East Middle School

Tuesday, October 20, 2020

Hello East Middle School Parents, Students and Staff;

• Over the last two weeks we experienced our first positive cases of COVID-19.  We were prepared for this and limited the spread of infection and people being quarantined through cohorting, seating arrangements and great teachers!  If you get a chance, please thank a teacher this week.  They put themselves on the line each day for us.  

Parents, please help your child understand that if they are within 6 feet distance to another person who tests positive for COVID, for 15 minutes or longer, that will necessitate the need for your child to be quarantined for 14 days.  Our best bet is to keep 6 feet away from other people as often as possible.

• The East Middle School Booster’s Club is up and running!  They just finished their first fundraiser selling Butter Braids.

  • Here’s a message from our Boosters President, Karen Hatfield, about the happenings of this group of people committed to East Middle School:

 

Hi all, 

 

We had a great meeting last night followed by a presentation by Mr. Fifer on accountability. I am linking the minutes for your reading pleasure: Meeting Minutes EMS Booster Club October 15 2020

 

Some things that stand out:

 

1. We need volunteers to help distribute butter braids on Oct. 29. I will be sending out a volunteer sign up form later when we decide how many volunteers we need. Delivery from the company will be at 12:00, we will need volunteers from 1-3. 

 

2. We need to form a "teacher appreciation" committee. We provided a meal for the teachers last month during conferences. The committee could decide what they would like to do for the teachers during the year. The next conferences are Feb 11 and 18 from 3:30-7:30. Other ideas are christmas ``stocking stuffers", coffee bar, coffee gift cards, whatever the committee decides. If this appeals to you more than meetings or fundraising, let me know. (This is not my strength so we need others to take it over.)

 

3. We are considering selling East masks as both a spirit builder and fundraiser. We have 2 businesses that we plan to investigate. If you are interested in working on this project let me know and I will hook you up with that group. 

 

4. We talked about an outdoor movie in the spring as a fun community building activity. If you have any interest in working on that project, let me know. At least two schools in the area have purchased outdoor projectors and screens and at least one of them will rent it out to other schools. There was talk of having the kids from different groups sell drinks/snacks to make money for their clubs. It is probably too late in the year to do it this fall so plenty of planning time. 

 

Thanks for your time, 

 

Karen Hatfield, president EMS boosters

k1parker@yahoo.com

• An upcoming Zoom meeting of the Booster Club will be held on November 17, 2020.

• Immediately following the October 15th Booster Club Meeting, the first EMS School Accountability Meeting occurred.  The focus of that short meeting was the school’s Unified Improvement Plan.  If you have any questions or would like to know more about that plan please contact the school’s administration.

• Parents, we want your children to be safe.  One way you can help with that is to make sure your students have left the school campus, including Washington Park, by 3:15 PM each school day unless they are engaged in an after school program.

  • If your child is waiting for a Chipeta Elementary School sibling, it is strongly recommended that they wait for their sibling at Chipeta, in the grassy area near the playground and parking lot.

  • If your child needs to wait for a ride after 3:15PM, we ask that your child wait at the front of the school on Gunnison, or wait on the sidewalk of the park where they will be picked up.

• Parents Schoology Support:

  • It is best if you check your child’s Schoology using your student's login so that you have a more complete view of what is occurring in your child’s academic life at East Middle School:  Schoology Guide For Parents

  • Are you getting notifications from Schoology that you don’t understand or need clarification on?  Here may be some help: Schoology Personal Notifications for Parent Account

  • Would you like to receive a weekly or daily summary of your student’s Schoology activity?  If so, please watch the following two minute video: How to Set Up Daily or Weekly Email Summary from Schoology

• Please complete your COVID-19 Symptom Tracker Before 7:30AM:  It is very important for all students, or their parents/guardians, to complete their COVID-19 Symptom Tracker before 7:30 AM each school day.  If students can complete this before 7:00 AM that will be greatly appreciated!

  • Here is an additional message about our health and wellbeing as we enter the colder part of our school year: Tracking COVID-19 During Flu Season

See you all soon,

Timothy Fifer

Principal at East Middle School

  Exciting news for D51 families:

The US Department of Agriculture recently announced that they are extending their Free Meals for Kids program through the end of December 2020 or until available funding runs out. This means all students in District 51 can access healthy and nutritious breakfast and lunch at school for no additional cost.

Effective Wednesday, September 2, all students at D51 schools will receive free breakfast and lunch, no matter the student's prior free, reduced, or full pay eligibility. Students will not have to present an ID to receive their meals.

We are excited for this news and hope that having accessible and healthy meals for all students will help increase student physical and mental health which will fuel successful learning.

To see what meals will be served at your school, please visit our new online menus here: .

Please note: Households who have not yet applied for free or reduced meals for 2020-21 are encouraged to complete an application so eligible students will receive Free/Reduced meals AFTER December 2020, or when available funding runs out under the current guidance. Click here to start the application process: