ESTLA Monthly Newsletter IV
Week of September 21, 2020
From the Desk of Ms. Taylor and Mr. Rodriguez
Eisenhower Science & Technology Leadership Academy
1601Markley Street|Norristown, PA 19401
Office: 610-277-8720|Web: www.nasd.k12.pa.us
Good Morning ESTLA Families,
September 15th marked the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month. National Hispanic Heritage Month honors the cultures and contributions of both Hispanic and Latino Americans as we celebrate heritage rooted in all Latin American countries. The celebration begins in the middle rather than the start of September because it coincides with national independence days in several Latin American countries: Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica celebrate theirs on Sept. 15th, followed by Mexico on Sept. 16th, Chile on Sept. 18th and Belize on Sept 21st.
We have now been through three weeks of our Virtual Learning, and the feedback we have received throughout our visits in the community and families picking up various materials and resources has been positive. We would like to thank our teachers, paraprofessionals, custodial and food service staff, Information Systems/Technology, School Board, and administrators for their efforts to respond to our requests for assistance in order to ensure success for our students.
Do not hesitate to contact the main office if you need anything or have questions. Be sure to check your email/phones for any updates. We will also continue to post on our Social Media Platforms and website.
We appreciate your latitude, patience, and grace during this period of time as we continue to navigate our virtual learning.
Sincerely,
Ms. Taylor, Principal
Mr. Rodriguez, Assistant Principal
PLEASE NOTE
II. REMIND STUDENTS: If they have not received an invitation within the first 5 minutes of class look in the Schoology feed and Gmail for an Update with Information on how to join the class via a link in Google Meets or Zoom. Classes are live from 11:30am - 3:00pm.
Upcoming Events
9/22 From District Office; Please see the attached flyers regarding Community-Accessible Testing and Education on COVID-19. CATE-Montgomery will be at ACLAMO on Tuesday, September 22, 2020 from 11:00 AM- 3:00 PM.
Community members can come to the mobile unit to get free COVID-19 testing, information about COVID-19, and pick up some PPE. There will also be giveaways and information about the census and voting. To ensure that testing is accessible and available to our families, a team of bilingual staff will be onsite to assist.
9/23 Free Breakfast & Lunch Grab & Go Meal Kits;
Meals will be available at Gotwals Elementary School 8:00am-10:00am and at the Norristown Area High School 3:00pm-5:00pm. A flyer with additional dates is attached.
9/23 Virtual Back to School Night 7:00pm
Be on the lookout for a Welcome video from Ms. Taylor and Mr. Rodriguez arriving via email and posted on Social Media on Wednesday evening. Teachers will send out a Google Meet code to students through email and posted on Schoology.
9/25 Half Day for Professional Development
Students will start the school day at 8:00am and end by 11:50am
9/28 SCHOOL CLOSED
CDTs information and Dates
This week the District will continue to implement the Classroom Diagnostic Testing for Middle and High School students. The Pennsylvania Classroom Diagnostic Tools (CDT) is a set of online tools designed to provide diagnostic information in order to guide instruction and provide support to students and teachers.
Benefits for Students:
- Provides specific and timely feedback designed to support student learning
- Builds efficacy by bringing students into the process of their own learning
- Promotes goal setting by involving students in the learning process
- Provides students with opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge and skills
- Promotes partnering with educators (e.g., one-to-one conferencing)
- Ensures that follow-up instruction is meaningful and aligns with student learning expectations
ELA: September 22nd-23rd (Tuesday-Wednesday)
Testing will start at 11:30am in Synchronous Live and run until 3:00.
TEACHERS will monitor students during the testing window through Go Guardian. Please redirect students if they are off task and support them with navigating the CDT assessment portal.
Parent Resources for CDTs;
Resources
Counselor’s Corner
Hello Families! Please see the attached documents on Parent Survival Tips for Virtual Learning!
--Counseling Team
Mr. Ernest "Tre" Hadrick, thadrick@nasd.k12.pa.us
Ms. Kim Weber, kweber@nasd.k12.pa.us
Office Hours 9:00am - 11:00am
*Contact us to schedule a time beyond our office hours
Mrs. Geena Spady, gspady@nasd.k12.pa.us
Centered around working with students who have individual or group counseling in their Individualized Education Plan (IEP).
Instructional Support Team
Parent access in Schoology can be activated by registering for a parent account in Schoology.
English version step sheet for parents to get Schoology access
Spanish version step sheet for parents to get Schoology access
Parent video navigating Schoology
https://youtu.be/2K6H3S9mKbk
Parent Account PSA (Parent Access vs. Student Access)
Video to add Parent Access to mobile phone
Please contact us at any time with questions or concerns around the instructional program.
Kathleen Shallow, M.ED
Instructional Support Teacher-Reading
Jason Ryan
Instructional Support Teacher-Math
HEALTH
Message from Nurse Susan Melso, RN, BSN, CSN
Sixth-grade students entering Seventh grade, who have not provided proof of MCV (meningitis vaccine) or Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis), need to provide proof of vaccines prior to October 31st (whether in school or online--still need proof to remain in class). Please make an appointment with your family doctor as soon as possible for your child to receive these vaccines. When your child receives the vaccines, please scan or fax (610-277-8720) the proof to smelso@nasd.k12.pa.us. Thank you for keeping your child safe.
Bilingual Community Liaison/Enlace Bilingüe
Ms. Vanessa Rivera, vrivera@nasd.k12.pa.us
Tel. (484) 270-2175
ESTLA ext.13799
Online Learning for Parents
NASD Technical Support Desk 610-270-2923
Click here for online resources...https://www.nasd.k12.pa.us/domain/589
Verizon has a "Lifeline" program for individuals/families. It's not free, but it's discounted ($20/month) for eligible people. Here's the link to more information: https://www.verizon.com/info/low-income-internet/
New Comcast customers can get 2 months of free service if they enroll before 12/31/2020. There's an "Apply Now" button in the top right corner. Here's the link: https://www.internetessentials.com/covid19
CATCH Healthy Corner
“CATCH” stands for Coordinated Approach to Child Health and is proven to prevent childhood obesity. CATCH schools are committed to helping kids eat foods that are more nutritious and increase physical activity, as both behaviors are important to their health and wellness today and in years to come.
For more information about CATCH, visit www.catch.org.
Norristown SD Gear Up
Resources from our Norristown Gear UP staff
GEAR UP is a college and career program that provides 8th and 9th-grade students with free programs and services to encourage post-secondary education.
Stacey Sandle, Site Facilitator, GEAR UP
Desiree Dube, College & Career Coach, GEAR UP
NASD Website (NASD GearUp)
Instagram (Norristown GEAR UP)
Facebook Norristown GEAR UP)
Twitter (@nGearup)
EXTERNAL WEBSITES WITH CORONAVIRUS/ HEALTH DATA
Centers for Disease Control; https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
PA Department of Health;
https://www.health.pa.gov/topics/disease/coronavirus/Pages/Coronavirus.aspx
Montgomery County Office of Public Health;
https://data-montcopa.opendata.arcgis.com/pages/covid-19
World Health Organization;
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019
Reminders
Attendance and participation are checked daily. Please have our students report to Homeroom at 8:00am and prepared to start classes live at 11:30am.
Please communicate with your teacher via email, Schoology, or when contacted via Go Guardian or Google Meet.
Please visit our District & School Websites and Social Media platforms for updates.
ESTLA is on social media. Find us online and get updates:
Facebook - Eisenhower Science & Technology Leadership Academy
Twitter - @estlapanthers
Instagram - @estlapanthers
YouTube - ESTLA NASD
Website: https://www.nasd.k12.pa.us/
Location: 1601 Markley Street, Norristown, PA, USA
Phone: (610) 277-8720
Facebook: facebook.com/EisenhowerScience&TechonolgyLeadershipAcademy
Twitter: @estlapanthers