Dear Greenwood Families,

Happy Monday! Even though we’ve only been able to spend two days with your children so far, there has been a LOT going on all over Greenwood School. It is always so important for us to take the time at the start of each new year to not only teach and practice routines - that is true this year more than ever as everyone readjusts to a “more normal” school year. This is also the time when we focus on building our classroom communities in order to create a space where students are ready to stretch, learn, and grow. We have a great year ahead of us!

Rolling Arrival

As described previously, now that we are past the first days of school, we will once again use the “rolling arrival” procedure that was in place last year.

As we did last Thursday and Friday, all students will be entering the building through the back playground door.
Students should wait on the blacktop area (not the back steps) for the bell to ring. Please note: there is no scheduled supervision outside prior to 8:30am.
When the first bell rings at 8:30am, staff members will open the back door. Students can then enter the building and head directly to their classrooms.
Classroom teachers will be waiting to receive students in classrooms, and other Greenwood staff members will be monitoring the back door, hallways, and stairwells.
A staff member will be on duty at the back door until the second bell rings at 8:40am, at which point the instructional day is underway.
Students who arrive after 8:40am must enter through the front of the school, check into the office, and receive a late slip, which is an important safety step in our daily attendance procedures.

As mentioned above, classroom instruction begins promptly at 8:40am. We appreciate everyone’s efforts to make sure children arrive in time to be in the classroom and ready for learning when the second bell rings.

General Arrival & Dismissal Reminders

With the start of a new year, we also have a few reminders for arrival and dismissal. Please make sure that anyone who cares for your children is made aware of this information.

Please do not drive into and/or park in the staff parking lot during the morning and afternoon pick up. We have many children walking to and from the playground during this time and want to keep them safe! Adults should park on the street behind or in front of the school if walking and waiting with your child.
If you need to cross the street, please walk students to the crossing guards located at both the front and back of the school. Walking in between cars to cross the street is very dangerous, and our crossing guards are here specifically to help keep everyone safe.
Finally, for the adults who are waiting on the playground while students enter or leave the building each day: all adults who are dropping off or picking up should stand behind the first basketball hoop. This makes the area where students are standing less crowded, allowing staff members on duty to see all students and more easily identify which students are still waiting for adults at the end of the day.

Thank you for your attention and help with these safety procedures - we greatly appreciate it!

Greenwood Virtual Back to School Night

Greenwood’s Virtual Curriculum Night will be held on Tuesday, September 21st. The goal of the evening is to provide families with a chance to hear a grade-level curriculum overview, learn about classroom routines and procedures, and have an opportunity to ask general questions.

Here is an overview of the evening’s schedule:

I will host an “opening session” from 6:15-6:30pm to welcome families and provide general information about Greenwood. There will be a repeat session from 7:15-7:30pm for families who are unable to attend at 6:15pm.
Classroom teachers will schedule 30-minute live Zoom sessions to do a grade-level curriculum overview and answer questions. Some grades may choose to present together during this time.
- 6:30-7:00pm - 3rd & 4th grades
- 7:00-7:30pm - Kindergarten
- 7:30-8:00pm - 1st & 2nd grades
“Drop-in sessions” via Zoom will be available for families who may want to touch base with or ask questions of non-classroom staff members.

Zoom links will be sent out on Monday, September 20th. Please feel free to reach out with any questions.

K9 Samy - Upcoming Visit!

This Wednesday, September 15th, K9 Samy and Office Kelley Tobyne, her handler, will be at Greenwood outside during morning arrival as part of her “back to school tour.” We’re excited for the visit!

Communication

Communication is very important to us, so please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher should you have any classroom-related questions or concerns throughout the year. All staff email addresses are listed on the “Staff Directory” section of the Greenwood School website. Mrs. Doherty, Ms. Paiva, and I are also happy to help out with any general school-related questions that may arise. (Note: it can be challenging for classroom teachers to access email consistently during the school day, so please call the office with any time-sensitive messages.)

Health Reminder - Stay Vigilant!

Thank you for supporting us in our efforts to keep everyone safe by practicing and promoting safety precautions, which include hand hygiene and mask-wearing according to current guidelines. We continue to ask you to keep children home if they are experiencing any of the following symptoms:

Fever of 100.0 or higher, chills, or shaking chills
Cough (not due to other known cause such as chronic cough, asthma, allergies)
Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
New loss of taste or smell
Muscle aches or body aches
Sore throat, when in combination with other symptoms
Headache, when in combination with other symptoms
Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, when in combination with other symptoms
Fatigue, when in combination with other symptoms
Nasal congestion or runny nose (not due to other known causes, such as allergies) when in combination with other symptoms

Our school nurse, Mrs. Doherty, is always happy to answer any questions you may have or provide clarification.

As always, please do not hesitate to reach out with questions. Thank you for everything you do to support your children and their learning! Let’s have a great week!

Tiffany Back