September 2, 2020

 
 

September 2, 2020


From the Principal's Desk

Hello, Theuerkauf Families!

Thank you for another successful week of collaboration, learning, and engagement in the online space! This week, teachers have worked more strategically with students on academic concepts, and we are now in full swing in terms of academic engagement in all content areas. In addition to academic progress, it has been exciting to continue to see students and staff form nurturing relationships founded on respect and trust. I want to personally express my gratitude to staff as well as parents for the long hours that everyone is spending supporting students as they become acclimated to the routines and processes for this new school year. I also want to thank our PTA for the beautiful and uplifting messages left in chalk for our teachers and staff this week! The Theuerkauf spirit of unity and positivity has been strengthened by these outpourings of gratitude, and we are all looking for ways to pass on the positivity each and every day. I hope that as we move into the Labor Day weekend, you take time to celebrate the hard work you have been putting into making sure that our students are being prepared well for their futures. Remember that together, we make a difference! Please keep reaching out with your questions, ideas, and thoughts about how we can best serve each and every student.

 

Yours in service,

Michelle Williams 



Important Dates

September 2, 2020 - 6:00 - 7:30 pm- Back to School Night - Transitional Kindergarten (TK) - Register here

September 7, 2020-  Labor Day, no school

September 10, 2020 - Open office hours with the principal from 8-8:30am and from 4:30-5pm

September 11, 2020- ELAC Meeting 9:00-10:00am

September 18, 2020- Third materials distribution (12pm-5pm, all grades)



School News

Volunteer with Project Cornerstone 

Strengthen the caring community at our school! Volunteers share a book with the class each month and lead an activity/discussion related to social-emotional learning. This year's topics include: empathy, boosting friendships, expressing feelings in healthy ways and more. Please email [email protected] to volunteer or for more information. You can learn more about the program at projectcornerstone.org

 

COVID Safety Update and Checklist

If you come to campus, you may have noticed a few changes. Our staff is hard at work preparing for the safe return of our students, once it is determined by the state and local public health guidance that it is safe to do so. Each Friday, we will be posting our progress on our Reopening Checklist

A few notable changes: 

  • Staff training on COVID safety, Protocol and our Response Process

  • Increased signage reminding everyone to maintain physical distance, regularly wash hands, and wear face-coverings

  • All individuals provided with access to a reusable face mask and face shields

  • An increased cleaning and sanitizing schedule

  • Employees required to complete regular COVID testing and a daily self-screener before coming to campus. 

  • Outdoor hand sanitizing stations 

  • New no-touch soap and hand-sanitizing dispensers 

  • Replacement of filters with MERV-13 filters

 

Safety Reminders

As a reminder, our campus remains closed due to COVID-19. When necessary, appointments may be scheduled for materials pick-up. When coming to campus, please wear a mask and maintain at least 6 feet of social distance at all times. Additionally, please perform the following self-check prior to coming on campus:

1. Do you have any of these symptoms that are not caused by another condition?

       • Fever or chills • Recent loss of taste or smell • Cough • Sore throat

       • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing • Congestion • Fatigue

       • Nausea or vomiting  • Muscle or body aches • Diarrhea • Headache

2. Within the past 14 days, have you had contact with anyone that you know had COVID-19 or COVID-like symptoms? Contact is being 6 feet (2 meters) or closer for more than 15 minutes with a person, or having direct contact with fluids from a person with COVID-19 (for example, being coughed or sneezed on).

3. Have you had a positive COVID-19 test for an active virus in the past 10 days? 4. Within the past 14 days, has a public health or medical professional told you to self-monitor, self-isolate, or self-quarantine because of concerns about COVID-19 infection?

If you answer yes to any of the questions, please contact the school, and we will arrange for an alternate delivery method for your family.

 

Online Assessments

This week and next week, we will be administering our i-Ready assessments for English Language Arts and math for students in grades 1-5. The tests will be administered on Thursday and Friday, 9/3 and 9/4 for ELA and on 9/8 and 9/10-11 for math. Teachers will be proctoring the assessment, so please do not assist your child while they are taking the test. We want to make sure we are assessing what students know so that we will be able to tailor instruction to best meet their needs. Additionally, please ensure that your child has a quiet place to work, free of distractions. Please refer to the weekly dashboard on Friday for the schedule of specific times when the test will be given for your child.

 

Principal Check-in Times

Ms. Williams will continue to hold open Zoom office hours for any parent or guardian who would like to ask a question or share an idea. You can join her here from 8:00am-8:30am and from 4:30-5pm on Thursday or by appointment.

 

Update Your Contact Information 

If you would like to update your contact information (phone number, email, emergency contacts, etc.), please complete our confidential online form in Spanish or English or send an email Ms. Colon at [email protected] or to Ms. Minor at [email protected].

 

Student Attendance and Engagement

Due to new state guidelines, beginning on September 8th, there will be some changes to how our school is required to count and monitor student attendance.

It’s important to remember that school attendance during distance learning counts and is mandatory. If your student will be absent, please report it by calling or emailing us as soon as possible. If your child is having difficulty with distance learning, please let us know. We want to help.

Changes to attendance monitoring beginning Sept 8:

  • Elementary teachers will check in with students at the beginning of the day. Attendance will be taken at the end of the day every day, including Wednesdays. For middle school students, attendance is taken every period of the day, including Wednesdays.

  • Students will no longer get a separate participation grade in Google Classroom. Attendance and participation scores are now combined and can be viewed by parents in Powerschool under “attendance history.”

  • If you don’t report your student’s absence, your school will be calling you to determine the reason for the absence.

For more information about attendance, please see https://www.mvwsd.org/attendance 

 

Old Chromebooks & Library Books (from last school year)

If you have a Chromebook from last year, please return the device by September 18, 2020. We will have a bin just inside of the main office doors for parents to place the old Chromebooks. You can stop by between 8am and 12pm, from 9/7 and 9/11, or you can drop these off during our materials distribution on 9/18 from 12pm to 5pm.

Similarly, we will have a box for library book returns. If your child has a book from last year, please return it during these same timeframes.



PTA News

Hello Theuerkauf Cheetahs. We want to have a little fun. Each week, the PTA will post on Facebook and through the Cheetah Chatter a riddle or puzzle for you to ponder. Students should have a parent or guardian enter their answer on our PTA Facebook page as a response to the puzzle of the week.  Please include the student's first name only. Parents can enter one answer for each student at Theuerkauf. We'll award a small prize to one of the students who answered correctly.

This week's PTA riddle:  What can travel around the world but stays in one spot?

Reminder: Join the PTA! If you would like to join PTA to support our children and our school, please fill out and return this form in a sealed envelope with cash or a check made payable to Theuerkauf Elementary PTA. We can collect dues when materials are being distributed. To pay online, please email your completed form and use PayPal to send $10 dues to recipient [email protected]. PTA is a non-profit organization; for each member, our PTA pays dues to various PTA organizations.  Dues help PTA operate; donations help us support our school community. Sponsorships/scholarships are available.



District News

Please Support Our Students and Teachers!

MVEF raises money to provide all MVWSD students with an educational experience beyond what is possible with public funding. We hope you saw the MVEF brochure with your school supplies or watched the video during Back to School. Please see the website at https://www.mvef.org/ for more information and to donate online. Please consider joining our team of volunteers or emailing us with any questions at [email protected]. Thank you for your support!

 

Track your student's online activities at home with Securly

MVWSD provides a tool that allows parents to be aware of their students' online activities and to help keep them safe on their school-issued devices. Securly allows you to see what choices your student is making online while at home so that you will be alerted to potential issues and can guide your student. Please note: Securly is for school-issued devices only. Check your email for these weekly reports, and you may also download the Securly app. For more information, please see https://www.mvwsd.org/technology.

 

Public hearing on Sept. 17: Sufficient instructional materials

A public hearing will be held in order to comply with Ed Code section 60119 on September 17, 2020 to detail the extent to which textbooks and instructional materials were provided to all students, including English Learners.

The definition of “sufficient textbooks or instructional materials” means that each pupil has textbooks or instructional materials, or both to use in class and to take home in each of the following subjects:

• Mathematics

• Science

• History/Social Science

• Language Arts

The public hearing on September 17, 2020 at 7:00pm will be held during the regular meeting of the Board of Trustees. To view details about accessing the meeting either online or by phone, please click on the September 17 agenda link on this webpage: https://www.mvwsd.org/about/board_of_trustees/board_meetings

 

Distance Learning - Thought Exchange

Due to COVID-19, MVWSD has been working to refine its procedures and protocols to serve families in this new distance-learning environment. Extensive work has happened at every level: Instruction, technology, food service, and more. Our plans are summarized in “Return to Learn: MVWSD Reopening Plan” at https://www.mvwsd.org/returntolearn.  

Now that we've been distance learning for several weeks due to COVID-19, in your opinion, what’s working well and what are our areas of improvement? To answer this question, we ask that you participate in this online exchange of ideas - ThoughtExchange - with other parents, students in grade 5 and higher, and MVWSD staff members. Through Sept. 17, please share your thoughts and return again to rate the thoughts shared by others.

You may participate in this exchange by clicking on this link: http://mvw.sd/TE. Translation is available in multiple languages. We cannot thank you enough for your patience and flexibility in the last few months. Your input will help us further improve and refine our plans as we move into the future.


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