Scotty Updates
A Newsletter from Scotland Elementary School
October 25, 2021
Scotty Updates
The Scotty Updates has been created to provide families and staff with information regarding upcoming events, happenings, and programs at Scotland Elementary School. Please take time each Monday to review our newsletter. Thank you!
A Message from Mrs. Katkocin
Dear Scotland Families,
I hope you are all well, and had a great weekend. A HUGE thank you to all of our PTA volunteers, led by Jessica Hinkley for our successful Book Fair last week! We are so grateful for all of the time and effort that went into planning, organizing, setting up, and supporting the students on Tuesday and Wednesday last week. Thank you for bringing back this special event for students!
Please find a few highlights this week from Dr. Da Silva's Friday memo:
PreK- Gr 6 COVID Screening Program
Voluntary PCR screening for unvaccinated PreK- 6th grade students will begin Monday for those who have opted in. To opt in to testing in the future, parents are asked to please sign the consent in PowerSchool by the Wednesday before the week of testing. Testing will be conducted weekly based on the schedule below. Students who have been opted in will not be compelled to be tested. Students will be allowed to opt themselves out at the time of testing. Currently 477 students are participating in the program.
Tuesday 10/26
- Scotland Elementary School: 8:50 am
Health and Safety
The CT DPH released an updated version of Addendum 7 this week pertaining to arts and performance programs. Our schools are excited about these changes!
Vaccine booster shots have been approved by the FDA for individuals who work in education and received the Pfizer, Moderna, or J&J vaccine. To find a vaccine provider click this link: www.vaccines.gov.
Curriculum and Instruction
Here is your fall Curriculum Newsletter. The newsletter is quarterly and will update families on the work of the department across the grade levels. In addition, it will advertise upcoming workshops for families and provide information on how to participate in the workshop. There is a new YouTube Channel for the Curriculum Department. That channel will house all of the workshops from the school year so that parents will have easy viewing access.
I hope you are well!
Kind regards,
Jill
Kindergarten Parade 🎃
Halloween Information 🎃
It is hard to believe, but Halloween is going to be here soon! We are getting very excited for this festive day. We will celebrate at Scotland on Friday, October 29th. All students in grades K-5 are invited to wear Halloween costumes to school. If your child would prefer not to wear their costume to school, they are welcome to participate in crazy hair day instead. We will also have a spirit week next week - it is going to be a great week at Scotland! See below for the festivities.
Each teacher will engage students in curriculum throughout the day. Our classroom based Halloween parties will take place at the end of the day to ensure that students are engaged and learning throughout the day at school. We would like to ask the following to ensure safety of all students and staff:
- If students choose to dress up, please have them come dressed to school in their costume, as there will not be a space for them to change once here
- Costumes must allow easy bathroom use so students can independently use the restroom
- To ensure safety, costumes may not include props or masks, and please limit makeup to the eyes only. Students will be expected to wear their day to day mask, as they have been doing.
- Kindly refrain from sending your child in an inflatable or any other distracting costume.
- Please encourage your child to choose a costume with a non-violent theme. Costumes should be “kindergarten friendly” (not scary or gory). Gentle storybook characters or heroes often lend themselves to fantastic costumes as they encourage reading for pleasure!
Snaps around Scotland! 📸
Events and Happenings 🗓
WEEK AT A GLANCE:
Monday, October 25th:
- A Day
- Grade Level Color Day
Tuesday, October 26th:
- B Day
- Twin Day Tuesday!
Wednesday, October 27th:
- C Day
- Wacky Wednesday
Thursday, October 28th:
- D Day
- Scotty Spirit Day!
Friday, October 29th:
- E Day
- Costume/Crazy Hair Day!
- Kindergarten Halloween Parade - 3pm in front of Scotland
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UPCOMING EVENTS:
Tuesday, November 2nd:
- No school for students
- Professional Development Day
Thursday, November 11th:
- Veteran's Day - No School
A Note from Our PTA
Scotty Spirit Wear Store NOW OPEN!
We’re excited to launch a new Scotland Spiritwear store in partnership with Custom T’s and More located right here in Ridgefield! ❤️🖤
You can access the shop via our PTA website as well as through this direct link: http://shop.tsandmore.com/ses/shop/home
Order online by November 15th for an estimated arrival date of November 30th. Please note, the arrival date may change due to different vendors and ongoing supply chain challenges. We appreciate your patience!
Key Highlights:
-Orders will be delivered directly to your child’s classroom
-All orders will be placed online, goodbye to paper forms!
Please reach out with any creative ideas you may have. We’re always open to explore new apparel ideas!
Questions?
The PTA Needs You! Volunteers Wanted!
We're so excited to get parents involved again at SES! We're so LUCKY to be able to offer opportunities for you to help our kiddos and our school!!
Volunteering with the PTA allows you to contribute your skills and knowledge for the benefit of both your own children and the greater school community. You’ll also meet and make new friends!
Please fill out the form and you'll hear back from us soon!
CLICK HERE to find out all the ways YOU can make a difference this year - opportunities available for those with extra time and those with little time!)
Important Information to Keep Handy! 📝
Cafeteria Snack!
Quarantine Learning Information
If an entire class is placed in quarantine, students will be logging into their Google Classroom, and will participate in daily lessons with their classroom teacher. Our essentials teachers will also be logging into the Google Classroom to provide virtual instruction for students.
If individual students are placed in quarantine (perhaps due to an outside exposure, or an exposure on the bus, sports, etc), students will be invited to join our Quarantine Learning Classroom. You can view the Quarantine Learning Parent Handbook here. During their time home, students will receive grade level appropriate instruction provided to all students in their grade level district-wide who have also been placed in quarantine. You can find additional information about Quarantine Learning, shared by Dr. Da Silva on September 10th.
Our virtual learning expectations in either situation remain the same as last year.
- Students will be visible to the teacher and other participating students (please remind your child to have their camera on throughout the lessons).
- Parents are encouraged to have their students independently participate via a location that is quiet and free of distraction, to the extent possible. Other individuals in the home are not permitted to participate in or be visible on the video conference, or otherwise observe the lesson, other than reasonable adult supervision of the student.
- Parents and students are prohibited from recording video conferencing sessions. The district will also not be recording any classes/sessions.
- Depending on each student’s individual circumstance, teachers or service providers may request the facilitation of the supervising adult to assist the student in engaging in the session.
- In addition, if your child needs to leave for a period of time during instruction (i.e. doctor or dentist appointment), kindly notify the quarantine learning or classroom teacher ahead of time, just as you would if they were in the building.
As always, I thank you for your partnership and support as we continue to navigate this school year together.
Health & Safety Update
The CT CSDE and DPH released updated quarantine and isolation guidelines for schools this week via Addendum 5. RPS will be following this guidance, please take a moment to read it. Key components that families need to know are:
Vaccinated and unvaccinated students and staff should stay home from school if you have symptoms; and contact your school nurse. You may return to school with a negative COVID-19 test after symptoms have resolved. Vaccinated and unvaccinated students who come to school with a symptom of COVID-19 will be sent home by the school nurse. Students who are sick should tend to their health and will not access quarantine learning.- Fully vaccinated students and staff who have been exposed to COVID-19 and have not developed any symptoms may continue to come to school. Unvaccinated students and staff who have been exposed to COVID-19 must quarantine at home. They can get a test on day 5 after exposure, and return to school on day 8 if they remain free of symptoms. Students who are required to quarantine and are symptom free will have access to quarantine learning.
Welcome Back Library Volunteers!
Click on the links here or find them on the SES PTA WEBSITE:
It's not scary to help out in the LIBRARY!
Schedules
School Lunch
- School Lunch will be available from the first day of school. Chartwells is the District-wide food service provider. The school lunch menu is available online on the RPS website; click District Offices and click on Food Service, as well as below.
- School lunch will continue to be free during the 21-22 school year. Snacks and additional items will be available through The Lunch Time POS system that allows students to purchase their lunch by entering a 5-digit code at the cash register. These items can be prepaid online at School Payment Portal Powered By LunchTime Software and at the school kitchen.
- Questions in regard to Lunch Time POS can be directed to John Morris, RPS Food Service Director at 203-894-5550 x1127 or john.morris2@compass-usa.com
We will follow a similar drop off / pick up procedure that we did last year.
Arrival
- Drop off begins at 8:30am. Please do not drop off your child prior to 8:30am as there will be no supervision at this time.
Dismissal
- Pick up will begin at 3:20pm.
- Each day, please have your child(ren)’s first and last name displayed on your passenger visor, and have it remain visible until your child is in the car. This needs to be bold and large enough to be visible at a distance. This is a very important step to ensure we have your child ready when you arrive.
- For the safety of both students and staff, proceed carefully and slowly through the lot.
- Please have your child exit/enter the vehicle when your gear is in the park position and is one of the cars at the front of the line designated for drop off.
- Students must exit the vehicle on the passenger side (building side) of the vehicle. Multiple children must exit on the passenger side. It is dangerous to exit/enter on the driver's side of the vehicle!
- Students need to have all of their items ready in hand and will then exit the car immediately.
- Parents, please stay in your vehicle at all times so that the process will prevent backups on Barlow Mountain Road.
- If you miss the drop off time (after 8:45 a.m.), please park in the front lot and walk your child across the designated crosswalk to the main entrance of the building. If you arrive after the drop off window and must park in the parking lot, we ask that you kindly use the crosswalk.
School Dismissal Manager
We will continue to use School Dismissal Manager this year at Scotland. Please click below for information regarding this system. This system will be available to families in late August. A welcome letter will be emailed to families when the system is available. If you have any additional questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to us!
Contact Us!
Email: jkatkocin@ridgefieldps.net
Website: https://ses.ridgefield.org/
Location: 111 Barlow Mountain Road, Ridgefield, CT, USA
Phone: 203-894-5825
Twitter: @Scotland_Elem