Principal's Post: Parent Edition
Vanderlyn Elementary 2021-22 Vol. 10
Week of October 4, 2021
Welcome To Our 2022-2023 Principal Advisory Council Members!
- Meagan Galle (NEW)
- Kate Bailey (NEW)
- Jim Lawless (NEW)
- Hayden Barber (Teacher Representative)
- Tasmiea Zaman (Teacher Representative)
- Bhagyashree Deshmukhe (Returning)
- Sailaja Arni (Returning)
Principal Advisory Councils bring parents, school employees, and community partners together to share ideas regarding school climate, facilities, increasing student achievement, and community partnerships.
A NOTE ABOUT BUS TRANSPORTATION
If you have questions about bus transportation, please contact our front office secretary Andrea Gillett: andrea_gillett@dekalbschoolsga.org. Thank you.
DeKalb County School District Launches Edulog Parent Portal App
DeKalb County School District announces the launch of the Edulog Parent Portal smartphone app. The app is designed to give parents and guardians information about their child’s school bus ride. The app allows parents and guardians to follow their child’s bus on a real-time map and stay up-to-date with notifications when that bus nears the bus stop, the school, or a custom alert zone. Parents and guardians only receive access by registering with data unique to their child. It allows you to:
- access designated bus stop times and locations
- see real-time information about the location of your child’s school bus
- receive notifications when the bus is getting close
How to Get Up and Running:
1 – Review the “Getting Started” video
2 – Download the app, sign up, and check your email to authenticate
3 – Enter your student’s student number
4 – See your student’s bus stop time and location
5 – Locate your school bus and receive alertsFor more information, please visit the DCSD website:
https://www.dekalbschoolsga.org/parents/edulog-parent-portal/DISTRICTWIDE BENCHMARK ASSESSMENTS
NATIONAL STOMP OUT BULLYING DAY
WHO TO CONTACT WHEN QUESTIONS ARISE
Please review and save the list below so you are aware who to contact when questions arise.
- PTO Membership Toolkit - PTO Co-Presidents: Jennifer Dees or Sara Graviss: vanderlynelemPTO@gmail.com
- Family ID Hang tags (carpool or walkers) - Andrea Gillett: andrea_gillett@dekalbschoolsga.org
- Reporting your child's absence from school - Email your child's homeroom teacher AND our school registrar, Ms. Andrea Gillett: andrea_gillett@dekalbschoolsga.org
- Student illness, medicine requests, medical forms: Ms. Sumi: sumati_jayaraman@dekalbschoolsga.org
- Changes in transportation/dismissal - email your child's homeroom teacher AND our front office secretary, Andrea Gillett:andrea_gillett@dekalbschoolsga.org. This must be done by 12pm!
- Questions about school breakfast/lunch: Cafeteria Assistant Manager, Juliana Phipps: juliana_m_phipps@dekalbschoolsga.org
- School library resources, Chrome Book Requests: Gail Pansini: gail_pansini@dekalbschoolsga.org
- General questions pertaining to your child's class - email your child's homeroom teacher
- Questions regarding gifted eligibility - Gifted Liaison, Julia Weiss: julia_weiss@dekalbschoolsga.org
- Questions pertaining to ASEPD (After School Extended Day Program) - Co-directors Julia Weiss or Demetreia Adderley: julia_weiss@dekalbschoolsga.org and demetreia_head@dekalbschoolsga.org
- Questions pertaining to class schedules, progress reports, grades, and report cards - Assistant Principal, Griffin Nichols: griffin_nichols@dekalbschoolsga.org
- Questions pertaining to districtwide assessments (MAP, CogAT, GA Milestones, ACCESS) - School Test Coordinator/Assistant Principal, Griffin Nichols: griffin_nichols@dekalbschoolsga.org.
- Questions regarding counseling, social, emotional/behavioral concerns, bullying: Counselors: Grades 3rd-5th Jessica Lee: Jessica_lee@dekalbschoolsga.org or Grades Pre-K-2nd: Dr. Candice Norris-Brown: candice_norris-brown@dekalbschoolsga.org
- Questions pertaining to schoolwide operations - email Principal Tracey Crenshaw: tracey_crenshaw@dekalbschoolsga.org
REMINDERS AS WE MOVE THROUGH October
The students are doing an amazing job wearing their masks daily, socially distancing, and sanitizing/hand washing throughout the day. I want to share a few reminders to ensure we are all doing our part in the Vanderlyn community to stop the spread of COVID.
- Parents are encouraged to take their child's temperature each morning before leaving for school. Please keep all sick children at home.
- Please ensure your child's mask fits properly on them each day. Discuss the importance of proper mask wearing with your child so that we can work together to keep everyone safe.
- Please discuss the importance of social distancing with your child. We want all students to feel comfortable and safe at all times.
- Please ensure that good hand-hygiene is taking place. We give plenty of reminders during the school day and want this to continue outside of school. This will also help us to stop the spread of COVID-19.
COVID RESOURCES AND SAFETY PROTOCOLS
To help us keep our students and staff healthy, we are asking for ALL VANDERLYN ELEMENTARY FAMILIES to please conduct a morning temperature check prior to coming to school each and every morning. It only takes a few seconds, and it will help us immensely to get ahead of any outbreaks at school. If your child is sick or not feeling well, please keep them at home!
Additional COVID-19 Mitigation Strategies
I want to remind parents that all students and staff are required to wear masks while indoors at school. Students will sanitize when they come in every morning. Additionally, they will sanitize their hands after Reading, Math, Science, Social Studies, before/after Specials, lunch, and recess. Handwashing is always required before students leave the restroom. For breakfast and lunch, students will be spaced apart in the cafeteria and outside when masks are off. While masks are not required outdoors, we will use recess zones to ensure all rules are being followed for safe outdoor play. Our custodial staff will continue to provide a robust and comprehensive cleaning protocol. We will continue to follow DCSD, DPH and CDC guidelines on COVID-19 mitigation strategies whenever possible, and we hope things will improve as we move through the year.
Reporting Protocols and Procedures
I want to review the protocols and procedures in place when a positive case is reported to me and when a student needs to quarantine.
What Happens When a Positive Case is Reported?
1. All positive COVID cases should be reported directly to Mrs. Crenshaw: tracey_crenshaw@dekalbschoolsga.org.
2. Once this information is received, Mrs. Crenshaw will report it to the school district and await guidance.
3. Mrs. Crenshaw will begin contact tracing to determine close contacts. Close contacts may not include the entire class. Close contacts include individuals within 6 feet of someone for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period.
4. Close contacts will be notified via phone call from Mrs. Crenshaw, an Assistant Principal or school nurse.
5. Close contacts may also be notified via email.
6. Quarantine and Return to School Guidance from the school district will be provided to the individual who tested positive and to all close contacts.
7. Once approved for distribution, a community letter will be sent to the entire school community via School Messenger. This community letter is to inform stakeholders that a positive case has been reported within the school. Unless you receive notification that your child was identified as a direct contact, you can assume that your child was not impacted.
8. Parents should be advised that disclosing any information relating to the identity of individual students or staff is confidential and may not be shared under any circumstances.
*Please note: Before the community letter is sent out, contact tracing has been completed and impacted individuals have been notified.
This is the CURRENT process. I will provide updates if anything changes.
What Happens When a Student Needs to Quarantine?
1. The teacher will provide the student with an independent learning packet and/or assignments. Chromebooks will be available for students to checkout.
2. The teacher will make contact with the student daily to provide instructional support (this will be done during a teacher's planning period, before, and/or after school).
3. The student will be marked as present in Infinite Campus attendance.
In accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), if a student is quarantined, the individual will be provided with asynchronous work until he/she is able to return. This is to protect the privacy of the student who may have tested positive for COVID 19.
Please click the blue button below to review DCSD Covid-19 resources .
Safety is our top priority! Let's work together to ensure all students, staff, and families remain safe and healthy.
STEM at Vanderlyn
Our STEM Vision is to serve as a collaborative STEM learning community that challenges and engages all students across the curriculum as well as encouraging 21st century skills and STEM careers.
Our STEM mission is to provide challenging, relevant, authentic, and inquiry based STEM experiences for our diverse learners.
STEM is unique and all-inclusive because we believe all of our students should be exposed to the rigor of STEM education in order to compete in a global society and to be college and career ready. At Vanderlyn, some defining characteristics of STEM are:
- Students work independently and collaboratively in an inquiry-based learning environment.
- Students are empowered to personalize and self-direct their STEM learning experiences supported by STEM educators who facilitate their learning.
- Students use technology resources to conduct research, demonstrate creative and critical thinking, and communicate and work collaboratively.
- Students demonstrate their learning through performance-based assessments and express their conclusions through elaborated explanations of their thinking.
- Interdisciplinary, project-based learning (PBL) includes a focus on real-world applications.
- STEM educators collaborate as an interdisciplinary team to plan, implement, and improve STEM learning experiences.
- STEM learning outcomes demonstrate students’ STEM literacy necessary for the next generation of STEM learning.
OPT-IN TO SCHOOL MESSENGER
School-Home communication is very important. Please stay connected to the school by ensuring you have signed up for School Messenger. To receive timely emails and text messages from the school and district, please opt-in to school messenger!
SCHOOL MEALS
Please Join the Vanderlyn PTO
Vanderlyn families, the Membership Toolkit system is NOW OPEN for 2021–2022 online PTO registration! Register now and save time at Open House!
What can you do NOW?
Go to Vanderlyn’s MEMBERSHIP TOOLKIT at www.vanderlynpto.org to create or update your online account.