NEWSLETTER 3
Dear parents,
We are pleased to start phase 2 with you this Monday, October 5th.
As stated previously, we are reopening in phases and with the utmost caution.
So far, safety and teaching protocols put in place have been efficient. We thank you for your patience, cooperation and understanding.
We know the situation is difficult for all of you, as it has been complicated to deal with on our end.
Our community’s safety remains our priority, especially now that the number of students and staff on campus will be increasing. Please keep in mind the safety precautions communicated earlier this week.
The entire EFAM team is excited to have every class report back to our campuses next week. Teachers, administrators and all other staff members have been working tirelessly to get the classes ready for our students. We hope we can all make phase 2 a success, we are counting on your support. We look forward to being able to resume more EFAM offerings in the future if the health situation continues to get better.
Safety precautions
The COVID health questionnaire must be completed daily on your RenWeb FACTS portal prior to arriving on campus.
Students not cleared by the health questionnaire will not be allowed on campus.
Temperature checks are mandatory prior to entering the campus. No student with a fever of 100.4 ℉ (38 ℃) or higher will be allowed on campus.
Hand sanitizing is mandatory upon entrance.
Masks and face shields will be required prior to entering the campus.
Parents must wear a mask when dropping off and picking up their child at school and must keep it on while on campus (including parking lot).
Drop-off / pickup locations
SOUTH CAMPUS
ENTRANCE A (Main gate): PreK 3, 1st, 3rd, 4th
ENTRANCE B (Playground side): PreK 4, K, 2nd, 5th
NORTH CAMPUS
ENTRANCE A (Main gate building #650): PreK 3, K
ENTRANCE B (Playground side #650): PreK4, 1st
BUILDING #651 (Main door): 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th
Meeting with the Room Parents
We spoke with the room parents from both campuses this past Wednesday to explain our phase 2 protocol and answer questions.
Please find the meeting notes below.
Hybrid learning model continues: in-person & distance learning by the teachers during the same day
Teachers response time to Google Classroom chat and emails will increase, as they will teach both groups of in-person learning and distance learning during the same school day.
New hours - phase 2
Between October 5th-October 16th, same hours for all students: 8:30am - 2:30pm
After October break: pre-K and K, 8:30am to 2:30pm except Wednesdays 8:30am to 12:00pm / Elementary 8:30am to 3:30pm except Wednesdays 8:30am to 1:30pm
Supervision of maternelle siblings
Starting October 26th: Pre-K and K siblings can stay for one hour under supervision of the school staff, free of charge, until their brothers and sisters in elementary classes finish the school day (3:30pm Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday; 1:30pm on Wednesday).
Elementary student rotation
Based on the size of the classrooms and the number of students attending in person; the number of days in distance learning may increase from 1 to 2 after November 9th, if more students return to in-person learning.
Groups in maternelle classes
No more division in separate groups; one group per grade; the safety measures are maintained and/or increased (installation of acrylic barriers in progress).
Modification of drop-off and pick-up points
The entry points will be detailed in the schedules sent by each teacher, see also the reminder above.
Schedule modifications: days for English have changed
Hours of English have increased in most classes to revert to normal hours (from 5 hours in 1st grade to 9 hours in 5th grade); some classes will have English on more than one day per week. Please refer to the schedules sent by the teachers.
Daily health questionnaire online
No more paper questionnaire as the number of families at drop-off will be greater during phase 2. Completing the online health questionnaire before coming to school is mandatory. It will decrease waiting time and enable us to properly screen children for fever before entering school premises.
Health measures outside of school: in front of school, outside of school, returning from vacation
Please practice safety measures at all times outside of school; keep masks on adults and children when leaving school or socializing in front of the school.
When signing the health questionnaire before coming to school, if the families cannot be sure their children have been in contact with people infected with Covid-19 (for example coming back from travel), we ask them to stay home for a period of 5 school days. If someone in the household shows one of the symptoms mentioned in the health questionnaire, the student must stay home.
Flu and cold season
If the students show symptoms that could be related to Covid-19, we ask the families to keep them at home. We will continue to ask for a doctor’s note upon return to school.
Answers to frequently asked questions
Distance learning: there is no set date to end distance learning for the time being; as long as we cannot bring all the students back to class in person, distance learning will continue.
English hours: schedules will revert to full-time English hours after October break; days have been changed to include the full amount of hours. Schedules will be sent to families by the end of this week.
PE and choir: PE will resume as of October 5th; we are still discussing choir/musical education.
“Cantine”: students must continue bringing their snacks and lunches during this phase.
Recess: groups will be kept separate during recess as the playground has been divided into two sections.
After school activities: as of now, we are not resuming activities that may mix students from different groups (after care, clubs, study hall); we are considering it for the next phase if possible.
Cupcakes for birthdays in maternelle: not allowed during this phase.
School supplies: elementary teachers will let parents know what supplies the students need to bring to school each day; as of now, with the rotation, students do not have their own desk to leave personal supplies in.
Photos of the Week
Feel free to send us your best pictures of distance learning for sharing on the school’s Instagram account and Newsletter: intendance@frenchschoolmiami.org
