Pleasant View Pronghorns Post

The information shared below reflects what we know AT THE TIME OF THIS E-MAIL. The circumstances surrounding our community and school district's response to COVID-19 may change ... sometimes quickly. We appreciate your understanding that while this information is accurate as of today, it is subject to change.

As of right now, a final decision has not been made on whether West Ada will have an in-person, hybrid, or remote start to this school year. The majority of the information in this message relates to when students are able to return to the building.

I hesitated to reach out again so early, as I worried it might imply I have some answers that I don't, but I wanted to start updating our community with what we do know so that you are not flooded with information closer to our start date. While there is much unknown about the start of school this year, the following information will help prepare our students and families for when we are able to have students return to our building. Please read below about three key universal precautions we will make a significant focus this year in school ...

• Masks
• Hand Washing
• Distancing

These practices will be just one component of comprehensive district and school safety plans that are still in development and will continually be updated based on the most recent information from Central District Health and the School District. Those plans will be shared with parents prior to the start of the school year.

A topic I hope to be covering soon based on decisions to be made by the board this week and District decisions of teams...

• The educational model West Ada will use to start the 2020-21 school year.
• Guidance on COVID-19 exposure
• Team assignments posted by Wednesday, August 19
• 
  

If you would like to look at the current West Ada Fall Reopening Plan, please click here.

If you have questions, feel free to reach out to me (senethavilay.amy@westada.org). Please realize that I may not have answers to those questions yet and I will reply (or share the information broadly through these messages) when I do. I will continue to update families through the Pleasant View Pronghorns Posts with important information in as timely a manner as I can.

Regardless of the format/structure and what circumstances change between now and the start of school, words cannot express how much we are looking forward to meeting all of our Pronghorns soon!

Thank you, again, for your continued support!

~Amy Senethavilay

August 19

Provisional Class Placements Available on PowerSchool

(See IMPORTANT information below about placements)

August 25

Board Decision on in-person, hybrid, virtual model

Election Day - West Ada Levy

September 8

First Day of School

What is a supplemental levy and why is it on the ballot August 25?

A supplemental levy is a levy allowed under Idaho Code that permits school districts to ask voters to provide additional funding for any school district operational cost. The revenue can be used for any expenditure that is allowable under Idaho Code. Currently, most school districts in Idaho use supplemental levy revenue for operational costs like salaries and benefits.

The supplemental would be used to maintain the current number of school days and the current level of staffing. The proposed supplemental is not an increase in funding. The supplemental levy proposes to continue the current level of local operating revenue.

Supplemental levies require a 50 percent plus one vote to be approved or a 50 percent minus one to be rejected by the voters.

Central District Health has specifically identified public schools as settings where masks are currently required. As such, West Ada students will be expected to wear masks when at school this year.

We plan to connect wearing masks to last year's SUPER Learner theme ... "Not All SUPER LEARNERS Wear Capes ... But They Do Wear Masks!"

We strongly encourage you NOT TO WAIT until right before school starts to introduce mask wearing to your children. This will be a big change for kids in a year where there will be many other big changes. By tackling this expectation now, you can help your child be prepared to be successful at school. Here are some tips ...

• Your child will take their lead from your attitude and what you convey about wearing masks. Try to be positive about it ... at least when you are around them.
• Experiment with a couple of different styles if possible so that they have choice and can find something comfortable.
• Practice at home. Start with a reasonably short practice and then start increasing the time.
• Normalize it by pointing out other kids when you see them wearing their masks.
• Try to make it fun and avoid power struggles. Lead with empathy and stay calm when introducing and practicing.
• Experience makes a difference ... so give them many opportunities to practice.
• Share and reinforce mask etiquette (such as washing hands before putting masks on, fully covering nose AND mouth, avoiding touching masks, etc). More best practices can be found on the CDC Website.

There are many other resources online (such as HERE) to support you and your child in this universal precaution. For the protection of our students, staff, and families, we thank you for your efforts to help your child normalize mask-wearing and build good habits/stamina before school starts this year.

Hand washing is proven to be one of the most effective strategies to stop the spread of COVID and other illnesses. This year, Pioneer we will be making hand washing a HIGH priority. As often as possible, including at major transitions, students will be required to wash their hands.

Now would be great time to reinforce positive hand washing habits (if you aren't already) ...

When should children wash their hands?

Children should wash their hands before:

• eating; or
• handling food; and
• changing locations/settings.

Children should wash their hands after:

• using the toilet;
• playing outdoors, in the sand, or in water;
• handling pets or animals;
• sneezing or coughing into their hands or blowing their nose;
• eating;
• attending school or daycare; and
• spending time in high volume public places (e.g., indoor play structures, shopping malls, grocery stores, buses…).

Steps of proper hand washing

• Wet your hands under running water.
• Scrub your hands well with soap. Remember to scrub between your fingers, to wash both the front and back of your hands, and to clean under your finger nails.
• Washing your hands should take about 15 to 20 seconds – about the time it takes to sing “Happy Birthday”.
• Rinse your hands under running water.
• Dry your hands with a clean towel.

Throughout the school, we will be emphasizing appropriate spacing as best we can. This includes spacing in the classroom, hallways, in lines (for the bathroom, at drinking fountains, when returning to class, lunchroom, and more), etc. In many areas, we will have dots or floor markings. Please start discussing this with your child and what those markings mean (perhaps making note of them when you see them if you go out and about).

In some areas/situations, it will not be practical to provide markings. While it is not something any of us want to be doing, having discussions with your child about the reasons for distancing from peers, not giving hugs or high fives, and being aware of their proximity to others will help us reinforce this important practice.

And SUPER Squads look out for each other! By following these simple universal precautions, we will protect our classmates, teachers/staff, and families.

Explicitly discussing and teaching these skills will help ensure your child has a great start to this school year and can help promote the health of our entire community!

Important: Class Placements are NOT final. If there are major changes in enrollment, there may be a need to move students to balance classes. Please factor this in when considering informing your child of their placement as you may wish to hold off until closer to the start of the year when changes would be less likely. If we move a student after August 19, we will contact families to inform them of the change.

The only way to identify your child’s Grade K-5 teacher before school is by logging into PowerSchool on or after August 19.

Please note that your child’s teacher will not be available on PowerSchool if you have not updated your information in PowerSchool since March 1. This update is required annually and takes at least one business day to register as completed in the system. If you need help with this, call the district HelpDesk (208-855-4500) until the Pleasant View building opens.

Free & Reduced Lunch Program Application is Now Online!

We need only one application for all children in your household that attend school in West Ada School District. Click HERE to apply.

Eligibility for free or reduced priced school meals benefits is based on any one of these three things:

• your total household income and size in the month the application is filled out, or the month before, or
• your child's individual status as foster, homeless, migrant, or runaway, or
• participation in an assistance program by any member of your household

If you received a letter from the school saying that your children were automatically approved (directly certified) for free meals for the 2020-2021 school year because someone in your household participates in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), or Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR), then you do not need to submit an application.

Access to see class assignments and schedules for K-8 students will be available in PowerSchool on August 19, 2020 after 4:00 pm.

On that day, you will also be able to see your student's "Team" designation (T1 or T2) as it relates to the new alternating day schedule. The "Team" designation will be located at the top of the screen next to your student's state identification (ID) number.

It is important to know that all communications from the school and the district rely on the contact information listed for your student in PowerSchool.

Please follow these steps to update all of your student's parent, guardian, and emergency contact information:

1. Sign in to PowerSchool - https://ps.westada.org/public/home.html
   If you need to reset your PowerSchool password, there is a link to help you with forgotten usernames and passwords: https://ps.westada.org/public/account_recovery_begin.html
   
   

2. If you need further assistance getting access to PowerSchool, contact the Service Desk at 208-350-5300.

3. 
   

• Once you have signed in, click on the "Update Student Information" link located in the top right corner of the screen.
  

• Click on the "SchoolForms" link in the Applications window.
  

• Click on the "Update Contact Information" link
  

• Make sure to fill out all of the important information on all 3 of the contact pages (Student Info, Household Information, and Emergency Contacts).
  

• When you have updated all of the contact information, go to the Confirmation page. Make sure to type in your full name and click on the "Save Form" button.

If you have any questions or need assistance accessing PowerSchool, please contact the West Ada Service Desk at 208-350-500.

** PLEASE REMEMBER, CLASSES/TEACHER ASSIGNMENTS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE UP TO THE START OF SCHOOL. We will do our best to keep them the same, but we must have balanced classes. **

Please take a look at the School Supply List posted on the West Ada District Website.

Website: https://www.westada.org/domain/9837
Location: 4600 W Gondola Dr, Meridian, ID, USA
Phone: (208) 350-4490

Do you have a general question about Pleasant View that you think would benefit others or a suggestion for information to be included in the Pronghorns Post? Click HERE, and we might include your question/idea in future editions of the Pronghorns Post.

Have a safety or peer concern that needs to be addressed? Please click HERE.

If you have a time-sensitive specific question, don’t hesitate to call the office at 208-350-4490.