February 15, 2021 Principal Message
Jeffreys Grove Magnet Elementary
PREPARING FOR IN-PERSON LEARNING IN PLAN B
Dear Jeffreys Grove Families,
We hope you’ve had a great weekend and are enjoying Presidents' Day! Below you’ll find pertinent information and reminders for the upcoming week.
Calendar
- February 16 - teacher workday - no school for students
- February 17-19 - 4th and 5th grade Cohort 2, and PreK-3 return in-person
- February 24 - remote learning day - asynchronous school day (no live)
- March 10 - remote learning day - asynchronous school day (no live)
- March 11 - remote learning day - asynchronous school day (no live)
- March 12 - teacher workday - no school for students
- March 29 - Spring Break begins
Return to In-Person Instruction
We are eagerly anticipating the in-person return of our students on Wednesday, February 17th. This return is only for students not currently enrolled in the Virtual Academy. If your students are in grades Pre-K – 3 or in a Special Education Regional Programs class (Pre-K or EBS), they will come daily. Students in grades 4/5 will come in three-week cohort rotations.
Cohort 2 will return in-person on February 17th.
If you have student(s) returning to in-person instruction on Wednesday, February 17th, please read the reminders below:
· Please read and review the district’s Student Accountability and Required Health Protocols information and sign the acknowledgement form. Return this form with your student when they come to school. This only applies to students that have not already been in the building in the first semester.
· All visitors/students must wear a mask on our campus. If your child forgets a mask, we will provide a disposable mask for them at the front door.
· All parents will drop students off outside the main entrance door. Parents are not permitted to enter the building for any reason. If you have business to conduct at the school, please let the person at the front door know and they’ll get a staff member to come outside to assist you.
· Carpool patterns remain the same as in previous years.
· Students riding carpool in the morning need to remain in their car until they’re screened by a staff member. Be patient, this process may take longer than usual. Please open your car windows and turn off your heater to avoid repeated screenings.
· Walkers will stand by the flagpole and wait to be screened.
· If your student is a bus rider, please make sure to read and fill out the Bus Attestation form and return it electronically or print and sign a copy to give to your child to bring to school.
· When you return via carpool to pick your child up in the afternoon, please know it will take longer for them to get outside because they must dismiss from their classroom.
Student Accountability and Required Health Protocols
Earlier in the school year, the district sent the Student Accountability and Required Health Protocols information. Please ensure you’ve read this information and reviewed it with your child. Additionally, please sign the acknowledgement page and return it to school with your child.
Carpool Reminders
When you arrive for morning carpool, you will be greeted by an adult that will conduct a health screening for your student(s). Students MUST remain in the car for this and parents must stay until it is completed. Thank you for your patience, as we know this will require additional time.
Parents cannot exit the vehicle in the carpool loop for any reason. It is not safe for adults to be outside of the car and it can hold up the carpool process. In the morning, parents should remain in the car and unbuckle any child safety seat straps that may prevent their child from exiting the vehicle.
Students need to exit the car onto the sidewalk, not in the middle of the carpool loop.
Lastly, please be conscientious of your speed in the parking lot.
Daily Health Screenings
As you know, daily health screenings are conducted for all students prior to entry into the building. These are mandated by NCDHHS and WCPSS. To gain entry to the building, students must pass a temperature check and symptom screening. When staff conduct temperature checks, they are checking to see that each students’ temperature is below 100.4 degrees. If your child’s temperature is 100.4 degrees or higher, you will be asked to pull up to a wait zone spot so that the temperature can be re-checked in 5 minutes. When the temperature is rechecked, if it’s below 100.4, it’ll be taken again in another 5 minutes and if it remains lower than 100.4, they can enter the building. However, if the temperature remains at 100.4 degrees or above on the second screening, students must leave the campus immediately. If you have multiple students in the car, all students must return home.
A student that cannot pass the health screening cannot return to school until one of the following is met:
· Negative PCR/Molecular COVID Test
· Doctor’s visit with an alternative diagnosis
· It’s been at least 10 days since the original symptom emerged and the child has been fever free for 24 hours (without fever-reducing medication), the symptoms have improved and the student has felt well for at least 24 hours.
I know this is new and a lot to remember. So, if your child cannot pass the daily health screening, you will be provided with a sheet of paper giving guidance on next steps. This includes the information listed above as well as information regarding how long they’ll need to remain at home.
If your child(ren) must go home due to failing the health screening, you will have the option to engage in remote learning with a Virtual Academy classroom so that your child does not miss instruction.
I know this will be frustrating for some families, but we must follow all health policies and guidance provided. Our goal is always to keep everyone safe and because of that, we cannot break protocol.
If you have concerns regarding this, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me directly.
Student Illness
As a reminder, students experiencing ANY symptoms of illness cannot attend school. For your convenience, I’ve listed such symptoms below. I recognize that this list is long and that in the past we have not sent students home for some of these symptoms. However, our current guidance tells us that students cannot be in school with any symptoms of illness. Additionally, you will need to follow all district health guidance regarding how long your child will stay out of school.
Symptoms of an illness include:
· Fever of 100.4 degrees or higher
· New cough (unrelated to allergies)
· New shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
· New loss of taste or smell
· Rash
· Runny nose
· Sore throat
· Headache
· Nausea or Vomiting
· Diarrhea
Student Absences Due to Illness, Exposure, or Positive COVID-19 Diagnosis
If your child stays home due to symptoms of an illness, COVID-19 exposure, or COVID-19 diagnosis, please reach out to the teacher via Talking Points or email to let them know.
Teachers and other school staff may reach out to you to ask questions regarding your child’s illness. This is to ensure we have all the information we need to make an accurate assessment of when they can return. If you have multiple children in WCPSS and one has symptoms of illness, has been exposed, or has tested positive for COVID‑19, all children must stay home.
Please refer to the district’s Return to Campus Guide and the Student Accountability and Required Health Protocols for more guidance on this topic.
Accessing Instruction While Absent
If your child must quarantine due to having a symptom of illness, exposure or a positive COVID diagnosis, we will temporarily place them in a Virtual Academy classroom so that they can access their work. They are only expected to access their work if they are feeling well enough to do so! If they are ill and cannot complete their work, please let the teacher know and they will work to allow them to make it up upon their return.
When to Stay Home and When you Can Return
Students and all household members that are also students or staff of WCPSS must stay home if someone in their household is sick or experiencing any symptom of illness. The amount of time to stay home is dependent on the illness and/or symptoms. Please read this guidance for further information including when and why your child may have to be out of school for up to 24 days!
Retention Letters
WCPSS Board Policy 3420 requires schools to notify parents by the middle of the third quarter if their child is at risk of retention due to not making sufficient adequate progress toward grade level benchmarks. These letters will be mailed and emailed by your child’s teacher next week. If you receive a letter it will either be because your child has not been engaging in live sessions, they haven’t been turning in work, or they are not demonstrating proficiency on grade level benchmarks.
We recognize that due to the nature of the pandemic, this year has been incredibly difficult, and these letters may increase stress and anxiety levels for our families and students. That is not the intention, however, we must notify parents of their child’s academic performance. If you receive this letter, it should not be the first time you’re hearing of your child’s struggles. Additionally, if you receive a letter, it does not mean that your child will be retained. There are many factors that go into the decision to retain a student and these factors will be considered by the school retention committee prior to deciding. If you have questions or concerns regarding receipt of the letter, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your child’s teacher.
Valentines
Given that students will not be in school for Valentines Day this year, we are not permitting students to bring valentines and hand them out to classmates.
Important: Complete a Meal Benefits Application by February 26, 2021
Parents, please consider applying for meal benefits by Feb 26. For every student that turns in the free and reduced lunch application and qualifies, the school receives federal funds that benefit the student and teachers at the school. These funds provide additional teachers and staff for the school which means more services for students, especially students that are struggling in reading or math. These funds also are used for materials and supplies for students and teachers. These are valuable resources that teachers can use to improve student achievement.
Yes, meals will still be free for all students through June 2021 but we still need you to complete a meal benefits application so our school can be eligible for this extra funding next year. Information about applying for Meal Benefits for the 2021-22 school year can be found at www.wcpss.net/Page/1849 . Help our school continue to receive this funding by completing an application online at MySchoolApps.com. Paper applications can be requested by calling 919-881-4910.
Important: Technology Guidance for In-Person Learning
When students return to in-person learning, the school does not have devices for them to use. Therefore, the following guidance will apply when we return to in-person learning:
- Students with WCPSS devices should bring their device to and from school.
- Students who are using a personal device can choose to bring their device to school. If you choose to send your child with his/her own personal device, parents will be required to sign a BYOD form or email the teacher to let them know you approve of your child bringing his/her personal device to school. Additionally, students will be responsible for following Health and Safety guidelines which state that students cannot share a device with another student.
REMINDERS
Rising Kindergarten Registration
If you have a rising kindergartener for the 2021-2022 school year, registration is now open. Please visit the Wake County website for more information.
If there is anything that we can do to support you, please don’t hesitate to reach out to myself and/or Ms. Scott.
Sincerely,
Juli Ventura
Principal
PTA Corner
The Jeffreys Grove PTA is hosting Takeout Tuesday tomorrow, February 16th at Relish Craft Kitchen & Bourbon Bar located at 5625 Creedmoor Rd. Mention Jeffreys Grove Elementary when you order takeout between the hours of 11am to 9pm and Relish will donate 15% back to the Jeffreys Grove PTA to help with funding technology upgrades.
Call in orders at 919-787-1855, option 0, or order online at raleighrelish.com
If ordering online, type "Jeffreys Grove Elementary" under the takeout Tuesday option.
Join Memberhub
If you are looking for ways to get connected with the JG PTA and other Jeffreys Grove families, I invite you to join Memberhub. The Jeffreys Grove PTA uses Memberhub as a means of communication with families throughout the year. Cheri Thomas, the JG PTA President, sends out a weekly newsletter, providing "save the date" information, fundraising updates, advocacy information, and other school-wide information. Please click here to join Jeffreys Grove Memberhub."
Click here to read past PTA newsletters. And click here to fill out the JG yearbook form.
Jeffreys Grove Magnet Elementary
Website: wcpss.net/jeffreysgrovees
Location: 6119 Creedmoor Road, Raleigh, NC, USA
Phone: (919) 881-4910
Twitter: @JeffreysGroveES