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The Scholarly Beat

Sonora Elementary School Newsletter 2020-2021

The ScholarlyBeatSonora Elementary School Newsletter 2020-2021

A Note From Dr. Stewman

I miss seeing my Scholars, both children and adults. March 13th, our last day at school has been so long ago. I am extremely excited about being back together again this fall. I know that, as a parent, you have questions, concerns and suggestions. I want to assure you the the district, as well as the Sonora Staff, are doing everything we can to ensure everyone's safety. I hope this newsletter gives you some information. Keep in mind that our situation is fluid, so as there are changes I will do my best to get the information to you in a timely manner.


Mrs. Hennarichs and I will return to the building on Thursday, July 16th. If you have burning questions that are not addressed in this newsletter, please feel free to email us at rstewman@sdale.org or lhennarichs@sdale.org. You can also send us a message on our Sonora Elementary Facebook Page.


Under the direction of Governor Asa Hutchinson, school will begin with onsite, face to face instruction on August 13th (Update 7/9/20: Schools will re-open 24-26th. With many uncertainties and concerns, the district is providing three options for returning to school this fall: Face to Face (onsite instruction), Blended Model, or Virtual Innovation Academy at Don Tyson School Of Innovation. See below for more information about each option, which I hope will provide clarification.


Dr. Jared Cleveland, Springdale Superintendent, talks about the three options for next year in the link below. You can also click to read the district cover letter and Question/Answers regarding the 2020-2021 School Year.


Since our communication will be different this year, I am going to try to do a newsletter at least bi-monthly. Please stay up-to-date through our social media posts as well. As new information becomes available we will update you. There is a link below to sign up for automated texts that will be sent this school year. Sign up today so you don't miss a message! Finally, please join the Remind for your child's classroom.


Be kind! Stay safe!

Dr. Stewman

Reopening School in August | Dr. Jared Cleveland, Superintendent of Springdale Schools

Three Options for School Re-Opening 2020-2021

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Face to Face (On-site) Learning

If families choose this option, Sonora students will be back for on-site, face to face instruction on August 13th. The safety of children and adults is of utmost priority. Current guidelines can be located in the above links regarding the district plan. Additional information will be released closer to school starting. Onsite instruction would shift to remote learning in the event there is a school or classroom closure due to Covid-19. Remote learning will occur online. Students will be provided with technology and supplies in the event of closure. The district is currently working on a plan to support Wifi access as well.

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Blended Learning

If your family chooses this option, parents will have a choice in how students engage in school. Students will remain on the current class roster. Parents will choose any combination of days for their child to attend school on-site for a minimum of two days per week. On the days the students are on-site they will be in class with their classmates for full on-site learning. On the days the students are learning remotely, Sonora teachers will provide daily classroom lessons in the Learning Management System (LMS). The LMS systems will be SeeSaw for K-2 students and Google Classroom for 3rd - 5th grade students. This might include self-guided lessons, live streaming video, virtual libraries, pre-recorded videos and/or discussion boards. A Sonora teacher would be available for office hours for students who have chosen blended model for the days they are learning remotely.

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Virtual Learning

If your family chooses virtual learning, this will occur at Don Tyson School of Innovation (DTSOI) for kindergarten through 12th grade. Parents can enroll for virtual learning by semester. This opportunity provides curriculum with teachers that are on-site at DTSOI. As with on-site and blended, the learning will be personalized to meet student needs. The design of K-5 Virtual is not a student sitting in front of a computer working independently all day. When a student enrolls, there will be a parent meeting with a DTSOI representative to devise a plan that would meet your child's needs which includes 1:1 instruction with a teacher, small group instruction with a teacher, project-based learning and ongoing parent support. Click image for more information and registration.

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Stay Informed

We will be sending out important information throughout the year. This will be through text in addition to our social media sites. Please enter your number HERE so you can receive these messages.

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School Supplies

At Sonora we collect a school supply fee. This year we are decreasing the price to $30 to help families out at this difficult time. We are currently working with the business office to add an electronic way for you to pay. More information to come.

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2020-2021 Calendar

Click HERE for the district calendar.

A few things regarding safety at Sonora ...

As we are constantly monitoring information from the Arkansas Department of Health and the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, we are constantly making adjustments for everyone's safety. Here are a few things we are doing at this time.

  • We have asked a local company to create Sonora masks for anyone to share their Sonora Pride - just like purchasing a Sonora shirt. These are not required for you to purchase, but they are cute. Any funds made by the sell of the masks will be used to purchase a water bottle for each student. Click HERE to purchase one or more. The cost is $6.90 per mask with a deadline to purchase of July 19th. They will be mailed directly to your home.
  • Since the water fountains will not be accessible, we will be purchasing a water bottle for each child. We will mark these with a code for each student. They will be color coordinated for each grade level. Our wonderful cafeteria staff will disinfect these at school at least 1-2 times a week. You are still welcome to provide a water bottle for your child. Our school has two water filling stations for students to fill up their bottles as needed.
  • The district will be providing a few buffs for each child. These are similar to a mask, but they go around your neck and can be pulled up to cover a child's mouth and nose.
  • As it gets closer to August 13th and as we learn more information we will pull together a re-opening committee. We will have all stakeholders represented: students, parents, staff and community members. If you are interested in serving on this committee, please e-mail Dr. Stewman at rstewman@sdale.org.

See the pictures below of a sample of each of these items mentioned above.

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Water Bottle provided

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Sonora Masks for sale

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Example of Buff Mask

"Home of the Scholars"
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Sonora Elementary School

"Home of the Scholars"

Established 2011

Mascot : Sonny the Scholar (Owl)

School colors: red, silver, and black

Email: rstewman@sdale.org
Website: https://sonora.sdale.org/
Location: 20200 Sonora Road, Springdale, AR, USA
Phone: (479) 750-8820
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sonorascholars
Twitter: @SonoraScholar