Hello Garfield families!
I hope you are all enjoying the end of the summer season and ready to join us for another school year! The Garfield staff is ready to get back into the building soon to prepare for welcoming students back to school.
The building has gone through quite a transformation! I don’t believe there is an area in the building that has gone untouched and though I’ll always remember our building as it once was, the much-needed construction updates have addressed the natural wear and tear that our building has endured over the years.
We recognize that some things will still look and feel different with the construction and the health and safety guidelines, but based on our success from the spring with implementing safe practices, we are confident that we will have another great year of learning together. Our district will be communicating standard health and safety information related to protocols including masks, distancing, ventilation, and hygiene that will be implemented district-wide.
As we approach your student’s first day of school, we want to share some important information to help your family plan for the school year.
General School Details
- School Hours: M-Th 8:00 am-2:30 pm, Fri. 8:00 am -1:30 pm
- Students that arrive early may wait on the blacktop/playground beginning at 7:45am. Please do not drop off students before 7:45 am. Gates will not be opened before that time.
- You will be notified of your child’s teacher placement via email on Friday September 4th. Class rosters will not be posted in the windows this year to avoid crowding at the entrance.
- Kindergarten Families – Here is a link to the Kinder Parent letter that was sent out via ParentSquare.
COVID Updates
- Masks are required inside, outside, and on the bus.
- Please do not send your child to school if they are showing any COVID symptoms. LINK
- Students will maintain 3ft distance in classrooms.
- We will prioritize eating outside as much as possible. When unmasked, being outside is the safest option. Students should maintain 6ft distance when unmasked and eating.
- We will continue to do contact tracing. You will receive a district email with more information about the system we will be using.
Construction
- Construction will be ongoing throughout the school year.
- We will not have access to our cafeteria until the kitchen is completed.
- Our gym and music room will be completed after the first week of school.
Arrival/Dismissal Procedures
You will receive an email before the start of school with details for arrival and dismissal procedures. We are currently working on the most safe and efficient plan that includes impacts due to COVID protocols.
Garfield PTA
The Garfield Parent Teacher Association (PTA) is a great way to meet other Garfield parents and an opportunity to collaborate on school activities. I encourage you to consider joining this year! Here is a link for more information: https://garfield.csd509j.net/parents/pta/. If you are a new parent to the Garfield community, the PTA invites you to a parent coffee on Monday, September 13th at 8:00 am at Garfield Park.
School Supplies
Classroom school supplies are provided for all students. Students will need a backpack for the school year. If you would like help with a backpack or other resources, please contact our office at (541)757-5941. Please remember to write your child’s name on their jackets, backpacks, lunchboxes and water bottles.
Volunteers
Parent volunteers will not be allowed on site until a later date due to the new vaccination requirement from Governor Brown. Once volunteers are allowed, a background check will be required – please read through the following information:
All volunteers (including field trips) will be required to renew their background checks, as everyone has expired as of June 2021.
We anticipate that there will be a large volume of applications submitted at the start of the school year. Please complete the application as soon as possible.
Going forward, please keep in mind that generally background checks can take up to two weeks for results. However, due to an additional background check required by law and possible increase in volume of applications, the process could take longer than the typical two weeks.
Here is the link: Application Link
Events
Some of our traditional Garfield events have been canceled or changed. We will not be holding the beginning of the year picnic. The New Garfield Parent/Kinder Parent Coffee will be hosted at Garfield Park instead of in the school, and the Meet and Greet will be virtual.
It is our hope that all of these steps will help support the health of our community and help us to keep schools open.
We’re looking forward to seeing everyone soon!
Sincerely,
Nancy Davila-Williams
Principal, Garfield Elementary School
