PAW PRINTS
OCTOBER 23, 2020
“The future has a name; its name is HOPE.”
Pope FrancisIMPORTANT DATES
Oct. 27 *Virtus training 6-9 pm in Primary building gym (see info below) Oct. 30 *Commitment Form for 2nd quarter sent via Digital Academy
*Students may wear orange/black and/or Halloween-themed tops, socks, and accessories (Uniform pants, skirts, jumpers and shoes are still required) Nov. 3 *No School---Election Day—be sure to vote!
*Commitment Form for 2nd quarter due to OLA (electronic responses) Nov. 4-6 *Returning student forms may be dropped off
Nov. 6 *End of first quarter
*Transition Day (see details below)—no students—lessons will be posted online for all students (no live classes today)
Nov. 8 *First Communion 10 am Mass (for the May 2020 class) Nov. 9 *First day of 2nd quarter
*Flu Shot Clinic (see below for details) Nov. 10 *Compressed Day---1:50 dismissal
*Flu Shot Clinic (see below for details)
PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDAR: Due to Election Day in Cleveland, OLA school WILL NOT BE
in session on Tuesday, November 3, 2020.
VIRTUS TRAINING
If you or someone you know is interested in volunteering in any capacity at OLA when the pandemic is over and it is safe to do so, please consider signing up to attend the Virtus training session scheduled for
Tuesday, October 27, 2020. The training will be open only to those associated with OLA. In order to
volunteer, all interested parties must attend Virtus training and get a BCII fingerprint background check prior to assisting in the school or for any school function.
Those interested in the training are asked to RSVP to Ms. Stary at [email protected] by Friday, Oct. 23. The training will be held in the Primary building gym from 6-9 pm, and seating is limited. No walk-ins will be permitted. For the session, participants must wear a mask, follow social distancing protocols, bring their own writing utensil and will have a temperature check before entering the building.
ABSENCE CLARIFICATION
When you call or email OLA to say that your child will be absent due to being ill, we do not expect to see your child online that day. There have been a number of situations where children who have been called in as absent then appear online to work with their classes. This causes confusion for the teacher as well as issues in our attendance system. We are asking that if a child is not able to be in school (in-person or remote) due to illness, he/she should not be online that day.
HALLOWEEN OBSERVANCE
Halloween parties, snacks, and celebrations are not permitted in school this year. Students in grades K-8 may choose to wear orange/black or Halloween-themed tops, socks, and accessories with their uniform pants, skirts, jumpers and shoes on Friday, October 30, 2020. No costumes and/or masks other than those worn on a daily basis are permitted. Teachers may choose to have children participate in educational activities with a Halloween theme throughout the day. Please do not send in snacks, treats or
Halloween goodie bags of any kind to be distributed.
2
NDQUARTER COMMITMENT FORM
According to our Transitioning Forward Plan, parents have the ability to choose each quarter whether their child/children will be an in-person learner or a remote learner. On Friday, Oct. 30, 2020, all
families will be sent, via Digital Academy, the 2nd Quarter Commitment Form. On this electronic
form you will be asked to indicate which you have chosen for your child/children for the second quarter of the school year, which runs from November 9 through January 15, 2021. This electronic response is due back to OLA no later than Tuesday, November 3. We will then create a new listing of in-person and remote learners, reconfigure the classrooms, and be ready for the return of some remote learners on Monday, November 9.
Families of all remote learners will be sent the required COVID-19 Return to School form along with any other needed documents that will need to be returned to OLA no later than Friday, Nov. 6. Without the necessary paperwork, students will not be permitted to enter the building. The arrival and dismissal procedures will also be sent home to insure the safe drop off and pick up of children each day.
Required textbooks and materials will be made available to all families who choose remote learning for the second quarter. Returning in-person learners will not be required to re-submit the paperwork.
PREPARATION FOR 2
NDQUARTER/TRANSITION DAY
As long as Cuyahoga County remains on Level 3 (Red) or lower the following will take place: On Thursday, November 5, 2020, any current in-person students who will be transitioning to remote learners for the second quarter will take home all books and materials. Their desks will be sanitized and available for returning remote learners.
On Friday, November 6, 2020, all students will learn from home. This “Transition Day” will allow the classroom teachers to prepare their rooms for the second quarter which begins on Monday, November 9. Classroom furniture (desks, shelves, etc.) will be rearranged and the classrooms will be set up to prepare for returning students for the second quarter. Work will be assigned for all classes; no teachers will “Meet” with students as they will be working in their rooms.
The families of returning remote learners will be sent the COVID-19 Student Policy paperwork. This must be signed and returned no later than Friday, November 6, 2020, in order for students to enter the building on Monday, November 9. This paperwork can be dropped off on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday, Nov. 4-6 at the school. Without this signed paperwork current remote-learners will not be able to
attend in-person on November 9. Families will also be sent the revised arrival and dismissal procedures to be followed for the safe drop off and pick up of students.
CUYAHOGA COUNTY ALERT LEVEL/SCHOOL CLOSING
We continue to closely monitor the designated alert level for Cuyahoga County. As you are aware, the county is currently at a Level 3 (Red) with high incidence of coronavirus spread. If the county moves to Level 4 (Purple) Our Lady of Angels School will return to remote learning for all students until the county returns to a safer level for a significant period of time. We are sending along this information to allow families time to plan ahead for their children needing to remain at home and learn remotely. As of
this writing, OLA is still open and will remain so. We want families to be aware and have time to plan for a possible school closing.
MEDICAL CONCERNS UPDATE
If your child is experiencing symptoms other than a fever of 100 degrees or more, he/she should be kept at home until he/she is symptom-free for 24 hours without medication. This includes cases of diarrhea, runny nose, cough, sore throat and headache. This will also apply if your child is sent home from school with any of these symptoms or if his/her symptoms worsen. If your child has a fever, he/she must remain at home for 72 hours until fever-free without medication.
If your child has been tested for COVID-19, please share the results with the school immediately. All parents are required to report an incident of a positive test with the school and/or a quarantine, isolation, or contact with someone in isolation or quarantine.
QUARANTINE TRAVEL PROCEDURES
If a family travels out of state to a state or country requiring quarantine upon return, this will apply to students returning to school. To find out if the destination you are traveling to/from is on the list for quarantine visit www.coronavirus.ohio.gov for the COVID-19 Travel Advisory. This site is updated weekly.
FLU SHOTS
Medical professionals are predicting a high incidence of the flu this year. If you are interested in having your child vaccinated against the flu, OLA will be offering a flu shot clinic sponsored by Walgreens on Monday, November 9 and Tuesday, November 10. The flu shot clinic will only be available to
in-person students. Parents who are interested in having their child receive a flu shot can make a request by
emailing Mrs. Krupar no later than Monday, November 2, 2020. Necessary paperwork will be sent home with directions, and the paperwork must be returned by Thursday, November 5; this will help insure that enough doses of the vaccine are brought to OLA. Most insurance will cover the cost of the flu shot; insurance information is required as part of the paperwork.
MASK UP
I have spoken to all students K-8 about the mandate to wear masks while on school property. Please reinforce with your child/children the need to have a mask on when they arrive at school and keep it on throughout the day and through dismissal until they are once again in the car or have crossed Rocky River Drive or walked down the street. Students are given mask breaks throughout the day and are not required
to wear masks at PE class or at lunch time. If your child wears a cloth mask, please make sure it is
laundered after each day’s use. Paper/disposable masks need to be replaced daily.
MORNING DROP OFF/END OF DAY PICK UP
Thank you for the high level of cooperation we have observed during our morning drop off times. In order to start school on time it is essential that families arrive in a timely manner to allow for
temperatures to be taken and students have enough time to get into the building and their classrooms. Any
student not in his/her homeroom at 7:50 am is considered absent. If that child “arrives” in the classroom, in person or remotely, after 7:50 am, he/she is then marked tardy. All absences and tardies are reported to the State of Ohio Department of Education monthly. Excessive absences and/or tardies may affect the Cleveland Scholarship or EdChoice Expansion Scholarship. It is very helpful to those taking temperatures and helping students from the cars if any student inside the car be ready with his/her backpack and lunch in hand. Students should already have their masks on when temperatures are taken. This will improve the process and keep the drop off lines moving more efficiently.
As the weather cools overnight, please remember to turn down the heat, open the window a bit, and not have the heat blowing directly on your child while in line for a temperature check. This helps to insure an accurate temperature readout.
The speed limit in the parking lot both before and after school is 5 mph. For the sake of safety we ask everyone to observe the proper speed limit.
At dismissal the back drive is used for both drop off and pick up. Both sides of the drive should NOT be used to pull onto Rocky River Drive. Please stay to the right on the drive to avoid accidents. Do not drive on the grass to get around cars in the driveway. Thank you for your cooperation.
LATE ARRIVALS
All students who arrive after 7:50 am must ring the front doorbell and will be buzzed in. They need to go directly to the Attendance Office for a temperature check and will be given a tardy slip unless they are part of the St. Ignatius math group. Students in the St. Ignatius math group must have their temperature taken upon arrival but will not be issued a tardy slip.
LATE PICK-UP
Thank you to all parents/guardians who have picked up their children in a timely manner since school started. According to the Parent/Student Handbook, any student not picked up by 3 pm is brought to the main school office where he/she may wait until 3:15. After 3:15 pm a late fee is charged; students picked up between 3:15-3:30 will be charged $10; after that the charge increase by $10 for every 10 minutes. The same is followed on Compressed Days when dismissal is at 1:50 pm.
PTU NEWS
The first PTU meeting of the 2020-2021 school year was held this week; thank you to all who attended virtually. Discussion took place about ways to fundraise to help support the students, staff, and school in general. A decision was made to offer Market Day to families; many people are familiar with the Market Day program. It offers nutritious food at reasonable prices and sends a profit from all sales back to OLA. The newest version of Market Day is conducted completely online; families shop and place orders online, and the food is delivered directly to people’s homes.
It is easy to take part in the Market Day fundraising: online go to www.marketday.com, click on Register to create your own account and register with our school, pick Our Lady of Angels Cleveland from the
school drop down (Select an Organization). Then just shop, place your order, and the food will be delivered to your home via FedEx. All orders over $119 qualify for free shipping; food is shipped in a cooler with dry ice and are packed to stay frozen up to 8 hours after delivery. OLA receives 10% profit on each order. Please consider helping OLA and relieving yourself of the chore of going out to grocery shop. Two flyers are attached showing October specials and directions for creating an account.
OUR LADY OF ANGELS ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
The Our Lady of Angels Athletic Association will start accepting registrations October 16, 2020 thru November 2, 2020 for the WINTER SPORTS 2020-2021 SEASON. Registration will be for boys and girls in grades 3 - 8 for basketball. Registration fee for basketball is $115 for the 1st child, $100 for the 2nd child,
$85 for the 3rd and $50 for each additional child.
Registration will be available through the athletic association at
WWW.OLACOUGARS.COM/REGISTRATION.HTML
Registrations submitted after November 2, 2020 will be subject to a $25 late registration fee. Payments may be made by check sent in an envelope to the school or rectory marked ATTN: OLA Athletic
Association. Physical, emergency medical, and parent and student conduct agreements are available online.
Please contact Athletic Association President John Ialacci with any questions 216-952-2497 or by email at [email protected]
OLA MAGNETS
OLA magnets are available through the main school office for $5 each. There is no order form; simply send payment in an envelope marked with your child’s name, grade and homeroom number and your order will be filled.
