Ferson Creek eNews

Share a few minutes with Mrs. McKnight as she reads The Day the Crayons Quit. If your child chooses to draw a picture and wants to share it with Mrs. McKnight, please email it to kristina.mcknight@d303.org.

The Ferson Creek Yearbook printing has been put on “hold” for the year. Unfortunately the printers are down due to the stay at home orders. This gives us an opportunity to work on it some more and print at the beginning of next school year. THERE WILL still be a yearbook, (the yearbook committee will personally deliver to the graduating fifth graders if you can’t make it to the pick up). Online sales are still open through May: https://inter-state.com/YearbookEntry/43057E

(FYI- there was no pre-orders for this at the beginning of the year, only high school and middle school do that)

The good news.. we can include more photos!! Please send Kristi and Ashley any photos of your child e-learning or learning from home with your siblings or pets! We want to include these memories.

Kristi

Kristi@kaybcreative.com

Ashley

Aholdswo@gmail.com

Sending Ferson Creek hugs from your yearbook committee!

Even though our schools are closed, we will still process elementary school transfer requests for the 2020-2021 school year beginning on April 7 at 8:00 a.m.

For the 2020-21 school year, ALL elementary students have been assigned to their attendance area school by the District. This includes elementary students currently attending a school on an intra-district transfer. An Intra-District Transfer Request must be submitted online no sooner than 8:00 a.m. on April 7, 2020 and no later than 4:00 p.m. on April 20. A link to the request form will be posted on the District 303 web page (district.d303.org) by 8:00 a.m. on April 7.

If you are requesting a transfer for more than one child, a separate request must be submitted for each. Due to fluctuating class sizes at schools and each grade level, siblings are not guaranteed placement. If granted, transportation is the responsibility of the parents.

If you have questions about the process, please call the District office at 331.228.2000.

We hope parents/guardians and students engaged in last week's SEL lesson focused on the use of positive self-talk. As we continue to adjust to remote learning and community health expectations, we realize adults and children alike are experiencing a sense of loss. Our efforts to support student growth and development include both academics and social emotional learning (SEL) standards. Both are critical to a child’s success and during times of stress, recognizing feelings and having strategies to deal with those feelings are essential. Each week, parents/guardians and students will be provided SEL information and lessons aligned with the five core competencies. This information will come to you through your principal's weekly newsletter. This weeks competency is:

• Self-management: The ability to regulate one’s emotions, thoughts, and behaviors effectively in different situations. This includes managing stress, controlling impulses, motivating oneself, and setting and working toward achieving personal and academic goals.

We are asking students to identify and use strategies to manage emotions. Video clips and text is embedded to foster conversation. The challenges and uncertainty facing families and children are impactful on overall mental health and well being. We are hopeful the resources shared will be a support to parents/guardians and children. If you have any questions on the information provided or are seeking additional support for yourself or child, please contact Patti Palagi, Director Instructional Interventions (patti.palagi@d303.org or 331-228-6457).

D303 is partnering with Northern Illinois University to gain insights from students (grade 4 and up) related to remote learning. This jointly created survey will be sent to students on Tuesday, April 21. All aspects of student information will remain confidential. If you would like additional information on the survey, please contact David Chiszar, Executive Director Assessment & Accountability (david.chiszar@d303.org), or Patti Palagi, Director of Instructional Interventions (patti.palagi@d303.org). The survey will capture student insights connected to remote learning, social-emotional well being, and coping strategies/supports accessed during this unique time. NIU has established a partnership with D303 through their federal Project Prevent and Address Bullying grant. We are excited to gain additional insights into students' perceptions of remote learning in order to assist us in directing our academic and social-emotional programming.

Optional Friday learning activities can be found on this website: D303 Optional Remote Learning For Students. There are a variety of learning experiences in the areas of math, digital citizenship, English Language Arts, college and career, and STEM available.

• Live Chat will remain available M-F from 8 am - 4 pm
• Phone support is also available at (331) 228-4357. Families should leave a message and expect a timely call back during business hours.

Device Exchange for families will resume, if necessary, at TMS on 4/6. Please use the live chat for device assistance if you have a need. Up to date tech information can be found on the technical support resource page.

District 303 is expanding our meal service to include additional school and residential locations beginning on Monday, April 6, 2020. Any student in District 303 is eligible to pick up breakfast and lunch grab and go meals at any of the following locations throughout the week.

Thompson Middle School, 705 W. Main Street
9:00 - 11:00 a.m. - Monday through Friday

Anderson Elementary School, 35W071 Villa Marie Rd.

9:00 - 11:00 a.m. - Monday through Friday

Wasco Elementary School, 4N782 School Street, Wasco

10:00 - 10:45 a.m. - Monday through Friday

A District 303 bus will deliver meals to the front of the school

Cumberland Green Cooperative, 1798 Cumberland Green

11:15 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. - Monday through Friday

A District 303 bus will deliver meals to the office parking lot

Prairie Point Apartments, 1820 Wessel Court

10:00 - 10:30 a.m.- Monday through Friday

A District 303 bus will deliver meals to the park facing the road at the front entrance (Entrance nearest to Randall Road)

The Crossings, 1690 Covington

10:40 - 11:10 a.m. - Monday through Friday

A District 303 bus will deliver meals to the area near the clubhouse

St. Charles Place, 15th Street and Indiana

11:20 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. - Monday through Friday

A District 303 bus will deliver meals to an area in front of the apartment complex

Please visit the District 303 website that is designed to answer your questions about e-Learning, assist you with finding community resources, and link you to information from reputable agencies about COVID-19.

Por favor, visite el sitio web del Distrito ya que está diseñado para responder sus preguntas sobre el aprendizaje electrónico (e-Learning), ayudarle a encontrar recursos, y enlazarlo con información de agencias confiables sobre el COVID-19

These are unprecedented times, and it's inspiring to see communities rising to the challenge. However, not everyone has the resources to "shelter in place" especially the millions of people in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Living paycheck to paycheck is hard when millions of businesses around the nation are closing down indefinitely, and hourly workers (including those dependent upon tips) are the hardest hit. In particular, families with kids whose primary meals happen at school are especially vulnerable when those schools shut down.

With this in mind, Expensify.org is going to temporarily redirect all of its charitable funds to Expensify.org/hunger. With its ability to reimburse volunteers directly in real-time, Expensify.org is uniquely positioned to help families in need immediately. Until today, this fund was focused on paying off kids' "lunch debts" , but with schools closed around the nation, that isn't the top priority. Instead, we're devoting everything to a new program: matching SNAP grocery purchases up to $50 per family. It works like this:

1. Purchase food as normal with your SNAP card

1. Download Expensify on iOS or Android, for free

1. Join the Expensify.org/hunger policy

1. SmartScan the receipt, which will tell us how much you paid and show that it was paid for with an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card

1. Submit it to volunteer@expensify.org

1. Set up your bank account to receive the funds

1. So long as we have funds available, we will reimburse up to $50 per family (one time), the very next day.

To be clear, we can't commit to reimbursing every single person in need — we have no idea how many people will do this, and unfortunately, we don't have unlimited funds. We also don't know how long this crisis will last and how far our brand new charity's resources will stretch. But we're going to do what we can with the funds donated on behalf of Expensify Cardholders via the Karma Points feature, as well as by the extremely generous donors who have signed up for our Corporate and Personal Karma programs.

This is a truly global crisis, and it is only beginning. We all need to work together to weather the storm, and on behalf of Expensify.org's many generous members, we're eager to help.

(Washington, D.C., March 24, 2020) – Be on the lookout for potential scammers using the COVID-19 situation to steal personal information, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) warned Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants today. USDA is issuing this warning after receiving reports of several possible SNAP fraud attempts.

“While many organizations are seeking to help communities respond to COVID-19, SNAP participants should be suspicious of any unknown individual or organization that requests their confidential information,” said Brandon Lipps, Deputy Under Secretary for USDA’s Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services, which administers the SNAP program at the federal level. “This is a difficult time for us all, and we certainly don't want to see bad actors taking advantage of those in need.”

Examples of confidential information include social security number, bank information, or a participant’s SNAP EBT card or PIN number. In one potential scam, a website asked SNAP recipients to enter their personal and bank account information to qualify for COVID-related monetary assistance.

If SNAP participants are unsure if a request for information is legitimate, USDA advises they contact their local SNAP office. If they do not know their local SNAP office, participants should contact their state agency. State contact information is available at https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/state-directory.

To stay on top of potential scams, please visit USDA’s SNAP scam alert webpage at https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/scam-alerts.

If you believe you are the victim of identity theft, contact your local police department regarding procedures for filing a report. You may also file a consumer complaint online with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at https://www.ftc.gov. FTC is the federal agency responsible for protecting consumers from identity theft scams.

USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) administers 15 nutrition assistance programs that leverage American’s agricultural abundance to ensure children and low-income individuals and families have nutritious food to eat. FNS also co-develops the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which provide science-based nutrition recommendations and serve as the cornerstone of federal nutrition policy.

Kristy McKnight, Principal

Website: https://fersoncreek.d303.org/
Location: 38W160 Bolcum Road, St. Charles, IL, USA
Phone: 331-228-2300
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ferson-Creek-Elementary-1492773537612187/