Dear Greenwood Families,
Even in these unusual times, rounding the corner past Labor Day is a milestone toward getting back to school! This is the first of my “official” weekly principal messages to all families, usually a part of our weekly Gator Tales newsletter sent out by the Greenwood PTO to keep our Greenwood School community consistently informed about current events, upcoming events, and all-around important information. We have this special edition letter this week, and Gator Tales will make its debut next week. Always make it a point to read Gator Tales and the classroom communications from your child’s teacher!
First Days of School - 9/17 & 9/18 - Phase 2 Remote Learning
The first day of school for all Greenwood students is Thursday, September 17th, which marks the beginning of Phase 2 for the WPS Reopening Plan. School will begin remotely for most grade levels on that day.
Here at Greenwood and across the Wakefield Public Schools we have two major goals as we enter Phase 2. These are making connections between students, families, and staff members, as well as laying the groundwork for fostering relationships. The structure we have put into place for Thursday, September 17th and Friday, September 18th begins this important work.
For our youngest Greenwood Gators, Kindergarten Screening is scheduled to take place at Greenwood on 9/17 and 9/18. (Kindergarten families received information about screening on Thursday - please let us know if you didn’t receive an email.)
For students in Grades 1-4, cohort time on both Thursday and Friday will begin with a class meeting to set the stage for our new learning communities with teachers and classmates. After these meetings, classroom teachers will connect with individual students/families via Zoom in 15 minute blocks at a specific time scheduled during your cohort block. Classroom teachers will send out a sign-up early in the week to make these appointments. There will be no additional live instruction on these two days due to the individual family meetings, and asynchronous learning activities will be provided for each classroom. There will also be an opportunity for students to have a virtual “meet and greet” with specialist teachers (PE and Library/Media) on those days.
Please watch for more information from classroom teachers no later than Wednesday of next week so that everyone knows what to expect and what to do as we launch the 2020-2021 school year!
Phase 2 Cohort Schedules - Remote Learning
Please note: this is the schedule for Phase 2, Remote Learning only.
Phase 2 Start Time End Time
AM Cohort 8:00am 10:50am
PM Cohort 12:00pm 2:50pm
Updated information about the start and end times for Phase 3, the Hybrid Schedule will be shared once final details are settled.
Technology/Devices
I have been receiving some questions regarding devices for student use during remote learning and would like to update everyone as to where we are at this point in time.
The Wakefield Public Schools has committed to providing 1:1 Chromebooks for use in all elementary school classrooms, which is exciting news given that previously this was only the case for grades 3 & 4. Currently the order for grades K-2 is delayed and expected to arrive in October.
In the event that an individual student needs a school device to use for remote learning at home, the device from the classroom will have to travel back and forth daily between home and school. A borrowing agreement is being created by the WPS Technology Department, and they are looking into insurance providers for families who wish to purchase coverage. School devices may only be used for schoolwork. If you are in a situation where your child does not have access to a device (Chromebook, iPad, laptop) to do schoolwork at home, please complete this form.
Some families are looking to purchase Chromebooks that can be used for both school and personal purposes. In that case, our WPS Tech Department is recommending the following devices: Chromebook (Acer, Dell, ASUS, HP, LENOVO) with a minimum of 4GB RAM and 16GB Storage (32GB storage recommended).
More information will be coming out soon.
Sesame Street “Town Hall”
On Saturday, September 12th at 10:00am, "Sesame Street" and CNN are teaming up to present the "The ABCs of Back to School, A CNN/Sesame Street Town Hall for Families." Education and medical experts, Sesame Street characters, and school-aged children will work together to share information and answer questions families may have about the return to school in this unusual year. If you would like to submit a question, please visit this website (scroll down to the end of the article).
First Day of School - Hybrid Model
The target date for the beginning of Phase 3 of the WPS Reopening Plan is Tuesday, September 29th. If health metrics allow, that will be the first day that all grade levels will return to in-person school for AM and PM cohorts. We will update families about start and end times for each cohort session as soon as schedules are finalized by the WPS Central Office.
Wakefield Educational Foundation Calendars
The 2020-21 WEF Calendars will be available for purchase beginning on September 14th . They cost $20 and can either be purchased in person at the following places of business: Hart’s Hardware, Honey Dew by the Lake (Lowell Street store), The Wakefield Savings Bank (Wakefield or Greenwood branch) and The Wakefield Cooperative Bank, or they can also be pre-ordered online at www.wef01880.org and picked up at any of the school main offices during limited hours—just bring proof of your order. Thank you for supporting WEF and the Wakefield Public Schools!
Useful Websites
If you are looking for additional school-related information, the following websites are great resources for you to check out:
Wakefield Public Schools - https://www.wakefieldpublicschools.org
Greenwood School - https://www.wakefieldpublicschools.org/greenwood-elementary-school
You may still have many questions, and that’s okay. One thing I do know is that it’s going to be a great year for our Greenwood Gators! We’re ready, and we hope you are as well! Please do not hesitate to reach out to me, your child’s teacher, or anyone on the Greenwood staff for assistance at any point.
Thank you for everything you do to support your children and their learning!
Tiffany Back