Middleburg Elementary School
Midd-West School District
Mrs. Julie L. Lohr, Principal
600 Wagenseller Street, Middleburg, PA 17842
570-837-0046, ext. 4002 • FAX 570-837-0579 • www.mwsd.cc
Dear Parents/Guardians,
The past few months have brought such uncertainty like we've never experienced in our lifetime. Our children have been a part of something that we never thought possible and have weathered the changes with maturity beyond their years. We at Midd-West want to first thank you for all of your patience, support, and flexibility as we too, took on the
task of how we would deliver instruction outside of the brick and mortar setting. We ask that you continue to be patient
and supportive as we move into yet another season of change as we return to school this fall. We are all in this together and will do whatever is necessary in order to ensure every student's growth and success. When we return, there will be some changes that have been highlighted in the plans that are posted on the website. Please take some time to locate these plans and familiarize yourself with the guidelines that we will be following.
In some exciting news, both elementary schools were approved for all students to receive free breakfast and lunch this year. More information will be coming out from our food service department in regards to this, but this is wonderful for all of our families.
We will be asking students to wear a face covering while they are at school. Details on this can be found in our plan on the website, but if you have specific questions regarding this, please reach out. We have ordered face shields for our students to wear during the day to make it easier to see and breathe, but if you prefer for your child to wear a mask, that will also meet the requirements.
Teachers are hard at work getting classrooms set up to follow the safety guidelines as laid out in our plan, while also making the environment a positive and nurturing space for students to learn. As I've walked around the building, it feels like the loving, bright, nurturing space that it has always been, even with the changes in place. I am fully confident that our teachers and staff will make school and learning as fun and "normal" as it has always been. We will be holding Back to-School Nights for all grade levels. We have spread them out so that we can limit the amount of people in the building at any one time. They are as follows:
Tuesday, August 18th
5th Grade- 5:00- 6:30
4th Grade- 6:30- 8:00
Wednesday, August 19
3rd Grade- 5:00- 6:30
2nd Grade- 6:30- 8:00
Thursday, August 20
Virtual Students Orientation- 4:00-5:00- ME Gymnasium (Only for students choosing the virtual option will get their device and learning kit)
1st Grade- 5:00- 6:30
Kindergarten Orientation- 6:30- Presentation and Tour of ME & Kindergarten classrooms
Monday, August 24- First day of School for all students!! 8:00-2:57
Thursday, August 27
Kindergarten Meet-the-Teacher Night- 6:00-7:30
We would ask that only the parents accompany the child to their Back-to-School Night to limit the number of individuals in the building at one time. We would also ask that all individuals entering Middleburg Elementary kindly wear a face covering.
Please note: If you have a laptop and/or hotspot that you borrowed last spring please bring it to Back-to-School Night and give it to your teacher so that it can be updated. If you can't attend Back-to-School night, drop it off at the office. If you are choosing the virtual option, please return your device prior to the Orientation so that it can be updated and ready for you on the 20'h.
If you have any questions about the upcoming year, please do not hesitate to reach out. We are partners in education and will do our very best to ensure the safety and success of each and every Midd-West student. We are looking forward to seeing you all soon.
Before Coming to School:
• Parents follow the safety screening guidelines before sending their students to the bus stop or dropping them off at school.
• If a student is sick, has a fever, or is displaying symptoms of COVID-19 please keep them at home and notify the school.
School Bus:
• Students will be assigned a seat on the bus.
• Students will need to wear a mask while on the bus.
• Students need to follow PBIS Bus Expectations.
Entering School:
• Students riding a bus will be dropped off in the bus circle and will enter the building.
• Students will follow established traffic routes per grade level to walk to their homeroom class.
• If students wish to eat breakfast, they will get their grab-n-go breakfast from the table right inside the doors and continue to their classroom.
• Masks will need to be worn while entering the building and moving to homeroom classes.
• Students will be encouraged to sanitize/wash their hands once they reach their
homeroom.
• Homeroom teachers will carry out a general health screening and take the temperature of all students as they enter the classroom.
Classroom:
• Desks will be arranged to encourage social distancing.
• Desks will face the same direction.
• Unused/unnecessary furniture has been removed from classrooms to help promote social distancing.
• Masks/face shields will need to be worn when students are less than 6' apart. Teachers will work to provide opportunities for face covering breaks throughout the day.
• All students will be provided a face shield for them to wear when not 6' apart.
• Individual cubby bags, lockers or totes will be used to store backpacks and coats.
• Students will have their own set of classroom materials.
• If working in a small group, the students will be asked to wear their mask/face shield and use sanitizer. We still want students to learn in collaborative groups; social distancing practices will be in place.
• Opportunities will be built into the day for students to sanitize/wash their hands.
• Teachers will limit movement in the classroom while recognizing students are active and need to have opportunities to move and stretch. When moving in the classroom, social distancing protocols will be followed along with mask/face shield wearing.
Movement in the Building:
• Teachers will escort their classes when moving as a whole class.
• Masks/shields will be worn while moving throughout the building.
• Staggered movement will occur when possible.
Recess:
• Multiple recess spaces per grade level have been established to decrease the number of students on a playground during recess.
• Students will be encouraged to sanitize their hands before and after recess.
• Playground equipment (basketball, jump ropes, footballs, etc.) will be sanitized between recesses and will be individualized by class when possible.
• Team sports will not be permitted at this time.
• Masks will not need to be worn on the playground.
• Masks will need to be worn at the end of recess when students are in line to re-enter the building.
• Breakaway lanyards have been purchased for students to wear as a place to clip their
masks.
• The length of recesses will be the same as in previous years.
Cafeteria/Breakfast/Lunch:
• Breakfast and lunch will be eaten in the classroom and are free for all students.
• Students will have the opportunity to sanitize their hands before, during, and after lunch.
• Condiments and sides will all be individually packaged.
• Students will be able to remove their mask/face shield upon eating lunch/breakfast.
Dismissal:
• Students will be dismissed at 2:40PM.
• Car riders will use the gymnasium and front office doors; we will load cars based on child's last name. Please do not line up in the parent pick-up line before 2:30 PM, this is for safe traffic flow patterns. After your child is loaded in your car you will follow the perimeter of the loop to exit school grounds. (See map)
• Please display your child's pick-up card that you will receive in the window so that the teachers on duty can easily see who they are sending to the vehicle. If you have children with different last names you will need to communicate to the teachers which last name they will be picked up under if they are in different sections of the alphabet ex: Adams and Smith) The split is A-J & K-Z.
• Please do not exit your car. If you need to secure your child in a car seat, please continue through the line and pull over after exiting the pick-up line so that traffic can continue to move.
• Students will wear masks while waiting for their vehicle. Staff will supervise the students while they wait for their car to pull up. If the weather is inclement, students will be lined up in the lobby and will wait for their car to pull up to load. Please be patient during parent pick up.
• Bus riders will be dismissed from their homeroom by bus number. Students will walk to their bus. Masks need to be worn. Staff will be on duty to supervise students.
• If a student misses their bus or if a car rider parent is running late, the student will be walked to the main office and their parent/guardian will need to pick them up at the main office. A staff member will call the parent/guardian of any student who missed the bus or who did not get picked up as a car rider.
Health/Quarantine Procedures:
• The nurse will follow all CDC guidelines.
• The nurse will monitor student health as in previous years; students will need to wear a mask/face shield while in the nurse suite.
• A quarantine room will be set up in one of the rooms of the health suite for students who have symptoms of COVID-19; they will be monitored by the nurse and/or other school personnel. Parents will be notified and will need to pick up their child at school as the student will be sent home.
• Students who have symptoms of COVID-19 need to meet criteria that will be sent home from the nurse in order to return to school.
• If a student states they do not feel well or if they are displaying symptoms of COVID-19, the nurse will be called and the student will be sent to the nurse's office. A mask/face shield will need to be worn. If the student is too sick to walk on their own, an escort will be arranged for the student.
• The health room will be sanitized throughout the day.
• A temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or higher will signify a student needs to be sent home along with symptoms of a sore throat, fatigue, continuous coughing, throwing up, or general achiness feeling. (Please note this is not an all-inclusive list.)
Building Access:
• Parents will have limited access to the building; parents should use the main office door and will not be permitted full access to the building.
• Parents will wait in the secure vestibule.
• Parents will be escorted to a meeting in an area such as the conference room or principal's office as needed; masks need to be worn.
• Parents should use the main office entrance if students are returning to school from an appointment or being picked up early.
• Related Service Providers (TSS, Concern Counselors, OT/PT) will have access to the building after following the District’s safety screening protocols (health check). They will use the main office entrance; please note Related Service Providers also have their set wellness procedures they need to meet before beginning their day which is set by their employer.
• Only District approved student/field placement teachers will be allowed to enter the building; they will need to follow staff screening protocols before entering.
• Masks/face shields are required for all school visitors.
• Parent volunteers, guest speakers, or parent/grandparent lunches are not permitted.
• Virtual meetings will be promoted and offered when possible to carry out school business/parent meetings.
Attendance:
• District policy on attendance due to COVID-19 will be based on CDC guidelines; once a student has been confirmed as having COVID-19 that student will be asked to quarantine for 14 days and a doctor’s note will be needed for the student to return to school. This is for the safety of everyone.
• Any time a student is absent from school for a non-COVID-19 related event, a parental or medical note is needed to explain the absence. Doctors' notes are appreciated to support the return of a student to school. (This is the same as previous years.)
• Attendance will be taken in all three learning models: brick and mortar, virtual, and cyber.
• An attendance email address has been created as a more convenient way for parents to
send attendance notes and educational trip forms to school. Parents can use this email for physician excuses as well. The email will be shared with families at the beginning of the school year in the paperwork that will come home.
• Educational trips will be handled on a case-by-case basis (Travel to hotspot areas will
not be approved)
Instruction:
• Every student will receive a laptop. Teachers will teach/explain the expectations for laptop use using our PBIS framework.
• Students will also have all the normal classroom books/curriculum materials to use.
• Instruction will be a blended model focusing on paper, pencil, and digital work. Students will learn how to use Teams and the apps associated with Microsoft Office.
• Training and support documents will be provided to parents on how to use Microsoft
Teams.
• In the event of virtual learning, teachers and students will carry out instruction using
Microsoft Teams.
• Grading will take place in both the brick and mortar and virtual learning models.
• Students will have set expectations for completing work daily/weekly. Teachers will be supporting students to ensure they can complete the work to the best of their ability.
Miscellaneous:
• Students will be allowed to bring water bottles with water in them to school daily, one or two extra bottles are permitted. Extra water bottles will stay in the student's backpack/cubby area.
• Please label your child's mask. First name and last initial or whole name. Breakaway
lanyards have been ordered for children's masks.
• If you would like to send in a small bottle of sanitizer with your child, you may do so.
Please label their bottle.
• Large group activities such as assemblies, concerts, parties, and other programs will not be permitted at this time.
• Birthday treats need to be prepackaged only. No homemade treats will be given out.
• At this time, all Encores (art, music, technology, physical education and library) will be taught in the specific Encore rooms. Physical education will be in our outside courtyard when possible or in our gym, if inclement weather occurs. (Masks will not need to be worn if students are 6' or more apart in P.E. class.) Classes will be taught by our P.E. teacher.
• Field trips will not be permitted at the onset of the school year. This will be reviewed
and revised as COVID-19 guidelines change from the State and CDC.
• Rooms, common areas, restrooms, etc. will be sanitized by our custodians following CDC
recommendations.
• Signage will be posted throughout our building and classrooms modeling CDC
recommended hand washing and safety procedures.
• PBIS lessons will be taught on all expectations for our school as in previous years, including laptop care/use, hand washing/sanitizing, and face shield/mask-wearing. We will positively reinforce students meeting these expectations.
As you can see, a lot of thought, consideration, and planning has been done throughout the summer to help ensure a safe re-opening of our schools along with a plan for virtual learning. The items listed above are not an all-inclusive list and could change as COVID-19 guidelines/requirements change. I encourage you to reach out with your questions/concerns at
570-837-0046 or via email at lohr.julie@mwsd.cc (please include a contact number in your email.) I can ensure you we are doing everything we can to plan for and carry out a safe and successful school year. We are looking forward to our students coming back to Middleburg Elementary. I am looking forward to partnering with you to ensure our students have an amazing 2020-2021 school year no matter what challenges or instructional model we face.
Your Partner in Education,
Julie L. Lohr
Principal
