The Eagle Express
Week of: October 30, 2020
A Note:
Can you believe we made it to the end of October?? Time sure is flying by.
As a reminder....this week is Daylight's Savings! Don't forget to "Fall Behind" and set your clocks BACK one hour on Sunday!
As we wrap up this quarter next week, I wanted to take a moment to thank all of you. This year certainly has had its challenges so far. Our staff, students, families, and community have risen to that challenge, for sure! With numbers on the rise in the county, Ronald Reagan continues to thrive. That has only been possible because of the hard work of our staff and due to people in and out of school following the safety recommendations. THANK YOU for all you are doing and will continue to do to help us "Stay Safe to Stay Open."
Yours in Learning,
Angela Patterson, Principal
Matt Stich, Associate Principal
At a Glance:
- Daylight Savings Reminder
- Conferences Communication
- Securly Tipline
- Veteran's Day Honors
- Dining for Dollars
Out and About
Virtual & In Person Reading
Stamina Fun
BEEEEE Safe This Weekend
Daylight Savings is November 1
Fall Parent/Teacher Conferences
Below is a link to the conference times for Ronald Reagan students. If you have questions about times or specifics, please reach out to your homeroom teacher.
A Message from Superintendent Garza
Good afternoon families,
With nearly two months of the school year in the books and November quickly approaching, we wanted to share with you some important information about the second semester and what families can expect as we continue to navigate through the COVID-19 pandemic.
As early as next week, all of our families will be given an opportunity to provide feedback on the current learning models - both virtual and in-person - and safety precautions currently in place. The brief survey will help us both make adjustments for the remainder of the first semester and make any necessary changes for the second semester.
In early December, families will be asked to once again share with us their child(ren)’s preferred learning model for the second semester. The SDNB will once again be offering both a full, five-day in-person model and a full virtual model. Specifically, we will be asking families that want to switch their child(ren)’s current learning model to a new model (for example, from virtual to in-person, or vice versa) to share that information with us. The December family commitment information will help us prepare our staffing needs for both our virtual and in-person learning options.
As families begin to consider their decision for the second semester, it is important that we provide an update regarding mask-wearing in our buildings. As you may know, the state’s mask mandate is set to expire Nov. 21, and whether it is extended remains to be seen. As of today, as a means to continue to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and in an effort to keep our schools open, the SDNB plans to continue the mask-wearing requirement through the first semester and most likely into the second semester as well. The decision, made by the Pandemic Response Team, comes after having conversations with the Waukesha County Health Department and other county school districts; after taking into consideration our current mitigation efforts; and after reviewing our student/staff COVID-19 case/quarantine data and staff feedback.
And finally, with Halloween this weekend, the Waukesha County Health and Human Services Department has information and recommendations regarding trick-or-treating and other related events and gatherings. As we work together to “Stay Safe to Stay Open”, please consider the County’s suggestions.
Please watch your inbox for the feedback survey and fill it out at your convenience. In the meantime, I want to thank all of our students, staff and families for their hard work and flexibility as we continue to strive to keep our schools open.
Thank you,
Joe Garza, Superintendent
Halloween Safety
Below is a link sharing some suggestions of how to celebrate this year safely.
Thank you for being overly cautious and careful this Halloween weekend. We are all doing our best to stay safe, so we can stay open and be together.
Student Council Updates
- FOOD DRIVE: November 2-13. Please send in non-perishable food items! Pods will have baskets to collect the food. All food will be donated to the New Berlin food pantry.
- SPIRIT DAY: Friday, November 20th is DISNEY DAY--dress as your favorite Disney Character or wear Disney gear.
Securly Tipline
Starting Nov. 2, the School District of New Berlin is proud to partner with Securly to offer Tipline, an anonymous tip-reporting system designed to give students another voice in our “See Something, Say Something” efforts.
All tips, whether submitted via phone, text, online or the app, go to the Securly 24 team, highly trained specialists with backgrounds in psychology, sociology and working / volunteering with children. The Securly 24 team determines the validity and risk level of all tips, and, based on the assessment, time of day, etc., the team determines whom to alert about the tip.
You can download the Securly Tipline app in the Apple App Store or in Google Play (app store for Android phones). You can also submit tips on the web at www.securly.com/tip, by phone at 1-833-300STOP or email at tipline@securly.com.
Dia de Los Muertos Opportunity
Veteran's Day Honors
Once again, in honor of our Veterans and Troops currently serving, and in conjunction with our Reagan Gives Back, we have some activities we will do as a building to honor Veterans Day.
1. Honor Flight Fundraiser: Cost to send one Veteran on an Honor Flight is $525. Over the past 4 years, Ronald Reagan has sent 39 veterans on an Honor Flight. That is an amazing accomplishment! Students should return the slip of paper with their donation and give it to their teacher. Make checks payable to: Stars and Stripes Honor Flight. The link below is to the referenced form.
2. Honor Wall: Students can bring photos of Veterans they know, along with the form linked below which they fill out to go with their photo. Please paperclip the form to each photo and return it to your classroom teacher. Please send copies of your photos and not originals. Photos will not be returned.
Honor Wall & Honor Flight Donation Flyer:
For Virtual Classrooms: There will be an envelope in Bin D outside the school for you to deposit your Honor Wall Photos! If you would like to make a donation, please put it in a labeled envelope, and place it on the cart outside the office. It will get put into my mailbox. Thx.
3. Write letters to a Veteran. Students will write letters to a Veteran that will be attending an Honor Flight for their "Mail Call" on their return flight. Letters will be written to thank them for their service, and addressed as "Dear Veteran". If we collect enough letters, some will be taken to the VA hospital as well.
4. Wednesday, November 11th will be Red, White, and Blue Day.
5. On Wednesday, November 11th, each class will go outside in front of our school and place flags in the lawn. Each student will receive a flag to place in the ground. Classes will stagger throughout the day to maintain social distancing.
6. CALLING ALL VETERANS! We would like to honor any Veterans that are part of our Ronald Reagan community. If you have a Veteran that you would like to acknowledge, please email Rose Zarske at rose.zarske@nbexcellence.org with the Veteran's name, branch, and rank. We will honor them during our morning news on November 11th!
Dining for Dollars
WHERE: Noodles & Company (15630 W. National Avenue)
WHEN: Tuesday, November 10th from 4:00-8:00 PM
Please bring the attached flyer below (you can show it on your phone, too!). Ronald Reagan HSA will get 25% of the profits for every order shown with the flyer! Can't wait to see you there!
Congratulations Katie Mulloy!
A huge congratulations goes out to Katie for this well-deserved honor! We are so fortunate to have her talents here at Ronald Reagan serving our students and families!
Ready, Set, GO Screenings
To build foundational skills and support readiness for school, the School District of New Berlin holds “Ready, Set, Go!” screenings for all of our early learners, ages 3-5 years old.
During this 60-minute screening we will observe the children’s skills in the areas of speech/language, motor, self-help, early learning and social development. The goal of the screening is to offer parents feedback regarding their child’s development and helpful information to get their child ready for school.
Please go to our website for enrollment information and the necessary forms to register for Ready. Set. Go!
www.nbexcellence.org/prospective/kindergarten-register.cfm. Call District Office to make an appointment after enrolling your child in Infinite Campus for screening online. 262-789-6242
More information can be found in the flyer below.
Masks are Mandatory
FROM THE RE-ENTRY HANDBOOK
Teaching, Re-teaching, & Reinforcing
The first weeks of school will include a heavy emphasis on providing clear expectations, support, and instruction to students regarding required face coverings. This will include the information regarding consequences of repeated refusal to wear a face covering. There will be some leniency during the first weeks of school, which may include things such as reminders to wear masks, teaching students how to properly wear masks, reinforcing the mask mandate, and helping students follow this new procedure and requirement for all students and staff. However, all incidents of refusal will be logged in Infinite Campus. Blatant refusal to comply with the district and state’s mask-mandate during the first weeks of school and when instruction resumes 5 days per week, starting Sept. 21, will result in the disciplinary action, as follows:
First Refusal
Teacher redirection
Parent contact
Infinite Campus documentation
Second Refusal
Infinite Campus documentation
The student will be referred to administration and suspended out-of-school for the remainder of the school day.
A reminder of the consequences for further violations will be provided to the parent and student along with the written notice of suspension per BOE POLICY 5131.2 CONDUCT - CAUSES AND PROCEDURES FOR DISCIPLINARY ACTION linked here
Third Refusal
Infinite Campus documentation
The student will be referred to the administration.
An out-of-school suspension will be issued and the student will be auto-enrolled in virtual learning for the remainder of the first semester.
The student will be suspended for no more than 5 days until the enrollment in virtual learning and the student’s course schedule is finalized. A written notice of suspension will be provided with a resolution detail of "enrollment in virtual learning."
**If the student has an individualized education plan (IEP) or Section 504 plan, face-covering accommodations should be discussed with the case manager. In the event a disciplinary response is necessary, the administration will follow all federal and state guidelines for discipline, which will include working with the IEP/504 team and potentially proceeding with a manifestation determination process.**
What are the student face covering expectations on the bus? What if a child at the bus stop is not wearing a mask?
No students will be left curbside if they refuse to wear a mask while getting on a bus or while on the bus. If a student doesn’t have a mask, they’ll be offered one by the driver. If they refuse it or refuse to wear it, they will be directed to sit in the front seat and the driver will contact the building administrator as soon as possible.
The first mask offense on a bus will result in a warning and a referral. A second mask offense results in another referral AND a bus suspension for 5 instructional days. A third mask offense after suspension will result in a bus suspension for the remainder of the semester.
Updated Sept. 22, 2020: Per Gov. Tony Evers’ new Emergency Order, all students in all grades (ELP-12) are required to wear masks while in our buildings and on our buses (with the exception of during lunch and other designated “mask breaks”) through at least Nov. 21. We recognize some students will not be able to wear a mask / face covering all day and we will evaluate this on a case-by-case basis. If a child has a medical reason to be exempt from wearing a mask, they must provide a note from their physician to a building administrator indicating the reason for the exemption. The SDNB will address any issues related to students intentionally refusing to follow these safety procedures. The CDC and Waukesha County have shared reasoning why masks / coverings should be worn to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
Will staff be required to wear a mask / face covering at school? What about visitors?
All staff will be required to wear masks / face coverings or work behind a plexiglass partition while in our buildings. At this point, families are not allowed in the building, unless it is an emergency. All visitors will be required to wear masks / face coverings while in our buildings.
How is a face covering defined in the Governor’s order?
A face covering is defined as a piece of cloth or other material that is worn to cover the nose and mouth completely. Face coverings include, but are not limited to, bandanas, cloth face masks, a disposable or paper mask, a neck gaiter or a religious face covering. The order states face coverings do not include face shields, mesh masks, masks with holes or openings or masks with vents.
The SDNB suggests all students have a minimum of two face coverings / masks among their school supplies, provided they satisfy the above-definition. The district may be able to provide masks / face coverings to students whose families are unable to provide / purchase them or to students who forget or lose them. The SDNB reserves the right to require students to wear a District-provided face covering if the District determines that a student's face covering does not satisfy the above-definition.
For our younger students, we encourage families to have their child(ren) practice wearing and getting used to masks / face covering prior to the start of the school year. You can make it fun or a game. Perhaps they could pick out their masks or try different ones on to see how they feel and what they prefer.
Please reach out if you have additional questions regarding face coverings.
We're Still Hiring!
- 1 Student Learning Assistant (5.45 hrs per day)
- 1 Building substitute (full year, full time positions)
If you know of anyone that might be interested in these positions, please have them reach out to Mr. Stich at matthew.stich@nbexcellence.org
Save the Dates
RR Home & School Association
About Us:
The Home and School Association (HSA) at Ronald Reagan is a collection of Moms, Dads, Grandparents, Teachers and Staff Members working together to make our school a better place. Our mission is to build a strong community at the school and to support students and teachers in their academic efforts. Our HSA funds, organizes and hosts many of the programs and functions held for Ronald Reagan Elementary students. Our general monthly meetings are open to all wishing to attend and membership is free. All Reagan families are HSA members.
Ways To Connect:
Webpage - www.ronaldreaganhsa.weebly.com
Facebook - Ronald Reagan Elementary - Home and School Association (link to join)
Email - rrehsaexec@gmail.com
HSA Executive Board 2020-2021
President: Angela Kloskey - atkloskey@yahoo.com
Vice President: Mari Patterson - mari_p81@ymail.com
Treasurer: Tom Kloskey - tom.kloskey@fisglobal.com
Secretary: Julia Arnold - julia.arnold10@gmail.com
Latest HSA Updates:
Save the Date! Scholastic Book Fair: November 16-29
We will be holding a virtual book fair this year. Families will have two ways to shop online - by browsing the Scholastic catalog or by viewing a virtual 360 book fair. All orders will ship directly to your home in time for the holidays. Book-only orders of $25 or more will have free shipping. Build your home library and earn money for our school by shopping at the virtual book fair!
New Family Breakfast:
HSA would love to get creative this year and still host the new family breakfast (or lunch). We will need creative ways to gather and need a volunteer to plan this event. If you are interested in being the new family breakfast committee chair, please contact Mari Patterson (mari_p81@ymail.com).
We can't host these amazing events without wonderful volunteers to help.
Upcoming HSA Meetings
The HSA holds general meetings once per month. This is a great way to vote on ways to spend the HSA funds, learn about the budget and how the money is spent, help plan events, hear from the administration and see what is happening in your school. Meetings will be held virtually through Microsoft Teams until further notice. Meeting invites will be included in the Eagle Express and on the HSA Facebook page.
Upcoming Meeting Dates:
November 25, 2020
January 27, 2021
March 31, 2021
May 26, 2020
Food for Thought
A little humor for this time of year....for us, we'd need to change the date to November 2nd (wink)
Please be safe this holiday weekend!
About Ronald Reagan
Website: https://www.nbexcellence.org/schools/rr/
Location: 4225 South Calhoun Road, New Berlin, WI, USA
Phone: 262-789-6550
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ronald-Reagan-Elementary-267815246680257
Twitter: @ReaganSDNB