Dear Explore! Families,
Can you believe we are at the end of week two! Today is a very special day. It is the school’s 7th birthday!! We were happy to sing Happy Birthday to Explore! In English and Espanol. Thanks to Mr. Rand, Maestra Hernández, Ms. Talbot, and our teachers for coordinating a fun activity for us to celebrate this milestone.
Here are some updates related to transportation and buses:
- Remember, Friday dismissal starts at 1:45pm
- Cleveland Park Boys and Girls club stop has been added to North bus for Fridays
- We will no longer offer early drop off as of this Friday
- Bus Route times have been updated. We will share the latest version in a separate post
Explore! Conduct in the Community
We know that the adjustment to being back at 100% capacity, plus the transportation challenges, have added to the natural stress that many feel as we are coming back to school. We are all members of the community who are governed by our shared core values. There are a few areas where we can show more community and compassion to our school and neighbors. Please read below:
- We use ALL HANDS ON DECK for dismissal. Staff members have active duty posts to make sure all Explorers are safe and accounted for. - Be kind to our team
- Sometimes, unexpected things happen. Assume the best and be patient and supportive while we are working through (i.e. a car breaks down in the line. That happened yesterday!)
- Use kind words when addressing staff, even with concerns. It would never be okay for a staff member to yell at a family and it is never okay for a family member to yell at a staff member. Ever. Take a mindful moment and respectfully share your concerns
- Be kind and patient with each other as well, obey the traffic patterns and show courtesy to other drivers and other Explore! families
- Please DO NOT block the driveways of neighbors on Dew, 11th and 12th Streets. Please leave that space so they can access their driveways
We understand that there are a lot of variables to manage. We are making adjustments to our systems each day based on our observations and your feedback. We want and value your feedback. However, If our team gets reports of inappropriate behavior from a family member to a staff or community member, we will follow up with that family directly as outlined in the Community Conduct portion of our handbook.
COVID Concerns
Another topic that has been surfacing is that families are wondering about our response to COVID in schools. I will attach our handbook addendum that outlines our approach that we reviewed at our July orientation sessions. We are still working towards our high fidelity approach with several mitigation strategies in use to prevent the spread of COVID.
Things you can do:
- Make sure your Explorer(s) has several masks that fit well over nose and mouth and are comfortable for use throughout the week
- Donate kids sized masks at school! We give out nearly 80-100 masks a day for students and visitors coming to do business on campus
- If possible, send your Explorer(s) with a water bottle so they will not use the shared water fountain
- Notice any new symptoms that your Explorer may have. When in doubt, sit it out! Stay home and communicate with the school
- If your Explorer or someone in your household has been exposed, please communicate via the Front Office team as soon as possible. This team is trained to manage the tracking and communication for all things COVID related
So much happening but we are persevering like the Phoenix rising!
This will serve as our bulletin for the upcoming week!
Have a great weekend and we will see you all on Monday!
Love,
Stephanie “Ms. JT’ Jarrett-Thorpe