FAMILY FRIDAY FOCUS Nov 20, 2020
RICK MARCOTTE CENTRAL SCHOOL Principal Kathleen Kilbourne
DATES OF IMPORTANCE- MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Nov 23/24 -Parent Conferences (conducted on Zoom or by phone)
Nov 25, 26, 27 Thanksgiving break - NO SCHOOL
Dec. 7th- AMV Photos, Pictured Delivered to RMCS
7th- Retake Orders are due back
Dec 21 to Jan 1st- Winter break- NO SCHOOL
CHROMEBOOKS AND CHARGERS OVER BREAK
Graham Slam Experiment in Gr 4
GR 4 Earned PJ Day!
Learning about the Earth's crust and plates in gr 4
The Mitten Tree Project... Giving this season
This year due to COVID, we are asking people to donate the gift cards listed below and deliver them to school, so that we may redistribute them to families who benefit from some support and assistance for their children.
Simply click the ink below to contribute what you can:
Design a Principal RESULTS ARE IN!
The Results are in for Design a Principal. The top 5 characteristics selected by all participants are:
- Kind
- Student Centered
- Honest/Genuine
- Responsive
- Communicative/Articulate
I will ask for feedback on these specific criteria in February to see how all stakeholders feel about meeting these selected criteria.
Thanks to all the people who participated in the survey!
BOOK FAIR- ALL ON LINE AND DELIVERED TO YOUR HOME
The RMCS book fair from Scholastic is completely online this year. Since the fair is online this year only scholastic has the fair running 14 days for shopping. This year the fair is Nov. 15 to Nov. 28. There is a URL link that will be in this email. All orders will be shipped to the home of the buyer.
COVID-19 Check In: Conversation with South Burlington School District Parents, Who are also Medical Professionals
School Nurse Updates
COVID-19 TESTING
Rapid Antigen Test versus PCR Test:
- Rapid Antigen Test: Detects specific proteins from the virus. The Health Department indicates that antigen tests are less sensitive than PCR tests and therefore a negative test generally requires a PCR test for confirmation.
- PCR Test: detects the virus's genetic material. This test is highly accurate.
Only PCR test results are accepted at school when your student is being tested due to COVID-19 symptoms or when your student is testing out of quarantine. Rapid antigen test results will not be accepted.
If your student needs to get tested, please contact their health care provider. There are a variety of places to get tested; see this link to find a COVID-19 test site.
Some local PCR Testing Sites:
- UVM Drive-Through at Fanny Allen: #847-5440
- Kinney Drugs, So. Burlington: #860-0714
- ClearChoiceMD Urgent Care, So. Burlington: #448-8205
Travelers Must Quarantine
- Quarantine for 14 days. Quarantine guidelines are here.
- If your student has not experienced COVID-19 symptoms, a PCR test may be an option, on or after day 7, to end quarantine early (with a negative test result).
Please also notify the school of your travel, return date and test results, as well as indicating "travel" on the health screening app.
Parenting During a Pandemic VIDEOS with the 3 SB Elem. Principals and Joelle van Lent, PsyD
Parenting During a Pandemic: Your Questions Answered Part 1 (11 min.)
Parenting During a Pandemic: Your Questions Answered Part 2 (14 min.)
PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES in Nov 2020
TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS NOW IN PLACE...BAN ON MULTIFAMILY GATHERINGS
Last week, Governor Scott announced in his November 10 press conference that all nonessential travel to and from Vermont now requires a quarantine. For more information, see the latest travel and quarantine information from the Vermont Department of Health. In addition, the cross-state travel map which had previously been updated every Tuesday, has been suspended due to increasing COVID case counts in Vermont and in our region.
Governor Scott also announced November 13 that a ban on multifamily gatherings, both inside and out, whether in public or private spaces is now prohibited. The rationale for this decision is that many of the recent COVID outbreaks and clusters can be traced back to private social gatherings. Health Commissioner Dr. Mark Levine has repeatedly implored people not to travel for the upcoming holidays and to take care to keep one’s social circle small.
Keeping our schools open, which we worked (and continue to work) so hard to collectively accomplish this September, will largely be influenced by the individual decisions we make every day. I know that deciding whether or not to travel or gather with loved ones is a highly personal decision, but as you make these choices, please consider the following:
1. Decide if the risk is worth it for your family.
2. Plan to have a safe trip or gathering, remain flexible and get your flu shot
3. Quarantine when you return.
More information can be found on the VT Department of Health Department website. In addition, the CDC has released a helpful guide for safely celebrating upcoming holidays.
Please remember that if you are travelling out of state, you need to follow the state guidelines about travel and quarantine, which is now a quarantine for 14 days or 7 days and a negative test to return to school. If you are travelling out of state, please contact Nurse Cannon at 652- 7208 or Ms. Datillio at 652-7200, so we can help guide you through next steps to keep your family and all of our RMCS families safe.
No Additional (Friends) Riding Buses At This Time
Health Updates
When your student has an illness symptom:
Yes, even a runny nose or complaints of a sore throat constitute staying home for 24 hours and returning only with symptom improvement or resolution. Please follow the Health Department's fact sheet: Information for Families: Return to School Following Illness* when deciding about whether to keep your student home or send to school.
We continue to connect with families, whose student is home with a reported illness, to help navigate next steps and determine when to return to school safely.
Thank you again, for your patience and follow-through. We know this is not an easy time for families as we continue to ask for your support in striving to keep our community safe.
*Click here for translations.
~ A Note From The Student Support Team~
There are several giving initiatives that the Student Support Team works on each year. Some of these include:
Food drive for the South Burlington Community Food Shelf
The mitten tree (a holiday gift giving program)
Gift cards as needed
School photo gift cards
Winter gear support
As we approach the winter and holiday season, please reach out to one of us if you are in need of additional support. Please be assured, this is confidential.
Kindly,
Kaitllyn Morrissey, Meaghan Rice, Ashley Wilson, Sarah D’Agostino, Michelle Cannon and Carol Blakely.
BUDGET PROCESS FY 22
PREVENT CHILD ABUSE VERMONT -SHARES PARENT & CAREGIVERS GUIDE AND RESOURCES
COVID-19 Parent & Caregiver Guide
No matter how prepared you are, an outbreak can be stressful. Here are some recommendations to promote your family's well-being during COVID-19.
Need Help with Technology? Use this link to access Tech supports!
https://sites.google.com/sbschools.net/sbsdedtechforstudentsfamilies/home
Rick Marcotte Central School
Email: kkilbourne@sbschools.net
Website: sbschools.net
Location: 200 Market Street, South Burlington, VT, USA
Phone: 802 652 7200
Twitter: @rmcschool