Parent Newsletter
April 30, 2020
| |
Message from Dr. Thompson
Dear Plymouth Creek Parents, Students and Staff,
Thank you for all the great work you have been doing with distance learning. I know this work can be challenging but your efforts to help your children continue to learn is greatly appreciated. We will continue to focus on reading, writing, and math. This does not mean we don't value each of the specialist areas and our specialist teachers, but to prepare children for the next grade level, we have chosen to prioritize our focus on reading, writing, and math. Everything else is considered optional. We greatly appreciate all the work our classroom teachers and specialists put into their daily instruction and their interactions with your children. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact me or your child's teacher. Remember we do not have school tomorrow, May 1 or Monday, May 4. The governor has designated these two days for teacher planning for the remainder of the year. This will be a great opportunity for your children to catch up on any missed assignments and specialist activities. Teacher instruction will resume on Tuesday, May 5.
Many of you have asked about end of the year activities. The calendar year for school has not changed so the last day of school will still be Thursday, June 4. We don't know any specifics about when yearbooks will arrive or how we will get them distributed or when and how students will be able to clear out their desks and cubbies. We are waiting for further direction from the governor and will notify families as these decisions are made. Again, thank you for all you are doing to support your children during this challenging time. Take care of yourself and your family and together we will continue to find success during this unique time in our history.
We hope you are enjoying the addition of our "distance created" Panther Network News. Our News Crew students have been working hard to put together a daily news show from home and we've included links to our shows for the past two weeks.
Thank you,
Dr. Thompson
| |
| |
Distance Learning from the Plymouth Creek Community!
| |
Did You Know?
Teacher Appreciation Week is May 5-8
Help celebrate the teachers of Plymouth Creek!
- Tuesday: Say thank you! Send a personal note or video saying what you appreciate about your teacher.
- Wednesday: Send your teacher virtual flowers - Send either a drawing or a picture of your child with flowers.
- Thursday: Specialist Appreciation - Send a personal note or video saying thank you to all of your specialist teachers.
- Friday: Show your love for all PC Staff (custodians, culinary, office, paras, student services, teachers) through our community Padlet page.
Go Panthers!
| |
Social-Emotional Learning Resource
Our social worker and student support specialist have been working hard to create some helpful resources for our families and students. A special shout out to Sunset Hill Elementary for being willing to share their ideas and to the staff at Plymouth Creek, especially, Mrs. Thoma, Mrs. Shoultz and Mr. Worth for making this resource available. We hope that you will have a chance to check out this link. Here is what you will find:
- Weekly Student Activities that focus on social and emotional well-being. We know these two areas are critical pieces to our student's overall health and learning. We want you to know that no matter where we are learning---we know you want your child to have opportunities to grow their academic, social and emotional skills.
- Coping Skills Activities that your child can do independently or you can do them as a family. However you use the skills we hope they offer some fun ways for your child to learn how to manage the thoughts and feelings they are experiencing.
- Panther Pride Activities — have your child take a peek at this! This will be a place where we will encourage students to demonstrate their panther pride!
Our hope is that your child will find at least one (hopefully more!) activity that encourages them to challenge themselves, try something new and continue to grow social and emotionally.
There is also a section just for parents. Please check it out—you will find some resources to help you and your child during distant learning. Above anything, we hope you find this resource helpful. Please let us know if there is something you are looking for and just can not find---we would love to help. And if you have found a resource that has made a difference for you—would you please take a moment and share it with us?
| |
Below are a few tips to help you maintain your physical and emotional health during this period.
Take care of yourself physically
If possible, try to get in at least 15-30 min. of light exercise a day. Any activity that raises your heart rate such as walking or riding a bike will help combat stress, raise the endorphins (mood stabilizers) in your brain, and promote better sleep.
Eating healthy and good nutrition are essential in combating stress and perhaps the single most important ingredient in maintaining good overall health. When bored, avoid eating foods that are high in fats, salt, and sugary. Instead, go easy on that stuff and eat fruit, nuts, whole grain bread, and breakfast cereals. These are much healthier options.
Stay connected to others
It's time to take advantage of social media in a good way. Keeping in touch with family and friends, assisting those in need, and reaching out to support others is a good way to feel like you're still connected with others. These activities also help avoid feelings of isolation. Making cards for the elderly who are isolated from families in nursing homes is a very good activity. When we focus on helping others, it actually feels good and we find meaning in it.
Use healthy news habits: not too much & use trusted sources
Due to the prevalence of Social Media there is good and bad to take with it. There is a lot of information out there on the Coronavirus -- both accurate and inaccurate. All this information can be overwhelming and confusing. Take breaks from reading, watching and even talking about the coronavirus as much as you can to protect your sanity.
Focus on things that you can control
Focusing on the things that we can't control can have a negative effect on our emotions. Feelings of having no control will cause you to worry. When we focus on the things we can control, we don't worry about what we can't. This type of thinking always puts us on the right track
Maintain a sense of hope and positive thinking
Despite our current circumstances, we can still have hope in our futures by focusing on the positives in our lives. One day we know that this coronavirus thing will end, and we will move on from it. In the meantime, we all have things, people, family, and circumstances that are positive in our lives. This gives us reasons to be thankful by providing us a sense of hope for our futures.
Maintain normal routines as much as possible
To fight the dreaded feeling of being bored, do your best to structure your time so that you are on a routine daily. Structured time for reading, journaling, and perhaps movies will help you maintain your internal clock for when you need to be ready to jump back into academics. Also, structured time for exercise, communicating with friends, and spending time with your family are good ways to fight boredom. Avoid sleeping-in all day and long periods of no activity. This behavior will set you up for possible emotional challenges from being bored.
Take the time to learn new skills like cooking, hobbies, etc
Taking the time to learn new skills has numerous benefits. First, learning new skills will provide you with more options to entertain yourself far beyond after we recover from this coronavirus thing. And, learning new activates is just a fun way to learn. Keeping your brain active by learning new skills will also help you prepare you for when we do get back to school.
| |
Reminders
Reporting Attendance in Skyward Family Access
A reminder that all absences (vacations, religious holidays, doctor appointments, illnesses, family emergencies, etc) should be entered via Skyward Family Access. Families will no longer need to complete a Travel Plan Form when they go on vacation, as all absences are now entered via Skyward Family Access. A few reminders when it comes to attendance:
- Children are considered unexcused without an entry in Skyward Family Access or a call to the attendance line from a parent or guardian.
- Students will also be marked unexcused if they arrive late to school and are not escorted into the office by a parent or adult.
- When you are submitting the attendance request in Skyward Family Access, you must be logged in as a parent, not a student.
- Calls to the attendance line (763-745-5855) should be reserved for last-minute attendance requests or changes.
- Remember to also reach out to your classroom teacher to notify them of a planned full-day or multi-day absence.
| |
Emergency Information Form
For a variety of reasons, there is often a need to contact you throughout the course of the school year. Parents/Guardians are asked to keep their contact information up-to-date in Skyward Family Access Emergency Information Form. Watch the Skyward Family Access video guide and to complete the form.
| |
PTO News
Box Tops are Going Digital!
If you still have a collection of the traditional clippings, please continue to turn those into your child's teacher, the office, or the container by the gym door, but be aware that the physical Box Tops are being phased out. Plymouth Creek's lifetime earnings from Box Tops is almost $38,000! This is a fantastic program that has benefited our children greatly over the years. Please take a minute to download the new Box Tops app, scan your receipts after each shopping trip, and watch our school earnings increase thanks to you!
| |
| |
Being stuck at home and away from school and friends is difficult for many kids and teens. Relate Counseling Center is offering online Mindfulness and Stress Reduction groups to students ages 7-11 to manage emotions during COVID-19. Groups will incorporate discussion around feelings about the current pandemic as well as provide tangible tools to help manage stress and anxiety. Kids will also engage in movement and relaxation strategies throughout group. The cost is $10 per week and meets Tuesdays from 1:00-1:30 p.m. Participants can register for individual weeks or the full eight weeks. Contact Kelly Smith, LGSW at knsmith@relatemn.org for more information.
We have the best teachers and staff around, and never has it been clearer than during these unprecedented times. Whether they’ve helped make a difference in person or virtually this year, show your appreciation by participating in our Thank a Teacher program. From May 4 to June 3, any donation you make to the Wayzata Education Fund honoring a teacher or staff will come with a certificate of appreciation from your student. Additionally, if you donate $25 or more, they will also receive a bundlet from Nothing Bundt Cakes Minnetonka. Say thank you and support a good cause at the same time!
- Avoid being around others who are sick – when to keep your child home. When reporting attendance in Skyward Family Access, note that we have added Influenza-like Illness (oral temperature of 100° F or higher with a cough or sore throat) as an option. If your child has an oral temperature of 100° F or higher, please keep him/her home until they have been fever-free without medication for 24 hours.
- Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, or cough or sneeze into your sleeve.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Do not share drinking cups and straws.
- Frequently clean commonly touched surfaces (doorknobs, refrigerator handles, phones, water faucets).
- Talking to Kids About the Coronavirus – Child Mind Institute.
We've had so many great Ask Ali questions in our inbox – thanks to all who have submitted! Ali, along with her network of local experts, has been working hard to answer these questions. Responses are posted every Monday on her blog at partnersinpreventionmn.org/askali. Parents, you've got to check out the responses to these questions! There are some interesting ones that have been asked; chances are you might be wondering some of these things.
| |
| |
Calendar
School Events
District Events
School Board Meetings
| |
|
16005 41st Avenue North, Plymouth, MN 55446 | 763-745-5800