The Triton Tribune - Parent Edition
Be Kind ~ Be Awesome ~ Make The Right Choices
Amazing Triton families,
"Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results” Andrew Carnegie
As we begin Quarter 4 of this most unusual school year, it is appropriate that our Triton Trait of the month is teamwork. I believe that ELM has been a model school during COVID pandemic because in spite of our fears and uncertainty, we trusted each other enough that we could still work together to accomplish our mission. Furthermore, I have seen us grow as we have been pushed to learn new things and be innovative in how we learn. We could not have done this journey individually; our strength came from our collective efforts.
As we move into another transition of reopening our school, I trust that we will continue to work together so that we can finish this school year strong. Mother Teresa said it best, "I can do things you cannot. You can do things I cannot. Together, we can do great things." I strongly believe that! Although not all students are returning, I am looking forward to seeing some students on campus. I am continuing to embrace flexibility and uncertainty knowing that we will be able to make adjustments on the spot so that we will have the best experience possible in the remaining days of school.
In preparation for a safe reopening, know that we have been working hard to implement safety protocols in place throughout the entire campus. Below is a segment titled "ELM Reopening Plan Update." In it, I have shared some of these protocols that are now in place. Additionally, this last week, I was informed that ELM will be the first middle school that will host weekly COVID testing every Tuesday for staff and students. This was made available through a partnership grant with SDSU and National Institute of Health. To answer your question regarding this testing opportunity, I am hosting a Coffee with the Principal on Thursday, April 8 at 10:00am and 6:00pm. Dr. Susan Kiene from SDSU will be there to host a Q & A session regarding the COVID Testing. This will take place in the first half hour of our time together.
Finally, ELM will open its doors to parents for services. On Friday, we will release our formal Reopening Document, which will include the different types of services we will be able to provide. One of the most important services that will be available will be registration support.
Please read the newsletter in its entirety as there are a lot of information regarding upcoming events and especially our reopening process.
Let's have awesome week!
Mrs. Finley
For Students Remaining in Distance Learning
For Students Returning to In-Person Hybrid Learning
ELM has been working diligently to prepare for a safe reopening on April 12. So far, out of 310 who have been invited, 242 qualifying students have accepted the invitation to return. This means there are still some spots available for return. If you feel that your child should return to school on April 12, please email your counselor with your request and our team will review your request.
We also presented our reopening plan to all stakeholders and the presentation is available here. A formal document of the final details will be released on Friday, April 9 to all parents and students. We ask that parents of returning students go over this document with your child.
In collaboration with the district, ELM has completed the following preparation to ensure a safe return:
- The ELM COVID Prevention Plan (CPP) has been developed and made available to all staff. It is also accessible on the website.
- All staff have been COVID tested and all have been encouraged to get the COVID vaccination.
- Two student arrival check-in stations will be set up daily to ensure that proper health screening prior to entering the campus.
- Two-way directional routes have been established and clearly visible by arrows to ensure that students travel in the most expedient way that minimizes cross-contact.
- All closed spaces (classrooms, office, pavilion, etc.) have been fitted with a filtration and purifying filter. They will be on from 6:00am - 6:00pm daily.
- Each classroom has a sanitation station and socially-distanced decals outside.
- Classroom desks are arranged so that students are always six feet apart.
- Classroom doors will be kept open to maintain constant airflow.
- Classroom desks will be cleaned after each instructional block and after the students leave for the day.
- Restrooms have been configured to hold a maximum of two students at a time.
- Three lunch areas have been configured to minimize cross contact among student students.
- The main office has one-way directional routes to ensure minimal cross traffic.
- An isolation tent will be set up outside the nurse's office to prevent a potential symptomatic individual from entering indoor spaces.
- Teachers will participate in two days of professional development and planning in preparation to accept students.
- Health and safety signs will be visible throughout the campus and in the classrooms.
- In partnership with SDSU/NIH, the district has made ELM the first middle school to be a COVID Testing Site for staff and students. This will be available weekly.
Class schedules for returning students will be emailed by Wednesday evening.
Dear Sweetwater Families and staff:
Sweetwater Union High School District has partnered with San Diego State University and their project called Communities Fighting COVID! to offer free COVID-19 testing in some schools. Together we are helping kids safely return to in person learning, to playing sports and keeping our schools safe.
Communities Fighting COVID! wants to learn more about COVID-19 testing in our communities and make it easy for people to test to help keep our communities safe and healthy. We will be offering testing one day per week at the selected schools and are a resource to periodically test students between now and the end of the school year.
Testing with us is different than at other places. If you or your child gets tested with us they will fill out an online registration form. For children under 18 years of age a parent or guardian needs to read and sign a parental consent form. The consent form is part of the online registration form. The form includes questions that are required by County public health officials such as contact information, date of birth, gender, race, ethnicity, and their primary language. It also includes questions about medical conditions related to risks for developing severe COVID if infected. This information is necessary so that we and the San Diego County Public Health team can follow up in case of a positive test result. You or your child will also be asked if they have tested for COVID before and what they think about the COVID-19 vaccine. This information will help us learn more about COVID-19 in the community.
The registration form and the consent form should be completed the day before you or your child’s first test. Completing the registration and consent form is required for us to give them the COVID-19 test and result. Once you have completed these forms, you will not need to complete them again.
Each time you or your child is tested they will be asked if they have any COVID symptoms and if they have been around anyone with COVID-19; these questions will need to be answered for us to give them the COVID-19 test and result.
When you or your child has their COVID-19 test at school the results will be ready within 20 minutes after we take the sample which is self-administered via a nose swab. The test is a rapid antigen test. Participants may be asked to provide a second sample similarly through a self-administered swab that will be sent for testing to check their result with a different kind of COVID-19 test called a PCR test. This second sample occurs if participants are randomly selected from a negative result, if they express that they are experiencing COVID symptoms, or if they test positive from the rapid test. Results are usually ready in 1 to 2 days. Results will be provided from the school nurse or district coordinators by email.
If you or your child tests positive for COVID-19, we want to help you and your loved ones stay safe by offering testing to your family. We hope to have walk-in hours at the schools soon. If your child has symptoms and you would like them tested for COVID-19 we will soon be having walk-in hours for this too. You can also visit our community testing sites. For our current sites and schedule: http://bit.ly/3avLFqM
Click Here to Complete the Registration Form and Consent Form Link for Eastlake Middle School
REGISTRATION PROCESS:
Attention: Online application to transfer is now available today, April 5.
Click on this [LINK] to access the Campus Portal.
When you go to our Registration Webpage, click on the descriptor that fits your child.
In which category does your student fit? Click on the link that fits your description and it will take you directly to the action steps you need to complete.
- I am a 7th grader going into 8th grader - Parents, if you have your username and password from last year, you can start the OLR process March 15, 2021.
- I am a new student (7th or 8th grade) - No other sibling in the district - Parents, you have to wait until you get your activation key or GUID number in a district email or letter.
- I am new student (7th or 8th grade) with a sibling in the Sweetwater District - Parents, while you can complete the registration for your current student, you should wait for the activation key or GUID number for your new student so that you do both students as ONE family.
- I am a new student (7th or 8th grade) and we live with another family (Joint Residency) - Parents, you have to wait until you get your activation key or GUID number in a district email or letter.
- I am a student who lives outside the ELM boundary and want to attend here (Transfer) - Parents, you will have to wait until April 5 to begin and start at your school of residence because your activation key or GUID number will be for that school.
Please encourage your students to take advantage of all available support at ELM. Thank you for supporting your students' successes. Sessions will begin April 12 and will end on May 28.
Eastlake Middle School
Email: easter.finley@sweetwaterschools.org
Website: elm.sweetwaterschools.org
Location: 900 Duncan Ranch Road, Chula Vista, CA, USA
Phone: 619.591.4000
Twitter: @erfinleysd