Weller Family Newsletter

January 4 - 8, 2021

Return to In-Person Learning January 2021

Dear Weller Families,

Happy New Year!

There are a lot of new changes coming in the new semester. As you are aware, the FNSBSD School Board made the decision in December to begin In Person Instruction for all interested families. This will begin for elementary schools on Tuesday, January 19. However, knowing that choice is important and that not all families will feel comfortable with their child(ren) returning to in person schooling during the pandemic, we will continue to offer instructional models that allow students to remain home. We are finalizing all of the details of what our In Person Instruction will look like, but here are some keys elements:

Students must wear a mask at all times in school, on buses and outside, except when eating.
It is our hope to adhere to CDC guidelines as best we can for social distancing and increased safety procedures, including contact tracing.
School Hours are from 8:10 AM to 1:10 PM. Students riding the bus or getting dropped off may not arrive before 8:00 AM. There is no morning recess. When students arrive, they will line up to enter the building. Drop Off and Pick Up protocol will be provided in greater detail next week.
Students having breakfast will enter through the service door when they arrive, get their breakfasts & walk to their classrooms to eat.
Students having school lunch will walk one class at a time to the gym to get their lunches & return to their classrooms to eat.
Activity breaks will be provided outside (weather permitting) for all students by grade level.
Students will have PE, Music & Library once a week.
Students are required to stay home if they exhibit signs of illness associated with COVID-19. (See Daily Decision Tree below)
Students are required to quarantine if they are a close contact of someone who tested positive for COVID-19.

Students enrolled at Weller who will be continuing with Remote Learning after January 19 should expect to receive more details soon from their teachers about virtual instruction and materials pick up.

Thank you to the many families who have already completed the 2nd Semester School Choice form. If you have not yet completed this, please do so now. This will help us with our planning for the new semester. Additionally, if you have been enrolled in BEST, eLearning or another homeschool option and are choosing to return to Weller, please contact Jodie Ellingson to reenroll with us via phone at 457-1629 or email.

If your child(ren) are planning to ride a bus to school, please be sure to register for transportation. More details are available on the Transportation Services page.

Also, regardless of whether your child(ren) will be attending school in person, eLearning or BEST, the USDA Waiver for providing free meals for enrolled district students will continue through May 18, 2021. For more information about this program or other questions, please go to the Nutrition Services Website.

I also wanted to share the news with all of you about my upcoming retirement at the end of the school year. I have been so honored to serve as your principal at Weller Elementary for eleven years. It was a difficult decision to make because of my love for what I do and for the Weller family. I am looking forward to spending more time with my grandsons and having the opportunity to travel. I am confident that Weller will be in good hands and will continue to be a vibrant, compassionate and strong learning community in the future.

We are all looking forward to good health, new experiences and positive things ahead for each and everyone of you!

Lynn Weckesser

Principal

Weller Elementary

2nd Semester School Choice Form