Classroom Updates

School buildings closed until the end of the year

This morning Governor Doug Ducey and State Superintendent Kathy Hoffman announced the extension of Arizona school closures through the end of the school year. The extension follows updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and an announcement from the White House extending physical distancing guidelines until April 30, 2020. This afternoon, Governor Ducey announced his Stay Home, Stay Safe, Stay Connected executive order, which provides for the continuation of distance learning, meals for children, and child care provided by public schools.

At this time, we do not foresee the extended school closure or the executive order impacting our current practices. For almost a week, our teachers have been providing daily instruction to their students. Our schools have worked directly with the families that they serve to provide necessary devices and instructional materials. We believe this instruction will not only continue, but increase in quality as our staff and students become more accustomed to this alternative delivery. I hope your child will continue to participate in these lessons as it will help keep our students on track as we enter a new school year. If there is anything we can do to further support your child’s learning during this time, please do not hesitate to reach out to your child’s teacher or school principal.

We anticipate our free breakfast and lunch program to continue and childcare to be offered to those families who need it. Our staff will continue to run school and district operations remotely or on modified schedules to best serve our community.

Please know that during this period of closure, our staff remains committed to serving our students and their families. All teachers are available to communicate with families each day. Our administrators and front office teams are also available by phone and email to assist you during regular business hours.

Thank you for your continued flexibility and patience as we work together to make the best of this unprecedented and very challenging situation.

March 17, 2020 Update

Hello Families:

I am reaching out to all my students and their families to provide some information on what to expect throughout our closure. Schools are expected to be closed through March 27. Please take a moment to read the following information. Please respond that you have read it so I know that it reached you.

 

Academics and Educational Resources:

Teachers have been working to develop lessons and resources that you can work on at home with your children. In addition to all curriculum materials being available online, we have developed an Online Resources website, where you can find various resources to help your child keep up with academics. This can be found under the “Students” tab on our district website, www.LaveenSchools.org.

 

Please remember that your child will need to log in to our curriculum platforms in order to access the material. If you do not have your child’s login information, please contact me and I can provide it to you. One single sign-on through Google gives students access to all of our digital curriculum programs  Watch this video for details on logging in.

 

Please be aware that all Laveen schools have strict internet filtering when a student connects from our server. Once you use your personal device, this filter is not available. Please monitor your child’s internet usage as they will be able to explore whatever sites your home computer allows. Be sure to watch this informational video, also on the website, for parents on how to filter home internet, Internet Filters to Keep Kids Safe Online

 

Internet Connectivity

If you do not have wi-fi or are unable to access the internet at home, Cox Communications is offering one free month of internet access to qualifying low-income families through their Connect2Compete program. T-Mobile is also offering an EmpowerED data plan.

 

Free Meals for Children

Despite school closures, Laveen schools are providing free breakfast and lunch to all children. Families may visit any Laveen school (except Vista) for a grab & go bag. Breakfast is available from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and lunch is available from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Monday- Friday.

 

Children must be present to take a meal. Adult meals are not available. Families do not need to register for meals and there are no income requirements.  Children do not need to be Laveen students. The district plans to expand this service to off-site locations in the coming days.

 

Child Care:

We know that some parents cannot work without childcare. For families needing this service, Laveen’s Kids Club will operate a day camp program that provides structured activities in a safe, supervised environment for children in grades preschool – 6th. This will take place at two locations, Desert Meadows and Paseo Pointe. The cost is $35 a day or $120 per week (preschool is $125 per week). A three-day plan is also available. The hours are 6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Our Kids Club staff is cognizant of the importance of a clean environment and incorporates cleaning with a bleach solution as part of their regular protocol. Children and staff showing any signs of illness will be sent home. Please visit our Kids Club page for details.

Laveen Elementary Facebook and Instagram Pages:

School is closed from March 16-27

The 6th grade team will send students class work and Google Classroom/Discovery Ed. access instructions via email, Class Dojo, and Google Classroom. The district will also be in contact regarding access to technology, so students are able to access district and class work.

If you have any questions please email me.