite of the slight uptick of the local metrics provided by Maricopa County Health, the Arizona Department of Health data for all of Maricopa County has informed this decision process. Please be assured if there is a significant change in the data, we are prepared to return to Hybrid or On-Line learning if necessary. If that occurs, all students, families, and staff will be notified as soon as possible.
As a district, we welcomed students back to our campuses Tuesday, September 8th, and we are now in our second week of a Hybrid learning model. At this time, we would like to thank all of our students, staff, and families for following the extensive mitigation strategies we have on our campuses, and for taking actions to keep each other as safe as possible during these times. These mitigation strategies are challenging and significant and we will continue to work with our students and staff to maintain our enhanced sanitization standards and health protocols.
These continue to be unprecedented times, and our district is committed to doing everything possible to deliver exceptional learning opportunities for all of our students while making decisions that prioritize the health and safety of our students, families, and staff. Any updates will be posted on our website at www.gilbertschools.net/families.
As Finley Farms Elementary prepares to fully reopen our campus, it is imperative we continue to partner together in order to best meet the needs of students while keeping health and safety of all students and staff at the Farm as our number one priority. Due to the uniqueness of this school year, our staff is treating this week as "beginning of school year 3.0" as we recognize the importance of developing a strong foundation to our campus and classroom communities now that we are engaging in full-time on campus learning after previously working through Online and Hybrid learning models. This week our teachers will dedicate time to facilitating lessons on health and safety mitigation strategies implemented throughout campus along with reiterating RISE expectations with the full class rosters on campus. Additionally, students will continue to be engaged with academic lessons and activities in alignment with current curriculum pacing over the next two weeks as we finish the 1st quarter of the school year.
With the return to full-time in person we need family support as we collect the Chromebook devices that have been issued to students to support online learning. We kindly ask families to send in Chromebooks and chargers with their student(s) as teachers will be collecting the devices to then be stored on campus and utilized in classrooms. Should there be a need to transition back to Hybrid or Online learning based on health and safety circumstances we will again partner with families to ensure necessary resources are available for our students to be successful.
Please continue reading through each section of this Falcon Flyer for pertinent information as we partner together to support our students. All families are also encouraged to click the "Mr. Bassett's YouTube Channel" button to review and subscribe to our YouTube Channel as the daily school announcements provide updates and information for the school community.
Sincerely,
Keegan Bassett
Principal
Finley Farms Elementary
Week of September 21-25
- All students return the campus for in-person learning
- Wear Yellow for Kinder Color Week
- Students return Chromebook devices
Tuesday 9/22
- GPS Governing Board Mtg. @ 6pm
Wednesday 9/23
- Early Release Dismissal @ 1:55pm
Thursday 9/24
- Full day of school (previously scheduled Parent-Teacher Conferences have been postponed)
Friday 9/25
- Falcon Gear Spirit Day
- Full day of school (previously scheduled Parent-Teacher Conferences have been postponed)
Due to COVID-19 School Closures to begin our school year, the GPS School Calendar has been modified. Updated GPS School Calendar 2020-2021
Spirit Day - Pajama Day Wednesday, September 30th
Annual Update
It is extremely important that your student's contact information is up-to-date in Infinite Campus to ensure that the district and our school can reach you by email and telephone. If you have not done so already, please log in to the parent portal for Infinite Campus and complete this year's Annual Update.
Health Office Protocols - Please watch the video to learn how we handle students showing symptoms related to COVID-19
Daily Student Health Assessment
Forgot your face covering?
Mark your calendars for October 15th - Panda Express Restaurant Night!
Arrival & Departure Procedures
Thank you for following our arrival and departure procedures each morning and afternoon. With the full reopening of school with all students reporting to campus, families are encouraged to wait until our dismissal bell at 2:55pm to arrive for the parent loop pick-up in order to avoid waiting in vehicles for extended time. We are using a staggered release for our grade levels and our loading process typically begins right at 2:55pm. As a reminder, students will enter the campus through playground gates and report directly to the classroom or cafeteria for breakfast.
We will have staff presence at all entry points and stationed throughout campus to assist students with transitioning into the building and exiting at the end of the school day. Below you will find information pertaining to arrival and departure procedures. We kindly ask all families to follow the outlined directions to help ensure student safety and steady flow of traffic.
Three Types of Arrival & Departure
Bus - Students riding the bus will be dropped off and picked up at the Bus Lane as indicated on the map below. Staff will be present to assist with the unloading and loading of students before and after school.
Walk/Bike/Parent Parking - Students arriving and departing campus via neighborhood walking/biking OR a family member parking and walking to campus will enter/exit through one of the gate openings as indicated by the 😊 indicators on the map pictured below. It is common for families to meet students by the flag pole at the front of campus for after school pick-up.
Parent Loop - Students arriving and departing via parent/guardian remaining in the vehicle will utilize the Parent Loop on the south end of campus as indicated on the map below. At arrival students will exit the vehicle with assistance from a staff member and be directed to an open gate to then head towards the building entrance. At departure students will be escorted to the south portion of our field and supervised by staff until it is their turn to be loaded into their vehicle pulling through the Parent Loop.
Please take time to review the maps and further guidance on how our Parent Loop operates.
😊= Campus entry point
Parent Loop Guidance
Families are encouraged to wait until our dismissal bell at 2:55pm (1:55pm on Wednesdays) before arriving to campus as the loop starts flowing once all students our out by the gates.
The Drop-Off & Pick-Up location will require vehicles to enter on the east end of the loop.
You are strongly encouraged to plan your route to enter the loop as a right hand turn coming from the east on Mesquite St. to assist with smooth traffic flow.
Families will be provided bright yellow signage to indicate student(s) & grade level being picked up to assist.
The loop will operate as two lanes- the right lane (closest to the playground) will be designated for Drop-Off & Pick-Up only while the left outer lane will be designated as thru-traffic only.
Staff members will be present to facilitate loading/unloading students before and after school.
Healthy & Safety Protocols
Drinking fountains will be turned off throughout the school. Each student should bring a water bottle with their name on the water bottle. Water bottles can be filled up using our water bottle filling stations or classroom sinks or if in a portable with the bottled water. Cups will also be available for students who forget to bring a water bottle. Students can arrive on campus as early as 7:45am and will proceed directly to their teacher’s classroom or to the multipurpose room if they eat breakfast at school. Staff will be on hand to help students, especially our youngest Falcons as they find their way to the classroom as parents will not be permitted into the school. Parents needing to visit the office or any school area will need to wear a face-covering and adhere to physical distancing in the front office and other areas as much as possible. Lunch schedules have been altered to ensure reduced capacity in the cafeteria. Hand-washing instructions and reminders about wearing masks are posted around campus. Hand sanitizer will also be available in other areas throughout the school including the office. Teachers will have hand sanitizer accessible in each classroom as well as cleaning supplies that may be utilized throughout the day between classes as well as after recess or any other transition times. As always, teachers and staff will review school and classroom routines and procedures. This will include walking in hallways, recognizing personal space, etc. Hallways will have clear markings on where students should be walking. Classroom seating will be forward-facing in rows as much as possible with assigned seating.
Lunch at the Farm
Stairways
Hallways
Face Coverings
GPS Transportation
VIK
GPS Food Services
Nutrition Services
Nutrition services will provide free or reduced-price meals to eligible students beginning August 5th. This service will be available at all GPS campuses, between the hours of 8:00am - 10:30am. GPS Global Academy, Gilbert Classical Academy, and Neely Traditional Academy students can access this service at their neighborhood school. See the Food Services Flyer for more information.
You may apply for free or reduced meal benefits for your student(s) by going online to http://www.schoollunchapp.com/ or by filling out the enclosed application and returning it to your child's school cafeteria manager. It is not necessary to fill out a separate application for each child. Please include all household members and information on one application.
Approved applications bring additional dollars to the District in the form of grant money. Dollars that come from the State and Federal Government for prevention programs, parent training and extra help for students with reading and math and other assistance is often based on the number of students that qualify for free and reduced meal benefits.
It is important that all parents who qualify, according the USDA Income Guideline, apply for benefits. The higher our count for student's qualifying for meal benefits, the more dollar's will be generated for student and parent programs within our District. All information provided will be kept confidential.
Finley Farms Platforms
Finley Farms Elementary
Email: finleyfarmsinfo@gilbertschools.net
Website: http://gilbertfinley.ss11.sharpschool.com/
Location: Finley Farms Elementary School, South Columbus Drive, Gilbert, AZ, USA
Phone: 480-507-1624
Facebook: facebook.com/FinleyFarmsFalcons/
Twitter: @FinleyFalcons