Richland Rocket Weekly Update

The mission of Birdville ISD is to ensure that all students position themselves to excel with integrity in an ever-changing global society through innovative and responsive learning environment.

Our mission at RES is to collaborate while educating and inspiring students to become lifelong problem solvers in today’s ever-changing society.

Monday, September 14

• September 14-18: Learning platform changes can be made this week for the second six-weeks. (online or face-to-face) for the second six weeks that begins on September 28th

Tuesday, September 15

• Progress Reports will be available in Skyward for the first few weeks of school

Wednesday, September 16

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Thursday, September 17

• Constitution Day-We encourage your students to show their patriotic spirit and wear red, white, and blue
• ASPIRE Parent Night @ 6:30-Reading Strategies for students and parents

Friday, September 18

• Spirit Day-Show your RES Rocket Pride!
• Last day to change your learning platform for the second six weeks.

Upcoming Events:

• The end of the first grading period is September 25th. The next six weeks begins on September 28th.
• October 26-30: Learning platform changes can be made this week for the third six-weeks. (online or face-to-face)
• December 7-11: Learning platform changes can be made this week for the fourth six-weeks. (online or face-to-face)
• February 1-5: Learning platform changes can be made this week for the fifth six-weeks. (online or face-to-face)
• March 22-26: Learning platform changes can be made this week for the sixth six-weeks. (online or face-to-face)

Parents/ Guardians,

We had a great week with students learning both face-to-face and online this week. It was fun seeing students back in the building again. We appreciate your patience as teachers are juggling between students learning online while having students in the classroom. We want to be able to meet the needs of all students. We want to encourage online students to join the grade level Zoom times so that all students are able to see and interact with their teachers and with other classmates each day. In the first two weeks when all students were online, teachers were more available by phone during the day. Now that we have students in the room, teachers will only be able to call back parents during their conferences or after school and also interact through their learning platforms when online students need help. Another great way for students to receive help is to join our ASPIRE program. ASPIRE is seeing and helping students both face-to-face and online with homework.

This week is Celebrate Freedom Week. Students will be learning about how our country became its own nation. We will be celebrating Constitution Day on Thursday, and we encourage our students to show their patriotic spirit by wearing red, white, and blue. We have spirit day each Friday. Your students could wear a past RES shirt, red or blue clothing, or purchase a new shirt from our PTA spirit shop to wear. Our spirit shop is online, and it is easy to buy spirit wear if you chose to do so for your child. We will post the online shop on our social media and put it on this newsletter when it goes live. Also, we would love for you to join PTA. Please go to http://www.joinpta.org/ to join! We will also send home a flyer about PTA this week.

I wanted to remind parents that we are taking grades this year, we are not giving a pass/fail as we did last spring, Our first progress reports will be ready for a parent to review on Skyward on Tuesday We want to encourage all students to get their work turned in daily. If your child is absent, they may still get their work online and do it during the day if they are feeling up to it, so that they do not get behind.

If you have decided that you would like to change learning platforms for the second six weeks, you need to call the office this week and let Mrs. Johnson know so that she can change it in Skyward We are only changing platforms during the weekly window two weeks prior to the upcoming six weeks; this allows us to make the necessary changes for learning and safety.

We look forward to another great week of learning. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact the school.

Kerri Sands

Principal

Richland Elementary

All student progress reports and report cards will be accessed via Skyward this year. You will need to go into your Family Acess Account in Skyward to find these reports. Once you are in Skyward for your student then:

• Find the Student Performance Tab and click on it.
• Find the report you need. and click on it. This first report will be called 2020-21 1st Six Weeks Progress Report
• Once you click on the report, you should be able to see your child's grades.

Below is a picture of what it would have looked like for the last six week's report card for the 2019-20 school year.

What is the difference between quarantine and isolation?

Here is some information from our district nurse. https://safeYouTube.net/w/WIqZ

We have tons of hand sanitizing stations around the building. We also have sinks with soap. Here is a video we will share with kids about handwashing.

Message from the district regarding COVID-19 Health Screening:

PARENTS/GUARDIANS: Before sending your child(ren) to school each day, YOU are responsible for screening them for COVID-19 symptoms. When each child reports to school, YOU are acknowledging that you have taken his/her temperature, and that they are not experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, meaning symptoms that are not normal for them.

If symptoms are present, the parent/guardian should contact the campus nurse for further guidance regarding if, or when, the child(ren) should report to school.

COVID-19 Symptoms include:

• Temperature of 100 or greater
• Chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Muscle aches
• Headache
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Sore throat
• Loss of taste or smell

While on campus, any student who experiences symptoms will immediately report to the school clinic. If the temperature is 100 degrees or greater, a second temperature will be taken to verify the first reading. If the second reading reflects a temperature of 100 degrees or greater, the student will be sent home immediately.

A note from Ms. Rollins

Hello, parents and families! I am here if you need me; please don't hesitate to contact me with any concerns you may have.

To contact me:

• you may email me at michelle.rollins@birdvilleschools.net
• call me on my office phone 817-547-2022
• or call/text me on my Google Voice number 682-325-8172.

Please see information about the counseling program at RES at the following link:

https://pub.lucidpress.com/About_the_counselor/

Also, please help me help you by completing this parent needs assessment survey:

https://forms.gle/UjYcd7JuD7NURwfR6

(This is the survey you would need to complete if you'd like information about help with supplies and/or weekend snack bags.)

If you need help with a computer issue, please follow this link to submit a help desk ticket:

https://birdville.instructure.com/courses/116975/pages/8-dot-0-how-to-get-tech-support

You can check the status of any network including Zoom and Canvas here:

http://status.birdvilleschools.net/?fbclid=IwAR1s-fP7YREVtoealALjqhrIXZpQWdCml6lYeoOhDbudmeLFvjTaEasqtNM

We know that Canvas is new to all parents and elementary students. Birdville has a place for you to get help called the Parent Canvas Hub. Here is the link to the Parent Canvas Hub, and you may click here to set up the Canvas APP on a mobile device. Canvas also has a section called the Parent Observer. Parents create their accounts, and they have a Canvas login to see their student's courses, assignments, etc. Parents can send/receive messages and announcements with the teacher from a Canvas Dashboard, just like the students. The Parent Hub also includes information for students logging in, Tech Help, and more.

Canvas How-to For Parents - Helpful Links

Click HERE for the Birdville Canvas Parent Course.

Parents can click HERE (Links to an external site. to access a Canvas 101 For Parents course.

Parents can click HERE (Links to an external site.) to access a Parent Set-Up Guide with helpful tips and links.

Parents can click HERE (Links to an external site.) for a tip sheet for using the Canvas Parent Mobile App.

Learning platform changes may be made each six weeks. Please see the following dates for making changes:

• September 14-18 Learning platform changes can be made this week for the second six-weeks. (online or face-to-face)
• October 26-30 Learning platform changes can be made this week for the third six-weeks. (online or face-to-face)
• December 7-11 Learning platform changes can be made this week for the fourth six-weeks. (online or face-to-face)
• February 1-5 Learning platform changes can be made this week for the fifth six-weeks. (online or face-to-face)
• March 22-26 Learning platform changes can be made this week for the sixth six-weeks. (online or face-to-face)

Please click on the following link to get more information on the difference between the two options at RES: learning options. If you would like to change your child's learning platform from face-to-face instruction to online or vise versa, here is the link to give you all the information on how to accomplish this task. https://www.birdvilleschools.net/Page/65825

Online and Face-to-Face learners will need the same school supplies. You can find the lists here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SrmbXL9Ndt4DsteHdS3_rKIMLZpZ4EOU/view?fbclid=IwAR0ZbIxMtDyfUQyXhdPjg7J6qw7Z0rWIQzDIkG9LbzP2EENA9mxqf7iunN0

*If you need help obtaining school supplies for your student, please contact Dr. Rollins, our school Counselor.

You may email any of us by clicking on this link and looking for the person you want to contact

https://www.birdvilleschools.net/site/Default.aspx?PageType=1&SiteID=1716&ChannelID=1728&DirectoryType=6.

Also, teachers are available by Dojo, Remind or the messaging system they sent you.

Please review the new school calendar:

https://www.birdvilleschools.net/cms/lib/TX01000797/Centricity/Domain/1/2021Calendar.pdf

From the BISD Website:

Due to the constantly evolving situation with COVID-19, and the regularly changing guidance from state education and health officials, BISD’s Plan will be reviewed and updated as needed to reflect new requirements from the CDC; federal, state, or county orders; or the Texas Education Agency.

[Updated Aug. 14, 2020] During the school year, BISD will serve meals to school-aged students enrolled in the District. The cost of the meals for both face-to-face and online learning students will be determined by a student’s eligibility based on Free, Reduced, or Paid.

(All students may participate in curbside pickup from Aug. 24 to Sept. 4. Beginning Sept. 8, curbside pickup is only available for students enrolled in online learning.)

Online Learning Students

• Meals will be available for curbside pickup by parents/legal guardians/students on weekdays from 9:00-10:00 AM. NEW time!
• For families with multiple students who attend different campuses, (e.g., one student at a middle school and one student at a high school), meals for all students in the family may be picked up at a campus attended by at least one student in the family.
• The individual picking up the meal(s) will have the option of picking up lunch, breakfast, or both. (Students will not be allowed to eat their meal(s) on campus.)

Those who qualify for reduced or paid meals can pay with cash, but we recommend putting money into your student’s meal account via www.mypaymentsplus.com.

Face-to-face Learning Students

• Meals will be served on disposable trays along with plasticware.

• Appropriate social distancing will be followed as much as is possible in the serving lines and while eating.

Note: Meals are only available for students enrolled in Birdville ISD and will not be served when the District is closed for holidays.

Clothes Connection

See flyers below for information about clothing for your child. **

Weekend Snacks

Please fill out the form through the link in the counselor section below if you would like more information on receiving weekend snack bags.

Grades and Reports Cards

Grades and report cards are posted in Skyward. Please update any new information that you have such as phone numbers, address change, and/or emergency contacts. You will need your Skyward Family Access Information to sign in. If your email has changed, please email our attendance clerk at Andrya.Johnson@birdvilleschools.net or your child's teacher so we can update the information. If you forgot your password, Mrs. Johnson can email it to you from Skyward.

Free Online Audio Books

https://stories.audible.com/start-listen This site is a free online bookstore where you can listen to any book they have for free! This is a fun way to enjoy a book as a family. It is also a fun way for kids to listen to books that may be above their reading level, but they really want to read it.

Registration Link:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1sI98_5m6FMj7bnj0BPQjfVLAWRsDw1F-TW7drkBRs-o/edit

ASPIRE will follow the school campus schedule regarding online and face-to-face.

• If your student is enrolled in face-to-face learning, they will attend ASPIRE face-to-face as well beginning September 8th.
• If your student is enrolled in the online learning platform, they will attend online ASPIRE as well beginning September 8th.

Virtual and Face-to-Face ASPIRE Services for Students

• homework help
• mini lessons to refresh skills
• structured skill practice
• enrichment opportunities (art, music, sports, STEAM, cooking, sewing…)
• college and career readiness (K-5th)
• closely work with the homeroom teacher
• snack after school and dinner before pick-up Monday-Thursday (face-to-face only)

Virtual and Face-to-Face ASPIRE Services for Parents/Guardians

• homework help
• help to find needed resources for the family
• literacy education
• demonstrate new math concepts (how to teach)
• we are available for parent/guardian questions before, during, and after school
• virtual family events (may be face-to-face in the future)
• monthly information that hi-light family entertainment ideas
• monthly information that hi-light the latest research for family and education development

ASPIRE follows all Richland Elementary discipline and Covid-19 guidelines.

Schedule

All Virtual:

7:00 - 8:10

Monday - Friday - Math club - Skill Practice and homework help

3:35 - 4:35

Monday - Friday - Homework and academic mini-lessons

Enrichment opportunities will be pre-recorded and/or posted in ASPIRE Canvas course.

All Face-to-Face:

7:00 - 8:10

Monday - Friday - Math club - Skill Practice and homework help

3:35 - 4:35

Monday - Friday - Homework and academic mini-lessons

4:35 - 5:45

Monday - Thursday - Enrichment Class and Dinner

Please remember that ASPIRE is an ACADEMIC program. Students will be participating in activities with the teacher and their peers. Early dismissal is strongly discouraged.

Please let your coordinator know if your child is going to be absent (817-547-2075).

Lori Sloan, M.Ed.

ASPIRE Coordinator

817-547-2075

Please fill out this form to ask your question, and we will respond as soon as possible!

https://forms.gle/Gwgeb4j9hoLLit4K8

Do you want to nominate a staff member for going above and beyond this school year and/or just show your appreciation? If so, please fill out a Touch of Class nomination.

https://www.birdvilleschools.net/touchofclass

Mascot: Rockets

Colors: Red and Blue

Grade Levels: Pre-Kindergarten-5th Grade

Special Programming: PPCD & AABLE

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rerockets/

Website: https://www.birdvilleschools.net/re
Location: Richland Elementary School, Scruggs Park Drive, Richland Hills, TX, USA
Phone: 817-547-2000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RichlandElementaryFanPage/
Twitter: @rerockets