Good morning Carman Trails students and parents!

As a reminder, we are holding a "supply pickup" on Monday, Jan. 11th for our Virtual students. Due to Group 2 In-Person students being present on Monday when carpool lanes will be in use, we ask that you choose from one of the following times to pick up your student(s) supplies:

8:00 a.m. - 8:30 a.m.

9:15 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

4:15 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

We apologize for the need to modify the supply pickup to specific time frames; however, due to the carpool lanes being used it was necessary to alleviate any backups in student drop-off/pick up as well as assisting in delivering supplies to you quickly.

When you arrive at the building, please call 314-415-6100 and let the office staff know you are here to pick up your child's supplies. We will bring them out to you -- no need to even leave your car.

With CT pride,

Allison

Dear Carman Families,

All students enrolled in our virtual learning academy will have school this week on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. There is no school on Friday, January 15.

All students enrolled in the IN-PERSON learning model will NOT have a distance learning day this week. Instead, IN-PERSON students should follow the following schedule: Monday, January 11 and Wednesday, January 13 Group 2 is in person. Tuesday, January 12 and Thursday, January 14 Group 1 is in person. There is NO SCHOOL on Friday, January 15.

There is NO SCHOOL on Monday, January 18. All students in the virtual academy and in-person learning models will return on Tuesday, January 19. We will return to school full time for all students who are learning IN-PERSON. The hybrid model will be suspended starting on Tuesday, January 19.

For your reference, here is the blended learning calendar.

https://www.parkwayschools.net/Page/10730

With CT pride,

Allison

On distance learning days, elementary students are online with teachers using the same schedule as their in-person days.

In-Person Calendar can be found here

If you have selected Option 2 Virtual Campus you can view those schedules here.

School start and end times can be found here.

Carman Parents,

Please be sure to send a water bottle to school with your student(s) every day. Although the water fountains are not in use, we do have a water bottle refill station that students are allowed to use as needed. Your assistance in sending personal water bottles each day is very much appreciated.

Spirit Week is coming SOON and we need your input -- we have come up with 10 different "themes" and you can choose 4 of your favorites! Or, if you have your own idea for a Spirit Day theme that you don't see listed, you can add it to the space at the end of the survey!

We're looking forward to your answers and planning some fun Spirit days ahead! Please just click the link below to submit your response. We would appreciate your response by Friday, Jan. 22nd.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/10BBRAP04y2LXMTTnKRqx8pxNuU3fHImh23RXP2_vqYA/edit?usp=drive_web

Happy New Year!

We hope that you all had some well deserved rest over the winter break. We'd like to take a moment to give you all the updates and info about the food pantry you may need for this semester. To start, here are the distribution dates that we have for the Spring semester:

Tuesday, January 19th from 10a-2p and Wednesday the 20th from 4p-6p

Tuesday, February 16th from 10a-2p and Wednesday the 17th from 4p-6p
Tuesday, March 16th from 10a-2p and Wednesday the 17th from 4p-6p
Tuesday, April 13th from 10a-2p and Wednesday the 14th from 4p-6p
Tuesday, May 18th from 10a-2p and Wednesday the 19th from 4p-6p

Information for families

We have decided to not send out a new sign up sheet for the spring semester. If someone was signed up for the fall semester, they are already set up for the spring. For those who are new to the pantry, you can sign up here.

Helping in the pantry

If there are any parents who would like to be involved, we are able to offer limited volunteer opportunities for community members. Parents must start this process by completing a background check through Parkway. If anyone has questions please reach out to us by email at: foodpantryrequest@parkwayschools.net. You can also start the background check by emailing Kathy Bowen at kbowen@parkwayschools.net.

Warm Regards,

Food Pantry Staff

This month's mini challenges focus is on indoor air quality!

Most of us spend a majority of our time inside buildings. We eat, sleep, learn, play, and work indoors.

Indoor air can become polluted just like outdoor air can. For example, cleaners, dust, paints, bug sprays, and smoke can all make indoor air unhealthy to breathe.

There are steps we can take to make the air in our homes and other buildings safe and healthy. We can choose less toxic cleaners, glues, and chemicals to use inside. We can remove indoor air pollutants from smoking, add plants, and clean regularly to remove allergens.

January Mini Challenges

Green (1 point; no photo required)

Take a pledge to improve indoor air quality

Take the pledge >>

Greener (10 points; submit photo through Points Reporting form)

• Home Indoor Air Quality Audit
• Reducing Indoor Air Pollution with Plants activity

Greenest (20 points; submit photo through Points Reporting form)

• Make your own natural zero-waste cleaners
• Investigating Household Cleaners activity

Idle-Free Schools Campaign

As temperatures get colder this winter, emissions from idling cars will be on the rise. Concentrated areas of car idling, such as in a school pickup zone, can create a "pollution hot spot". Idling vehicles emit 20 times more pollution than a car going 30 miles per hour

The Clean Air Partnership of St. Louis provides free no-idling signs to schools as part of their "Turn Your Key, Be Idle-Free" campaign. For support in starting a campaign at your school or to learn more, contact Hannah Carter at hcarter@parkwayschools.net

EPA Idle-Free Schools Toolkit

Learn More

Indoor Air Quality Resources

EPA's guide to IAQ in home

EWG's guide to healthy cleaning

EPA IAQ Tools for Schools checklists

27 DIY non-toxic cleaner recipe

Why Study Indoor Air Pollution? lesson

For kids:

NIH Kid's - Indoor Air Pollution

PBS Kids Reducing Indoor Air Pollution

Recycling Batteries and Printer Cartridges

Did you know that Parkway's Sustainability Department helps schools recycle batteries and printer cartridges?

Schools should send all kinds of batteries, printer cartridges, and copier toner tubes to the district warehouse for recycling.

Learn More

Dear Carman Families:

As the days continue to change our circumstances, we wanted to make sure you were aware of some of the resources that are available to you and your family. Please know that we are with you and for you! If you need help or have questions about any of these resources, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. We are happy to help you in any way we can as we all maneuver the days ahead.

The attached is a form you can fill out to request one or more of the resources that are available to you and specific ways we may be able to help. There is one in English and one in Spanish. Please complete the attached form and let us know how we can support you.

We are Carman and we are stronger together!

Tracy Kiso (K-3 Counselor) and Grant Steward (Grades 4-5)

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf2Ep6iALFg-0q4MxeG22KIJtrq19JdO3rz9w-BUVEHnHS_Vg/viewform?usp=pp_url (English version)

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe1StJSDMq4FhzJhO0rlGKFC8cEbxOw_MvftN99qpo-vQKllA/viewform?usp=pp_url (Spanish version)

Virtual Campus Parent Update

ACS International Schools wrote, “The anxiety of receiving online learning guidance, multiple resources (which although of the highest online quality, can never match the detailed and responsive learning offer that takes place in the school) managing their children’s responses, trying to give feedback and missing the ongoing dialogue with teachers, not to mention managing ‘working from home’.” This is how they define “distance” for parents.

Remember that Virtual Campus and learning at school won’t look the same — and that’s okay. There is an unlimited amount of organic learning that can happen in daily family life and that this is a unique opportunity to prioritize home and family. Some ideas to participate in over winter break that do not involve traditional schoolwork. Play some board games with your kids (board games promote all sorts of academic and social-emotional skills!), read books with them and to them (ask them questions throughout), and talk! Have conversations with your children about their thoughts, fears, hopes, desires. Integrate lessons into real-life activities and experiences. This makes learning more engaging and relatable. This could include having students follow a recipe to practice fractions or heat transfer. It can also be an opportunity for students to shop for groceries with a budget.

Resources for Families

• FREE E-learning for Spanish Heritage Speaking Families in Dual

• Common Sense Media

• Everfi Remote Learning Activities

• Illustrative Mathematics Support

• Take a Code Break with Code.org

• Coronavirus Updates for Children that Learn Differently

Dr. Jennifer Stanfill

Director of Choice Programs

Director of Parkway Virtual Campus

Daily Health Screening

• All students and staff will complete a daily health screening before coming to school. If your child has any symptoms, including known exposure to COVID-19, flu or cold symptoms, you should keep them home and call your school. Medical evaluation will be required if students are exhibiting symptoms of COVID-like illnesses.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdzrrAD-nDHGZf0nX-28zQhcBbGdQvA6dbWxZ3X9krgC9VE-w/viewform

The Community Health Dashboard now includes the number of cases and quarantines for our students and staff in each school. The dashboard is updated daily.

• You can follow our key metrics on the new Parkway Community Health Dashboard

Parent guide to student health

As we return to in-person learning, we want to share the procedures we will use to notify parents and staff when there is a positive case of COVID-19 at school and how you can help keep our children, staff and school communities healthy.

We have also outlined some scenarios here to help you determine what to do if your child has had contact with a symptomatic person or positive case, as well as other scenarios.

https://www.parkwayschools.net/Page/10692

Free meals and changes to food service

All meals including breakfast and lunch will be distributed for free to all students K-12. Free meals will be available for Virtual Campus students and those attending in-person at school.

Students enrolled in Virtual Campus will need to complete the weekly meals signup page. You can sign up for meals here. Only students not attending school in person need to signup for meals. You can choose your pickup location as well as how many days you will be picking meals up for your children. Families can choose a box that includes three meals or five meals, which will be available for Virtual Campus students and during blended learning schedules.

Students learning in-person will receive lunch at school. This free program is provided to all public school districts with federal USDA funding through the end of the school year.

Free and reduced lunch links for parents.

• Here is the link to our home page.

• Here is the link to the direct application by zip code.

Meals and menus can be found here.

Please check out the December Nurse's Newsletter for health information, safety tips, COVID resources, and so much more!

Coronavirus-Evaluation of Symptoms

All students and staff should complete a daily health screening before coming to school.
If your child has any symptoms, including known exposure to COVID-19, flu, or cold symptoms, they should stay home and call your school.
When will your child be sent home from school?

• If your child has 1 low risk symptom they will be sent home and may return to school in 24 hours after symptom resolution if there is no known COVID-19 exposure
• If you child has 2 low risk symptoms OR 1 high risk symptom they will be sent home and require a medical evaluation

When will we need a doctor's note?

• Healthcare provider confirms alternative diagnosis for symptoms
• Medical clearance required from your healthcare provider or Department of Health for student to return to school after medical evaluation

When can my child return to school after COVID testing?

• If negative, the student may return after 24 hours without fever and symptoms improving
• If positive, the student may return to school after 10 days since symptoms onset, 24 hours without fever, and symptoms improving

When can my child return if they are found to be a close contact?

• The student may return after 14 days from last contact with COVID positive individual, unless symptoms develop

• If symptoms appear the student should receive a SARS-CoV-2 PCR test

Counselor Connection Newsletter

Mr. Steward's Virtual Office

January

January 11: Group 2 in-person, Group 1 Virtual

January 11: Virtual Student Supply Pick up (8:00 a.m. - 8:30 a.m./9:15 a.m. - 3:30 p.m./4:15 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.)

January 15: No School-Grading/Records Day

January 18: No School-Martin Luther King Jr. Day

January 19: Wonderful World of Kindergarten (virtual) 6:00 pm-7:30 pm

January 27: Progress Reports Sent Out

January 29: Picture Retake Day

February

February 15: No School Presidents' Day

February 26: No School-Grading

March

March 15: PTO General Meeting

March 19-26: No School-Spring Break

Email: alove@parkwayschools.net
Website: parkwayschools.net/carmantrails
Location: 555 South Weidman Road, Ballwin, MO, USA
Phone: 314-415-6100
Facebook: http://facebook.com/CarmanTrails
Twitter: @trailscarman