Hello, and welcome to a special edition of the Hillside News Brief. In this News Brief, I will make an attempt to answer questions you may have about how things will run at Hillside and in our district during the pandemic in which we find ourselves.

Please know that things could change just as soon as I send this out; we will do our best to be as timely and as updated as possible with the information included here.

We are still in "yellow" mode in our district as of this writing. The plan for "yellow" is that students in families with last name A-K will attend school Mondays and Tuesdays; students in families with last name L-Z will attend school Thursdays and Fridays. Students will learn at home on Wednesdays. On weeks we have a Monday holiday, students who usually attend Monday and Tuesday will attend Tuesday and Wednesday.

Please feel free to email me at bailey.cynthia@westside66.net if you have any questions not answered here or in other communications.

Cynthia Bailey, Principal

Important Dates

August 11th: Class placement will be emailed to families; your student will find out his or her teacher

August 14th: Virtual Sneak Peek - an email will be sent so families may access videos introducing teachers

August 18th: First day of school for families with last names A-K* and Group 1 Kindergarten

August 20th: First day of school for families with last names L-Z* and Group 2 Kindergarten

August 24th & 25th: Students with last names A-K* in person, all others online

August 27th & 28th: Students with last names L-Z* in person, all others online

*(Unless alternate arrangement previously approved)

For those learning at home (in "yellow" or participating in at-home Extended Campus), students in grades K-2 will be logging in at specific times from 8:45 am-1:25 pm; students in grades 3-6 will be logging in at specific times from 8:45 am - 2:00 pm. for instruction from the classroom teacher using the Webex Video Chat platform that will be introduced to students in the first days of school.. Details for each grade level are forthcoming regarding subject matter and specific times. There is more information below regarding our "yellow" schedule.

While we are in "Yellow" mode, normally, students will not be on campus on Wednesdays. However, students will begin their school year on a Tuesday. This means students in Group A during the YELLOW plan will come to school on August 18 (Tuesday) and August 19 (Wednesday). OUR WEDNESDAY DISMISSAL TIME WILL BE 3:30 pm ON AUGUST 19th!

On-campus attendance will happen again for students the week of Labor Day. Labor Day is on Monday, September 7, so students in Group A will attend Tuesday, September 8, and Wednesday, September 9. SCHOOL WILL DISMISS ON WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, AT 3:30 p.m.

Hillside's Technology Pick-Up Day will be Monday, August 17. You may come by Hillside to pick up technology and student masks from 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Please drive up and let us know who your student is (or students) and the grade level(s). We will deliver to your car the technology and some student masks. Please be sure your student(s) don the mask for attending school.

If you have school supplies you'd like to donate, please do so at our technology drop-off. We so appreciate school supplies! You can put them in your trunk and open it when you arrive at the circle in front of Hillside.

Please remain in your vehicle; we will come to you with as much social distancing as possible.

There are a few back-to-school events that can support families as we return:

Back 2 School Bash (Drive thru) Mission Church 3401 Patrick Avenue. August 1st 6-8PM

https://www.thisismission.org/upcoming-events/back-2-school-bash

August 1st 2-4PM One World Back-to-School Bash

https://www.oneworldomaha.org/get-involved/backtoschoolbash/

Salvation Army Backpack Distribution

https://centralusa.salvationarmy.org/omaha/back-to-school/

For those students who will be learning at home with us full time, please know you will be assigned a Hillside teacher. There will be opportunities to engage with that teacher throughout your at-home learning. There may be some lesson opportunities that look different from students attending school in "yellow" mode, but there will be similarities, as well.

Those learners who are participating in Extended Campus only will begin logging into the classroom instruction on August 20.

Let us know if you have questions!

The health and safety of our students and staff is of the utmost importance. In using guidance from health officials throughout the metro and beyond, as well as District Guidelines and Policies, listed are measures we have developed in order to provide a safe and healthy educational environment for the Hillside students and staff. To view Westside’s full pandemic plan, including the information below, please see above. Teachers will share more information, expectations and procedures in each classroom at Hillside upon our return to school. As guidelines change, communication will be made from the District and/or the school.

Masks - Wearing a mask will be required. There will be mask breaks taken throughout the day. Masks will be required upon arrival on campus and dismissal of the school day.

Social Distancing - Students and staff will maintain social distancing in the hallways and classroom seating to the greatest extent possible.

Hand Washing & Sanitizing - Hand washing and sanitizing procedures will be taught throughout the building and will occur frequently throughout the day. Classrooms will be stocked with hand sanitizer for students and staff to use.

Plexiglass - Plexiglass will be used throughout the school, most specifically in the office area, small group instruction tables in classrooms, and in the cafeteria.

Lunchroom - Students will eat lunch in the lunchroom with social distancing measures and plexiglass barriers.

Specials - Specials will occur with Music and P.E. being held inside the gym or outside for instructional purposes. The gymnasium provides space great enough to provide social distancing in these two disciplines. Art and Library will travel to the classrooms.

Student Supplies - Students will use individual supplies, textbooks, and resources. Items will not be shared among the community in the classroom as well as in specials.

Water Bottles - Students should bring their own water bottles that are clearly labeled with their name. Students will fill up bottles in classroom sinks and touchless water-filling stations being installed in future weeks. If your student does not have a water bottle, just let the office know, and we can provide one.

Here are some highlights of efforts to provide a safe and socially-distanced environment for our students:

Beginning of the School Day

• If a student is tardy, the health assistant will be outside so tardy students may socially distance while checking in and, possibly, picking up a grab and go breakfast

• Breakfast will still be available to all students, and it will be grab and go at outside kiosks. Students will socially distance in the classroom in order to eat breakfast, then mask back up to get to work

• Students should be wearing a mask before stepping out of a vehicle and onto school grounds; students will be expected to wear a mask on campus unless during a mask break (facilitated by a staff member in a socially distanced manner)

During the School Day

• In the classroom, staff and students will wear a mask (socially distanced mask breaks will be directed by the teacher as appropriate); desks will be as socially distanced as possible

• Students will have a pencil box or baggie that contains their own materials

• Students will not have access to classroom paperback libraries at this time

• E-books will be encouraged and available; an ipad will be provided for each student

• Students will have their own textbooks and materials

• Small group instruction will take place in a socially distanced manner or at a large table with plexiglass barriers

Recess

• A single grade will play together at recess; no mixing of grade levels. Students will wear masks during recess if not socially distanced. Mask breaks will be provided

• Water fountains will be disabled, but water bottle fillers will be operational. We will have additional water bottle fillers available

Lunch

• Cafeteria tables will hold 12 students each with plexiglass barriers between each student for lunch time

• Lunch choices will be somewhat limited

Events and Assemblies

• There will be no building events first quarter (i.e., Sneak-a-Peek, Pancake Man, etc.). We will re-evaluate quarter by quarter and will receive guidance from the district regarding when it is safe to resume gatherings and events

• There will be no in-person assemblies; student assemblies will be virtual with students watching in the classroom

Dismissal

• Students riding the bus will wear a mask at all times on the bus and socially distance as much as possible

• Students will be as separated as possible at dismissal. Those picking up students should plan to leave campus as soon as possible. The playgrounds will be closed at dismissal.

General

• Birthday snacks sent should be individually packaged. These will be handed out by the teacher using gloves

• Students will be directed to socially distance as much as possible when walking in line, waiting in line, etc.

• Student traffic in the building will be routed one way whenever possible

• Sneak-A-Peek Nights at all Westside elementary schools will be VIRTUAL for the 2020/2021 school year.
• On August 14th, your family will receive an email with a link to a "FlipGrid" collection of videos from our teachers, introducing themselves to you, showing the classroom, and helping your child to become familiar with what expectations will be on their first day of school.

Due to changes in the way school looks and feels as well as the world around us, we know Social Emotional Learning will be a critical part of children's time at school. Teachers will be delivering even more lessons than last spring to help support students in managing thoughts and feelings during this confusing time.

In addition, this year we have expanded our curriculum, SecondStep, to include their Bullying prevention program.

If your child is experiencing particular difficulties (whether related to the pandemic or other life circumstances) and you would like to explore options for additional support we encourage you to contact our School Counselor, Mr. Maloley at maloley.zachary@westside66.net, who can help in coordinating additional supports and resources.

Outdoor Education is a time-honored tradition for 6th graders in the Westside Community Schools. The experience at Platte River State Park traditionally takes place in the fall during the sixth grade year. Out of an abundance of caution, Outdoor Education will be postponed and moved to the spring of 2021. The District will continue to evaluate and to receive recommendations from local experts as the year progresses towards spring, as we want Outdoor Education to be a positive, safe and healthy experience for all sixth graders and our staff.

Monday, August 3rd Westside will be launching the Returning Student Registration. Be sure to watch your email inbox next week for our annual student updates. This is a great time to adjust phone numbers, emergency contacts and make sure you continue to receive communications from the school and district.

What if I forgot my PowerSchool account login information?

Contact Mrs. White-Hamilton, our school secretary through email (white-hamilton.susan@westside66.net) or phone (402-390-6450) or you can reset your password using the “Forgot Username or Password?” link on the login page (ps.westside66.org). Please be aware that the recovery email will be sent to the email address you used to create the account, which may not be your current email address.

If you need further assistance with your account, please email powerschool.support@westside66.net or call 402-390-2100.

While flip-flops are a very cute and popular item, they present some safety challenges for our students out at recess and on gym days. If your student likes to be active at recess, please consider sending your student in safer shoes for those recess /gym feet.

With situations changing frequently, this year's events calendar will be primarily digital, to allow us to update regularly. You can use your favorite calendaring software to subscribe to our Hillside Public Calendar by visiting the calendar section of our website and using the .ics file for applications like Calendar on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, or using the Google Calendar Subscription for other platforms.