SOARING EAGLE NEWS
JANUARY 2022
COVID UPDATES FROM OUR SCHOOL NURSE
Our strict district guidelines for illness and Covid infections remain in place with a few minor changes.
Per State Law and District Guidelines: Students who test positive will be given a 10-day quarantine order. Students who test positive may return to school after 10 full days, OR student receives a negative test AND is completely symptom free OR the student has written permission to return from a healthcare provider.
Students who are *EXPOSED to covid 19 but have not received a positive test result may choose to stay home for 7 full days to monitor for symptoms OR if they are completely symptom free, they may continue to attend class as normal with the understanding that should they develop symptoms at any time during the monitoring period, a parent will be contacted to pick that student up immediately.
PCS follows CDC guidelines and considers an *Exposure* to be anyone who had been within 6 feet of the confirmed positive individual for more than 15 min.
Per district policy, if your student is considered to have had an exposure to a confirmed case of Covid 19 while at school, you will be notified in writing by the Department of Health. This notice will be sent home with your student as soon as the Covid Team and the DOH complete their investigation.
In the past, we here at Cypress Woods also made a phone call to each of the exposed student’s families as a courtesy. Due to the change in guidelines pertaining to exposed students and the high number of community cases, this has become a very overwhelming task. While the staff at Cypress Woods does everything they can to accommodate the needs of our families and make sure they have the most information available, we will no longer be making those follow up phone calls. As always, if you have any concerns regarding the health of your student, Nurse Jen is available to answer any questions.
As with any communication regarding your student, it is important to check your student’s binder every night. If you should receive a DOH notice stating your child has been exposed, please reach out to your classroom teacher to let them know whether you intend to quarantine at home or if you will be sending your child to school. It’s important for your student’s teacher to know which option you choose so they may plan your students’ lessons accordingly as well as how to code them for attendance purposes.
We thank you very much for your continued diligence when it comes to the health and safety of our students.
ATTENDANCE MATTERS
Are you planning a family trip for the holidays? As you think about your arrangements, we want to stress the importance of sending your child to school every day possible. Every year, absences spike in the weeks before and after the winter holiday as families squeeze in a few more vacation days. It’s time to break that cycle. We know that just a few missed days here and there, even if they’re excused absences, can add up to too much lost learning time and put your child behind in school. This is as true in kindergarten as it is in high school. Put simply, too many absences at any age can affect a student’s chances for academic success and eventually for graduation.
We recognize that holidays are an important time for reconnecting with families far away. The costs of plane tickets often influence when you want to travel. But keep in mind the costs to your children’s education if they miss too much school— and the message you will be sending about the importance of attendance. Even if you’ve got a homework packet from the teacher, it doesn’t make up for the interaction and learning that happens in the classroom. Our teachers will be teaching, and our students will be learning, right up until vacation starts and the first day back. This holiday season, give your children the gift of an education and the habit of attendance.
When a student is absent from school for any reason, parents are to send in a written note to the teacher explaining the absence or email the school at cypresswoodses.absence@pcsb.org and copy the teacher on the email. Absences will remain unexcused until such documentation is received by the school. Children with poor attendance patterns may be referred to the Pinellas County Truancy Intervention Program. Class work is required to be made up during or after an excused absence. Upon returning to school following an excused absence, a student has as many days to make up the work as days absent. A doctor’s note is required to excuse a student from PE for more than 3 days and documentation is required for absences exceeding 5 days.
NEWS FROM OUR MUSIC TEACHER, MRS. RICHTER
Kindergarten Songs of Love Concert
The kindergarten students will perform a concert of love songs on Tuesday, February 8th in the cafeteria at 6:30 pm. If your child is in kindergarten, please plan to drop them off in their child’s classroom at 6:15 pm. Please have your child wear something red, pink, white, or gray. If they have a Valentine’s Day outfit that would be perfect!
Mask Update
Below is the most current information from Pinellas County Schools:
- Strongly recommending that face coverings be worn when indoors by staff, students and visitors/volunteers and by continuing to have them available at schools and district facilities and on buses for students, staff and visitors.
- Teachers will have access to a supply of masks for any student in need.
- Families who opt not to have their student utilize a mask will not have to complete any form.
- The individual choices of all families will be respected.
- Parents are encouraged to reach out to their principal or teacher if they have a concern regarding adherence to their choice.
Reminder About Electronics
Pinellas County Schools recognizes the ever-increasing importance of technology in students’ lives and the beneficial role it can play for student education and communication when used responsibly. The possession and use of such devices should not interfere with academic instruction, student safety or a positive school climate.
A friendly reminder that our district policy outlined in the Code of Student Conduct states that students may possess a cell phone and other electronic devices in school, on school property, at school-related functions, provided these items are POWERED OFF and concealed from view while school is in session. This policy includes smart watches!! Any student who fails to abide by the terms of this policy forfeits any right or privilege to possess any electronic device described in this policy.
Rotary Student of the Month
SAFETY PATROL OF THE MONTH
Notes From Kim Shipley, Family & Community Liaison
Happy New Year, Volunteers!
As we begin the 2nd half of our current school year, now would be a great time to reactivate your volunteer profile (if you have not done so already). You won’t want to miss out on any upcoming events or activities! It is possible we will start having field trips again soon (a few are already in the works) and only approved and active volunteers will be eligible to chaperone. To reactivate, see the attached instructions for the Volunteer System including the login format. Then use a PC (not a phone or tablet) and google chrome as your browser to log into the system where you will see the reactivation questions. Answer ALL the questions an click on “I Agree” to reactivate. If you have a somewhat common last name, your login may be unique, please contact me for the correct login. If you have never registered before, then you’ll need to complete the online registration at www.pcsb.org/volunteerregistration
If you missed the December deadline for entering your volunteer hours, we still want you to enter them. Please enter them in the new semester DO NOT back-date your entry to before 12/18/21 as this will cause problems with our volunteer system! Every hour counts; helping from home, Lunch Pals/Mentoring, Tutoring, PTA, SAC meetings, Book Fair, Classroom Assistance, Media Center, Special Events (GATI), Field Days, and more! Please take a moment to log into the volunteer system and enter your hours. The dates are not as important as the hours themselves, so feel free to chunk you time and make one entry for all your hours by description. There will be another report of our hours to Tallahassee at the end of the school year, so please remember to enter your volunteer hours throughout the 2nd semester.
Volunteer Opportunities:
- Media Center/Library desperately needs volunteers to shelve books. Please contact Mrs. Huggan to coordinate a schedule for volunteering: huggant@pcsb.org
- January is National Mentor Month! Thank you to all our fabulous mentors, we appreciate all you do!! We still have a great need for Lunch Pals (Mentors) for several students. If you would like to be another caring adult and role model for a student at our school, please sign up to take one of the upcoming workshops so we can match you with a student. Follow this link to sign up: www.pcsb.org/mentor Lunch Pals meet with a student once a week during their lunchtime for 30 minutes, it’s a short amount of time with a huge impact!
Thanks again for all you do!
Kim Shipley
Family & Community Liaison
Cypress Woods Elementary
4900 Cypress Woods Blvd
Palm Harbor, FL 34685
727-538-7325 ext. 2045
Updates From Our PTA
Cypress Woods PTA has Family Movie Night coming up on March 4th. If you are interested in volunteering or helping with the planning stages, please email cweptaboard@gmail.com. You must be a registered volunteer. If you cannot help with the Movie Night, but would like to volunteer with other upcoming events, please let us know you want to be added to our Volunteer Mailing List.
We want to say THANK YOU to our Ultimate Eagle Sponsors! Thank you John Toomer with Reliant Insurance and Mathnasium (East Lake) for your continued support!
Sign Up For Bus Updates!
If you receive a bus bulletin and decide that you would like to pick up your student in the carline, PLEASE NOTIFY THE SCHOOL FIRST. We ask that you do not show up in the bus circle to pick up your student as they may already be on their way to their bus stops.
Cafeteria Update
Free and Reduced Lunch Applications
Opt in For CWE Text Alerts
Using the list below, sign up under the grade of your youngest student in order to receive text alerts about school events, PTA and volunteering. (The information will be the SAME on all accounts, so you should only sign up under one class…)
To 81010, please text the following:
- PRE K @b49fk3
- KINDERGARTEN @24b47f
- 1ST GRADE @cf6c38
- 2ND GRADE @9f7edc
- 3RD GRADE @cwethi
- 4TH GRADE @2ce39k7
- 5TH GRADE @e26kb9
Cypress Woods Elementary
Email: cypresswoodses.absence@pcsb.org
Website: pcsb.org/cypress-es
Location: 4900 Cypress Woods Boulevard, Palm Harbor, FL, USA
Phone: 727-538-7325
Facebook: www.facebook.com/cypresswoodses/
Twitter: @cypresswoodses