Bobcat Bulletin: Moretown School's Blog: Bobcat Bulletin September 9, 2020

We're ready for our white group to arrive!!

The first in-person day for our White Group is tomorrow!! I so enjoyed our zoom together on Tuesday to celebrate the first day of school remotely. They had amazing questions and showed off their zooming skills! I can't wait to see them in person!
I have decided to zoom with the Red Group tomorrow to share celebrations and answer any questions they may have.

I have had many questions about afterschool care. We are working with NOW to see if we can set it up here at school. This would only be available on the days when students attend school For example a Red Group student could attend afterschool programming on Tuesdays (and Mondays soon). Please complete this survey for our friends at NOW: After School Care survey

I shared this before school started but I wanted to resend it as I know emails have been coming at you fast these days. This is simply a survey to check in and see how things are going for you and your children. It is completely voluntary, but a way for us to reach out and check in. Parent/Caretaker Interview Thank you to those who have already filled it out.

Just a reminder to please keep kids home if they are showing signs of illness. Additionally, if a student has a condition (asthma, allergies, chronic headaches, gastrointestinal issues) we will need documentation from a doctor, as these could be seen as possible COVID symptoms. Medical providers are prepared to provide this documentation to schools.

Student/Family Handbook- Here is the updated 20-21 handbook. It can also be found on the website.

The website is being updated continuously, but if there is something you don't see or you have things you wish were there, please let me know.

Specials/Integrated Arts will be a little different than we are used to this year. As you know many of our folks are shared among schools in the valley normally. In an attempt to decrease exposure for both them and the students we have switched their schedules to be in person at one school a week. Students will have two specials a day with the specialists/artists for that week. For example this week is an A week. We have PE/Health and Art and Library on A weeks. On a B week, students will have PE/Health and French for the week. Students will have access to the other specials/integrated arts from the other teachers on offsite days, which can lead to a complicated schedule, but will make sure that we don't go four weeks without any music.

Schedules I will say some things look better on paper... we are working through kinks as we find them. Also, schedules that look a little lean will fill up as we go. We are focusing first and foremost on SEL (Social Emotional Learning), just like we would at the beginning of any school year. We are prioritizing building connections and establishing a community. Just like during a regular school year, we will ease into most academics. This will mean there will be less core academic work in the first couple of weeks, with it gradually increasing over time.

Devices We have encountered an issue with ipads, in that they have an outdated version of zoom and seesaw on them. We are working as fast as we can to get this problem solved, for what seems like a simple fix is turning out to be far more complicated than anyone would have hoped. I hope to get a device in every k-1-2 students' hand as soon as possible. Thanks for your patience, and for all the work-arounds people are having to do to make this work. I am sorry that they were not ready to roll day one as we had planned.

Be well everyone!

Mandy

Bobcat Bulletin: Moretown School's Blog