ESS Gazette
3/11/2021
Dear ESS Families,
We officially kick-off our Read-a-Thon on Monday, March 15th! We are thrilled to see so many families who have activated their child’s personal page and donated to our fundraiser. For those of you that may have missed the flyer, please look through your child’s backpack or email from their teacher for the form (pictured below) so that your child can participate, log reading minutes, and receive donations. Our school goal is 100% participation, and we look forward to seeing how many minutes our students will read over the next two weeks. We hope our Read-a-Thon will help our students find joy in reading and begin a lifelong habit of reading every day!
Respectfully,
Mark Lord
Bethany Calado
**Upcoming Dates**
March 15th - Read-A-Thon Start!
March 17th - Early Release
March 25th - Asynchronous learning day
April 1st - Asynchronous learning day
April 2nd - Good Friday (No school)
April 12-16 - Spring Vacation (No school)
**Arrival and Dismissal**
Unless we are notified otherwise, students will ride the same bus they did on their in-person days on the new in-person days. If you are sending your child back for the first time, please contact the school at 860-253-6565 so we can review our procedures directly with you.
**Evening Story Time**
Join us for our Live Teams Evening Story Time this week at 6:30 pm. Click on the link to join the event and listen to a favorite read aloud from our amazing ESS staff members.
Monday (3/15) with Mrs. Guertin
Tuesday (3/16) with Mrs. Lajoie
Wednesday (3/17) with Miss Kraucunas
Thursday (3/18) with Miss Tercasio
**Notes from the Nurse**
**Enfield's Transition to Kindergarten Events**
KITE will host Enfield’s Transition to Kindergarten Virtual Series in Apri
KITE, in partnership with the Enfield Public Schools, will be hosting a 3-part Transition to Kindergarten Series during the month of April. The series is for parents of children who will enter kindergarten in September 2021.
Due to Covid-19 restrictions, the event will look a bit different this year. This 3-part event will include a drive-thru grab and go information event on Apr 6th. Families will receive all the required materials to register for Kindergarten. From Apr 12th -22nd, parents can view an online video presentation to learn about the registration process, the kindergarten curriculum and structure of a kindergarten day. Featured in the video will be Enfield’s Superintendent, all three primary principals, kindergarten teachers, a current kindergarten parent and a PTO representative. Finally, a LIVE Zoom Q&A on April 22nd is for parents and caregivers to ask questions that were not already answered in the video recording. Immediately following parents can join a breakout session with the principal of the school their child will attend in the fall. Parents and caregivers must register in advance for the LIVE Q&A by visiting www.enfieldKITE.org.
· Tuesday, April 6 parents will be able to do a drive-by pickup of registration packet. For the convenience of families, there will be two pick-up times.
o The times are 6:30AM – 8:30AM and 5:00PM – 7:00PM
Front of Alcorn School (1010 Enfield Street)
· Monday, April 12 a video presentation featuring all the presenters and a PowerPoint about the kindergarten day will be posted on the KITE and Enfield Public Schools websites, for families to watch at their convenience.
· Thursday, April 22 Kite will host a Zoom Q&A for families. Those who participated in the video presentation will be available to answer questions. Following the large group Q&A, families will be invited to join a breakout room with the principal of the school their child will be attending. Click here to register for the Q&A or visit EnfieldKITE.org.
**Re-opening FAQ**
Below you will find details about the health and safety procedures ESS has been following this school year. These procedures were developed from CDC and CT State Department of Education guidelines. These health and safety procedures will remain in place upon students’ return to school 4 days a week. The decision of which learning model to choose is entirely up to your family – we hope that this information can help to answer frequently asked questions.
Masks
· Everyone will be required to wear masks at school.
· Masks should completely cover the nose and mouth and fit snugly against the sides of face without gaps.
· Mask breaks will be provided
Classroom Setup
· Maximize social distancing between student workstations, achieving 6 feet when feasible. Desks face in the same direction (rather than facing each other).
· Where necessary, assess other space that may be repurposed for instruction.
· Maximize space between the teacher and students due to the risk of increased droplets from teachers during instruction.
· Floor markings have been installed to illustrate social/physical distancing.
· Use outdoor instruction where health and safety conditions and physical space allow.
· Students have access to washing and sanitizing stations and are asked to sanitize when entering the building.
· Number of students returning on March 22nd will vary from classroom to classroom.
Hallways/ Passing
· Floors are marked to support social/physical distancing.
Lunchtime
· Students will have lunch in their classrooms
· During warm weather, students may eat lunch outside.
Buses
· Students in grades K-5 will be assigned seats
· Siblings can sit together
· Students cannot change seats once they have been seated
· Bus Drivers will disinfect the bus before the afternoon pickup
· PM Run – repeat the same steps above
· Wednesdays, buses will be all thoroughly disinfected
Instruction Model Options
· 4 day in person learning (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday)
· Full remote (5 days a week)
Arrival/Dismissal Routine
- Details will be included in next week's newsletter
Important things to consider
· Wednesdays will remain asynchronous (remote) for all students.
· Students whose family choose the 4-day learning model will be expected to come to school every day but Wednesday. Remote learning days are not available to provide flexible learning schedules for students. Remote learning on in-person days is only acceptable for students who are sick or need to quarantine.
· Students may switch to full remote at any time.
· Families cannot switch back and forth between learning models.
· Hybrid (2 days in-person) will not be an option beginning March 22nd.
ERFC (Before and after school care)
· ERFC will remain at the Enfield Annex for the remainder of the school year.
Please contact the ERFC for more information visit https://erfcinc.org/
Parking Lot Safety!
During placard pick up, please remember to park in a designated parking space and then proceed to pick up your child.
PTO Corner
Enfield Street School PTO is offering Green EPS Masks that were given to students upon their return to school. Masks are $5.00 each. Payment must be received by March 2nd. You can pay when ordering through Venmo @EnfieldStreet-PTO. If you have any questions please reach out to us at enfieldstreetpto@gmail.com.
Mask order form:
Next Meeting - TBD
Get to Know Your Board of Education!
BOE Meetings
We thought it would be helpful to show the dates and a link for future Board of Education meetings. They are a great way to stay involved and informed throughout the school-year.
All meetings are planned to begin at 7:00 PM.
March 23
April 13 & April 27
May 11 & May 25
June 8 & June 22
July 13
August 24
September 14 & September 28
October 12 & October 26
November 23
December 14
Advancing Anti-Bias and Equity
in Early Childhood Education
FREE Workshop March 25, 2021 9 a.m.-10:30 a.m.
Online program for early childhood students and educators
With Speaker Elsa Jones
Early childhood educators have the ethical responsibility to ensure all children learn and thrive in inclusive, welcoming environments.
This interactive workshop addresses the critical "whys" and "hows" underlying anti-bias education (ABE) and equity for young children.
We will explore key theories, ABE goals, children's literature, curriculum experiences, teaching strategies, and best practices for cultural responsiveness.
Please feel free to share your stories, successes, and challenges. As a community, we will build on our strengths and help one another.
About the Presenter:
Elsa Elisabeth Jones is a Child Development Specialist and Advocate with 35 years of broad-ranging experience. Her career started as a Head Start teacher and center director. Ms. Jones is the Program Chair of Early Childhood Education and an Associate Professor at Post University.
Please contact Julie Cotnoir at Asnuntuck jcotnoir@asnuntuck.edu
for information on how to virtually attend the event. A link will be sent to participants following registration of emails with Julie.
Sponsored by:
Asnuntuck Community College’s College Career Pathways Program and Perkins Funding
Connecticut State Department of Education Resources for Families
Important Lunch and Breakfast Information
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Menu Effective Starting February 22, 2021
Modified Hybrid/In School
**Until June 16, 2021 BREAKFAST and LUNCH are FREE TO ALL STUDENTS
due to a Federally Funded waiver due to Covid**
LUNCH & BREAKFAST MENUS
Elementary breakfast and lunch will be served to the student in the classroom.
***COLD LUNCH MEAL PLATE***
Wrapped tray contains all 4 components: Protein, Grain, Vegetable, Fruit.
Choice of Milk is served separately.
CHOICE OF ONE MEAL:
§ Turkey & American Cheese Sandwich
§ Ham (Turkey) & American Cheese Sandwich
§ Cheese Sandwich
§ Chef Salad Plate with Croutons and Italian Dressing
· Fresh salad greens with turkey, ham (turkey), cheese,
assorted fresh veggies: carrots, cucumbers, celery, tomato served with Ken’s Italian Dressing, Croutons & Dinner Roll
All meals include the following:
Crunchy Raw Vegetable of the Day ( included in Salad Plate)
For example: baby carrots or cucumber slices)
Fruit of the day
(for example: apple slices or peach cup)
Milk - choice of white or chocolate.
**Until the end of June 2021 all meals are FREE TO ALL STUDENTS due to a Federally Funded waiver due to Covid**
MILK CAN PURCHASED IF BRINGING A LUNCH FROM HOME $ .50
***COLD BREAKFAST BAG MEAL***
BREAKFAST STARTS MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14TH
**Until June 16, 2021 all meals are FREE TO ALL STUDENTS due to a Federally Funded waiver due to Covid**
Breakfast Bag consists of: Cereal, Fruit Punch 100% Juice, Graham Crackers
Choice of Milk is served separately: White or Chocolate
Additional fruit choice is available, changes daily.
Cereal in bag:
· Monday & Thursday: Cinnamon Toast Crunch
· Tuesday & Friday: Cocoa Puffs
Unfortunately, bags are made up before students arrive so, there is no choice available.
*****MENU IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT ANY TIME*****
iPads
Lexia
Lexia Core 5 is one of the online learning tools our teachers are using to help provide our students with additional literacy instruction. This program provides our teachers with valuable data so they may plan instruction that will meet the individualized needs of our students. Our teachers have been assigning Lexia time as part of their literacy instruction for students to complete while in school and during remote learning. Please make sure your child achieves the weekly Lexia minutes as recommended by the classroom teacher. Due to the nature of the current educational model, Lexia progress is also a primary indicator that we use to determine if further support is needed. It is also an excellent tool that develops key phonetic skills that current research has shown is integral to increasing reading skills.
EdTech
iReady
All students are assigned lessons on their My Path which is help with previous years math content that they are not proficient with and/or will push your student past their current math level. The goal is for students to spend 45-60 minutes each week in their My Path. Students will be provided time during the school day and any additional time at home is greatly encouraged.
SBCH Resources
Attendance
If your child should be in-person and instead logs in from home, they will be marked absent. If you are keeping your child home due to an exposure to covid-19 or an illness, then the nurse should be contacted to discuss school re-entry. At that time, we will plan for your child to attend class remotely if they feel well enough to do so, and your child will then be marked remote present.
Please make sure to communicate to the main office if your child is quarantining at home if a household member had tested positive for the corona virus. In this situation, the nurse will reach out to you with a timeline for re-entry.
Remote Learning Protocols
While student privacy and the confidentiality of student information is of utmost importance, parents/guardians are reminded that the District is not in direct control of individual homes or the physical locations of students participating in videoconferencing remotely.
In addition, please note the following suggestions regarding remote participation in videoconferencing:
- Parents/guardians are encouraged to have their students participate via a location that is quiet and free of distraction, to the extent possible.
- Consider adjusting the lighting on the student’s face for better visibility.
- Please be mindful of what is in view on the camera behind the participant and take care to choose a location with an appropriate background.
- Students are encouraged to use a headset or headphones while participating in videoconferencing, especially if they are in a room with other individuals or at home where others can hear.
Note from the Nurse
Watch for symptoms
People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- New loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
This list does not include all possible symptoms. CDC will continue to update this list as we learn more about COVID-19
Please be aware that many of the symptoms of Covid-19 are similar to other illnesses like colds, allergies, strep throat and the flu. Symptoms are often mild. Please monitor your children for these symptoms. If you have any questions if your student should be in school please contact me at 860-253-6564 or tsylvest@enfieldschools.org
Mask Wearing
PBIS
iPad
Absent teacher
Community Support Opportunities
Grandparent Support Group
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
Support Group
Are you a grandparent or relative responsible for raising your grandchild or the child of a relative? If so, you are not alone. There are 2.4 million grandparent-headed households in the United States and this number continues to grow.
The Enfield Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Support Group was created for grandparents that can benefit from support and resources while they face the joys and challenges of raising their grandchildren
*WHERE: Stowe Early Learning Center 117 Post Office Rd, Enfield
*TIME: Evenings
*WHEN: Mondays in 2020-2021
Per the pandemic we are holding the meetings face-to-face when possible outdoors however, this is not always possible, so some weeks the meetings are held virtually via. zoom. If you are interested in joining please call or e-mail me at the e-mail address below, so you can be added to the e-mail distribution list and know when meetings are occurring and details about when/where.
To register or for more information, please contact
Heather Benyak, Family Resource Center Social Worker
hbenyak@enfield.org 860-253-5214
Circle of Security
Are you struggling with knowing what your child is really asking from you?
Join us to learn how to support and strengthen your parent-child relationship.
Circle of Security Parenting will help you:
• Understand your child’s emotional needs
• Support your child to manage their emotions
• Enhance the development of your child's self esteem
• Strengthen your attachment with your child
This 8-session virtual series is geared towards children
ages 4 months-six years. Sessions are offered at a variety of times to meet the needs of families.
Please contact Erin Grimes, Family Resource Center Parent Educator,
at 860-253-6580 or egrimes@enfield.org to get more information or be put on a list for an upcoming session.
Parent Support Group
Town of Enfield
Department of Social Services
The Parent Support Group is facilitated by Social Workers Heather Benyak, LMSW from The Family Resource Center and Joanna Fornwalt, LCSW from Enfield Youth & Family Services.
The group was created in order to support all parents and caregivers with everyday challenges they may be facing during these uncertain and demanding times. In this group, parents are encouraged to share and discuss their experiences and also receive positive feedback from their peers in a safe, non-judgmental environment. The group can also provide you with additional supports and resources depending on individualized needs and circumstances.
WHERE: Virtually through ZOOM
WHEN: Mondays at 7:00 p.m. OR
Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m.
We invite you to register for this group by calling us at
(860)253-5214 or by emailing Heather Benyak at hbenyak@enfield.org.
You are also welcomed to make an appointment to meet with us individually.
Family Resource Centers:
Henry Barnard School
27 Shaker Road
Enfield, CT. 06082
(860) 253-4721
Stowe Early Learning Center
117 Post Office Road
Enfield, CT. 06082
(860)253-6580