Tiger Talk!
August 21, 2020
Dear Families,
Please excuse the brevity of this email. I am currently my own Administrative Secretary and Administrative Assistant. I am answering the phone and door and giving tours. It is so fun in here right now. Fun Friday! I love the energy. I will be brief since you have been provided a lot of detailed information over the past few weeks. I am attaching tentative schedules for all grades. These are the schedules we plan to use for the first 6 weeks of school. I am thrilled to have everyone back in the building, and I am extremely confident that we are doing this safely. PLEASE be sure to give my staff the same consideration. Consider closing your social circles for the next week. Everyone on staff here is finishing their covid-19 testing and will be negative when we start the school year. I pray that you will help us keep it that way by making safe choices for your families. I look forward to seeing some of you on Meet the Teacher Day next Friday the 28th from noon until 3 (at your assigned times). Sign-ups will be coming from your child’s teacher in the next few days. I am equally excited to see my Preschool through 2nd Grade friends (last names A-L) for a noon dismissal on September 1st and the second half on September 2nd. Thursday, September 3rd will be our first day to have all on-site learners in the building for a full day. I am really looking forward to that. It has been way too long.
Remember that if you chose remote learning, your child’s belongings must be picked up between noon and 3pm on the dates assigned (Sept. 1st for last names A to L) (Sept. 2nd for last names M-Z). Our schedules are packed with professional development, so adhering to timelines is greatly appreciated.
Our teachers will be attending multiple trainings next week. One topic will be “Diversity and Social Justice” with DeVon Jackson. DeVon is the Director of Diversity and Inclusion at Salesianum High School. I had the pleasure of attending his training myself and wanted to share that with my staff. We continue to grow in the work of equality and social justice. We will have a two-day presentation with Gina Castelli. Gina will continue the training she started with us last year. Covid-19 cut us short. Gina offers teacher coaching in the areas of teacher language, responsive classrooms, and much more. She will be giving us 21st Century teaching strategies for this ever-changing world we live in. Our school counselor, Laura Angelo, will also be doing a Mental Health Awareness lesson with our staff so that we are better able to observe any warning signs of stress and anxiety in our youth. She has some fun ideas for classroom identity, self-esteem building, and positive thinking. We will close our week with a faculty retreat from our beloved Father Brian Zumbrum, O.S.F.S. We always look forward to his homilies and retreats. He is one of the most kind, gentle, and loving people I have ever met. He inspires me weekly with his writings and Homilies. His talks are always uplifting and genuine. The day before school starts, we will have the opportunity to attend our Diocesan Spirituality Day virtually. We will honor three staff members for their anniversaries: John McMillan and Laura Angelo for 5 years of service and Joanne Waritz for 20 years of service.
When you see your child’s schedule, you may notice that teachers will be teaching from 8am until dismissal. You may call the office to leave a message for your child’s teacher. You may also email your child’s teacher, but understand that they simply will not be able to answer any emails during the school day. They will be livestreaming, and some of them will be rotating to classes (to keep middle school children in safe cohorts all day). Any transportation changes MUST be reported to the main office. Remember your child’s numeric code (if provided) for pick up. Some teachers will assign this, since it will be challenging to identify parents with masks on. Also, please remember what door your child will be entering through each day. It will be the same door for dismissal. Please arrive on time. Once the school day starts at 8am, there will not be anyone supervising those doors. Late arrivals will have to enter through the main doors. Please arrive between 7:30 and 7:50am daily.
Mrs. Orensky, our physical education teacher, is not able to return for at least the first 6 weeks of school due to surgery recovery. For safety reasons, I will not be introducing a permanent substitute at this time. I will be teaching gym to middle school students only, starting the second week of school, and I will formulate a plan to cover all gym classes moving forward. Mrs. Orensky is working remotely and developing lesson plans for me. In the meantime, Physical Education breaks will be provided by homeroom teachers. Mrs. Orensky hopes to return in mid to late October.
LUNCH from the cafeteria will begin on September 8th! Please be sure to pack lunch, drinks, and a snack for your children on September 3rd and 4th. Ms. Michele will be sending an email out next week with a lunch menu.
Keep practicing with masks for your little ones, as everyone is required to wear a mask entering and exiting the building, as well as when moving through hallways. Hallway travel will be very minimal (bathroom breaks only). All students will wear masks into their classroom. Once seated, there will be times to remove them. It is best to have them practice wearing them for extended periods of time now.
Have a wonderful weekend! Stay safe and be well!
“Do not worry about tomorrow. The same loving Father who cares for you today will be there tomorrow and every day.” ~ St .Francis de Sales
Please excuse any typographical errors!