Jackson Family Journal

July 30, 2020

Principal's Message

Hello Jackson' Families,

We are so excited to begin another school year with you and your children, even under unique circumstances! We hope that all of our Jackson Braves have had a wonderful summer! The goal of this newsletter is to provide you with an update after Tuesday night's Board of Education Meeting. As you have probably heard, our school start date has changed to August 10, 2020. Our previously scheduled "Meet and Greet" event scheduled for July 31, 2020, has also been postponed.

Jackson will be mailing student placement letters on Friday, July 31, 2020. We encourage you to check your mailbox soon to find a letter from your child's teacher and other important school-related information.

We invite you to join us for a "Back to School Orientation" for our Face to Face (F2F) learners on Thursday, August 6, 2020. This is not a drop-in event like we have had in the past. Instead, we are conducting an orientation session to support families in accessing KCS’s virtual learning content in the event we are asked to attend school virtually. We also want to make sure that all students who chose F2F have time to meet their teachers and see their classrooms.

We are asking families to plan on arriving at the time below that matches their last name. Families of children in multiple grade levels should choose one grade level to attend the orientation session. The teacher will lead a short orientation and allow time for questions. After participating in the orientation session, families may visit the classrooms of other children in the family and meet those teachers as well. Please see the schedule below divided by alphabet (last names). We have carefully divided the number of students/families to limit group size. With this in mind, we are requesting that only one adult per family attend this event. It is important that families adhere to the designated times below for their visit. Each designated time will start and end promptly so we can have time to disinfect before the next alphabet group arrives. We suggest arriving 10 minutes prior to the session start times to allow time for the check in process and temperature checks.

Last names A-C 8:30-9:30 AM

Last names D-J 10:30-11:30 AM

Last names K-Q 12:30-1:30 PM

Last names R-Z 2:30-3:30 PM

***Please note per the Sullivan County Mayor, until August 12, 2020, masks are required.

More details about our back to school processes will be included in your placement letter that is being mailed on Friday, July 31st. We look forward to partnering with you this year as we work together to support our students' return to school!

Thank you for your continued support,

Dr. Loudermilk

Information for Remote Choice Learners

Welcome to the 2020-21 school year! Soon, you will be contacted by a Kingsport City Schools teacher who will be the advisor for your online learning journey using the online platform called Odysseyware. The curriculum will be divided into learning modules curated by the KCS advisor and will allow for both weekly and self-paced progress. The advisor will be available for questions, check ins, and feedback during scheduled office hours, which will be communicated to you at a later date. As you know, your support in setting high expectations for your child’s daily attendance and timely completion of lessons will be key to his/her success. Soon, you will receive more specific instructions for accessing the platform. In the meantime, here is a link to some parent information on Odysseyware: https://www.odysseyware.com/training-resources/parents.

On Friday, August 7, each Remote Choice Learning (RCL) student is invited to come by Jackson between 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. to pick up any device you requested in your RCL survey and turn in any necessary paperwork. Jackson will offer a drive-thru pick up of materials. Please pull to the front office parking lot and a staff member will assist you.

The following form must be signed and completed before students may use a KCS device.

2020-21 Responsible Use Policy & Google Apps For Education

As the year moves forward, please look for school communications to keep you informed about events, changes, and new updates. We are so glad you will remain a Jackson Brave, even from a distance. We wish you the best as you begin this new school year.

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Info for Kindergarten Parents

Welcome to Jackson! On July 31st, we will be mailing placement letters for your child along with additional school information. We are currently creating a Kindergarten Parent Orientation Video that will be emailed to you on Wednesday, August 5th. Please watch the video prior to our Back to School Orientation so you can ask any additional questions you may have.

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Message from Jackson's PTA

Hi Andrew Jackson families,

Welcome! We’re excited to kick off the year with a new online PTA store, where you can buy your Andrew Jackson PTA memberships! With convenient online payments, you can leave your cash and checkbook at home.

We encourage families to join the PTA now, to stay involved in Andrew JacksonPTA activities, fundraisers, teacher appreciation events, and more. This is an easy and affordable way to stay connected to your child’s education and support the school!

Buy your Andrew Jackson Elementary PTA membership now!

https://andrewjacksonkingsport.new.memberhub.store/store

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Jackson Dismissal Changes

In order to provide space between student groups during car line dismissal, we will no longer be walking students to the parking lot of Lifebridge Christian Church. All Jackson staff members will be assigned to a specific location to monitor small groups of students during dismissal and we will not have the personnel available to walk students to the church parking lot. Lifebridge Christian Church's parking lot will not be a pickup zone for car riders. All car riders must use the Jackson Street carline.

Dismissal Plans for students in 1st - 5th grades:

Bus - students riding busses will wait in bus sections in the same assigned seating arrangements that will be used while riding the bus. This will limit the number of interactions that students have while waiting and riding the bus.
Walker - students that live in close proximity to Jackson Elementary may walk home if parents/guardians notify the school office. Walkers are expected to walk from school to their homes. Jackson staff will assist these students as they walk to the crossing guard stationed at the Stone Drive and Donnelson intersection. The crossing guard will then help students safely cross Stone Drive or cross Donnelson to the continuous sidewalk that connects to Lovedale Drive.
Car - Every student being picked up in a car will be dismissed through the carline on Jackson Street. Families will need to make sure that they have their car tag displayed for a fast and efficient dismissal. Vehicles without the proper car tag will need to pull around to the Jackson office for and ID check.

***Kindergarten dismissal will be covered in our Kindergarten Orientation Video that will be sent to Kindergarten families on Thursday, July 30, 2020.

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Jackson Precautions and Safety Measures

All will be Temperature Checked - All students will have a temperature check upon entering the bus or building. If a temperature is over 100, we will attempt a second read after a few minutes. If the second read is over 100, the student will discreetly be guided to the nurse’s office. Students with a fever may not return to school until they are fever-free without medication for 24 hours.
Assigned Seats and Places in Line - As students travel and participate in their classes, they will be in assigned seats and order throughout the day. Knowing where students are located in proximity to each other is very important in the identification of those considered contacts by the Sullivan County Health Department. A contact is defined as someone who is within six feet for more than ten minutes without a mask.
Cafeteria - During operation in the green zone, we will alternate classes eating in the cafeteria and eating in their classrooms to reduce the number of students in the cafeteria at one time. If operating in yellow, all students will eat in the classrooms.
Recess - Classes will be assigned designated zones on the playground and other areas around the school that will rotate throughout the week to keep students among their classroom “family” groups.
Masks - Until August 12, 2020 or until we are aware of different guidance by the Sullivan County Health Department, students and staff must wear masks. After August 12, 2020, depending on guidance from Sullivan County Health Department, we may be able to return to strongly recommended wearing of masks.
No Visitors - We will not be allowing visitors for lunch during any level of operation until further notice. Lunch is a time when groups are larger and masks are not in place while eating, so for everyone’s safety, visitors will not be allowed to eat lunch in the school cafeteria until further notice. If we are operating under yellow, no visitors are allowed in the building. Exceptions are legal meetings by appointment for IEPs, 504s, and medical needs.
Shared Supplies - Students will not be sharing supplies this year. If you have purchased supplies, please bring them during the Back To School Orientation time or on the first day. Remember, school supplies and clothing may be purchased tax-free beginning on Friday, July 31, 2020 and ending on Sunday, August 1, 2020.