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Join us for our virtual spirit week!!
Sangster News You Choose
Message from the Principal
Dear Sangster Families,
We hope you and your family are staying safe, staying healthy, and staying positive as we gear up for the second phase of the FCPS Distance Learning Plan. We are also thrilled to see so many of you taking advantage of the valuable instructional resources available on the FCPS Blackboard site: https://www.fcps.edu/resources/technology/fcps-24-7-learning.
Our staff is busy preparing a variety of synchronous and asynchronous learning opportunities for your children to begin on Tuesday, April 14th. Teachers contacted all students last week and will be working with them again this week to get acquainted with online platforms and resources, while setting expectations and reviewing digital citizenship. We appreciate your support in advance as they may need your help to get started.
As you read through the information below, please continue to be mindful of the fact that there will be some challenges along the way as we adjust to this new and different model. Distance learning does not replicate the school day. Our goal is to continue to inspire a love of learning in our students and provide a model for instruction that will continue to foster the growth and progress we have seen this year toward our standards of learning. We will need your help as parents to keep your children ready and available for learning as much as possible, while we all manage the stresses associated with the health crisis. This means doing your best to set expectations for routines, bedtimes, communication and encourage participation during the scheduled instructional opportunities. We encourage you to communicate with teachers, support staff, and administration whenever needed so we can support each other in this process.
I want to reiterate that our teachers are also managing their own family systems, while completing their responsibilities as educators during this very stressful time. As we learn together, the concept of Distance Learning will continue to improve for us, and in a few weeks, we will be in a rhythm and feel better about our ability to finish the school year strong.
Thanks again for all you are doing to help your children stay focused and calm during this challenging time. Our team sends its thoughts and prayers to each of the Sangster families and we are committed to doing all we can to support you. We will get through this together and hope to get back to normalcy sometime soon. Sangster Strong!
Sincerely,
Lisa M. Reddel
FCPS Distance Learning Plan
Information about the FCPS Distance Learning Plan can be found here: https://www.fcps.edu/academics/distance-learning
Complete Plan is available here (PDF)
Distance Learning Plan for Students with Disabilities
Sangster staff is working hard to prepare differentiated instruction for students with disabilities and are looking forward to connecting with the students they support and their families. Please review the county-wide plan below for supporting students with disabilities.
https://www.fcps.edu/node/40612?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=
Learning Packets
Beginning today, a majority of the learning packets will be posted as fillable PDFs on the FCPS 24/7 Learning site. Questions about using the learning packets during learning at home should be directed to your child’s teacher. Materials used in the packets contain copyrighted materials so we are only able to post on Blackboard, not on the public website. Distance Learning Packets can be found here.
Step by Step directions how to find learning packets are here: https://www.fcps.edu/distance-learning/instruction/packets/how-to-find
Assessment
Students will be given a grade for 3rd quarter based on assignments given through March 13, 2020. Students will not receive marks for 4th quarter, although their effort and progress within the Distance Learning window can be counted toward improving their Final Mark. This Final Mark is the grade that will remain on their academic transcript. Report cards will be mailed home centrally from FCPS. More information will be forthcoming.
Attendance
Student attendance will be taken daily (Monday-Thursday) by classroom teachers during the “Virtual Teacher-Directed” Instructional hour when synchronous instruction is provided. This is done to monitor participation across the division and to help teachers identify students they will need to check in with via a phone call later in the week to provide additional support. This data will be entered in the Student Information System (SIS), but will not be included in the student attendance history needed for state reporting.
Advanced Academic Level IV Services
The AAP office will begin sending notifications to families regarding eligibility decisions for Level IV services for SY 2020-21 beginning on Monday, April 13. Due to COVID-related closures, Instructional Services has created an electronic communications system to be used instead of paper letters sent by mail. Parents will have until May 4, 2020 to accept placement so that we can communicate acceptances that impact staffing to principals in a timely manner. Letters for students who are found ineligible will contain information about the appeals process. The AAP office is extending the appeals deadline until July 15, 2020 because appeals cannot be completed until they are able to access the original files and convene an appeals committee. The deadline date will be reconsidered if necessary.
Internet Connectivity
Mifi devices have been ordered by FCPS, although we do not have any new information on if/when they might be available to Sangster families. Many of our families are connecting through cellular phone hotspots or through other mifi/computer devices available within the home. There are also many companies offering discounted internet service and devices during this crisis. Please visit the links below to learn more.
Cox
https://www.cox.com/residential/internet/connect2compete/covid-19-response.html
Xfinity
https://www.xfinity.com/support/articles/comcast-broadband-opportunity-program
Verizon
https://nationalverifier.servicenowservices.com/lifeline https://www.verizon.com/support/consumer/account/manage-account/lifeline-discount
Access to Computer/Tablet
Sangster administration has directed classroom teachers to connect with each student/family on their class roster. They also identified families who do not have any access to technology while checking in with students over the past few weeks. If you have a student in grades 3-6 and do not have access to any devices as a family or to internet, please contact your child’s teacher for support.
Access to the School Building
We are under explicit direction that staff and students should have extremely limited access to the school building during this health crisis. There are a few exceptions to include:
- Emergency pick up of medications (that cannot be obtained from the family physician).
- Pick up of special education equipment needed for upcoming Distance Learning Instruction.
- Pick up of a resource or tool that is required for upcoming Distance Learning Instruction.
If you need to make arrangements for an essential pickup, please contact Allison Jankovich at ALJankovich@fcps.edu or Jennifer Redford at jaredford@fcps.edu.
New Student Registration for School Year 2020-2021
NEW STUDENT REGISTRATION for School Year 2020-2021 (Kindergarten-6th Grade) - Parents who have not yet completed the In Person Registration Appointment, please complete the following link: https://forms.gle/SD38Zdt1bbH29XEp7. Our registrar will be in contact with you.
If you know of a new student that needs to register for the 2020-21 school year, please refer them to the Sangster website or contact Marian Hoelscher at mthoelscher@fcps.edu for more information.
Student Placements for 2020-2021
While it is still early to be thinking ahead to next year, we want to give you information about class placements for the 2020-2021 school-year ahead of time. The staff at Sangster Elementary works hard to place students in an optimal learning situation each year. If you have some information that would help us make those decisions, please send your comments in writing to Ms. Reddel by June 1st. Please do not list teacher names. Rather, describe the classroom academic learning environment in which your child learns best.
Yearbook Orders - Two Weeks Left
You can order Sangster yearbooks online at https://ybpay.lifetouch.com using Yearbook ID code 13246520. LAST CHANCE to place your order online is April 25, 2020.
Positivity Project - Week of April 13th
Our Positivity Project focus for this week is the Other People Matter Mindset with an emphasis on identifying and appreciating the good in others. Those who demonstrate this mindset work hard to identify and value others’ strengths. Ask your student to share what they have learned about their strengths this year.
This Week's Character Strength: Other People Matter Mindset with an emphasis on identifying and appreciating the good in others
Next Week's Character Strength: Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence
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