With just about a month of distance learning to go before the summer break, it is important to remember that building in breaks is necessary. Everyone needs a break, even adults! Moreover, flexibility is key. Routines provide comfort, but being flexible is paramount. Make sure kids are well emotionally and physically since learning cannot happen if they are nervous or stressed out. Try to have fun and enjoy the extra time together by making the most of this unprecedented time. For more tips, check out this article.

As time goes on, children might display an array of emotions including sadness and anger. This abrupt change in normalcy can create emotional responses and even grief as explained in this article. "Emotions need motion. It’s important we acknowledge what we go through" states writer, Scott Berinato. This is true for adults as well as for kids. Don't forget that we're all in this together!

RES was a sea of blue and orange in support of Freddy! We continue to hold Freddy and the Curley family in our hearts as Freddy proceeds with his courageous fight. This Friday, May 8th, is an animal/safari themed spirit day. Dress up as your favorite animal or wear dots, stripes, or animal prints. Upload your photos to the Spirit Day Google photo album!

Best regards,

Daneyelle

May 8th

Animal/Safari Day – Dress up as your favorite animal or wear dots, stripes, or animal prints.

May 15th

Be a Rainbow - Wear your favorite rainbow color(s).

May 22nd

Patriotic Day - Wear red, white, and blue.

May 29th

Sports Day in honor of RES Field Day 2020 - Wear college, professional, or your own sports team’s gear!

June 5th

Dress for Success Day in honor of our sixth graders!

June 12th

Celebrate summer - Wear beach/Hawaiian outfits.

*Upload your Spirit Day pictures to the Google Photos Shared Album (link below). Pictures can also be emailed to djordan@crsd.org. The photos will be used to create a slideshow, to post to the Super Spike Newsletter and the RES website, and will be included in the RES yearbook. Additionally, access to the Google photo album will allow you to see schoolmates' photos.

Hi-RES Families... it’s your Recess and Lunch Aides!!

We (Mrs. Zador, Mrs. Winslow, Mrs. Kraemer, and Mrs. O’Mara) are hoping our Super Spikes are staying well and healthy. We understand that learning from home and having to distance yourself from family and friends is hard and not something we ever expected to happen to us.

We would like to add some fun to your daily/weekly routines. We all know that learning our math, science, language arts, etc. is a vital part of our lives, but so is fun at recess and lunch! We will be posting some fun ideas for our RES kids to do at home. Some ideas will be crafts, some will be outdoor/indoor games, and some will be making fun snacks to eat!

Please find below some of this week’s ideas:

You might be close to running out of new picture books to read, and we know that there's nothing better than a good book before bed! The RES staff doesn't want anyone to miss out on the excitement of shared reading!

Each week in the Smore newsletter, you will find a link to FIVE stories, each read aloud by one of our super staff members. Spread them out over the week, and you'll have a new bedtime story each day!

When growing brains are engaged in the hard work of learning, it is very important to include brain breaks in the learning routine. Although they take a little bit of extra time, research shows that these breaks not only reduce stress and frustration but also increase attention and productivity. Taking a brain break before working on a challenging task can make a child's brain more available to new learning. Taking a brain break after a challenging task is not only a great incentive to finish the task, but also allows the brain to process all the new information it just gained. In other words, brain breaks should not only be fun, but frequent!

Brief brain breaks can be as simple as getting up to get a drink of water, cuddling with a pet, or running up and down the stairs. But adding some mindfulness activities such a deep breathing, mindful movement, or visualization can add additional benefits in terms of stress management and creating a fresh start on their next activity. They not only help at the moment but practicing these activities now is a great way to create new habits that will help your child deal with challenging or stressful situations in the future as well!

Each week we will be providing a menu board of these extra-special brain breaks to help you add some of these benefits to your distance learning routine.

During distance learning, there might be times in which students need the support of our school counselor, Mrs. O'Neill. She is available during this time to help students and their families. Please click here to access Mrs. O'Neill's website.

In order to help promote student wellness, the district is providing optional activities for all grade levels that could be completed individually or with families on Fridays. The activities address the physical health, mental health, and social connectedness of our students. Please click on the following link for the student wellness activities (previously provided on 4/30).

Council Rock’s Medication Take-Back Day will be held on Wednesday, May 13th, 2020 from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm.

If you would like to retrieve your child’s medication or medical supplies, please click the link below and complete the take-back form by Friday, May 8th: https://forms.gle/LXHvGPuDM55SGUvG6.

If you are unable to pick up your child’s medication or supplies on May 13th, you may designate a person to pick up the medication or supplies for you by indicating that on the form.

Please note that controlled substances can only be picked up by adults. If you are unable to pick up your child’s medication and unable to designate a person to do so for you, please indicate your hardship on the form. If you do not complete this form to schedule your pick-up or indicate your hardship, your child’s medication will be disposed of at the end of the day on May 13th, 2020.

To pick up your child’s medication or supplies on May 13th, please arrive in your car at the main entrance of your child’s school between the hours of 2:00 pm and 5:00 pm.

Please remain in your car, and the nurse will come to your car to give you the medication or supplies. If you are feeling any signs of illness on May 13th, please do not come to Medication Take-Back Day. Instead, please email the school nurse directly, and alternative arrangements will be made to obtain your child’s medication or supplies.

Please contact our school nurse, Jennifer Leachko at jleachko@crsd.org, or Kasey Black at kblack2@crsd.org with questions.

On either Wednesday, 6/10, or Thursday, 6/11, students will be able to pick up any personal items left at RES prior to the school closure. Specific details regarding pick-up times and pick-up procedures will be shared soon in a standalone email.

Council Rock School District is canceling its Summer Music Program, Summer Academic and STEM Academy, and Camp Invention. Any registrations and payments received will be returned to families over the next several weeks.

Please note that Camp Invention is offering an at-home alternative this summer. The Council Rock Director, Christine Marsden, will reach out in a few days with additional details on how to sign up for the at-home version and/or get a full refund.

For questions about these three summer programs, please contact Dr. Susan Elliott, Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning via email at selliott@crsd.org. Thank you for your understanding. Please stay safe and well.

While Council Rock students are engaged in Distance Learning, the following procedures will be implemented to track student attendance:

• Beginning Monday, April 20, 2020, students/families will be responsible for recording their attendance each day including Fridays.
• Students will click the link ONCE per day to record their attendance for that day.
• If a student is absent, parents/guardians to Mrs. Gluch at cgluch@crsd.org reporting the absence.
• Attendance is being recorded from 12:00 AM to 11:59 PM on a school day. Students and parents CANNOT record attendance in advance - this must be completed each day.
• Parents/guardians of multiple CR children MUST complete this form once for each of their students; students CANNOT be combined into a single record.

Here is the link that will be provided by the RES Attendance Secretary and the homeroom teachers:

On-Line Registration is now fully open! Please go to the CRSD site at www.crsd.org and click on the Student Registration tab.

You can submit your completed registration by using instructions listed on the site. Once your file is reviewed, we will be in contact to complete the process via e-signature. Please do not forget applications must be submitted by June 1st to guarantee a spot in your student’s home school!

If you have any questions please reach out to our registration department at registration@crsd.org.

To apply for free lunch during the COVID-19 school closure, you may:

• Download the Free and Reduced Lunch Application, fill it out, and email back to Karen Moody kmoody@crsd.org. DO NOT send your application via US mail to the district office as there is no mail being delivered to our buildings during this time.­­­
• Apply online by visiting: https://www.compass.state.pa.us/compass.web/Public/CMPHome (the website offers language options other than English)

You will only need to submit one application per household, even if your children attend more than one school in Council Rock School District. Eligibility determination is made using federal income eligibility guidelines and applicants will be informed of a decision within two business days of submission.

Throughout the duration of the COVID-19 school closure, Council Rock School District is offering a “grab and go” food service. If your family qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, you will be given instructions as to how to access these meals when you are notified your child is eligible.

For questions, please email kmoody@crsd.org

No matter where we spend our days, we are still one big Super Spike Family! Check out this video, where the grown-ups of RES tell you how much we are thinking of our students and families!

Success for every student, every day!

Email: djordan@crsd.org
Website: http://www.crsd.org/site/default.aspx?domainid=1666
Location: Richboro Elementary School, 125 Upper Holland Road, Richboro, PA, United States
Phone: (215) 944-1900
Twitter: @RES_Bulldogs