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Happy October! These first couple weeks of school have flown by quickly. We are already so pleased at how well students have settled into the “new normal” of classroom routines and school-wide safety expectations. It has been wonderful to see children back in school and engaged in their learning whether it be in-person or remote.
The procedures and daily activities of your child’s learning experience should now start to be familiar and comfortable to them. If your child is still experiencing anxiety or any type of concerns, please contact your child’s teacher or Ms. Spellman, our school counselor. You are welcome to also include me on those types of communications. We will be happy to visit with you on the phone or to schedule a virtual meeting to talk together regarding ideas to help your child or the situation. Please don’t ever hesitate to contact us – we are here to help.
YES SEPTEMBER COMMUNITY MEETING: TIME CAPSULE OPENING!
On Wednesday, September 30, I will be hosting a school wide Community Meeting via Google Meet Livestream. That morning at 9 am I will be opening a time capsule that was placed in our school by students and staff from 1968! During the construction process we unearthed this treasure and we will have a “live opening” for the entire school community- both our hybrid and fully remote students.
To access the livestream students will find the link on their Seesaw class site that morning. I will also have Ms. Davis and Mrs. Wetmore share the link with their remote learners. All viewers will need to be on a Yarmouth Schools account to see the stream so kids can sign on with their regular Google Meets Log-In. I will also tape the meeting and post/share it later if students are not able to view the meeting live.
SYNCHRONOUS OPPORTUNITIES/HELPDESK- REMOTE DAYS
We are getting a better feel for student needs on remote days and teachers managing the in-person and remote needs of students. It would be helpful for the classroom teacher if your child can log in at the beginning of the scheduled time for their check-in within the first ten minutes. This will help them to better meet student needs both in-person and remotely.They are communicating this with your students but I wanted you to be aware as well. This time is designed for a quick synchronous check-in as needed to provide an opportunity for clarification of any questions that they may have with their remote work.
DISMISSAL CHECK-IN
As we continue to work through the implementation of new procedures I want to say thank you again for your patience and support. There has definitely been some trial and error but we feel things are improving with each passing day while continuing to keep safety the number one priority. A few points of emphasis:
- Please download and begin using the “PikMyKid” App if you have not already done so. Again, for now this is for car pickups only. We are able to have all of the students outside right now because the weather has been cooperating. On days with heavy rain that could be more challenging and having the “live” arrival information will be helpful when we inevitably hit that time.
- You should hit the announcement of your arrival on PikMyKid once you have stopped your car and are waiting in the car line. That will help us monitor your place in line and send children outside in that same order.
- Please continue to have your car tag available and displayed. The Phone Car Tag is fine but it is more difficult to see and the paper ta on your dash does help speed things up.
- We have stressed to students the importance that they need to wait in their spot on the sidewalk until a staff member directs them to the car and traffic has come to a stop. Thank you for reinforcing that with them.
- To that point, stopping your car right where your child is seen waiting on the loop can be problematic as it can keep traffic from moving forward. Please pull up to the spots as directed by staff so we can load as many people as possible quickly and safely.
- As much as you can please stay in your vehicle and have your children load on the right hand/sidewalk side. It is safer and keeps the flow of traffic moving.
- If your child is a walker and you are meeting them outside of school, having a pre-arranged meeting spot is a good plan. I would strongly recommend the bike area as there is plenty of room there and it is close to the dismissal area.
SCHEDULE - WEEKS OF OCTOBER 5 AND 12
The weeks of October 5 and 12 will be four day weeks with no school for students on October 9 for Staff In-Service & on October 12 for Indigineous Peoples Day. We will still follow our regular schedule of cohorts and remote learning throughout the district on the school days held during those weeks.
Week of October 5:
- Monday, October 5: Cohort 1 In-Person, Cohort 2 Remote
- Tuesday, October 6: Cohort 2 In-Person, Cohort 1 Remote
- Wednesday, October 7: All Remote Day
- Thursday, October 8: Cohort 1 In-Person, Cohort 2 Remote
Week of October 12:
- Tuesday, October 13: Cohort 2 In-Person, Cohort 1 Remote
- Wednesday, October 14: All Remote Day
- Thursday, October 15: Cohort 1 In-Person, Cohort 2 Remote
- Friday, October 16: Cohort 2 In-Person, Cohort 1 Remote
NWEA MAP ASSESSMENTS- WEEKS OF OCTOBER 12 & 19
During the weeks of October 12 and 19 our students will be taking the NWEA MAP reading and math growth assessments. Each week students will take one of the assessments on their in-person days. By the end of October we will mail home student results along with a letter explaining how to interpret the results.
SCHOOL PICTURES - OCTOBER 22 & 23
School pictures will be taken on the days of Thursday, October 22 and Friday, October 23. If your child is a fully remote student and you would like to have their picture taken please contact Lisa Bianchini in the main office at lisa_bianchini@yarmouthschools.org. Busing will be made available for fully remote students
FALL VIRTUAL CONFERENCING
Classroom teachers will be reaching out to you and setting up parent- teacher conferences later on this fall. This is an opportunity to get an update as to how your child is progressing academically and as a member of the classroom and school community. It is also a time to learn how your child can specifically grow as a learner and understand ways that you can help support that process. As always, we appreciate your collaboration and partnership!
SCHOOL COUNSELOR CORNER
This is not new news...we are currently facing many challenges. That being said, challenge can also be viewed as an opportunity. We have an opportunity to teach children the power of resilience. The ability to bounce back from hard situations or roadblocks is an extremely important skill. That is not to say we do not listen to and validate tough feelings. However, we can do this in tandem with teaching children self efficacy, problem solving, and having a positive outlook. I have attached a link to a wonderful article by Ken Ginsburg that will give you more details on helping children during this very challenging time.
Also, The month of October is bullying awareness month.During this month there is extensive work with our students in SEL on anti-bullying and being a positive "upstander" at YES. On the dates of October 5 and 6 we will ask students to wear the color blue as part of celebrating the annual worldwide day of bullying prevention:
https://www.stompoutbullying.org/campaigns/world-day-bullying-prevention/.
As always, feel free to email me at laura_spellman@yarmouthschools.org for more information or with any questions you may have.
Thanks! Laura Spellman, School Counselor
SCHOOL NURSE NEWS
With the flu season fast approaching, this year more than any year prior, it is important to receive your flu vaccine. Yarmouth School Department will be hosting a Flu Clinic on Saturday October 3 from 8-12 at the Rowe School bus circle at 52 School St. To decrease wait times and encourage physical distancing we are encouraging families to arrive at the following times according to last name: A-F - Please come between 9am - 10am
G-M - Please come between 10am - 11am
N-Z - Please come between 11am - 12pm The School Department is partnering with VNA Home Health Hospice to provide families this clinic. For questions about the vaccine clinic, please call - Alison Thomson (207) 846-3391 Please complete the Flu vaccine permission form for each person receiving a vaccine. For Questions about Covid 19, please contact Alison Thomson at 846-3391 or visit the Maine CDC website. Remember to complete daily PreScreening before sending your student to school and notify the school with specific symptoms. Remember to check out the YES school nurse BLOG.. Additionally a couple of reminders:
- Please remember a water bottle each day, the school is not using the water fountains this year for safety reasons.
- Please send students in sneakers because students are going outside to play.
- Please send a warm layer incase students utilize an outside classroom early in the day.
Yarmouth Keeps COVID at Bay, wash up, mask up and stay six feet away! Thank you, Alison Thomson, RN BSN
PTO UPDATE
- Boon Supply – Boon Supply has replaced Close Buy, which is no longer in business. We hope you’ll find Boon products perfect to give as gifts or keep for yourself. Delivery will be in time for the holidays, and 40% of your purchase goes directly to the PTO! Info coming home soon. Sale is officially Oct 7-28, but you can order online now..
- Hannaford Gift Card – Next two loads are Oct 6 & 27, Wednesday, by noon. Purchase a card, receive the full amount, and the PTO receives 5% of your card amount. Flyers will come home in your child’s folder.
- What we’ve funded this year, this year, thanks to your donations!
- Simply Giving – If you want to just simply give to the PTO to support this year’s funding, you can write a check to Yarmouth K-8 PTO and send it to PO Box 262 in Yarmouth, or visit our website and click on the blue “Donate Now” button.
- Spirit Wear – We are taking orders until Oct 5 for spirit wear if you’d like to support your favorite Yarmouth student/team: https://www.pandpscreenprinting.com/yarmouth. This is not a fundraiser but a service we provide to our school families.
- Box Tops – The last submission for Box Tops (ever) is Oct 27, so please round them up and send them in with your student! Box Tops has gone digital, which is easier than cutting tops and sending them in. You can download the apps here:
- Google Play Link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.generalmills.btfe
- Apple App Store Link: https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id1150038564
- PTO Meeting – Please join us at our next virtual PTO meeting on Oct 15, 4 pm. Our monthly meetings alternate between 7 pm and 4 pm to make it easier for administration and staff to attend. Meeting sign in info will be posted on social media, in our News to Use newsletter, and on our website closer to the date.
Questions or Comments? Please contact Christy Hayashida or Jessica Raimy for any reason at yarmouthpto04096@gmail.com. UPCOMING EVENTS/DATES TO REMEMBER
Saturday, October 3: Flu Clinic at Rowe School 8 am - 12 pm
Monday, October 5 & Tuesday, October 6: Worldwide Days to Wear Blue and STOMP OUT Bullying!
Friday, October 9: NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS - STAFF INSERVICE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAY
Monday, October 12: NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS- INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY
Weeks of October 12 & 19: NWEA MAP Testing
Thursday, October 15: Virtual PTO Meeting 4 pm
Thursday, October 22 & Friday, October 23: School Picture Days
We’ve been blessed with fabulous weather this first month of school. However, this coming week may be the first chance of wet weather so please send students with rain gear so we can continue to get them outside as much as possible.
There has been so much to celebrate at YES this school year- especially all the smiles behind those masked faces! Thank you to our students and families for doing your part and trusting the process.
Warm Regards,
Ryan Gleason, YES Principal