Dear Families,
THANK YOU all for your effort, flexibility and patience these first few days of school! We are so happy that everything is mostly going smoothly. We are still learning, and there are minor things to adjust to, but these challenges pale in comparison to having the kids back with us and all their smiles behind their masks. Thank you for all your support and help in making our school’s reopening possible. If you have any feedback or suggestions along the way, please reach out to me.
Warm regards,
Tim Newbold
Head of School
Please take note of these important reminders and updates:
Distance-Learning-Only Students begin instruction tomorrow, Thursday, September 10.
Students should follow the instructions provided by classroom teachers. If you are having any technical difficulties, please contact Amanda Bickford, the Director of Technology and Distance Learning, at abickford@vsnb.org.
Daily Health Screening
The health screening must be done daily, as a state requirement. Many of you are using the TeacherEase Health Screening before your students arrive at school in the morning, and this is very helpful. In case you haven’t used it, the instructions are below.
You can use the TeacherEase health screening tool in one of two ways.
- Go to www.teacherease.com on any web browser and log in. You will use the same login that you used when registering your student. When you log in, a screen will pop up asking you to complete the Daily COVID-19 Screening Questionnaire for each of your students. Follow the prompts and answer the series of questions. After you “save” the questionnaire, you will be instructed to either send your student to school or keep your student home and call the school nurse.
- Download the TeacherEase app on your phone or mobile device. Log in using the same login that you used when registering your student. Follow the instructions above in #1.
If you do not complete the health screening at home, a staff member will conduct it with you upon arrival at the school.
As a reminder, here are the drop-off times and locations:
- 8 a.m. – 8:15 a.m.: Students with last names beginning A-L
- 8:15 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.: Students with last names beginning M-Z
- For families with multiple last names, please use the last name of your youngest student
Drop-Off and Pick-Up Locations
- The Church Street “Drop-off Zone” is for families with students in Pre-K through First Grade. Staff members will escort these students into the school building. If your family also has older students, they should be dropped off here, as well.
- School Street is only for families with students in Second Grade through Sixth Grade.
Tardy Procedure
Tardy students should use the main entrance doorbell and wait to be greeted by a staff member, who will conduct the health screening and sign the student in. The adult who brings the student to school, must not leave until the staff member gives the thumbs-up that the student has passed the health screening.
If your student will be tardy and needs a school lunch, please call the school before 8:40 a.m. Our food service program works differently now that we are able to offer free meals, and orders must be placed by 8:40 a.m.
Meals
The September breakfast and lunch menu will be sent home with students by the end of this week. As a reminder, breakfast and lunch are FREE for ALL students.
Students who bring lunch from home and wish to purchase milk may do so for 50 cents. (Students who order a free school lunch will receive milk with their meal.) Please send your student with milk money on the day of purchase or you may prepay via check made payable to “VSNB Lunch Program.” For as long as we are able to offer free lunches to the students, The Abbey Group will not be doing billing and therefore, they can no longer offer milk on-account.
Afternoon Pick-Up
All students are being dismissed at 3 p.m. They should be picked up at the same location at which they were dropped off in the morning. PLEASE pull up to the sidewalk/curb to pick up your student. It is not safe to stop in the middle of the street to pick up your student.
- If your family has students in Pre-K – First Grade, you should pick up all of your students on Church Street.
- If your family only has a student(s) in Second Grade – Sixth Grade, you should pick them up on School Street.
When the weather is inclement, students will wait in their classrooms and will be contacted when an adult arrives to pick them up. We will do our best to keep everything moving quickly and smoothly, but please understand that pick up may take longer than usual.
All students will be released to parents/guardians or a contact designated for pick up. Students in second grade through sixth grade can be dismissed to walk or bike home ONLY if the school office has permission from a parent/guardian. If you would like your student to have this option and you have not already filled out the Google permission form, please do so. Completing this form gives your student ongoing permission to walk or bike home during the 2020-2021 school year.
Containers Are Needed for Students’ Masks
Please send your student in with a wide-mouth container for your student’s mask to rest in during mealtimes. A washed, large yogurt container or cottage cheese container works well, but any wide-mouth container will do. If you have extra, please send them in with your student(s).
Water Bottles
Please remember to send your student to school with a clean water bottle each day, as the water fountains are not available.
VSNB Student and Family Handbook 2020-2021
For any and all questions about VSNB’s student/family procedures and policies for the 2020-2021 school year, please review the complete Student and Family Handbook on the VSNB website. Updates may be made throughout the year due to COVID-19; if updates are made, they will be communicated to students, families, and staff.
Thank you for your attention to these items!
