January 10, 2021
Dear families and parents,
While the world outside our school walls continues to be challenging in a myriad of ways, I want to take a moment and highlight the wonderful things happening here at Montrose!
• This week, we welcomed your children back to the building for three days in a row and we will see them five days next week! Yeah! • Students have been lined up each day outside ready for the start of school. Kids WANT to come to school which is such a celebration! (And we love having them!) • Our partnerships with Bexley Parks and Recreation and the Jewish Community Center are working really well, providing needed transportation and childcare for families with this needed support. • Our students have the opportunity to have art, music, and Physical Education with some of their favorite teachers throughout the week! • Teachers can see what students have been doing at home during asynchronous times and provide feedback and answer questions daily. • Time at school is being spent on math, writing, and reading instruction. Teachers have increased time in these subject areas and our smaller than usual class sizes allow for more individualized instruction. • So much of this felt more like “business as usual” at school and that has been such a true JOY!
As with every week, there is so much to communicate. I kindly as that you take some a few minutes to read through the entire newsletter to stay up to date on all our school happenings. Thank you!
Warm regards,
Melissa K-L
Melissa Klosterman-LandoPrincipal at Montrose ElementaryMontrose Elementary website
MASK UP, MONTROSE
When you or others pick up your children at dismissal or bring them at arrival, it is imperative that you wear a mask. Wearing your mask on school grounds keeps us safe from harming others if we are the carrier of COVID-19. Your diligence in mitigating COVID helps create a caring place and keeps our school community safe. It also models to our children how we respect district policies.
PETS and SCHOOL GROUNDS
When visiting our school grounds please remember that dogs and pets are not allowed per our district guidance to keep everyone safe. Details are included in our elementary handbook.
MONTROSE PTO - which means YOU!
Parents and families, we want to thank YOU for your support this week as we headed back to school and and throughout the year. The PTO (which means YOU - every parent is a member of our Montrose PTO just by having a moose!) supplied us with these yummy treats in our mailboxes. They brought smiles to our faces. Thank you!
SCHOOL CALENDAR and LUNCH MENU
We are continuing with daily instruction using our Hybrid 2.0 model; students will attend school every day in either the morning or afternoon. If you have questions please contact your child’s teacher or the school office. Here is a copy of our district calendar for the school year. For information about lunches, please visit this link: Food Services.
M.A.P. TESTING
Measures of Academic Progress (M.A.P.) testing is a computerized assessment we give students three times a year to evaluate their progress in math and reading in grades 1-5. This assessment helps our teachers plan instruction. We will be assessing students during their time at school January 11-29. Your child’s teacher can provide you with specific information about the dates your child will be taking M.A.P. Students in grades 2-5 will be using their Chromebooks so it will be important that those devices are charged and are at school on your child’s testing dates. First grade students will be using computers in our labs.
THANK YOU, BEXLEY PARKS & RECREATION and JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER (JCC)We have enjoyed exceptional partnerships with the Bexley Rec and with the Jewish Community Center. We are thankful for the support of these two organizations while we operate in our new hybrid model. Thank you to Bexley Rec and JCC!
PROGRESS REPORTS AVAILABLE TOMORROW
Your child’s progress report for Quarter 2 can be accessed in PowerSchool tomorrow on January 11, 2021 beginning at 8:00am. Progress for Quarter 1 was shared during fall conferences; there is no PowerSchool report for the first quarter.
You can access PowerSchool from the district website: BexleySchools.org > click Find It Fast, then Parent & Student Portal. Select Students & Parents under the PowerSchool heading.
Directions for Viewing Grades:
• Sign into your PowerSchool parent account.
• Click the Standards Grades tab.
• View grades by clicking the drown-down arrow next to each class, or click Expand All to view all classes at once.
• If comments are available, they can be viewed by licking the comment icon.
• To print a paper copy, click the printer icon at the top-right corner of the screen.
Marking System
The marking system consists of:
M (Mastery), D (Developing), E (Emerging), and IE (Insufficient Evidence).
Need to Create an Account?
If you have not created an account for any of your child, you will first need to create your PowerSchool parent account and then link your account to your child’s name (ID and access password provided by the district). If you have further questions, please reach out to Mrs. Anderson ([email protected]).
MATH RESEARCH STUDY OPPORTUNITY
Looking for an opportunity for your child to participate in a mathematics research study? Click here for an opportunity with The Ohio State University. For students in grades 3-5 Math study
OUR WORK TOWARDS ANTI-RACISM
We continue our work in Bexley City Schools to create safe environments for all of our students and staff, and to better ourselves by unlearning, learning, and doing. With recent events, we consistently ask ourselves how we can better acknowledge and combat racism. Please check out our videos from recent Parent Institute presentations regarding microaggressions, understanding privilege, and implicit bias. https://www.bexleyschools.org/ParentInstitute.aspx
BEXLEY SCHOOLS’ QUARANTINE REMINDERIf exposed to a positive case of COVID-19, and the student/staff member doesn't develop COVID-19 symptoms during their quarantine, they can end their quarantine after 10 days. Close contact is considered being within 6 feet for a cumulative duration of ~15 minutes. Exposure occurs when someone has close contact to A person with COVID-19 who has symptoms (in the period of two days prior to symptom onset until the infected person completes their home isolation)A person who has tested positive for COVID-19 but has not had symptoms (in the two days before test specimen collection until the person with a positive test completes their home isolation).
UPDATED QUARANTINE PLAN REMINDER
With the start of the second semester of school, the updated quarantine plans are now in effect
Elementary students will be provided a case manager, daily assignments, and access to an online curriculum including allied arts. The case manager will be a primary contact for the student/family to help coordinate any needs during quarantine. They will ensure that each student knows how to access assignments and online meetings, remains connected to all of their teachers, and has access to mental health resources.
Teachers will provide an ELA plan that is specific to the child and includes assignments. For math instruction, teachers will meet with students via Zoom two times a week for 15 minutes to ensure students understand the math concepts and how to complete the work. This will be a standing time each week and other students who need help may join the meeting. Social studies, science, and health content will be available to all students through Google Classroom.
Quarantined middle and high school students will also be assigned a case manager, who will provide information about how to stay engaged in their learning and access additional academic and mental health resources. Students will receive regular reminders about Canvas, email, and access to a help desk. Students will be expected to view their classes through provided Zoom links or prerecorded video lessons.
While watching live streams of class, students may not experience the same level of interaction that they do during in-person or dedicated Zoom days, but they will have a window into the learning environment.
A school counselor will reach out to your student within the first few days to provide an opportunity for emotional support, encouragement, and connection. School counselors remain available to all students and families as needed.
The Great Green Bexley Independent Study Challenge is back again with another opportunity for students to learn, plan, change and advocate! This month, the self-paced, home-based, differentiated program focuses on energy and electricity. Thanks to the Bexley Community Foundation, cash prizes will be awarded to the winner of each grade bracket. Contact [email protected] for questions.
LITTLE FREE FOOD PANTRIESThe second grade families are being asked to fill the Montrose, Alum Creek, and brand new Sheridan Road (595 Sheridan Ave) pantries for the month of January. Here is the link to sign up for a day: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0F45AEA92AA0F58-stock4
COUNSELOR’S CORNER FROM MRS. HIPSLEYI hope everyone had a wonderful and restful Winter Break! I am so excited to see students back in the building, though my time with them will be Virtual during Hybrid 2.0. If you haven't read the information regarding the changes to SEL please click here. All important information and links are included. Every child in grades 1-5 will have a required SEL during their at-home learning time. There will also be additional optional times that students can connect with me and their peers! This schedule will start this week.
SCHOOL PICTURE DAY IS 2 DAYS AWAY
Please note, our physical hard copy flyers were printed prior to our new Hybrid 2.0 model and accommodate our original hybrid model for an A day Picture Day and a B day Picture Day. With our new model, both our a.m. and p.m. students will be able to be photographed while safely mitigating COVID on Tuesday, January 12, 2021. Retakes will be February 26, 2021.
Lifetouch has taken many steps to ensure student, staff, and photographer safety on School Picture Day. Here is a link that outlines Lifetouch's process for picture day. In addition to what you will see in the video, the Lifetouch team has gone through a COVID preparedness plan training. Each Lifetouch member also completes daily "self-evaluations" (similar to our Bexley Health Pledge) which includes a temperature check that is recorded via their online app. Each camera set up has PPE items and signage to use to help encourage social distancing and good traffic flow. Stephanie Borders ([email protected]) and Katie Anderson ([email protected])are developing a schedule that keeps the flow going smoothly to reduce traffic and ensure students are safely distanced. If you have questions, please reach out to us. Thank you.
Also, our yearbooks are still on sale! Don’t miss out! To order one, please click here: Order Your Yearbook Today! Enter code: 11453221