Parent Communication

Good Afternoon RPEL Families,

As we continue to prepare for the second semester of the school year, I thought it would be appropriate to re-communicate a number of items from the beginning of our school year. We have many families that will be experiencing a "new" form of school for the second semester of the school year. I would like to welcome our new F2F families and also our virtual rockets that have shifted from Edmentum.

Please continue to communicate with your child's teacher(s) regarding any second semester questions or call our office if you need any assistance. 231-744-4777.

We are excited for the next new chapter this school year!

Mr. Klimsza

Returning F2F families: Your student's teacher will be (if they haven't already, expect it no later than 4pm on Monday) communicating with you and will provide specifics related to the classroom. This newsletter serves to provide building-wide information.

Rocket Virtual (with a RP teacher) Families: Our teachers are working on a reasonable schedule for your child, so that they can experience similar learning virtually, as their face to face friends. Please know that the content and schedule will look very different from your Edmentum experience. Your child will be invited into the classroom for a live session a few times a week, could be asked to participate in pre-recorded learning sessions and may be pulled for small group work with their teacher. The rest of the time might be an opportunity for your child to complete assignments on Google Classroom, or using materials that will be sent home. Knowing that your child, in an independent setting, may complete the assignments at a more rapid pace than might happen in the classroom learning environment, we invite you to embellish any learning opportunities provided by your child’s teacher with enrichment opportunities that you create.

We are going to do our best to provide a substantive learning experience, while not overwhelming your family. We will, most likely, take baby steps, until your learner and their teacher get into a grove. Please know that our teachers will work to accommodate your schedule and it may not be a perfect match. We’ll thank you in advance for your flexibility and understanding. It will also be important for your child to check in with their teacher, as they will want to be sure that your child is learning and developing skills that will be necessary for their success in the future.

Daily attendance will be taken, as this is a requirement. Your child’s teacher may use a combination of face to face sessions, assignment completion, emails and/or phone calls to consider attendance. We appreciate your support! Again, our goal is for your child to continue learning, so that they feel successful when they return to school.

Please look for a communication to come from your child’s teacher very soon. We are so excited to start the process of reconnecting and developing relationships with your family, even if we do so virtually.

All students who are dropped off at school need to follow these guidelines for a safe start and end of the day:

• IF YOU HAVE MULTIPLE CHILDREN, YOUR OLDEST ALWAYS GO WHERE YOUR YOUNGEST IS DROPPED OFF OR PICKED UP.
• Students need to be dropped off in the at your assigned classroom door. CLICK HERE FOR MAP
• Students need to exit the vehicle on the passenger side ONLY when the car is located near a side walk.
• DO NOT drop your student off and ask them to walk in front of another car. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS.

The start and end of the day are likely going to be a little bit more "busy" than normal. Please treat each other with grace, patience and understanding. If we all do this, OUR KIDS will remain safe and see a great example of how to react during stressful times.

CLICK HERE to watch our drop off safety video! Please be patient and careful during drop off

and pick-up times!

• Door 16: Oyler, Portice, Prysock and VanderMeer
  
• Door 17: Medema, Reed, Schilling and Wheeler
• Door 19: Bryson, Matz, Boes, Disselkoen, And Harris
• Door 21: Yarian, Shafer and Hernandez
• Door 22: Griswold, Hildibrant and Ross
• Door 23: Bignall and Radecki
• Door 24: Olsen and Krukowski

They must be worn on the bus, in school and in the classroom. There will be mask breaks during the day, including recess and when eating breakfast and lunch. Please send your child to school with one that is fun to wear and comfortable. You might want to consider sending an extra mask, just in case. We will also have extra masks on hand.

This link is to the updated bus schedule!

PLEASE CLICK HERE for information related to Bus Stop Times. If you have questions, please contact the bus garage:

Reeths-Puffer Transportation

231-719-0110

-- or--

231-719-0204

CLICK HERE for the January menu.

Food Pick Up Information:

• Monday January 11th and 25th from 2-3 at RPHS.
  
• Tuesday January 19th from 2-3 at RPHS.
  
• 
  

REMINDER! ALL students will continue to eat breakfast and lunch FREE until June 30, 2021!

IMPORTANT! Please complete a school lunch application if your income has changed since you last filled one out or if you have not yet completed one this year. This information is super helpful for RP, but also necessary for foodservice to have if an additional round of P-EBT cards go out. Complete the form online at lunchapp.com.

Any questions, please email Ms. Burrows at burrowsc@reeths-puffer.org

• RPEL/RPI has a Food Pantry located within the school. Please contact Sherrie Foster, RPEL Social Worker, for more information. fosters@reeths-puffer.org 231-744-4777 ext 2013.

CLICK HERE for GOTR Spring Registration information.

Zach Gray, LLMSW - Clinician

grayz@reeths-puffer.org

231.638.8252

Chace Willard - Parent Outreach Liaison

williardc@reeths-puffer.org

231.638.9250

CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATIONAL FLIER

Please reach out should you need anything! We are here to help.

Great Start Parent Coalition's Online Parent Cafe

The GSPC is partnering again with Muskegon Public Health to present 2 new Parent Cafes each month! A flyer listing the dates is attached.

Parent Cafe flier - CLICK HERE

The January 26th Parent Cafe will explore racial healing and building community. We are excited to celebrate this month's National Day of Racial Healing and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday with this timely and very necessary conversation. A flyer for this event is also attached.

CLICK HERE

Any prescribed medications that are to be taken at school need to be brought into the office by a parent/guardian. Prescription medications need to be in their original, up to date containers from the pharmacy. Over the counter medications also need to be brought into school by parents in their original, unopened containers. If you have any questions, please call the school office.

• Doors will open for the day at 8:50 am. Please do NOT drop your student off prior to 8:50 am.
  
• Doors will lock for the day at 2:40 pm. Students will not be allowed in the building after this time.

CLICK HERE FOR OUR HALF DAY SCHEDULE/CALENDAR for the 2020-2021 School Year.

We dismiss tomorrow, Monday the 18th at 12:00.

January

1/18 - 1/2 day MLK Day - Elementary dismissal is at 12:00

1/25 - Second Semester begins

Click Here for Welcome Back Letter. This letter was emailed and mailed home to our new returning F2F families on January 8th.

To Report Absences (and COVID Cases), Please Call: 231-744-4777 option #6

In order for us to remain in a F2F learning environment we are counting on your communication to help guide our decisions about remaining in school. If your student has COVID-19, someone in your home has COVID-19 or if your student has been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19, PLEASE let us know. 744-4777 ext. 2000.

Principal

Reeths-Puffer Elementary School

Email: klimszap@reeths-puffer.org
Website: www.reeths-puffer.org
Location: 874 E. Giles Rd
Phone: 231-744-4777
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RPElementary/
Twitter: @RPElementary