Congratulations on surviving the first quarter of online, hybrid and in-person support and teaching. Hats off to your success!
All of the STEM staff appreciate the support and grace you are giving us as we navigate such uncharted waters. Additionally, thank you very much for meeting with your student’s teacher this past week for Parent-Teacher conferences. More than ever, communication and building relationships will be key to academic growth, development and social emotional wellness.
Elementary Highlights
Our kindergarten through third grade teachers and students have done a phenomenal job of transitioning back to in-person learning. It is evident in my classroom walk-throughs that the students and teachers are becoming increasingly skilled and comfortable with some of the new and challenging uses of classroom technology. There is nothing better than when the students share their proud learning moments and accomplishments.
The Progressive Rollout of welcoming our students back to in-person learning allowed us to safely accommodate our students, while maintaining the health and safety guidelines we must follow. Some of the necessary changes were additional cleaning measures in between lunch and recess, as well as the addition of outdoor picnic tables to allow extra space for social distancing in the cafeteria. As always, we continue to evaluate current practices and implement areas of improvement.
Implementation of PikMyKid and our Driveline Team
Thank you for taking the time to download and work through the kinks of PikMyKid Dismissal App. The purposes of using this app include eliminating the need for students to stand outside for long periods of time during dismissal, provide a safe alternative for inclement weather, and an additional level of safety that reduces opportunities for cross contamination between grade levels.
When we started the school year, we had a team of seven on our Elementary Driveline Team, which is about half the amount of staff that we need to operate efficiently. Last week was the first time we were able to operate at almost full capacity as we added an additional three full time staff members and two parent volunteers to the team. We are always in need for more assistance so if you have 45 minutes of free time, I encourage you to sign-up to volunteer for our afternoon driveline.
While our team is now fully trained on the dismissal procedures, I do anticipate that we will experience some slow downs the week back from Fall Break as we welcome back more families for our fourth and fifth grades. To help out our amazing Driveline Team, please be sure to set up your PikMyKid app prior to arriving for dismissal on Monday. While the team is doing their best to assist families with the app in driveline, it does slow them down as they move through the driveline to put cars in order. If you need help with the app, please visit the PikMyKid page on our website.
Enjoy your Fall Break!
We hope you take the next week to rest, relax and recharge. Our teachers will be doing the same so please allow them that time with their families. We look forward to seeing all of your wonderful students back at STEM on Monday, Oct. 19 as we welcome back our fourth and fifth graders (who have signed up) to four-day in-person learning.
As always, feel free to reach out to me with any questions or concerns.
Thank you,
Ms. Kovalesky, Interim Elementary School Director