Dear 4B Families,

Happy Catholic Schools Week! 

Welcome to February and Black History Month! This month is going to be filled with so many great activities and fun!

Valentine Box Project:  Last Thursday the students received directions to create a special Valentine box.  Because there will be no homework this week, students should work on their on their Valentine Box Project that is due no later than Monday, February 8th.  This is a fun project—which includes design, math and engineering,—as well as time management. Be creative! We encourage creative reuse of items you already have!!  Students also need to bring in a valentine card for each of their homeroom classmates on February 8th.  You can access a class list on Google Classroom.  We encourage just a card, but if you do include an edible treat of some type it needs to be pre-packaged from the store. We need the cards early so they can sit in the boxes for a couple of days before the students open them.  We will send the boxes and unopened cards home with the students on Thursday, Zoomers will get their boxes and cards with the February 12th pick up.

A few reminders from Anna Horton:

Thank you to each one of you for all you’ve done to make the transition to in person learning successful.  A few reminders I want to highlight regarding the return to in-person instruction:

1)  Everyone must wear a two-layer mask while on our campus at all times.  Masks are preferable to gaiters, as gaiters must be doubled over to create two layers.  This includes when you are outside while picking up students at the curb and in all other areas.  Students should exit cars with a mask already on.  

2)  At the end of the day, please pick up your student(s) and leave swiftly. I know there is a desire to see one another as it’s been such a long time!  But we must avoid crowds and we are working hard all day to cohort students.  This means the playground, big toy, and little toy are NOT available after school for kids to play on.  Thank you for your understanding with this.  

3)  If your family travels out of state, we are enforcing whatever the current travel guidance is at the time.  Right now, it is a 14 day quarantine upon return from non-essential out of state travel.  That means that any student who travels out of state will need to revert to remote learning for two weeks.

4)  Please complete your attestation at home prior to arriving  on campus with your students.  It’s imperative you check your child’s temperature and do a symptom check prior to their arrival.  We do a secondary screening at the door as well, but the goal is for anyone who has symptoms to never make it onto our campus.  

iPads and Filers for Roomers: Roomers will keep their iPads at school Monday-Thursday. They will bring them home on Thursday after school so that they can participate in the asynchronous lessons on Friday. We will do our daily Xtra Math practice in class. Please make sure the iPads are fully charged before Monday morning. All charging will take place at home. The batteries should last all week as long as they are fully charged at the beginning of the week. Students will bring their filers to and from school every day. All necessary materials will be in the filer. The very front of the filer will be reserved for home-school communication and any papers that students need to bring home. Please check in with your child about any correspondence sent home. 

Permission Slips: This week, we sent home a “Field Trip” permission slip with all Roomers. It is a liability waiver that gives permission for your child to walk around the neighborhood. We may be going on walks as the weather gets nicer as a way to take a break and get some fresh air. Please sign and return the permission slip with your child this week.

Comfort Kits: If you have not already done so, please send in the two (outdoor/indoor) emergency kits with your children to school. The list of supplies is available here:  https://holyrosaryws.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/2018ComfortKits.pdf

Friday Zoom Check-Ins: Fridays are asynchronous, but the 4th grade students are asked to check in with us at 8:30 each Friday morning. This gives us a chance to go over the plans for the day, answer questions, and get them off to a good start for their schoolwork. I will also plan to meet with the Zoomers after the whole group meeting each week as well. This will be our special check-in time. 

Music: All students will continue to receive live zoom instruction from Ms. Mudge once a week. Our new music day and time is Tuesdays, 1:45-2:15. Because all students will be zooming, all in-person learners (Roomers) will need to have headphones at school. We will also be using the headphones in other ways throughout the day. In music, headphones will allow them to easily participate in class. Recorder practice will not be permitted in the classroom, so all practice must be done at home.

Catholic Schools Week Service Project: Thank you to those families who volunteered to deliver certificates to local businesses!. You should have received a ziploc bag with directions, a script for your 4th grader to read as they deliver the certificate, and the certificates you are to deliver. We ask that your child wear his/her Holy Rosary uniform (with the red sweatshirt) when these deliveries are made. If you haven’t already, you can start delivering the certificates any time! Try to have them all delivered by February 12th.  Please let us know if you have any questions, and thank you for your support of these very special deliveries!

4th Grade Auction Project: Just a reminder that we are still collecting the origami doves from in-person learners. You can also drop them off in the office. Each 4th grader should make 3-4 doves each, using the paper included. Please know that they do not need to be perfect. If you need a second project kit, or if you have any questions, please let Amanda Roberts know.

Here are 2 links for video instructions if you prefer: 

https://www.instructables.com/Origami-Peace-Dove/

https://youtu.be/CqWE5tp4Do0

Catholic Schools Week Schedule:

• Sunday, January 31st:  Mass and Virtual Open House.  All weekend Masses will celebrate our school and include student readers and the Champions of Holy Rosary Award. Families are encouraged to sign up to attend a Mass in person, or watch Mass online.  Students that do attend Mass in person are asked to wear their uniforms to represent our school. The Open House is virtual this year so that prospective families can talk with teachers and learn about the school.
• Monday, February 1st–Celebrate our Parent Community:  Students can wear Gator Gear/CYO/athletic gear today.   Look for some special letters of appreciation for parents today—one in your child’s filer and one in your email. We will also have an All-School Bingo for the last hour of the day.  This is a no-homework night!  Enjoy the special treat Zoomers received in the January 29-30 pick up or received today with Roomers!
• Tuesday, February 2nd–Community Appreciation/Outreach:  Every class is participating in some type of service today.  Thank you to the families that will be delivering the certificates of appreciation to our local businesses! Please send us any pictures you are able to take when you deliver the certificates.
• Wednesday, February 3rd–Honoring our Grandparents and Special Seniors:  This would usually be the grandparent luncheon day. We will honor grandparents and special seniors today by making something special for them. Families are also encouraged to connect with Grandparents & Special Friends via phone, Zoom or FaceTime after school on Wednesday. Also, if Grandparents or Special Friends live locally we encourage a quick drive by with flowers or a special treat to show your appreciation. If they live out of town, then send a card. Look for a video link early next week that you can forward to family and friends.
• Thursday, February 4th–Appreciation of Lifelong Learning and Staff: Students are invited to wear comfy and cozy clothes today!  We will complete our classroom Spelling Bee (Bees may have started earlier in the week). Each class in the school will be honoring a special staff member today.  From 2:00-2:40 we will have an all-school read in.  Students should bring a special book or two they would like to read during this time.
• Friday, February 5th:–Appreciating our Students: Because Fridays are asynchronous for the students, we will be including some fun events Monday-Thursday (these will be surprises). There will be an 8th grade vs. staff trivia game today via Zoom. This Zoom will be recorded and shared out later in the day to the K-7 students if they would like to watch.
• Sunday, February 7th–Appreciating our Parish Family: This will be the wrap up Mass for Catholic Schools Week. 8th graders will be speaking at Mass to thank the parishioners and there will be a Fr. Mallahan Endowment Fund presentation after all Masses.

Look for additional information in the eFC. Most importantly, Catholic Schools Week is an opportunity to celebrate our wonderful school and community!

Have a great week everyone!

Ms. Benson