News Detail

Details for returning to on-campus learning

By Angie Crabtree
Dear Lower School Families,
 
I hope that your children have enjoyed reconnecting with their classmates and getting to know their teachers this week. We are looking forward to the students returning to campus next week! In preparation for the week ahead, I am including several details for your family.

LS Town Meeting - Monday, August 24
Show your CA spirit for the school year's first Town Meeting on Monday! Wear Red, Black, White, and all your MUSTANG WEAR! August Town Meeting Monday, August 24 @ 8:30 a.m. Use this ZOOM Link to join the meeting. View the flyer! 
 
Beach Towel and Water Bottle
Each student should bring a beach towel to school next week. The beach towel will be used for lunch and outdoor activities. We are planning to enjoy picnic lunches outside. We will send the beach towel home periodically to be washed and returned to school. Each student should also bring a labeled water bottle to school each day. This will be used in the classroom, as well as for lunch. The water bottle will go home each day to be washed. Students will be able to fill their water bottles throughout the school day.
 
August 25 and 27 – Mustangs Days
The Mustangs attend school on campus. The Rockies are off for the day. If your child is a fulltime remote learner in the Mustangs group, the classroom teacher will have you join the class for the opening class meeting. Then you will have the rest of the day off, so that the classroom teacher may spend time training the Mustangs about the Lower School protocols and procedures.
 
August 26 and 28 – Rockies Days
The Rockies attend school on campus. The Mustangs are off for the day. If your child is a fulltime remote learner in the Rockies group, the classroom teacher will have you join the class for the opening class meeting. Then you will have the rest of the day off, so that the classroom teacher may spend time training the Rockies about the Lower School protocols and procedures.
 
Classroom Schedule & Specialist Schedule
I have attached your child’s class schedule to the classroom page on the CA website. We took our five-day schedule and transformed it into a ten-day schedule, so that our students may experience specialist classes when they are in-person at school each week. The ten days are outlined using M and R to designate a Mustangs or a Rockies day.
(Example: 1M, 1R, 2M, 2R, 3M, 3R, 4M, 4R, 5M, 5R)
 
When it is your child’s remote learning day, they will join the classroom activities via Zoom; however, they will not attend the specialist classes remotely. Your child will have the opportunity to attend the specialist class when they are on campus. For their remote learning day, your child will have an off-screen break during the specialist class, or they may use this time to complete homework.
 
 
Fulltime Remote Learners
If your child is a fulltime remote learner, they will attend school each day via Zoom and attend “live” Library, Spanish, and Science specialist classes on their assigned Mustangs or Rockies day. For example, if you are a Mustang, and Library, Spanish, or Science are on your schedule, then you will attend that specialist class via Zoom on the Mustang days on your schedule. For a Rockies day, your child will have an off-screen break, or may use this time to complete homework.
 
In Music classes, the teachers will post two videos (on their Music class page) in a 10-day cycle and coordinate a check-in with the Remote Learners in Grades K-2. For the Grade 3-5 remote learners, the Music teachers will post one video (on their Music class page) in a 10-day cycle and also coordinate a check-in with the students.
 
In Art classes for Grade K-5 students, the teachers will post one video (on their Art class page) and coordinate a check-in with the students. Physical Education classes will post resources and activities for the fulltime remote learners.
 
Calendar of Mustangs and Rockies Days
I have also attached the schedule for August 25-September 30 to the classroom page, and this schedule follows the original schedule that was communicated during the Smart Restart sessions about Mustangs and Rockies days.
 
To access your child’s classroom page:
*Log in to the website.
*Under Children, select a child’s name in the drop-down menu.
*Scroll down. Your child’s class and teacher will appear, along with all specialist classes, too.
*Select your child’s class and teacher.
*The class page will appear.
*The schedule and calendar will be located in the Downloads.
 
For your child’s remote learning days, your child can also access the teacher’s Zoom link on the class page, as well. As you scroll down, your child’s specialist teachers are also included on this page. If you select a classroom or specialist teacher, their page will appear along with their Zoom link.
 
Student Arrival
The Lower School opens at 7:50 a.m. each day, and Pre-K through Grade 5 students are recorded as tardy at 8:10 a.m.
 
Pre-K Arrival:
Pre-K parents will walk students to the sidewalk for drop-off with a Pre-K teacher for the Casita and Cottage; the teacher will check and record the student’s temperature prior to entry. Each Pre-K student will have completed the SchoolPass Wellness Check app prior to arrival to campus. The students will be checked in for attendance using the Bright Wheel app, and this is a licensing requirement for our Pre-K program. Another teacher will greet the student at the classroom door and a third teacher will be inside the classroom to assist students with checking into their cubby and beginning the day.
 
Grades K-5 Arrival:
Lower School siblings of Pre-K students may be dropped off in the Lower School circle or dropped off on the sidewalk at the Casita or Cottage and walk to the Lower School.
 
Each K-5 student will have completed the SchoolPass Wellness Check app prior to arrival on campus. Grade K-5 students will have their temperature spot-checked at the Lower School and will enter their classroom through the classroom exterior door.
 
Parents may not enter the Pre-K Casita, Pre-K Cottage, or the Lower School at this time, due to limiting the number of people entering the Lower School.
 
More information about the SchoolPass App for Grades Pre-K–5, as well as the Bright Wheel app for Pre-K, will be coming to your email soon with information to log in and complete.
 
Late Arrival:
If your child is arriving late to school, please call Ms. McKnight when you arrive on campus. Park in the Lower School circle, and she will meet you at the main Lower School door (that faces Stamper Commons at the center of campus) to welcome your child to school. Ms. McKnight’s phone number is 303-914-2555.
 
Dismissal Each Day:
Dismissal begins at 3:30 p.m. each day.
 
Pre-K teachers will be staged on the sidewalk calling student names to the Casita or Cottage for student dismissal. A student will exit and a Pre-K teacher will assist the student into the appropriate car and check out the student.
 
Lower School siblings of Pre-K students will be on the sidewalk with a faculty member between the Casita and Cottage for pick-up. They will directed to their parent’s car for pick-up as they arrive.
 
Students in Grades K-2 are dismissed to the Lower School circle, and students in Grades 3-5 are dismissed to the North Road for pick-up. If a Grade 3-5 student has a sibling in K-2, then they will be picked up in the Lower School circle with their sibling.
 
Bus riders will be dismissed to their bus loading zone. After Care students will be dismissed for After Care pick-up and check-in.
 
If your child rides with an Upper School sibling, please contact me directly (303-914-2554) so that we may discuss the details and how to coordinate that pick-up.
 
Early Dismissal:
If your child is leaving school early, please email the classroom teacher and Ms. McKnight the date and time of dismissal. Once you arrive on campus, you will call Ms. McKnight. Park in the Lower School circle, and she will meet you at the main Lower School door (that faces Stamper Commons at the center of campus) for you to pick up your child. Ms. McKnight’s phone number is 303-914-2555.
 
I will continue to send schedule information and updates each week to help you as you create your family schedule. Thank you for your continued support, as we work to open the Lower School in a safe and thoughtful way for our faculty, staff, and students.
 
Kind regards,
Angie Crabtree
LS Principal
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