Hello OCRS families,
It was a different type of Thanksgiving this year, especially for those of us who are used to getting together with large extended families. However, while we kept our social circle limited to our immediate household for the benefit of the greater community, I know that we all felt even more grateful for the people who have been important parts of our lives during this challenging year. For me, this absolutely includes all of the staff, students and families that are part of the Old County Road School community. I am so grateful for all of the support and hard work that everyone has contributed to making both in-person and virtual learning as successful as possible for OCRS students.
Let's all continue to work together for the next few weeks so that our school can go into the Holiday Break healthy and students and staff are able to safely enjoy the break before the start of the New Year!
Distribution of Report Cards by Monday, 12/14
Students will be receiving their Trimester 1 report cards by Monday, December 14th. Report cards will be shared with each family electronically. Report cards are based on year end goals, so the Trimester 1 Report Card indicates progress demonstrated during this period of learning towards the year end goals. Teachers have worked together with their colleagues across the district to make sure that the information that parents receive accurately reflects the learning that is taking place.
Parent-Teacher Conferences on Monday, 12/14
Parent-teacher conferences are scheduled for Monday, 12/14. This year, all conferences will be held virtually either by video conference or by phone. All conferences will be scheduled by appointment between 1:00 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. Teachers will be reaching out to families this week to schedule appointments with their students' families.
December Spirit Days
We would like to give students and staff an opportunity to have some fun together and celebrate our OCRS spirit each Friday during December. While we always encourage students and staff to wear their OCRS Spirit Gear on Mondays and Fridays, we thought that some special theme days would make December extra fun! As usual, participation is encouraged, but not mandatory. Here's what we are thinking:
Friday, December 4th: Silly (or Holiday Themed) Sock Day
Wear your favorite silly or holiday themed socks to school (in-person or virtual) on Friday! Holiday themed socks can be for any December holiday.
Friday, December 11th: Silly (or Holiday Themed) Hat Day
Wear your favorite silly or holiday themed hat to school (in-person or virtual) on Friday! Holiday themed hats can be for any December holiday. Please be sure that hats do not interfere with mask wearing.
Friday, December 18th: Ugly (or Holiday Themed) Sweater Day
Wear your favorite ugly or holiday themed sweater to school (in-person or virtual) on Friday! Holiday themed sweaters can be for any December holiday.
Reminders for Families to Help Keep our School Community Healthy
All of the OCRS teachers and staff are grateful for the tremendous support from our students' families in following the R.I. Department of Health guidelines these past few months. It has been hard work, but together we have been able to keep our school open for the benefit of our students. Here are some reminders for all of us through these crucial weeks before the Holiday Break:
- Please immediately contact Mr. Barrette (pbarrette@smithfield-ps.org) and Mrs. Forte (cforte@smithfield-ps.org) as soon as you receive notification of a positive COVID test result in your household. We immediately begin to collect the information necessary to identify close contacts in the school environment and call the R.I. Department of Health to inform them of the case. While we do appreciate families contacting their child's classroom teacher, it is vitally important that you contact Mr. Barrette and Mrs. Forte because we are the school's identified contacts with the R.I. Department of Health and we continue to receive information and training on the exact steps that need to be taken in terms of quarantine to keep the rest of the school safe.
- Please immediately contact Mr. Barrette (pbarrette@smithfield-ps.org) and Mrs. Forte (cforte@smithfield-ps.org) if anyone in your household has been directed to quarantine due to being a close contact of someone that has tested positive for COVID. Again, Mr. Barette and Mrs. Forte have received the information and training on the exact steps that need to be taken in terms of quarantine to keep the rest of the school safe.
- Please immediately contact Mr. Barrette contact Mr. Barrette (pbarrette@smithfield-ps.org) and Mrs. Forte (cforte@smithfield-ps.org) if anyone in your household is currently waiting to receive COVID test results. Students that live in the same household as someone that has been tested for COVID must stay at home until the results of the rapid and PCR tests have been received. Usually this is just a few days (at most), but it is important that we follow this guideline to prevent the possible exposure of other students and staff.
- If your child has needed to leave school or stay home due to any illness, please remember to return the R.I. Department of Health "After Illness Return Attestation Form" on the day that your child returns to school. This is a requirement of the Department of Health. Mrs. Forte has been sending the form home with any students that need to leave school due to illness. Parents can also find the form on the R.I. Department of Health website at https://health.ri.gov/publications/assessments/After-Illness-Return-Attestation.pdf.
- As a request, please think twice before sending your child to a party or social gathering. While I understand that people want to get together and socialize with family and friends, these social events are impacting learning and safety for all OCRS students, staff, and families. We need to keep our social circles outside of school and work as small as possible. We know that is especially challenging around the holidays. However, it is crucial that we continue to be as consistent as possible following the COVID guidelines and protocols to do everything we can to keep schools open for our students.
Distribution of Learning Materials to Students in Isolation or Quarantine
When a student needs to enter an isolation period (because they have tested positive for COVID) or stay at home in quarantine (because they are a household contact or close contact of someone who tested positive), we will assemble learning materials for that student to be able to participate in virtual learning for the duration of their isolation and/or quarantine period. In each individual case, we will communicate with the student's family and make arrangements either for the pick up or delivery of the materials.
In the event that a student is at home for a few days awaiting COVID test results, we will not assemble a full package of learning materials. Students who are home for a few days can still use their school account to login to Google Classroom (https://classroom.google.com) from any internet connected device if they would like to keep up with the assignments posted. If a student is sent home from school with any health symptoms and needs to be tested before returning to school, we will make sure to send them home with their Chromebook so they can more easily access Google Classroom.
PTA Holiday Gift Shop
Enjoy the Gift of Giving while Giving Back to our School!
https://myholidayshop.org/school/316613
Old County Road School presents MyHolidayShop - an online holiday shopping experience where students and families enjoy shopping together while supporting their school. With a wide selection of gifts priced within a child’s budget (most under $5), students can shop the personalized gift collections for Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa, siblings, pets, and more!
- Visit: https://myholidayshop.org/school/316613
- Our Shop Opens Now
- Shop ends: December 6, 2020
- Families shop and pay for gifts online (site is available in both English and Spanish).
- Gifts are shipped directly to your home.
- E-Gift Cards available: A great option if you would like to ask a family member to sponsor your child.
- Share the link with friends and help raise money for our school!
If you have questions, please contact Rose Poyourow via email at rosepoyourow@gmail.com.
Upcoming Dates and Events
Silly (or Holiday) Socks, Friday December 4th
Silly (or Holiday) Hats, Friday December 11th
Parent-Teacher Conferences (No in-person learning for students), Monday 12/14
Ugly (or Holiday) Sweaters, Friday December 18th
Holiday Break, NO SCHOOL, 12/24-1/1
Ongoing thanks to OCRS families for your Patience, Flexibility, and Empathy. Those three words are guiding us throughout this school year and we will all need to continue to make adjustments as the year progresses. As long as we approach those adjustments with the best interests of our students as our priority, I am confident that this will continue to be a safe and successful year.
Sincerely,
Mr. Barrette