Dear Blakely Families,
I hope that you were able to enjoy the sunshine this weekend! I was able to spend time on the water with my family and appreciated every single minute. In the midst of so much uncertainty and craziness, I am trying to be intentional about continuing to find joy in big and small ways, whenever and wherever possible!
I know that there are many, many (hundreds?) of questions related to what school will look like this upcoming year. Some of these questions are big picture questions, while others are more granular and detailed. Rest assured, we are likely wrestling with each of these questions, and from a project management perspective we are triaging things that need to be clarified in order to welcome students back to school (remotely) on September 2nd and then will continue to sort out additional details as the school year progresses. I will try to update you each week with relevant information that will help you understand how to best support your child(ren) as we work in partnership during this time of Continuous Learning, and eventually the Hybrid Learning model.
A few key updates for you this week:
Greet and Go: We typically have a Meet and Greet the day before school each year in order for students to see their classroom, meet their teacher and bring in necessary supplies. This year, we are putting a new, COVID safe spin on this and calling it a Greet and Go! Our Greet and Go will be a drive through format, where students will be able to meet their teacher from the safety of their car, and will receive necessary materials and supplies to get the school year up and running!
Beep and Go Schedule, Tuesday, September 1st, 2020:
9:00-9:30 Friedman
9:30-10:00 Berg/Keller
10:00-10:30 Sheehan/ Rose
10:30-11:00 Claiborne/Hoag
11:00-11:30 McCassey/Ball
11:30-12:00 Holloway/ Claesson
12:00-12:30 Ketcheside/Olsen
12:30-1:00 Reuling/Cameron
1:00-1:30 Ledbetter/Meyers
Kindergarten Start Date: The official start date for our Kindergarten students is Tuesday, September 8th. Washington State mandates that we transition Kindergarten students into their first formal year of school by holding a WaKIDS (Washington Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills) conference. Typically, students and families come to our school building in person, which allows the teacher, student and family to make connections and begin building their school and family partnership. In addition, teachers typically use this time to get to know a bit more about each child; their individual skills and strengths so that they can best meet individual student needs. The overall intent of these conferences remains the same, but this year they will be held via Zoom. Kindergarten teachers will schedule a conference time with each family on either September 2nd, 3rd or 4th.
I know that I have said it before, but I honestly feel like I can’t say it enough...we are in this together! You are not alone in trying to navigate a new school situation for your child(ren). We could not have predicted what these last 5 months would look like, and it is hard to know how the 2020-21 school year will unfold. It will undoubtedly be one that we will always remember, hopefully with some fondness, more highs than lows, and as a time when we came together as a community to ensure our children felt supported, connected and full of joy!
Wishing you a wonderful week,
Reese
