News from the Nest

• February 13-17 - Love the Bus Week! Show our Bus Drivers gratitude for their commitment to getting our kids to and from school safely, each and every day!
• Wednesday, February 15 - Early Dismissal (Students dismiss at 12:25pm)
• Friday, February 24 - 2nd Grade Wit & Wisdom Showcase & Student-led Conferences 1:00 pm
• February 27 - March 3 - Read Across America Week

Here are some important reminders as we head into another great week:

• Don't forget that we have an early dismissal on Wednesday, February 15th. Students will dismiss at 12:25 pm. All students will be served lunch before dismissal.

• Read Across America Week is a few weeks away - February 27 - March 3! This is a fun dress-up week for students, but it's also a week to celebrate reading throughout the school. Alan Wolf, poet and author, will be visiting our students to do a presentation. Check out our flyer for the dress-up themes for each day.

• Reminder: As you might know, Wit and Wisdom is our English/Language Arts Curriculum. Each grade level studies four modules per year. Topics of these modules are designed to be super engaging for elementary students. Each grade level will be hosting a Wit and Wisdom Showcase where parents will hear a couple of theme-related songs performed by grade level students, view artwork related to the topic, and read student writing. This event will be paired with student-led conferences. In student-led conferences, you'll hear directly from your student about their growth and accomplishments this year. You'll get more information from your child's teacher about this event.
• 2nd Grade - Friday, February 24th* 1:00 - 2:20 (Module 2 - The American West)

Thanks for all you do to support your child's success at school each day!

-Mary Nichols

Principal

Weaverville Elementary

Previous Weeks' News from the Nest

Weaverville Schools Counselors are looking for volunteers who would like to be a mentor to our students. Here's more information! Please let us know if you are interested.

• Free/Reduced Lunch Application: www.lunchapplication.com
• Please do not check your child out between 1:55-2:55 so that we can have a safe and calm dismissal for students each day.
• Please always let us know in writing if there is a transportation change for your child.
• Please let us know by 1:00 pm if you are changing your child's regular dismissal procedure.

Thank you for taking time to read the BCS letter that was sent this past week about inclement weather closures and what happens for student learning on those days when the school building is closed. In order to prepare for those kinds of days, our teachers are being proactive and we want you to know how to access information about remote learning if the need arises.

• Let your child’s teacher know if you need a hot spot. We depend on you letting us know this information. I encourage you to do this sooner rather than later.

  
  

• Make sure your child knows how to sign onto the internet at your home, using your child’s school issued device. Teachers have been sending devices home to make sure students know how to log on from home.

  
  

• Read your child’s teacher’s emails about where to find information like the schedule and other remote learning resources. Teachers will be sending this information home by December 9th.
  

• Take care of your child's device. Please read this letter from Buncombe County Schools about the importance of taking care of school-issued devices. Our school must pay for all damage to devices, and in some circumstances, if damage results from neglect or inappropriate use, we will send a bill to parents.

To keep us all prepared, I’ve put together all the remote learning information in one place.

Use this link to find information about remote learning at WvES.

Thank you for taking the time to be prepared for remote learning days!

Don't forget that our students, staff, and visitors have access to masks all day long. We have regular 3-ply masks and KN95 masks available. Masks are available in the front office, and we have reminders at hand-sanitizing stations that you can get a mask in the front office.

If a student requests a KN95 mask, we must have parent permission since it is considered a respirator. Parents must complete the Voluntary Respirator Use Form and sign and return. Here is a link to the form. If a student requests a KN95 mask, and we do not already have the form on file, we will email it to parent/guardians for you to sign.

Phone: 828-645-3127

Address: 129 South Main St., Weaverville, NC 28787

Email:

Mary Nichols - Principal (Mary.nichols@bcsemail.org)

*Please email both office staff if you have a dismissal change.

Dawn Flanigan-Bryson - Data Manager (dawn.flanigan-bryson@bcsemail.org)

• attendance
• student information/records
• immunizations
• enrollment

Ashley Mendoza - Head Secretary (Ashley.mendoza@bcsemail.org)

• general inquiries
• money questions related to school
• bus questions

• If a student tests positive for COVID (at home or at a healthcare provider), they would isolate for 5 days from when their symptoms began. We will recognize the guidelines established by the CDC and NCDHHS regarding the use of a face covering to be worn for days 6-10 upon return to school.
  
  

• Our normal exclusionary symptoms of fever, diarrhea, and vomiting are in effect. If a student has a fever, diarrhea, or vomiting, they must remain at home until symptoms are resolved for 24 hours.
  
  

• Hand hygiene, enhanced cleaning protocols, and improved ventilation are all still priorities and important mitigating strategies.
  
  

• Face coverings remain optional, to be worn by anyone at anytime.
  
  

• Physical distancing such as 3 ft or 6 ft apart is no longer required.
  
  

• Contact tracing is not required.
  
  

• Following the guidelines established by the CDC and NCDHHS, MAHEC will not be providing rapid antigen testing in our schools. Staff and families may order at home tests for free via this link: https://www.covid.gov/tests.
  
  

• MAHEC will send home further guidance regarding when students need to stay home due to an illness.

• For students where an absence is Covid related please indicate this in your parent or health provider's note.

• Students/teachers will follow the same guidelines for makeup work as they would for any other illness or injury.