A MESSAGE FROM PRINCIPAL SALCIDO
Dear Dolphin Families,
At this midpoint of October, I wanted to make sure to let you know that the teachers are busy assessing the students on what they have learned so far this year and their progress toward the end of year grade level standards. Every minute of the instructional day is important for students to be able to keep up with the demands of what they need to learn and complete any unfinished learning from the past 18 months of distance learning. Please make sure that your child or children come to school every day on time, and only stay home if they are truely ill.
To keep children healthy and in school, please make sure to send them to school with clothes that are appropriate for the weather. We will continue to eat outside and play outside as much as possible, so students need to dress appropriately for the cooler weather. Please make sure that students understand that they need to wash or sanitize their hands after coughing or blowing their noses. Please write their first and last name on the tag of their sweaters and jackets so that students can find them easily if they are left behind.
All of the lunch tables have been moved under the solar panels on the blacktop. This move has allowed us to more easily supervise all students while they eat. As long as it is not raining, grades 1st to 5th will eat outside for snack and lunch. Kinder will eat snack outside and lunch in the MUR. Students will continue to follow the MVWSD Covid prevention guidelines and tables will be cleaned and sanitized between eating groups.
On Rainy Days, Castro will adjust its procedures to keep students as dry as possible and still provide them with movement. On Rainy Day mornings, students will report directly to their classrooms. During Rainy Day recess or lunch, students will have to eat snack or lunch inside the classrooms. Teachers will leave activities for the students to do during their rainy day recess. Students will be supervised by yard supervisors and Castro staff. The office will monitor the weather and only announce “Rainy Day Schedule” when absolutely necessary.
On Rainy Day at dismissal time, students who get picked up by car will wait in their classrooms or right outside until the valet calls for them over the walkie-talkie. To help with car pick-up, the school will be preparing car signs with student names for families to hang from the rear-view mirror or put on the dashboard. Students who walk home with parents will continue to be dismissed from their grade level gates. Please be patient as we put the Rainy Day procedure into place. Be prepared for student pick up and drop off to take extra time on Rainy Days.
As a result of the pandemic, some students have “unfinished learning” compared to the learning they would have completed in a typical year. MVWSD has a Learning Recovery Plan to support any unfinished learning. As a part of this plan, all students will get more practice on foundational skills through instruction tailored to them based on their academic needs. These additional learning opportunities will come in the form of instruction in the classroom, in addition to access to professional tutors - either in-person or virtually.
Parents, look for an email that was sent to you on Friday, Oct. 15 with information specific to your children. Some of these programs (that happen outside the school day) require you to give permission for your students to participate, so please complete the online form in the link.
Wondering about why you received information for your student and how to learn more? For answers to these and other frequently asked questions, please click here.
Sincerely,
Mr. Salcido