A Note from Principal Farrington Birchview Families,
This week, we celebrated Unity Days at Birchview and it was amazing! Students and staff showed their school spirit by wearing orange. We also worked on building a school wide unity tree and participated in our first ever Virtual Assembly. It was so great to get our entire school community involved virtually. I am proud of all the compassionate acts that were shown around the school this month. Next month, we will practice our second 4C: community.
I am looking forward to the Virtual Coffee with the Principal on Monday, November 2 at 10:00 a.m. via Zoom. Please see link below and in the events section of the newsletter. I hope that you find some time to join and say 'hi,' share feedback about how school is going or ask any questions. See you then! Let's continue to work together to teach and show compassion everyday. It makes a huge difference in our school and community. Thank you for partnering with us and supporting our school.
With gratitude,
Mr. Farrington
Supporting Our Community Family Support and Resources Do you need support but not sure who to call? I am Ms. Mondoux and I am the Achievement Interventionist at Birchview. Part of my job is to work with families to help them access resources they may need. Some services I can help with are:
If you would like help with any of these things, or something else that isn't listed here, please reach out. I look forward to working with you. Please feel free to reach out to me at Michele.Mondoux@wayzataschools.org or 763-745-5321.
iPad Usage We recommend going through your child's iPad camera roll with your child on a regular basis to remove any unnecessary or inappropriate photos/videos. The photos/videos take up valuable storage space on the device which makes it challenging to run updates and install new apps. More importantly, going through the camera roll together allows for a connection about what your child is learning in school and what is important to your child. Along the way, if there are inappropriate images, it can turn into a teachable moment about appropriate use of this school-issued device. Please know that if a staff member finds inappropriate content on a student iPad, we, too, will treat it like a teachable moment. However, since we are mandated reporters, depending on the content, outside agencies may also need to be involved. Thank you for your continued partnership in keeping our students safe and focused on learning.
Weekend Food Program Birchview families, if you are in need of some extra meals for the weekends, please feel free to reach out to our social worker, Kathy Banks. You can contact her at 763-745-5394. You may also send an email to Kathy.Banks@wayzataschools.org.
Follow Us on Social Media We miss having visitors in our school. However, you can get a glimpse of school through our social media pages. Follow us on Twitter or like us on Facebook to see all the fun things happening around school.
Technology Assistance To ensure the safety for all, we are requesting the following process be followed for all technology assistance:
Reporting Absences Please report absences in Skyward Family Access when your child is absent or tardy due to an appointment. Children are considered unexcused without a call to the attendance line from a parent or guardian; this includes Distance Choice as well as students learning from home on non-cohort days. You can still call the school attendance line at 763-745-5355 to report an absence.
Reminders Virtual Coffee with the Principal - Monday, November 2, 10:00 a.m. I would like to invite you to another opportunity to meet with me on Monday, November 2 at 10:00 a.m. We are getting close to the end of the first quarter of school and I would love to meet with you to hear about how school is going for your family. This will be the first of four opportunities to meet and share your feedback, ask questions and help me continue to learn about our amazing community. So, grab a cup of coffee and maybe a treat, and join our virtual coffee meeting with me. I look forward to meeting with you.
Material Pick Up Dates for Distance Choice (Change Beginning Oct. 23) There has been a change to our distance choice pick up. We will now have a contact free pickup beginning tomorrow. Families will need to park their cars and find their grade level table near the front entrance. You will find your child's package on the table. Any returned items should be dropped in the basket underneath the table. Please only take items for your child(ren). Pick up will begin at 12:30 p.m. and go until 2:30 p.m. each Friday. This new procedure will take place for all remaining pickups.
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
Bobcat Fun Run The PTA is excited to announce that the Bobcat Fun Run will be kicking off on November 6! We'll send details on participating soon, but first we need your help. If you have or know of a business that may be interested in sponsoring the event, please forward them this letter now! Thanks for your help!
PTA Calendar The PTA November 2020 calendar is ready! Please check out the latest in November calendar updates. There are a lot of great sponsors; please click around to support the businesses who have supported our school. The Fun2Raise school store has amazing items this month, so make sure to check them out and click to order. Print your monthly calendar to make life easy. Just click to print! Enjoy a special offer just for our school to Urban Air in Plymouth!
Around the District Distance Learning Meal Options Stay Home When Ill and Be Prepared to Quarantine 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. Planning travel out of the state or country? October Wayzata Legislative Action Committee Update
Community Ed Space available in Wayzata Kids Full-Day Preschool Fall ECFE classes are available at the Wayzata Early Learning School Parent Tool Kit: Friendships, Relationships, and Social Distancing
Financial assistance is available or call 763-745-5200 for more information.
Calendar School Events District Events Thursday, November 5, 2020 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM School Board Meetings |