Principal Newsletter August 2021

• Aug 30: Teacher In-Service Week
• Sept 1: Kindergarten Screening, 5:00-7:00 pm (See Registration Link)
• Sept 6: School Closed, Labor Day
• Sept 7: First Day for Students
• Sept 13-17: PSSA 20-21 Makeup, Gr. 4 & 5

Supply Lists

Did you know that some supply lists can cost parents hundreds of dollars each year? Many items on these lists are often the same supplies we provide anyway. At AAECS, we do not ask parents to purchase these items. So what items can you get for your child? Here's a short list!

• A bookbag.
• Lunch box.
• Earbuds or headphones if there are specific ones you prefer.

We always welcome donations of tissues, paper towels or Clorox wipes to help keep our classrooms clean, but they are not necessary!

Teacher Assignments

A typical summer involves both new enrollment as well as some withdrawals. These transitions can impact classroom rosters, so we do not confirm your child's classroom teacher until closer to the start of the school year.

We have generally tried to keep last year's class groups together so students have some familiar faces after being out of our building for so long. We will post your child's class information in Jupiter during the week of August 16.

Parent Drop-Off begins at 8:00 am.

Parent Pick-Up begins at 3:00 pm.

Bus riders will receive bus stop and times directly from your resident school district.

MORE INFORMATION COMING SOON! Please be sure we have an email address for all parent/guardians. Our apps need an email to access your child's information.

On July 9, 2021, the CDC published updated guidance for schools. On July 16, 2021, the PA Department of Health directed schools to refer to the CDC July 9 guidance when designing their reopening plans for the 2021-22 school year.

On Thursday, July 22, 2021, the AAECS Board of Trustees approved an updated Health & Safety Plan, which schools were required to submit to the PA Department of Education by July 30.

The CDC guidance emphasizes the importance of in-person learning over virtual ( ie. there is no guidance for opening virtually as there was last year). We will only be able to offer virtual learning by exception, such as those who cannot attend in-person for medical reasons. They also recommend implementing "layered mitigation efforts" to prevent Covid spread.

The list of strategies includes masks for unvaccinated students and staff, educating staff and students about proper hygiene, maintaining 3 feet of social distancing, ensuring appropriate ventilation, cleaning and disinfecting, following quarantine/isolation requirements and promoting and/or providing COVID testing.

Our current focus is on how we can implement schedules and procedures that support many of the health and safety measures we implemented during hybrid learning (see "New for 21-22!"). To summarize our current plan:

1. Masks are optional for staff and students except as required by state or federal mandates. Students who forget their mask will be provided one by the school if the parent wishes for their child to wear a mask.
   
   
2. Masks are required on school buses (this is a mandate).
   
   
3. Masks are not required for outdoor recess.
   
   
4. We will maintain 3 feet of distancing in the classrooms and elsewhere to the extent feasible.
   
   
5. Classrooms will limit sharing of supplies and will have access to sinks or hand sanitizer.
   
   
6. We have hired a second, full-time evening custodian to support an increase in daily cleaning and disinfecting.
   
   
7. We will continue to utilize the dismissal model we implemented during hybrid days, allowing us to bring your child to parents' vehicles, so parents do not need to park and enter the building.
   
   
8. Zoom will continue to be the preferred method for meetings, to limit visitors in the building.
   
   
9. We will return to a full-day of in-person learning, starting arrival at 8:00 am and dismissal at 3:00 pm.

See the full plan below, which is also posted on our website.

AAECS ARP ESSER Health & Safety Plan

As we all know, this Covid-19 pandemic is an ever-changing situation. The assumption for these Health and Safety Plans is that they will be updated as needed. With another month ahead of us prior to the start of school, we will continue to closely monitor local cases and the CDC for updated guidance.

In the meantime, we are in need of your feedback. Please see the button below to share your input and concerns. We will follow up with a Reopening Committee meeting closer to the start of school.

An email has been sent out inviting you to sign up for SchoolDoc, our new medical software program. NOTE: Kindergarten emails will be sent soon!

The email is sent from "Arts Academy Elementary Charter School via School Doc" (see screenshot).

Once you accept the invitation, please go to the Health Profile and complete the form. This form must be completed before the first day of school. If your child is taking any medications, additional forms must be completed by your doctor.

Let us know if you have any questions!

Sincerely,

Dianna Shotwell, School Nurse
dshotwell@artsacademyecs.org

In about 2 weeks, we will be sending information for parents to register with a new app to use for dismissal purposes. We are very excited about this! With this new app, parents will be able to...

• check in from your phone to notify us that you have arrived (no need to memorize an ID number!)
• check in from your phone for early pickup or late drop-off (no need to sign in your child at the front desk)
  
• assign other authorized adults to pick up your child by giving them their own view only account
  
• change your child's dismissal mode for the day, week, or other periods of time up to 2 weeks in advance
  
• indicate up until 2:00 pm the day of, for early dismissal or for changes, such as to switch from bus to parent pickup
  
• assign different different dismissal modes for siblings (one stays after school, the other takes the bus, for example)
  
• instantly share with family members on your account that your child has been picked up
  
• instantly see when your child's bus has left the school
• opt in for text messages to immediately choose your child's dismissal mode in an emergency closing

Keep an eye out for our email!

At this time, we are planning for a full return to normal, while also acknowledging that circumstances can change with very little notice. We are planning field trips, events and activities with the intention to hold them if we are permitted. We're very excited about this year's 4th and 5th grade Musical!

This being said, we ask all parents to ensure we have your updated email and that you opt-in for text messages so we can confirm that all such events are on as scheduled.

You will receive an email from the school when it is time to confirm your information in JupiterEd, our student and parent portal. As our rosters are finalized, you will also receive a welcome message and an invitation to join Class Dojo.

Please check your email, our website and Facebook page starting August 20, when these types of messages will be sent out.

At the end of last school year, our 5th grade students were invited to the building to take their PSSA tests in ELA and Math. The PA Department of Education permitted schools to decide if they were not able to accommodate all students for PSSA testing, but they require us to implement it this year. Therefore, all students in 4th and 5th grade this year, will take their ELA, Math and Science (5th grade only) in September.

All students in grades 3 - 5 will take PSSAs in the spring of 2022. We appreciate your understanding and will present this to our students an opportunity to show what they know! More information will be sent out at the start of the year.

If you still have our school device, please return it or call us and we can possibly pick it up. We need to account for and update all devices so they are in good shape for the fall.

Our yearbooks should be ready for pickup the week of August 9! A message will be sent out as soon are we receive them, which is also when books will be mailed from Dan's Camera for those of you who ordered delivery

Now is the time to apply for 2021-22 federal programs via our School Cafe app!

It is important to note that even if you do not plan for your child to eat school meals, there are other federal programs, such as pandemic benefits, that you may qualify for with this application.

Click the School Cafe app, choose PA and enter "Arts Academy Elementary Charter School"

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Click below for instructions to use the School Cafe App to apply for free and reduced meals.

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Apply for Free and Reduced Meals through SchoolCafe!

Make sure we have current information to contact you!

We will use e-mail, text, voice calling messages and our social media pages. Log into our Jupiter portal, go to settings and update your phone or email address. https://login.jupitered.com/login/?85438

If you have moved, please contact Mr. Rosario, Child Accounting Administrator for a moving packet.

Email: cmccollum@artsacademyecs.org
Website: https://www.artsacademyecs.org
Location: 601 Union Street, Allentown
Phone: (610) 841-4560
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArtsAcademyElementary
Twitter: @ArtsElementary