Grey Cloud to Go:
The Week of February 22nd-26th
Important Dates:
- February 24th: Papa Murphy's Night from 11:00 a.m.-7:30 p.m. (See the flyer below.)
- March 2nd: Virtual PTA Meeting (See information below.)
- March 8th-15th: No School (Spring Break and Teacher Workday)
- March 18th: Virtual Conference Night #1
- March 23rd: Virtual Conference Night #2
February is "I Love to Read Month!"
I
https://www.scholastic.com/bf/greycloudelementaryschool
Items to Prepare for School:
Outdoor Clothing Bag
IPad or Chromebook
Masks
Important Specifically VLA Dates and Resources:
Clarification on the Neon Green Area in the Picture Below:
Morning Carpool:
After School Carpool:
Lane Near the School:
This lane will to blocked off. Busses and families dropping off students for our high needs special education program will be let through by our crossing guards once their pass is shown.
Carpool Procedures Video:
Thank you for making sure you are just using the front sidewalk before the neon green area pictured below for dropping students off.
Dressing for the Weather:
Picture Ordering Information:
Event Code FE70020
For questions, please call 1-877-515-1447.
Family Technology Support Phone Line 651-425-HELP (4357)
South Washington County Schools (SoWashCo) has started a new family technology support phone line at 651-425-HELP (4357). Standard phone line hours are Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. You can leave a voicemail at any time with your child’s name, the school they attend and a call back number, and someone will return your call.
A variety of technology resources are also available on our Fall 2020 website including:
PTA:
Fundraiser Planning Meetings: Tuesday, February 23rd at 3:30 p.m.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/96491017071?pwd=VFdJTkJZT0RDdjFubVBWSHYydHU4QT09
Meeting ID: 964 9101 7071
Passcode: BfB5WZ
Joining the PTA: Would you like to sign up to be a PTA MEMBER? Here is how to sign up!
1. LOGIN in to https://gcepta.membershiptoolkit.com (If you haven't created an account, you will have to at this time.)
2. Click on MY ACCOUNT
3. Click PTA MEMBERSHIP
4. Select how many memberships you would like to purchase, click ADD TO CART
5. At top of page, click ITEM IN CART
6. Click PAY OFFLINE LATER
7. Confirm order and click PLACE ORDER (You should receive a confirmation email.)
8. Send a check made payable to GREY CLOUD PTA for amount due into the school office. 9525 Indian Blvd. S, Cottage Grove, MN 55016
9. YOU ARE NOW AN OFFICIAL PTA MEMBER! THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
Thank you again. Please have your dues into the office and signed up on https://gcepta.membershiptoolkit.com by November 24th.
Yearbook Pictures:
Do you have some awesome pictures of your students from Grey Cloud doing school like activities you would like us to consider to be added into the YEARBOOK? Please share them with us as noted below:
1. Go to this website: https://images.jostens.com/415474174
2. Click CHOOSE FILE
3. Choose all photos you would like to share.
4. Fill out information. In the description, please note if these are VLA students and who their teacher is.
5. Click UPLOAD CHOSEN IMAGES
Thank you for your submissions! Our yearbook will be a bit different this year and it is VERY helpful to have these photos.
Box Tops:
PTA wanted to send out a reminder about Box Top fundraising. It’s easier than ever with the new app! Watch this 2 minute video to learn how. We appreciate your efforts and contributions!
https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/09CmCXDX3NuOnP7Vs6DzRG?domain=youtu.be
Attendance:
- Daily participation is required on all In Person and Distance Learning Days.
- If your child is unable to participate because of an excused reason such as illness or a funeral, please contact the school’s attendance office so that the absence can be excused and participation requirements may be adjusted.
- Grey Cloud's attendance line number is: (651)-425-4206
New Family Directory Sponsored By PTA:
This has been a crazy time to say the least! Our children are missing their friends and as families you are in need of some social interaction! We as a PTA are here to help! We have created a new website through the PTA where you can access a secure directory of other Grey Cloud families who have signed up to share their info. Here is how to sign up:
Our NEW WEBSITE is up and running! Visit gcepta.membershiptoolkit.com to see everything the PTA has to offer. On our NEW site, you can see upcoming calendar events, buy memberships, sign up to volunteer and be a part of our schooldirectory and much, much more.
Here's what you need to do:
- Go to gcepta.membershiptoolkit.com
- Click on the Log In button or the Registration button.
- If you already have an account with another organization that uses Membership Toolkit you can use the same email and password to login. You can then proceed to the numbered steps below.
- Select "Create Account" and fill in the name, email, and password information.
- Click "verify my email" and then check your email for a link to complete the process. The link expires in 2 hours. If you do not receive the email, check your spam or junk folders.
- Once you have verified your email address, log back in and finish the registration process.
Once your account has been created:
- Complete the Parent/Family and Student Information forms.
- Complete the Directory/Publish Preferences.
- When you have completed the forms you will be able to access the whole site accept the directory.
- You will need to be approved by the school to have access to our directory, this should take about 24-48 hours. (It may take longer at first with the entire school choosing enrolling.)
We are excited to share this site with you and hope you can use it during this time to keep in contact with other parents and your child’s friends!
We hope everyone is doing well!
Your Grey Cloud PTA
Grey Cloud Policies and Procedures:
A. Reminders about Checking Students Out:
1. Identification: To maintain student safety, please make sure that anyone checking your child out of the office has his or her identification such as a driver’s license and is listed as an emergency contact in Infinite Campus, our student information system. As we know students and families better, we will not need to repeatedly ask the same people for identification. Thank you for understanding the balance of being welcoming and maintaining safety! http://www.sowashco.org/services/student-information/parent-portal-information
2. Emergency Contacts: Please be certain that you update your emergency contacts in Infinite Campus. We are not able to release your child to anyone who is not on that list or you have not provided permission in writing. We cannot accept verbal permission for a student to go home with anyone who is not listed in Infinite Campus. To update you information, you can access Parent Portal using this link. Click here.
B. Students and Cell Phones/Smart Watches/ Personal Technology:
Students are not allowed to have cell phones or Smart Watches on or out during the school day at Grey Cloud. Once students arrive at school, cell phones and Smart Watches should be off and in backpacks. Cell phones and Smart Watches may be used once students are dismissed at 3:10 PM unless they are attending Kids Club. When possible, we encourage students to keep cell phones and Smart Watches at home as lockers are unlocked. In the event of an emergency or needing to get in touch with parents or guardians, students may use school phones.
C. Indoor Recess Guidelines:
Just a reminder, students do go out for recess on cold days. We will have indoor recess when the actual temperature is below zero degrees or if the wind chill is less than -10 degrees Fahrenheit. Hats, mittens or gloves and a warm coat are definitely "musts" on these cold days.
D. Carpool: Grey Cloud is a busy place before and after school! For safety and efficiency, we have created and maintained a number of procedures and supports. Please take the time to view this brief video and/or share it with anyone who will be providing your child with a ride to or from school. Video Link. Please note that during COVID students are distanced and come out of different doors.
E. Celebrate Student Birthdays with Non-Edible Birthday Treats: In the past, it has been a common practice to provide treats for the class in honor of a child’s birthday; however, we are asking that NO EDIBLE TREATS be sent in to celebrate birthdays. We will make your child’s birthday special in the classroom without edible treats. If you would like to send a little something to honor their day please consider an alternative birthday treat such as pencils, book or game donated to the classroom. We ask that no edible treats be sent in due to varying allergy conditions and other issues related to edible treats in the classroom and to better align to the wellness policies.
F. Holidays: At school we acknowledge and teach about holidays. We have moved away from celebrating holidays at school to allow all students to feel welcomed and included in our celebrations. We to have special events and parties for rewards and community building.
Thank you for your help with following this new practices promoting safety and wellness!
G. Informational Videos about In Person at Grey Cloud:
Full Length In Person Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDaBT-4Gu4Y&feature=youtu.be and Brief Overview Video: https://youtu.be/Iv9eiDiXUD8
H. Quarantining:
- Classes: If there is a positive COVID-19 case in the student's bubble or homeroom, it is very likely the entire bubble or class will be put into quarantine since distance is no longer at the same level with twice the students. To avoid this, please keep children home when they are ill.
- Schedule: If a class is put into quarantine, we are hopeful that we will automatically resume the current morning distance learning schedule for all school days in the prescribed quarantine.
- Virtual Time #1: 9:00 a.m.
- Virtual Read Aloud: 10:30 a.m.
- Virtual Time #2: 11:00 a.m.
Thank you for all you do to support Grey Cloud!