Finn Hill Falcon Flyer

On behalf of the staff at Finn Hill Middle School, Associate Principal Jennifer Cleaves and I are happy to welcome you to the 2021-2022 school year! We are looking forward to a productive partnership with you to ensure our children can achieve their highest potential.

We recognize that in order to be successful in school, our children need support from both the home and school. We know a strong partnership with you will make a great difference in your child’s education. As partners, we share the responsibility for our children’s success and want you to know that we will do our very best to carry out our responsibilities. We ask that you guide and support your child’s learning by ensuring that he/she:

1) Attends school daily and arrives on time, ready for the day’s learning experience

2) Completes all homework assignments given by teachers

3) Reads daily to develop a love for reading and to improve literacy skills

4) Shares school experiences with you so that you are aware of his/her school life

5) Informs you if he/she needs additional support in any area or subject

6) Knows that you expect him/her to succeed in school and go on to college.

Please review your student's handbook with your child. If you have any questions about the expectations of Finn Hill Falcons, please feel free to contact me or to discuss them with your child’s teacher. It is very important that you and your child are fully informed regarding standards related to appropriate behavior for a safe and productive school year.

The wonderful Finn Hill staff, Ms. Cleaves, and I feel privileged to be a part of this school family. We thank you for your support and look forward to meeting you.

Sincerely,

Dr. Joseph Smith

Jennifer Cleaves

Wednesday, September 1

• First Day with Kids!
• 8:35 am: All School Assembly in the Gym

• Labor Day
• Rosh Hashanah

• Laptop Distribution in SS Classes
• Rosh Hashanah

• 1st Early Release Day: students dismissed at 1:35 pm for teacher professional development and collaboration time

Tuesday, September 14

• PTSA Meeting, 7:00-9:00 pm, online (link will be sent out to all families)

• Yom Kippur

Thursday, September 16

• Yom Kippur
• Java with Joseph (Principal-Parent Coffee), 11:00 am, via Teams online

• Breakfast will be served in the commons from 7:45-8:30 am.
• Main doors will open at 8:25 am. Students should report to their first period classes after visiting their lockers, if needed.
• Please do not drop off your student before 8:25, as there will be no adult supervision outside before 8:25.
• Thanks for your help to make sure arrival goes safely and smoothly!

For our first three days of school, Wednesday, September 1st – Friday, September 3rd, our focus at Finn Hill will be building community. Students will not need to bring all of their regular supplies this first week as our schoolwide and classroom activities do not require them. We will also not be using lockers until the 2nd week of school and so the fewer supplies students have to carry around the better. Below you can find a list of required and suggested items for students to bring the 1st three days and an overview of what our week will look like.

Suggested Materials:

• Bag/Backpack to keep phone in and lunch, if brought from home
• Folder for paperwork that needs to be signed
• Water bottle

Required Materials:

• Mask (will need to be worn at all times, except when eating lunch)

First Week Overview:

Each grade level will have a designated day during the week where they will engage in two community building sessions: one a rotation of team building games out on our baseball field, and the other a community statement/art project. We will be maintaining social distancing as much as possible with each of these activities. When a grade level is not having their community building day, students will go to each of their classes for get-to-know-you and classroom community building activities, along with learning about our core school routines and expectations. We will go into school & academic related information more in depth the 2nd week of school. We will be operating on a special bell schedule each day and will begin using our regular bell schedule the 2nd week as well.

Wednesday, 9/1:

• All students will enter through the gym doors for a welcome back assembly. Students will be masked and socially distanced for the duration of the assembly. We will be adding additional seating to help maintain distance in the bleachers. During this assembly, students will be introduced to staff and will receive an overview of the week and directions for their day.
• At the end of the assembly, 7th & 8th graders will have time to pick up their schedules in the commons and will then go to each of their class periods. 6th graders will stay in the gym and pick up nametags before beginning their day of grade level community building, along with our 7th and 8th grade Falcon P.R.I.D.E. Ambassadors. At the end of session one, 6th graders will receive their schedules and will attend their 4th period classes on Wednesday, as that is the class period lunches are attached to. This also allows for the transition between community building sessions.
• At the end of the day all students will go to Falcon Time (homeroom/advisory) to debrief the day and review what the rest of the week will look like.

Thursday, 9/2:

• All students will go to their Falcon Time first for an overview of the day.
• 7th graders will engage in their community building sessions, while 6th & 8th grade students go to each of their class periods.
• All students will go to Falcon Time again at the end of the day to debrief, ask questions, and for an overview of the following day.

Friday, 9/3:

• All students will go to their Falcon Time first for an overview of the day.
• 8th graders will engage in their community building sessions, while 6th & 7th grade students go to each of their class periods.
• All students will go to Falcon Time again at the end of the day to debrief, ask questions, and for an overview of the 2nd week of school.

A few notes about the 2nd week of school:

• Laptops will be distributed on Tuesday, September 7th. Laptop agreement paperwork will be sent home week 1 in Social Studies classes and needs to be signed and returned prior to the 7th.
• Lockers will be distributed and students will have dedicated time to practice getting into their lockers.
• Students can begin to bring their binders and other standard school supplies Supply List 2021-2022 - Finn Hill Middle School (lwsd.org).

We are seeking parent volunteers to help us out with our first week of school (more information below). We would love your support in providing our students with a fun first week that focuses on community building.

IMPORTANT: All volunteers will need to be fully vaccinated (based on recent WA State policy) and present proof of ID and vaccination at sign in (digital photo is fine). Volunteers must also be an approved LWSD volunteer, follow current masking and physical distancing requirements, and sign-in at the school office. Volunteer approval is valid for two years; contact Chris Robison (crobison@lwsd.org) if you have questions about your approval status. If you need to apply, you can do so here: https://www.lwsd.org/get-involved/volunteering-in-lwsd.

To sign up to volunteer – please click on this link: https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/5080d49a9a628a2f94-fhms7

The safety of our students is of critical importance to all of us and we want to protect them from injury. Even so, accidents do happen (at school and elsewhere) and required medical care can be expensive. Please know that your school does not assume responsibility for such costs but does offer you access to several student accident insurance plans for voluntary purchase. Details can be found in the attached brochure/enrollment form.

Options are available to cover your child 24/7, anywhere in the world or you can limit coverage to school-related injuries only. The plans do not restrict your choice of doctors or hospitals. However, you’ll also have access to an extensive network of providers with discounted fees. Seeking care through contracted providers may further reduce your out-of-pocket costs, particularly if your child needs surgery or hospitalization.

Also offered is the pay-as-you-go Student Accident & Sickness Plan which covers sickness as well as injury, in and out of school. The Dental Accident plan can be of particular value with younger students as final treatment to injured teeth often needs to be deferred until after they mature.

Common emergency benefits – Regardless of the benefit level selected, all of the accident medical plans and the Student Accident & Sickness Plan will cover eligible charges for Ambulance, Emergency Room and Emergency Room Physician at 100% of Usual, Customary and Reasonable charges (UCR) up to plan limits.

Enhanced benefits for qualified concussions – If an insured student suffers a concussion while participating in any covered activity and is consequently removed from play from his/her interscholastic sport per the school’s formal concussion protocols, then any deductible or inside limit features of the plan are waived and eligible charges for the evaluation and treatment of the concussion are paid at 100% of UCR subject to remaining policy terms and conditions.

Interscholastic Sports – Please know that all plans offered (other than the Dental Accident Plan) may be used to comply with applicable state and local insurance requirements for participation in interscholastic sports (coverage for tackle football is offered on a stand-alone basis).

COVID-19 – After schools were physically closed in March of 2020, the administrator of this program - Myers-Stevens & Toohey (MST) worked with the underwriting insurance company to make several adjustments to the insurance program. In brief, they included: 1) qualified extension of coverage to distance learning at home; 2) qualified coverage for COVID-19 testing costs; 3) the addition of Telemedicine as a covered service; 4) qualified extension of coverage for school activities pushed beyond the last day of instruction; 5) related extension of coverage to graduated students participating in such postponed activities and 6) modified claims forms and procedures. Details can be found on the MST website www.myers-stevens.com. At this time, these adjustments continue to apply to the 2021-2022 School Year insurance program. As matters concerning COVID continue to evolve, updates will be posted on the MST website.

You are strongly encouraged to carefully review the information provided. If your child already has health coverage, the student insurance plans offered can also be used to expand choice of providers and help cover the high deductibles and 30% to 40% cost-sharing obligations imposed by many health plans today.

To enroll, please follow the instructions in the attached brochure. Enrollment is also available by going to www.myers-stevens.com. While your child is eligible to enroll at any time, one-time-pay rates for the accident medical plans and Dental Accident Plan are the same regardless of enrollment date. As such, you are encouraged to consider enrollment now in order to include coverage for this summer and the full 2021-2022 School Year. Once processing is completed, an ID card verifying coverage will be mailed home to you.

If you have any questions concerning the coverages available, COVID 19 adjustments, or need help with enrollment, please call Myers-Stevens & Toohey at (800) 827-4695. Bilingual representatives are available for parents who need assistance in Spanish.

Safety is one of our district’s top priorities and to help safeguard our school community, we’ve taken an important step that we want to share with you. Our district is now using Vector Alert, a tip reporting service that allows students, staff and parents to submit safety concerns to our administration five different ways:

1. App: Search for “Vector Alert” in the App Store to download for free
2. Phone: 425.529.5763
3. Text: Text your tip to 425.529.5763
4. Email: 1342@alert1.us
5. Web: http://1342.alert1.us

If an administrator is not nearby or available to take your tip, you and your child can easily report tips on bullying, harassment, drugs, vandalism, threats of violence or any safety issue you're concerned about through Vector Alert. When you submit a tip, be sure to use our district’s identification code: 1342 in your communication.

Every tip Vector Alert receives about our district is immediately logged in the system and our administration is notified so that they can investigate and take appropriate action. And, tips may also be submitted anonymously if you prefer.

Together, using Vector Alert, we can make our district a safer place to work and learn! Thanks in advance for your support.

Help Lake Washington School District stop the spread of illness. If you answer "YES" to any of the following questions, keep your student home and contact your school.

1. Has your student been in close contact with anyone with confirmed COVID-19?
2. Does anyone in your household have COVID-19 like symptoms &/or is anyone in your household being tested for COVID-19?
3. Has your student or anyone in your household had a positive COVID-19 test for active virus in the past 10 days?
4. Within the past 14 days, has a public health or medical professional told your student to self-monitor, self-isolate or self-quarantine because of concerns about COVID-19?

COVID-like Symptoms

If your child is experiencing any of the following symptoms within the last 24 hours. PLEASE keep them home and contact your school nurse. If they show any of the following symptoms at school, it is necessary to pick your student up as soon as possible. Return to school must be approved by the nurse after going home sick.

• Fever of 100.4 or above

• Headache*

• Cough

• Lost of taste or smell

• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

• Sore throat*

• Chills

• Congestion or runny nose*

• Fatigue*

• Nausea or vomiting*

• Muscle pain or body aches*

• Diarrhea*

*A short-term symptom – if a student has only one of these symptoms and the symptom begins and resolves in less than 24 hours, no known COVID-19 exposure (close contact) then they can return to school as long as it has been 24 hours since the symptom has resolved. If a student or anyone in the household has only one of these symptoms and the symptom begins and resolves in less than 24 hours and no known COVID-19 exposure, a student can return to school. Please contact the school even if your student or anyone in your household has a short-term symptom. A COVID-19 test is not required.

Contact your medical provider if your student is experiencing any other symptoms that are concerning to you.

Additional too sick for school symptoms

If your child has any of the following symptoms, please keep them home and contact your school nurse.

• Scabies
• Rash
• Ear infection
• Eye infection

Mission

Each student will graduate prepared to lead a rewarding, responsible life as a contributing member of our community and greater society.

Vision

Every student future ready: Prepared for college, Prepared for the global workplace, Prepared for personal success

Website: https://fhms.lwsd.org/
Location: 8040 NE 132nd St, Kirkland, WA, USA
Phone: (425) 936-2340
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FinnHillMiddleSchool
Twitter: @FinnHillMS