A Note from Principal Farrington Greetings Birchview Families,
It was so great seeing so many of you at our recent events this week. Our staff enjoyed getting to meet with families virtually. Teachers should have shared the presentation with you from Open House. There was lots of useful information about what school will look like this year. Thank you for joining us this week. We are looking forward to doing our best to make this school year truly special.
As we get ready for our first days of school (September 14 - Cohort A and September 15 - Cohort B), I want to remind you of all the ways that we can keep each other safe at school. If we all do our part, all the staff and students of our Birchview community will stay safe and healthy this school year. Learn more about how you can help our school community. Thank you for your help with this.
This year, we will continue to practice our 4 C's. We will continue to learn how to show our Trojan Pride by being a community of learners that inspires compassion, cultivates commitment and creates curiosity. Whether we are in person, hybrid or distance, we will do our best to show our Trojan Pride.
Lastly, you probably can tell that our bobcat and I are becoming great friends. Well, this week, we are going to show you all the new procedures at school. It is my hope that you can watch this video with your child before the start of school and have a discussion about the new routines at school. We will review all of the new protocols with students when we see them next week. I am looking forward to a great start to the school year. While it's been so great getting ready with the teachers, I believe that we can all agree that school is so much better with our students. I can't wait to see everyone next week.
With excitement,
Mr. Farrington
Supporting Our Community Drop Off and Pick Up When Dropping Off:
When Picking Up:
It is important for us to be patient as we implement these new procedures. It may helpful for you to allow for more time on the first days/weeks of school when dropping off and picking up your child. Our number one priority is to keep everyone safe. Please do not hesitate to reach you if you have any questions.
How Will Attendance Work?
Should Families Enter the Office or School?
How You Can Help Get Your Child Ready Students will be returning on Monday and Tuesday next week and we have been working hard to create a safe and supporting environment here at school. But, there are a few ways that you can help make the start of our year even more successful:
We will continue to update this list as the year progresses. Thank you for your continued support. We are all in this together!
iPad and Material Distribution for Distance Choice - September 10 or 11 Students who selected Distance Choice will be able pick up their iPad and other supplies on September 10 (12 p.m. to 3 p.m.) or September 11 (10 a.m. to 1 p.m.). It will be a curbside pick up. You will pull up to the curb, show a piece of paper with your child's name to our staff, then we will bring out items for you. Please come to the front of the building to pick up items. If you ordered school supplies, you will receive them at this time. Hybrid students will receive them on the first day of school.
First Day of School - September 14 and 15 We look forward to welcoming you back officially to school on September 14 (Cohort A) and September 15 (Cohort B). This is for hybrid and distance students!
Reminders Bus Information Bus information was mailed on September 9. You should be receiving that information soon. You can contact our district's transportation office at 763-745-5195 if you have any questions or need support. You can also find this information on skyward.
Medications at School All medications, both prescribed and Over-The-Counter (OTC), administered at school requires a medical order from a person who is a licensed authorized prescribing practitioner (physician, physician's assistant, dentist, podiatrist, osteopath or psychiatrist). Please contact your school health office about medication drop off before the start of school. For more information, visit our Health Services webpage.
School Supply Lists If your child is part of the Distance Choice model, please refer to the school supply list and determine what your child needs while working at home. For Hybrid students, please continue to use the school supply list. Your child's teacher will communicate if there are any changes or additions needed. If you ordered supply kits, your child will receive them on the first day of school.
Emergency Contact Information It is very important that we have accurate emergency contact information for each parent/guardian. Please take a moment to verify and update your family information in Skyward Family Access.
Birthday Book Program Our popular birthday book program will be back this year. This program helps grow our library collection while formally commemorating a special day in the lives of our students.
PTA News We love this school and adore these kids. We want to participate in making their elementary school experience the best it can be! We want to connect with other parents and work together to build a strong and vibrant community for our children and the families that love them. This is why our purpose is to enhance learning outside the classroom, provide equitable opportunities to students and staff, create community and show appreciation for our community members.
Around the District How to Access Your Child's Culinary PIN Stay Home When Ill and Be Prepared to Quarantine It is important to be prepared as we begin the new school year in the midst of a pandemic. Our new reality will require students, families and staff to check daily for symptoms and stay home if you are ill. If you or someone in your family is ill, please reference the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) Decision Tree document to learn what your next steps should be. Report any student absences into Skyward Family Access, specifying if the absence is COVID-19 related. Our school nurses will follow up with any COVID-19 related cases. If you are tested for COVID-19, even if you feel well, it is important that you remain home and away from others until you receive the results. Everyone must be prepared to stay home and quarantine for up to two weeks if you become ill with or are exposed to COVID-19. We know being quarantined for two weeks will be extremely challenging, but it is absolutely necessary to stop the spread of the virus. Learn how you can prepare for a possible quarantine. Our nurses will be working closely with MDH to notify students and staff as soon as possible if you have been exposed to COVID-19 at school. Always answer your phone if MDH is calling. If you have questions, please contact the licensed nurse at your school. More detail and helpful information can also be found on our Wayzata Learns webpage. Staying Safe at School We are busy preparing our buildings and staff for the start of the new school year, with a big focus on preventing the spread of COVID-19 within our staff and student body. All of our buildings have optimal ventilation and enhanced cleaning and sanitation procedures are in place. Our school principals have established new guidelines for everything from entering the building to eating lunch. We need you to understand and follow them so that we can all stay safe and prevent the spread of the virus. Staying Safe at School Overview Bus Safety in Wayzata Public Schools Students demonstrate how to ride the bus and what to do in the event of an emergency.
Community Ed Parenting with Vision: Helping your kids through tough transitions In partnership with Relate Counseling Center, Wayzata Community Ed is offering a series to parents to help them with tough transitions for their kids. These webinars will take place online and are free to attend with no registration required. Transitioning to Kindergarten - Parents of incoming kindergarteners are invited to join this webinar hosted by Anne Sitorius Maas, MA, LPCC, a Relate Counseling Center early childhood therapist. Parents will learn tips and skills on how to support your child through this upcoming transition.
Join us in our online classrooms! We have many opportunities for our youth and adult learners. You can find all our class options on our registration site. Healthy Parents, Healthy Kids - Navigating the stress and isolation of COVID-19 has presented added challenges for parenting our kids. How can we as parents support each other in our efforts to help our kids build and maintain resilience, self-esteem, and mental health in the midst of a pandemic? Parents of elementary-age children are invited to join a parent support group facilitated by Judy Hoy, DSW and Chithra Binoy. Financial assistance is available or call 763-745-5200 for more information.
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