August 2022 Newsletter

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Garfield Elementary

Family Newsletter August, 2022

GRRR: Garfield Cheetahs are Responsible, Respectful and Ready

Hi Garfield Families,

I hope this letter finds you all enjoying these final days of summer. My hope is that this letter will provide you with some information regarding the reopening of our school. I am happy to provide the most updated information we have regarding plans so you can make the best decisions for your family. Please reach out any time. Email may be the best way for me as I will be in planning meetings, at times, over the next few weeks. My email: [email protected]

 

First Day of School:

1st thru 5th - September 7th
Preschool and Kindergarten - September 12th

 

Back to School Meet and Greet - September 6, between 12:00-1:30

This will be an opportunity for students and families to drop off materials, see their classrooms and visit with staff. Our PTA and transportation will be there to answer any questions you might have.

 

Supply lists can be found using this link: Back to School. If you need help with supplies, please let me know. We have extras on hand here at Garfield.

 

Start and End Times

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday : 8:30 -2:45
Wednesday: 8:30 - 1:55
AM Preschool: 8:30 - 11:00
PM Preschool: 12:15 - 2:45 *No Preschool on Wednesdays
 

Class Lists:

Families can access teacher assignments beginning at 5:00 PM on September 2nd, through Family Access. Please call the office if you are not able to view for any reason. We will also have staff on hand, for the Meet and Greet, to help as well.
 

Health and Safety Guidelines at Garfield:

We continue to move into less restrictive times at school. While we still follow safe practices of handwashing and close monitoring of anyone who is sick, we are able to operate without social distancing limitations. Masks continue to be optional at this time. Here is a link to the Health Depts. revised protocol for Covid: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xl3s1_U_tbc07TMj_HYXdEDxARaY742-/view?usp=sharing.

 

Arrival and Dismissal

Preschool, Kindergarten, buses and childcare can use the entrance at the front of the school. We ask that if you drive, please park and walk your child to the front of the school. Students in grades 1-5 will enter through the back of the school. Families are welcome to accompany their kids inside the school but we will ask for you to wait in the main hall until 8:20. We also ask that drop-offs are done quickly so staff can attend to the start of the day responsibilities. We will have teams of people on hand to help families navigate the system. We will have supervision available at 8:20. Students will be dismissed out of their classroom exterior doors. Families are welcome to wait in those areas or make arrangements to meet kids on the back playground. We will have

supervision around the school and patrol available after school. Preschool, Kindergarten, students who ride buses and daycare vans will depart in the front of the school.

 

Volunteers, Visitors, student pick-up during the school day:

This year we are excited to bring back opportunities for volunteers. Please look for future communications from our school and your teacher regarding opportunities. All volunteers must have proof of vaccination and complete a Background check prior to starting. Please stop by our office and we can make note of that. During the school day, parents can come to the front of the building and ring the bell for our office staff. We will retrieve students and bring them to the front for you. We can also set up appointments for meetings in the school. Please contact your child’s teacher or our main office to make those arrangements.

 

Health Screening and Protocols:

We ask if your child shows any covid symptoms that you keep them at home. Like last year, we will have a designated space for students who have symptoms consistent with Covid. This will be located in Portable #2. Again, in those circumstances we will call for pick up and provide families with directions for follow-up and return timelines. We can also provide you with test kits.

 

Breakfast and Lunch:

Again, we are very pleased to offer free breakfast and lunch to all Garfield students this year. Our only responsibility is to have every family complete a brief survey regarding income. This information is kept confidential and is only used to provide the state with information that keeps our school eligible for this opportunity. Completion of these forms is very important. It allows us to continue offering free meals AND it determines significant funding for our school used for resources, including teachers and staff. Please stop by or call the office if you did not receive this information.

This year we will begin serving breakfasts in classrooms. So, when students arrive they will walk to their rooms and we will serve food in the pods. Students will take their breakfasts to their rooms to eat. Our students in Mr. McIntosh’s class and Mrs. Sampson’s class will p/u breakfasts in B-Pod.

 

Bus Route Information:

Bus Route Information for the 2022-2023 School Year is now available on Infofinder.
To access Infofinder, go to the Olympia School District website (
osd.wednet.edu), and click on the large "Buses" icon on the left side. More detailed instructions for how to use the infofinder website are available on the Olympia School District website under "Departments" and then "Transportation". 

 

A Message from our PTA:

"Did you know the Garfield PTA raises funds to support Garfield Elementary and helps create amazing experiences for Garfield students? You can support these efforts by becoming a PTA member, volunteering at any (or many!) of our numerous events throughout the year and attending PTA membership meetings. Stop by our table during the "Meet and Greet" on September 6th to learn more, fill out a membership form, sign up for volunteer opportunities, and grab a special treat! You can also learn more at www.olygarfieldpta.com. We can't wait to meet you!"

 

"Shopping for school supplies? Your purchases can support the Garfield PTA. When you shop at smile.amazon.com using your Amazon account you can select Garfield Elementary PTA to receive donations at no cost to you. We also receive donations from Fred Meyer and Stormans when you set up donation preferences to select Garfield Elementary PTA"

Thanks again!

-Karen