Audubon Updates
February 2021
Notes From the Principal
I heard a student talking at recess the other day and they were complaining about how long the month of January was and I had to laugh to myself because I felt the complete opposite - how have we already blown through the first month of the 2021 calendar? Regardless of how long January felt to you we have made it to February. Since I last touched base with you we have had some big things happen at Audubon such as returning to in-person learning, our first attempt at a "E-Learning Inclement Weather Day", asynchronous Monday's, student mid-year testing and a few others. This has all happened to us in just the past two weeks!!
As we look forward to the month of February we are getting ready to hit our stride with what we hope to be our most consistent stretch of learning since last February. As you read through this newsletter you will find information about:
- Transitioning Between In-Person and Remote
- Picture Day
- Valentines Day Celebrations
- E-Learning Day Updates
- Yearbook Photos
- Family Feedback Survey
- Many More
Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions about what you find in the messages below or need to talk about any other things. We will continue to navigate this school year in partnership and look forward to continuing to support you and your students.
Wishing you health and wellness,
Aaron Ford
Moving Between In-person and Remote
If my child is attending in-person, can I keep my child home for the day and have them just join online?
- Not necessarily. If a student needs to stay home for the day for any reason - not feeling well, family choice, doctor appointment, etc. they may be excused from school that day with a parent calling the office and letting us know why they are out.
What if my child is going to be out for multiple days, either because of illness or quarantine?
- If your child has to miss more than one day we will work to get them going online starting with day two until they are able to come back in-person.
Why cant I just have them join online?
- Students that are typically in-person and need to stay home for the day typically do not have what they need to be successful for one day online. This includes a schedule for the day, meeting links from teachers and all of the materials necessary.
If I have an extenuating circumstance that I would like to discuss further - can we talk about this?
- Absolutely. Each situation is different and there may be things that come up that are outside of your or our control. We will try to work with families the best that we can. Please call our main office to discuss this with us and we will work on what the best plan of action will be.
Towards the end of 3rd quarter we will again ask for our families to let us know what their learning preference will be for the 4th quarter of this school year. As always, if you have any questions please do not hesitate to reach out to us.
Your Voice Matters!!
All of our instructional staff, along with our 4th/5th grade students, will be taking the survey to get measure our readiness in five key areas - Effective Leaders, Collaborative Teachers, Involved Families, Supportive Environment, and Ambitious Instruction. We then use the results of this survey to make key decisions moving forward. We would love to have your voice in our results this year.
To access the survey you will follow this link:
http://survey.5-essentials.org/sd11/survey/parent/
We are looking for an many responses as we can get to the survey to ensure that all voices are heard. At a minimum we must have 20% participation from parents to get your results and compare that with staff and students. The survey is 100% anonymous so we would ask for you to give the most honest feedback as possible. If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to Mr. Ford.
Picture Retake Day is Coming - February 4
Families can start the ordering process ahead of time by visiting www.mylifetouch.com and entering the Picture Day ID: EVTS3XR98.
Class Pictures with Kindergarten and 5th Grade Promotion Picture Day - February 11
We are still working on all of the final details around class photos. When final arrangements have been made we will share that information.
Yearbook Photos
Thank you for helping contribute to our 2020-2021 yearbook.
Valentines Day Celebrations
Each class/grade level is going to celebrate differently and teachers will be sending home specifics. What we would ask from everyone is to adhere to any dates teachers share. The reason for some of the dates is to ensure proper safety procedures can be followed as determined by our school district and El Paso County health. We look forward to celebrating this year - even if it will look a little different.
Presidents Day - February 15: No School
Meal Options - Free For Children of All Ages
Update: We will have grab-and-go meals available at Audubon each Asynchronous Monday as well as our high schools.
Asynchronous Monday's
E-Learning Days for Inclement Weather
The district is reviewing their policy on what the expectations will be on e-learning days and how to balance the need for live instruction and self-guided learning (asynchronous). As we continue to learn and grow we will make sure to communicate this to our families. Let's hope that mother nature allows us to engage in our learning the rest of this year and we do not have to have more disruptions to our schedules.
Box Tops for Education
Technology Support
- Phone: 719-328-2624
- Email: robert.watson@d11.org
- Tech Support Link - Click Here
Mr. Watson is ready and willing to support in any way that he can.
Thank you to everyone. We will get through this together!
Audubon Elementary
Email: aaron.ford@d11.org
Website: www.d11.org/audubon
Location: 2400 East Van Buren Street, Colorado Springs, CO, USA
Phone: 719-328-2600
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AudubonElementary
Twitter: @Audubon_D11