ESS Gazette
1/14/2022
Important Dates
1/17- No School- Martin Luther King Day
1/19- PTO Meeting 6:00 pm
1/26- Early Release 1:50 pm
2/18- No School- Staff Professional Learning
2/21- No School-President's Day
2/22- No School- Staff Professional Learning
3/4- Report Cards distributed
3/16- Early Release 1:50 pm
Progress Reports
A physical copy of your child's progress report was sent home today. Future report cards and progress reports will be available digitally only. Now is a good opportunity to make sure you can access the digital version of this progress report. You will be sent a PDF file today, or you can follow the directions in the link below to access the file through PowerSchool. If you are unable to access either digital copy, please let your classroom teacher know so we can troubleshoot before the next report card.
From the Nurse
- Please remember to send your child with a water bottle. Some of these cold months are the driest, so let's make sure they stay hydrated!
- Please contact the nurse if your student is a contact or a member of your household tests positive for COVID. The guidelines for quarantine need to be reviewed with the nurse so an accurate return to school date can be determined.
Attendance Notes
jfilanowicz@enfieldschools.org and sfinnie@enfieldschools.org.
Current COVID Protocol Guidelines
Big Y Community Bag and Giving Tag Program
For the month of January 2022, Enfield Street Elementary School PTO will receive a $1 donation from each purchase of the $2.50 reusable Community Bag at the Big Y store located at 65 Palomba Drive, Enfield CT.
Important Information from Previous Newsletters
COVID Protocol Update
- Students who are unable to attend school because they are COVID positive or are required to quarantine by the school will have access to assignments posted on Teams.
- Students who are even mildly symptomatic with any of the symptoms associated with COVID-19 should isolate at home, test for the virus, and remain away from activities outside of the home. If symptoms improve, students can return to school without a negative test. Concerning symptoms: congestion, runny nose, cough, fatigue, fever.
- Per recommendations from the CDC, CSDE, and CSDPH, quarantine time for positive COVID cases can be reduced from ten days to five days in certain situations. If a positive person is asymptomatic five days after a positive test (not the beginning of symptoms), that person can return to school or work if they remain masked at all times. If a positive person still has the slightest symptoms on day five, they must complete the ten day isolation period.
- We will no longer require proof of a negative test to return to school.
- We can now accept at-home test results for positive cases
- We will no longer be contact tracing. Instead, a letter will be sent home in your child's backpack, as well as emailed to you, which states your child has been exposed to a positive person and the date of the exposure. Your child can return to school as long as any symptoms are monitored as per the directions on the letter.
Nurse: Quarantine Questions
iPad Passwords
Masks
Parents and Guardians - Please make sure you are wearing a mask when you come to the office window.
From the CDC:
DO choose masks that:
- Have two or more layers of washable, breathable fabric
- Completely cover your nose and mouth
- Fit snugly against the sides of your face and don’t have gaps
- Have a nose wire to prevent air from leaking out of the top of the mask
Parking Lot Safety
Lunch Menu
Monday: Pancakes
Tuesday: Pretzel
Wednesday: Mac N Cheese
Thursday: Cheese Pizza
Friday: Hamburger w/ or w/out cheese
Turkey and Ham available the 1st and 3rd week of the month
Ham (turkey) and Cheese available the 2nd and 4th week of the month
Cold Weather Attire
PTO
Join us for out next PTO meeting on January 19th at 6:00pm
President – Kristen Sorel
Vice President – Danielle Brown
Treasurer – Melissa Birch
Secretary – Allison Gilmore
Meets virtually once per month.
Health Protocols
Communicable Disease and Infestation
Children should be observed before being sent to school to be sure they are free of any signs of disease, such as headache, upset stomach, sore throat, runny nose, rashes, flushed face, and/or red and watery eyes.
A child with a beginning cold should be kept at home for 24 to 48 hours. Many contagious diseases begin with signs of a cold. Prompt isolation of these children from others will help prevent spreading of the disease. The following are the isolation requirements of the Connecticut State Department of Public Health in regard to some of the more common communicable diseases:
Chickenpox Remain out of school until all primary lesions have healed, 5 to 7 days from onset of symptoms.
Head Lice Re-entry is permitted when student no longer had an active infestation which will be determined through examination by the school nurse.
Strep Remain out of school for 24 hours after their first dose to prevent the spread to other students.
Conjunctivitis (pink eye) with discharge; remain home until the prescribed treatment has been given for 24 hours and/or the discharge stops.
Vomiting, Diarrhea, Fever
Students must be fever free, without fever reducing medication given, vomiting, or diarrhea free for 24 hours before returning to school
Placards
Enfield KITE Community Winter Resource Guide
Attendance Letters
Per the district attendance policy, which is located in the current school handbook on pages 6-16, attendance letters will be sent out for all absences, excused or unexcused, following this schedule:
5th absence – 1st Letter
10th absence – 2nd Letter
Additional letters will be sent after every 5th absence. (ex. 15th, 20th, 25th)
Quarantining days will not count towards absences.
Regardless of the content of the letters, if the majority of absences are excused as defined in the handbook, we will most likely not reach out unless there are a large number of absences.
If the majority of the absences are unexcused as defined in the handbook, an administrator will be reaching out to offer available support to make sure your child comes to school on a regular basis.
Early Release Plan
Dismissal Procedures
Buses will be called following a set classroom schedule.
All exterior door numbers are posted on or above the door.
Classrooms with exterior doors (Mrs. Guertin Door 4, Miss Bradway Door 5, Ms. Nicol Door 20, Mrs. Scully Door 19, Mrs. Fritz Door 18) will dismiss from their classroom to parents or guardians that have a matching placard at 1:50.
Arrival and Dismissal
ESS Arrival Procedures
8:40-8:55
When you arrive please make sure to drive to the crosswalk and pull up as far as you can. Please make sure there are 3 cars in the crosswalk before letting your child exit the vehicle. Children will enter Door 1 when being dropped off.
If you are walking your child to school, come down the long sidewalk in front of the school, and wait 3 feet apart as students enter the building one at a time through Door 1.
All students should be wearing a mask correctly will use hand sanitizer when entering the building.
Dismissal Procedures
Buses will be called following a set classroom schedule.
All exterior door numbers are posted on or above the door.
Classrooms with exterior doors (Mrs. Guertin Door 4, Miss Bradway Door 5, Ms. Nicol Door 20, Mrs. Scully Door 19, Mrs. Fritz Door 18) will dismiss from their classroom to parents or guardians that have a matching placard at 3:15.
Other classrooms will dismiss from doors 1, 3, and 21 following this schedule:
Please park and bring your placard to the assigned dismissal door. If you do not have a placard, please come to the front entrance and ring for the school secretary. Please make sure you have valid identification.
Building Protocols
- Mask must be worn at all times by students and staff
- The one exception will be while eating
- Lunches will be in the classroom
- Students will be spaced 3 feet apart throughout the school
- Mask breaks will be woven into the day as needed
- Water fountains will be used, but only for bottle filling, not direct drinking
- Visitors will not be allowed in the building
- PPTs, 504s, and other meetings will be held virtually
- Recess will be cohorted to start the year
- Students will be able to check-out library books
Board of Education
We thought it would be helpful to show the dates and a link for future Board of Education meetings. They are a great way to stay involved and informed throughout the school-year.
All meetings are planned to begin at 7:00 PM.
January 25
February 8
March 8
March 22
April 12
April 26
May 10
May 24
June 14
June 28