EBE Home Connections
January 16, 2022
Weekly Message from Mr. Hanzeli
Hello Elger Bay Families!
Please read Dr. Rumbaugh's letter below. Our health-room and office staff are doing amazing work to test, contact, and communicate with families about individual student status. With a reminder that it is these efforts that are currently helping us keep classes and school from going remote, I thank you all from a distance for the patience of taking this one day at a time. I want to be hopeful that we will be through this current peak in a few weeks and things will begin to settle again.
POTENTIAL REMOTE SCHEDULES
I have been asked by a few parents if we have a remote schedule for Elger Bay Elementary and/or Elger Bay classes, should they be needed. The quick answer is yes, they are ready to be published, but I have chosen to hang onto them unless they are absolutely needed as I do not want to create a false urgency that we are about to go remote as the test to stay program is now in place. Should the schedules and meet codes be needed, they will be published and sent to you directly at your Email address on file.
CHROMEBOOKS
Thank you for working with your student to make sure their chromebook and charger are returned to school each day. Please Note: If your child does use their chromebook for homework or skill practice after school, please make sure the unit is charged and then repacked for the following day.
ANNUAL ELGER BAY FAMILY HERITAGE DAY (Repeat)
On Friday, January 21, students and staff will be holding our Elger Bay Family Heritage Day celebration. We missed one year due to Covid, but we have done this annually for several year.
When the projects are done, teachers will be displaying student projects in our hallways in order to share the broad spectrum of cultural backgrounds and experiences that makes up our school population. Socially distanced student cohort groups will have the opportunity to wander the hallways during planned periods to see the work of their schoolmates.
Friday Family Message, January 14, 2022 (Repeat)
Hello Families,
I want to begin this week’s message by expressing my appreciation. I appreciate your patience as we adjust to managing COVID-19 under new requirements. As a school district, we feel a tremendous responsibility to ensure that our students and staff are safe and that the conditions for learning are in place for every student.
As COVID-19 evolves and school requirements evolve, the first few days of implementation can be an adjustment. In addition, I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the heroic efforts of our school nurses and health room assistants. This group of heroes work an incredible amount of hours under significant stress. Our health services staff care deeply about your child’s safety, the safety of our staff and regularly take on extra work and additional hours to ensure everyone’s needs are met. If you have the opportunity, please thank our health services staff for their work and sacrifice.
I recently read from a colleague that the school superintendent “works to create the conditions for students to thrive, for educators to teach, for leaders to lead and for parents to feel connected to their students' schools.” As I read this it made me ponder on the concept of “creating conditions.” How can we create the conditions for success when so many things all around us are constantly changing? After some thought, I settled on three ways we can “create conditions” in our homes, in our work and, certainly for me, in schools.
First, kindness. Though this may seem cliche, the effort it takes to pause, consider other’s perspectives and limitations, and respond in a way that engenders support, care and integrity can be difficult. By practicing kindness, we strengthen our ability to be supportive to others and honest in our feedback.
Second, collaboration. When we sit in shared spaces and discuss challenging issues we grow in our capacity to see varying perspectives and find common ground. Sometimes collaboration may include sitting in on a community meeting, it may be a one-on-one conversation or could be in the form of an email. Regardless of the mode, sharing differing perspectives in respectful and constructive ways is healthy and welcomed.
Finally, patience. Several years ago, I sat in a large gathering at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The event was focused on school improvement and how school districts can improve their practices and outcomes for students in an efficient manner. The speaker, a seasoned superintendent, reiterated that change takes time, and for school districts that can be a five to seven year journey. So how do we start? How can we possibly wait five to seven years for change? The answer is knowing the power of our, seemingly small, daily actions.
Change starts with understanding and committing to our shared agreements in our strategic plan and aligning the small things we do to that time. Those small changes “create the conditions” for larger changes over time. This requires patience. I am yet to find an educator that does not feel a sense of urgency for the students they serve along with a desire to be their best and improve their practice day by day. As we embark on a journey together to do our very best for our students, I would ask that we all lean into the need for patience during this journey.
COVID Updates
We have updated requirements for COVID infection rates in groups/cohorts. These new requirements align with the guidance sent out to families and staff Sunday, January 9. When 10% of a group of students (classroom, cohort, team, etc.) tests positive for COVID-19 that group would be a “clustering of cases” and would require that:
Individuals in this group or cohort that test positive for COVID-19 must isolate for 5 full days. Upon return to school, they must have a negative test (PCR or rapid antigen).
Individuals in this group or cohort that test negative (or have no COVID symptoms) may either:
Participate in the Test to Stay Program and remain in school
Elect to isolate for 5 full days. Upon return to school, they must have a negative test (PCR or rapid antigen).
Generally speaking, a group or cohort in an elementary setting is defined as a classroom cohort. A group or cohort in a secondary setting is defined as a grade level (all students in grade 6, for example). These situations are investigated by the building nurse in discussion with our greater district COVID team. Often the health district is consulted as well to determine next steps for specific populations.
Replacement Levy ballots to be mailed in the coming week
The Stanwood-Camano School District is proposing a four-year replacement Capital Projects and Technology Levy on the February 8, 2022 ballot to replace an expiring levy.
The Capital Projects and Technology (Cap/Tech) levy covers two areas:
Facility improvements and updates that are beyond a general repair or regular maintenance but fall short of bond-level funding needs.
Instructional technology and related staffing, professional development and technology infrastructure.
Approximately 50 percent of the funds is expected to be used for long-term facility needs, and 50 percent to upgrade technology used for student learning at all schools.
Please remember to vote by February 8. Snohomish and Island Counties conduct all elections through mail-in ballots. Ballots must be postmarked (mailing is free) or placed in a ballot drop site by 8 p.m. on Tuesday, February 8, 2022. Ballot drop boxes are located near the Stanwood Library, 9701 271st St. NW and on Camano Island at 121 N. East Camano Drive.
Upcoming Dates
Monday, January 17, 2022
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (No School)
Friday, January 21, 2022
Elger Bay Family Heritage Celebration Day
Friday, January 28, 2022
No School: Semester Grading Day
Tuesday, February 8, 2022
SCSD Capital Projects and Technology Levy
Friday / Monday, February 18/21, 2022
Mid-Winter Break / Presidents Day
SCSD School Full Year Calendar Link
For your convenience, I am going to permanently leave the SCSD Student Calendar Link at the bottom of my newsletter calendar so you might always have it handy.
EBE Absence Excusal Procedure Options (REPEAT)
It is very important that you excuse your child’s absence(s) within 24 hours of returning to school.
Excusal Method OPTIONS
- Call our office line (360) 629-1290 and leave a message or talk with a secretary. This line will take your calls and voice messages 24/7.
- You will receive a Daily Attendance Email whenever your student is marked with an unexcused absence. Click on the absence form link in the email and fill out the details.
- Send in a written note or email to the office that includes the students full name (first and last), dates of absence(s), and signature. If emailing, please send to both of the following addresses: kfay@stanwood.wednet.edu OR swark@stanwood.wednet.edu
- Drop by the office in person and communicate the absence information to one of the secretaries.
- Establish a Stanwood Camano School District Family Access account and go online to excuse each absence.
ONLINE REGISTRATION AVAILABLE HERE
If you have a child to register for next year, you may stop in to the office. Please bring:
- Registration Forms
- Copy of their birth certificate (or other age verification document, as noted)
- Immunization records.
For enrollment purposes, we accept birth certificates, adoption decrees, baptismal certificates, immunization records, previous school records, or entry in a family tree. Other documents not outlined here may also support age verification.
Students entering kindergarten must be 5 years old by August 31, 2021.
Please call us at 360-629-1290 if you have any questions.
REGISTER ONLINE: New Student and Kindergarten Registration for 2021-2022
PTA EMAIL CONTACTS
Following are the contact information for the president, treasurer, and secretary of the Elger Bay Elementary PTA.
ebeptapresident@gmail.com (Suzanne Twining)
ebeptatreasurer@gmail.com (Elizabeth Butler)
ebesecretary@gmail.com (Roxanne Cardon)
Stanwood-Camano Open WiFi access is moving from an open, unauthenticated login system to an authenticated ambassador system. The new authentication system will start on Friday, January 14, 2022.
What does this mean?
Guests and students can't connect personal devices such as laptops and mobile devices to the Stanwood-Camano Open WiFi without having access to their email and permission granted from an SCSD staff member.
Click the link to watch the video to learn how guests and students will need to request access to Stanwood-Camano Open WiFi.
Contact the Technology Department if you have any questions.
CONTACT YOUR ELGER BAY TEAM
Email: ebeinfo@gmail.com
Website: ebe.stanwood.wednet.edu
Location: 1810 Elger Bay Road, Camano, WA, USA
Phone: 360.629.1290
SCSD Non Discrimination Statement
The Stanwood-Camano School District does not discriminate in employment, programs, or activities on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. Inquiries regarding compliance and/or grievance procedures may be directed to the District's Title IX/Affirmative Action Officer and Civil Rights Compliance Coordinator, Maurene Stanton (mstanton@stanwood.wednet.edu), or the Section 504/American Disabilities Act Coordinator, Robert Hascall (rhascall@stanwood.wednet.edu) Stanwood-Camano School District, 26920 Pioneer Hwy, Stanwood, WA 98292. Telephone: (360) 629-1200.
El Distrito Escolar de Stanwood-Camano School District no discrimina en sus programas o actividades por motivos de sexo, raza, credo, religión, color, origen nacional, edad, condición de veterano de guerra o grado militar, orientación sexual, expresión de género o identidad, discapacidad o uso de perro guía entrenado o animal de servicio, y ofrece igualdad de acceso a los Boy Scouts y a otros grupos de jóvenes especificados. El empleado mencionado a continuación ha sido designado para atender consultas y quejas de supuesta discriminación: Título IX / Oficial de Acción Afirmativa y Coordinador de Cumplimiento de Derechos Civiles, Maurene Stanton (mstanton@stanwood.wednet.edu), o la Sección 504 / Coordinador de la Ley de Discapacidades Estadounidenses, Robert Hascall (rhascall@stanwood.wednet.edu), Distrito Escolar Stanwood-Camano, 26920 Pioneer Hwy, Stanwood, WA 98292. Teléfono: (360) 629- 1200.