.png)
CONSTRUCTION & SCHOOL PLANNING UPDATE
Dear Families,
I had a fantastic visit at the construction site earlier this week! The painting crew was beginning the interior painting and the exterior painting of the siding. The school is going to be really beautiful!!
I apologize for the length of this week’s newsletter, but there is a lot of new information to share! Please read carefully & read ALL the information!!
FALL OPENING UPDATE
Last week, the ACS Board of Directors approved our Plan B & C, in addition to revisions to our school calendar to meet the new state guidelines. We are submitting the plans and revised calendar to the state on Monday and will share all of this information with families on Tuesday, July 21. With Plan B, we will implement a Monday/Tuesday schedule for one group (half the class) and a Thursday/Friday for the other group (the other half of the class) with Wednesday as a deep cleaning day in between the two groups. Also, we know that some families do not feel comfortable sending their children back to school. We will send out a Remote Learning Commitment Form for families on July 30 if they want to commit to a remote only option.
Also, given the difficulty that traditional public school districts are facing with providing transportation at 50% capacity, they are not selling any of their older school buses as they have in the past. However, another charter school has agreed to lease ACS one bus for the 2020 - 2021 school year so that we can provide bus transportation to families in need. Space on the bus will be limited. A Bus Transportation Application will be sent on August 3 and priority will be given to those that transportation is truly a hardship.
Several families have contacted me this past week about teacher assignments and assessments. Class lists & teacher assignments will not be made until the end of August. Families will receive notification regarding teacher assignments on September 1. Because our building is under construction and we will not be able to occupy it until September, we are working on securing an alternate location to possibly conduct assessments for Kindergarten - Third Graders in mid to late August. However, the Coronavirus may dictate what we can and cannot do for in person assessments, so we are also investigating possible virtual assessments.
SCHOOL OPENING TOWN HALL WEBINAR
We will provide many more details about the plans on Thursday, July 23 at 6:00 PM during our Zoom webinar - ACS Virtual “Town Hall” Meeting. You will also have an opportunity to ask questions via a chat feature.
ACS Virtual “Town Hall” Meeting Zoom Webinar Information:
When: Jul 23, 2020 06:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Topic: Alamance Community School Parent Information Session
Please click the link below to join the webinar:
Passcode: 355818
Or iPhone one-tap :
US: +13126266799,,82661943116# or +19292056099,,82661943116#
Or Telephone:
Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your
current location):
US: +1 312 626 6799 or +1 929 205 6099 or +1 301
715 8592 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 669 900 6833 or
+1 253 215 8782
Webinar ID: 826 6194 3116
International numbers available: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kbClVLh71p
Genesis Athletics, our Before & After School Care provider, is actively planning how to ensure parents feel supported and students are learning during possible remote learning. The reality is many parents are or will have to physically return to work. In order to alleviate the pressures and stress that come with finding reliable and safe childcare as well as finding the time to support their online learning, Genesis Athletics in collaboration with Alamance Community School is proposing an off-campus program to support you!
The goal of the program would be to provide safe and reliable childcare, as well as providing a space and time for students to complete their school work. The program will be called Virtual Learning Camp and offered 5 days a week. The days that students are not on campus for school, this would be an alternative to a babysitter or large childcare facility. The Camps would have a structured schedule with a designated times students would get on their personal devices and complete their assigned school work for the day with the support of a staff member and possibly other classmates. Genesis Athletics is conducting a survey to see how many families would be interested in this service. Here is the link to the survey: Genesis Athletics Virtual Learning Camp Survey
If you haven’t completed the ACS Family Technology Survey, please do so. This survey is providing us with important information regarding your technology resources and needs for potential remote/virtual learning.
VIRTUAL MORNING MEETINGS & TEAM CHATS
We are hosting SIX MORE Virtual "Morning" Meetings this week! Each meeting is limited to 20 slots. We will email you the appropriate Zoom link and directions 2 - 3 days before the Meeting & also the day of the Meeting. Also, from July 27-July 30, we will have Grade Level & Team Chats. This is a 30 minute meeting where families can get to know the teams in a friendly, informal setting and ask general questions. The bigger questions about curriculum, daily schedules, etc. will be covered at a Virtual Curriculum Night in September. Teachers and teams are beginning to plan for the Virtual Curriculum Night. Dates and times will be announced in the next few weeks.
ACS Families can find the Virtual "Morning" Meeting and the Grade Level & Team Chat Links in their email copy of the newsletter.
Be sure to thank our ACS staff for taking time out of their summer break to host these
meetings for our students and families. I am very grateful - that even though they aren’t
being paid for all this work, they are doing it because they genuinely care about our students!
REGISTRATION UPDATE
Make sure you have started the Registration Process if your child has been offered a position. Also, tell your friends and family that they can still apply to attend ACS for the 2020-2021 school year. Here is the link to apply: ACS Application
Best,
Leslie Paynter, M.Ed.
Managing Director
ACS FAMILY SURVEY LINKS
SCHOOLMINT & REGISTRATION
If you have questions about your SchoolMint account or questions about uploading records,etc., please email Jen Adler at jennifera+acs@chartersuccesspartners.com or call 919-479-1442 extension 707.
Jen manages our SchoolMint account and is able to assist with your questions on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
If you have been offered a spot for your child to attend, I strongly encourage you to accept the offer and begin the registration process ASAP.
Also, make sure that you are contacting your child’s doctor and school offices to access their records for the registration process. If your child’s doctor’s appointment isn’t until the summer, upload all the other documents and in that spot, upload a picture of the doctor appointment date.
As long as status is "Registration in Progress," you will not lose your spot. We understand that it is still difficult to get certain documents and appointments and that many students will not receive a final report card until mid-June.
REQUIRED READING FOR THE WEEK (NOT NECESSARILY MY FAVORITE, BUT IMPORTANT):
This week, everyone needs to read Lighting Our Way Forward: North Carolina’s Guidebook for Reopening Public Schools
Also, I would encourage everyone to also read Governor Cooper's July 14, 2020 Order - Press Release. In it he provides key safety information & measures that all NC Public schools are required to follow Under Plan B.
BEFORE & AFTER CARE
The Before and After School information provided by Genesis Athletics is on our website at: Before & After School Care. There is a Registration Form that you can complete. If you have any questions, or if you would like more information, please contact Evelyn Kreiley at
evelyn.kreiley@gmail.com or at 585-738-7360
Be sure to tell your friends and family that they can still apply to attend ACS for the 2020-2021 school year. Here is the link to apply: ACS Application
CALL FOR EXTRA LEGOs, BLOCKS, BUILDING TOYS & BOOKS
If you are doing “spring cleaning”, we would love to have any extra Puzzles, LEGOS, blocks, and building materials for our LEGO/Engineering class and classrooms. Also, if you have children’s books (all levels) that you are no longer using, please set those aside for us too!
ADDITIONAL ONLINE RESOURCES
HOW TO TALK TO CHILDREN ABOUT COVID-19
The National Association of School Psychologists has developed this resource for parents regarding how to talk to children about COVID-19. National Association of School Psychologists
LARRY FERLAZZO - NY TIMES BLOGGER - TEACHING K-12 ONLINE RESOURCES
HIGH QUALITY FREE WEBSITES & APPS - High Quality Educational Resources and Apps
FREE BOOSTERTHON RESOURCES - Boosterthon Access Code: AtHome Boosterthon on Facebook
GUIDANCE FROM NCDHHS on SCHOOL REOPENING SAFETY - StrongSchoolsNC Public Health Toolkit (K-12)
NC Kids - NC Kids is a digital library with online books available in ebook, video, and audio formats. The library collection ranges from beginning reader to young adult. You can also access these books on the go with the Libby App from NC Kids. A library card is required in order to borrow books from this digital library.
STORYLINE - Storyline, streams videos featuring celebrated actors reading children’s books alongside creatively produced illustrations.
Don’t forget to check our website and Facebook page for previous messages & more school information! www.alamancecommunityschool.net and