Author: Mr. Jenson

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COVID-19 Skylert Wally the Wapiti

Skylert: Halloween Costumes and Contest

Halloween Festivities

With Halloween on a Saturday, we’ll be celebrating it on the last in-person day of school tomorrow. We are excited to celebrate and want to review the activities and guidelines that will apply. Students should be aware of the guidelines, and we can’t wait to see their costumes!


Activities

  • A school-wide, live trivia game during 2nd period. Your teachers have the link.
  • An in-person and virtual costume contest. We’ll have a photo booth at lunch, and a vote via Google Form on Friday. The vote will come through your school email, and you can submit your costume pics here

 Guidelines for Costumes

  • Must follow current dress code (district policy AA419)
  • Specifically:
    • No weapons or imitation weapons permitted.
    • Face coverings per current governor order required. Full face masks will not be allowed.
    • Makeup must be done in moderation and not interfere with the wearing of a regularly-required face covering. Avoid fake gore.
    • If you wear a hat with your costume, it must not get in the way of the learning of others or otherwise create a distraction.
  • Be tasteful and not extreme or disruptive to the daily school routines
  • If you’re not sure it’s allowed, it’s probably easiest to just not wear it. If you’re not sure, find an administration

Negative Test Results

If your student is quarantined going forward and wants to return after 7 days from the date of exposure, the following must apply:

  • The exposure must have been when both students were wearing masks (noted in quarantine email)
  • The student must have a negative COVID test administered on the 7th day or later from the last date of exposure
  • The student must bring a printed copy of the results that includes ALL of the following:
    • Student Name
    • Date of Test Administration (on 7th day after last exposure or later)
    • Notice of Negative Result

All negative results will be verified with the health department, but students will be allowed to return with the printout of results while we wait for verification. We are told that screenshots of results are no longer acceptable. More info on the new quarantine procedures can be found here.

Teen Health Summit

Register now for the (virtual) Teen Health Summit! For teens led by teens, sponsored by the Salt Lake County Health Dept. Empowering teens to build resilience and foster healthy community connections through: health and wellness, digital citizenship, and advocacy and activism. Everyone receives a $25 Gift Card for attending! November 7, 14, and 21 from 10:00-1:15. Register at https://slco.org/health/teens/

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Community Council

Minutes

Community Council Logo

Wednesday, October 28, 2020


Time: 4:00 p.m.
Location: Zoom Meeting

Invitees: Curtis Jenson, Alishia Huefner, Kelly Adams, Rachel Ferre, Megan Clement, Mindi Allen, Nicole McDermott, and any interested patrons.

  • Welcome – Curtis Jenson
  • Formal election of Chair, Co-Chair
    • Chair: Kelly Adams
    • Co-Chair: Mindi Allen
  • Approval of last meetings minutes – Kelly Adams
    • Megan Clement, Curtis Jenson
  • Overview of Land Trust and Teacher Student Access Act (TSSA) – Curtis Jenson
    • Land Trust funding ranges between $70,000 – $140,000.
    • Tier 1 Instruction
    • Instructional Coaching
      • 2 teachers split the role of 1 teacher as a coach. Other teachers assist in coaching. All participate in an instructional coaching program.
      • Coaching assists teachers with meeting the goals set.
    • Discussed if any special funding considerations needed for COVID restrictions
      • Choir teacher found high reviewed masks which would cost ~$4,000 and is being reviewed.
      • Spent money for masks and water bottles for students since wouldn’t have access to drinking fountains.
    • TSSA
    • ~$137,000
    • Divided into 3 categories and spending is left up to the school (Professional Development, Other Needs)
    • Last year money was spent on Chromebooks to get 1:1
  • Principal Update
    • Last year made adjustments to hire a PT Teacher for Match Dept to reduce that department class size.
    • Feedback from attendees:
      • Students are enjoying the free Elk Ridge gear. Used money normally allocated for School Store and money earned for reward system to align with COVID restrictions.
      • Parents appreciating involvement with activities such as in-school Orchestra concerts
  • Counseling Center Update
    • Shout out to Mr. Jenson for his support and leadership during this uniquely difficult school year.
    • District has allowed for flexibility for household decisions for education, but has created challenges with scheduling.
    • Held Suicide Prevention with students. Broke out with each of the grades and had specific topics to differentiate with needs.
    • Feedback to include these kinds of updates in the weekly Skyalert emails.
  • Confirm Schedule of Next Meeting – December 2, 2020 at 4:00 PM
Categories
COVID-19 Skylert Wally the Wapiti

Skylert: Negative COVID Tests, Community Council

Fall Break and End of 1st Quarter

First quarter ends tomorrow and Fall Break is next week, October 19th – 23rd. The 26th is also a no-school day for students for grade transmittal. Have a safe, well-deserved break!

Negative Test Results

If your student has been on quarantine and wants to return after 7 days, the following must apply:

  • The exposure must have been when both students were wearing masks (noted in quarantine email)
  • The student must have a negative COVID test administered on the 7th day or later from the last date of exposure
  • The student must bring a printed copy of the results that includes ALL of the following:
    • Student Name
    • Date of Test Administration (on 7th day after last exposure or later)
    • Notice of Negative Result

All negative results will be verified with the health department, but students will be allowed to return with the printout of results while we wait for verification. We are told that screenshots of results are no longer acceptable. More info on the new quarantine procedures can be found here.

Chromebook Sleeves

In order to minimize damage to Chromebooks, all students are being provided a Chromebook sleeve this week during their 1st period class. Virtual students can pick them up tomorrow, October 16th, from 9:30 am – 12:30 pm.

Extra Memory Books for Sale

We have a few extra memory books. If you would like to purchase one, come to the school tomorrow, October 16th for $25.00 between 9:30 am- 12:30 pm There is a limited supply.

Community Council Meeting

Our first community council meeting will be held on October 28th at 4 pm via Zoom. A link will be posted on our website and sent out via Skylert. If you have any questions or topics, please let us know and we’ll make sure it’s on the agenda.

Managing Quarantine Expectations & Opting to Self-Quarantine

We make every effort to keep students caught up when they are out on quarantine, and good communication is at the heart of quarantine success. But it’s definitely not as good as being here or being in a class actually designed for virtual instruction. It is intended to be a short-term solution and not a replacement for in-person or online instruction. Our goal is to lessen how behind a student is when they return, and to include them in the in-person class as much as possible. That said, it’s the splint and not the cast, and your student is still enrolled in an in-person class. 

If you are opting to keep your student out for self-isolation longer than a normal quarantine, please keep in mind that quarantine is meant to be a short-term solution, and while we will do what we can to involve them, it’s designed to hold students over and not to replace the in-person class.

Quarantine Schoolwork Point of Contact

If you have been out on quarantine, you probably already know this, but Lisa Hogan is our point of contact for schoolwork help and questions when on quarantine. She can connect you with teachers, counselors and more, and will be keeping tabs on you until you can come back.

Quarantine Process at ERMS

We get a lot of questions about symptoms and quarantine. If you have any questions, feel free to use this tool to see current guidelines we have from the health department and quarantine types specific to your situation. We use a modified version of this tool when determining exposure and length of quarantine. This tool is for your information only and does not collect any data. Please contact the school if you have symptoms or confirmed exposure to a positive COVID case.

Stress and Anxiety Group

Feeling stressed out or anxious? We want to help! Let one of our counselors know and we’ll make sure we connect you with resources and others that can support you.

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Uncategorized

Skylert: Fall Break, Chromebook Sleeves

Fall Break and End of 1st Quarter

First quarter ends this Friday and Fall Break is next week, October 19th – 23rd. The 26th is also a no-school day for students for grade transmittal. Have a safe, well-deserved break!

Choir Concert

Our choir students have been working very hard to prepare for their fall concert. Please look for more information, in the form of an email, from Mr. Goodrich to view the concert. 

Chromebook Sleeves

In order to minimize damage to Chromebooks, all students are being provided a Chromebook sleeve this week during their 1st period class. Virtual students can pick them up this coming Friday, October 16th, from 9:30 am – 12:30 pm.

Extra Memory Books for Sale

We have a few extra memory books. If you would like to purchase one, come to the school on Friday, October 16th for $25.00 between 9:30 am- 12:30 pm There is a limited supply.

Community Council Members

We needed at least 4 members from the community, and four members were nominated. We’ll confirm their willingness to serve on the council, and let you know when our first meeting will be held ASAP.

Updated Quarantine Protocol

As announced last week, students exposed to coronavirus where both students are wearing masks can return to school with a negative test administered on the 7th day or later. We will notify you if the exposure was with or without masks, and will send you an email confirmation as well. Please don’t hesitate to call if you have any questions. More info can be found here.

Managing Quarantine Expectations & Opting to Self-Quarantine

We make every effort to keep students caught up when they are out on quarantine, and good communication is at the heart of quarantine success. But it’s definitely not as good as being here or being in a class actually designed for virtual instruction. It is intended to be a short-term solution and not a replacement for in-person or online instruction. Our goal is to lessen how behind a student is when they return, and to include them in the in-person class as much as possible. That said, it’s the splint and not the cast, and your student is still enrolled in an in-person class. 

If you are opting to keep your student out for self-isolation longer than a normal quarantine, please keep in mind that quarantine is meant to be a short-term solution, and while we will do what we can to involve them, it’s designed to hold students over and not to replace the in-person class.

Quarantine Schoolwork Point of Contact

If you have been out on quarantine, you probably already know this, but Lisa Hogan is our point of contact for schoolwork help and questions when on quarantine. She can connect you with teachers, counselors and more, and will be keeping tabs on you until you can come back.

Quarantine Process at ERMS

We get a lot of questions about symptoms and quarantine. If you have any questions, feel free to use this tool to see current guidelines we have from the health department and quarantine types specific to your situation. We use a modified version of this tool when determining exposure and length of quarantine. This tool is for your information only and does not collect any data. Please contact the school if you have symptoms or confirmed exposure to a positive COVID case.

Stress and Anxiety Group

Feeling stressed out or anxious? We want to help! Let one of our counselors know and we’ll make sure we connect you with resources and others that can support you.

What’s Happening at Elk Ridge:

MondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFriday
12-Columbus Day13-Choir Concert14-No Events15-No Events16-End of Quarter 1
MondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFriday
19-Fall Break20-Fall Break21-Fall Break22-Fall Break23-Fall Break
Categories
COVID-19 Wally the Wapiti

Updated Quarantine Protocol

This message was sent to parents on 10/8/2020 regarding changes made at the state level to quarantines due to exposure in schools.

At Elk Ridge specifically, all those currently on quarantine were notified via email today if the change affected them or not based on whether a mask was worn at the time of exposure. All future quarantines will include that information at the time of notification.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

The Utah Department of Health, under the direction of Governor Herbert, has approved adjustments to the 14-day quarantine. Students who have been quarantined due to an in-school exposure, while wearing a mask, may return to school if they are symptom-free, and have a negative test result after day 7 of quarantine. The test may be taken on day 7. State officials and medical experts indicate that this new guidance aligns with the best medical practice. 

The following are key points provided by the State:

  • Masks are effective at preventing transmission in classroom settings
  • This only applies to mask on mask exposure
  • Only applies to exposures that occurred in school
  • % of individuals who will develop symptoms do so on: 
    • Day 7 -75%, 
    • Day 9 – 90% 
    • Day 11- 95%
    • Testing picks up positive cases two days before symptoms onset; therefore, testing on day 7 means there is less than a 10% chance that an individual will contract after day 7
  • This is for individual exposures, and does not pertain to the threshold recommendations for classroom or school virtual learning 

The COVID-19 School Manual will be updated to reflect this change but the change takes effect immediately and applies to students who are currently on quarantine.  A student who was exposed at school to someone who tested positive for COVID-19 may return to school or related activities if he or she meets ALL of the following:  

  1. The school verifies the student and the person who tested positive were both wearing a face mask.
  2. The quarantined student has a negative COVID-19 test (rapid tests are acceptable, antibody tests are not) at least 7 days after the last exposure to the person who tested positive.
  3. The student does not have symptoms of COVID-19.

Additional Information

  • These guidelines only apply to exposures that occur at school. 
  • If the student does not meet ALL three criteria or chooses not to get tested, he or she should continue to quarantine at home for 14 days from the last day of exposure. 
  • Anyone who has been exposed to COVID-19 and comes back to school must continue to watch for symptoms. If students get symptoms, they should isolate at home and call their healthcare provider.

Testing Information

  • We are working with the Salt Lake County Health Department and other test providers to make additional testing sites available in our communities. 
  • Rapid tests are acceptable
  • Antibody tests are not acceptable
  • State Covid Hotline number can provide additional information on testing 1-800-456-7707
  • Contact your primary care provider
  • Utah Testing Sites Locator

More information will be forthcoming as it becomes available. 

Categories
COVID-19 PTSA Skylert Wally the Wapiti

Skylert: Swag, Retakes, Red Ribbon Week

School Masks & Shirts

With the Wapiti Store not an option for the foreseeable future, we’ve decided to use those resources to provide students with either an Elk Ridge mask or water bottle, and a shirt. For those students who are learning from home, either full-time or just while on quarantine, we’ll have an official pickup time this Friday, Oct 9th from 10 – 11 am just inside the front door. If you miss that window for some reason, just let us know in the main office.

It’s Red Ribbon Week!

Red Ribbon Week starts today, and our PTSA has a lot of excitement in store. To get in on the fun, follow this Instagram account. Red Ribbon week runs from 10/5 to 10/9. The theme is “We’ll get through this together.” Each day has a different activity:

  • Monday: Don’t go crazy on social media (Crazy Sock Day)
  • Tuesday: Together we can do hard things (Dress Like Twins Day)
  • Wednesday: Team kindness (Team Jersey Day)
  • Thursday: It’s a great day to be a Wapiti! (Wapiti Gear Day)

Take a picture dressed in each day’s theme and tag @elkridge_redribbon on Instagram to be entered to win cool prizes!

Picture Retakes (Including Virtual Students)

Retakes for student pictures will take place on October 7th from 8 – 9 am. For those coming from home, just stop by the main office upon arriving. The order form can be found here and in the main office. You can order them online using this Picture Day ID: EVTG2DGJR

District Virtual Change Requests due Oct. 6th

If you are hoping to move from virtual to in-person or from in-person to virtual, you must submit that request in Skyward by Oct. 6th. Instructions were emailed out, and can be found here. 

Space for such moves will be extremely limited, and will be based within the existing virtual learning staffing and framework established by the district.

Community Council Nominations and Vote

We will hold a vote next week via Skylert if needed. You can nominate people here, and get more information on the school community council here.

Managing Quarantine Expectations & Opting to Self-Quarantine

We make every effort to keep students caught up when they are out on quarantine, and good communication is at the heart of quarantine success. But it’s definitely not as good as being here or being in a class actually designed for virtual instruction. It is intended to be a short-term solution and not a replacement for in-person or online instruction. Our goal is to lessen how behind a student is when they return, and to include them in the in-person class as much as possible. That said, it’s the splint and not the cast, and your student is still enrolled in an in-person class. 

If you are opting to keep your student out for self-isolation longer than a normal quarantine, please keep in mind that quarantine is meant to be a short-term solution, and while we will do what we can to involve them, it’s designed to hold students over and not to replace the in-person class.

Chalk Art Festival

Our Chalk Art Festival will be happening on Friday, October 9th, and students can participate in person or from home. Applications for in-person and online participants can be found here. In-person participant applications were due to Mrs. Gonzales by October 1st. Contact her if you are still interested in participating in any form.

Quarantine Schoolwork Point of Contact

If you have been out on quarantine, you probably already know this, but Lisa Hogan is our point of contact for schoolwork help and questions when on quarantine. She can connect you with teachers, counselors and more, and will be keeping tabs on you until you can come back.

Quarantine Process at ERMS

We get a lot of questions about symptoms and quarantine. If you have any questions, feel free to use this tool to see current guidelines we have from the health department and quarantine types specific to your situation. We use a modified version of this tool when determining exposure and length of quarantine. This tool is for your information only and does not collect any data. Please contact the school if you have symptoms or confirmed exposure to a positive COVID case.

Stress and Anxiety Group

Feeling stressed out or anxious? We want to help! Let one of our counselors know and we’ll make sure we connect you with resources and others that can support you.

Categories
COVID-19 Registration Wally the Wapiti

2nd Quarter Virtual/In-Person Changes

What follows was sent to parents by the Jordan School District regarding format change requests for 2nd quarter from in-person to virtual and vice versa. Please note that a request does not guarantee the change will occur, as open seats across the district are very limited.

Due to minimal availability in both virtual and in-person courses, virtual and in-person placement changes will be limited.

If you would still like to request a potential change for 2nd quarter, please complete the Quarter 2 Virtual/In-Person Change form. Even if you have already been added to a wait-list at your local school, you will still need to complete the form.

The Quarter 2 Virtual/In-Person Change form must be completed by Tuesday, October 6th at midnight to be considered for a possible change to your student’s 2nd Quarter virtual or in-person placement.  This deadline can not be extended.  Only complete this form if you are requesting to change your student’s current online schedule to an in-person schedule and vice-versa.  A separate form is required for each student.  

Skyward instructions:

You will need to log in to Skyward Family Access in a web browser.  This form does not work in the mobile version of Skyward.  If you need assistance with your Skyward login and password, please contact your school.  Once logged in, select the link for “Online Forms” in the tabs on the left.  Select the student for whom you want to submit a request. There are two steps that need to be completed.  On step 2, you must select “Submit Term 2 Learning Option” to complete the form.   You will receive a confirmation email after you have completed the form.  If you do not receive this email, please contact your school.  

 *** (The drop down options here are:  1)  Online to In-Person, 2) In-Person to Online, 3) Partial In-Person & Online)

As the parent/guardian of the student for which this form has been completed, I acknowledge that my student will participate in the option selected for the duration of 2nd Quarter, upon approval of this request.  I understand that completion of this form does not guarantee approval of this request.  Approval is based on space availability for both in-person and virtual classes. 

*** Parent/Guardian Acknowledgement:   (Yes)

Your request for term 2 has been completed for this student.  Completion of this request does not guarantee approval of the request.  Approval is based on space availability for both in-person and virtual classes.  If you request option 3, you must email your school counselor which courses your student wants to take, either in-person or virtually.  If your request has been approved, you will be contacted by your student’s school counselor.  Once committed to in-person or virtual learning, your student must continue with that selection for the duration of 2nd quarter.

*** These sections will be the drop down menu options in the skyward form. 

Categories
PTSA Wally the Wapiti

Red Ribbon Week

It’s Red Ribbon Week!

Red Ribbon Week starts today, and our PTSA has a lot of excitement in store. To get in on the fun, follow this Instagram account. Red Ribbon week runs from 10/5 to 10/9. The theme is “We’ll get through this together.” Each day has a different activity:

  • Monday: Don’t go crazy on social media (Crazy Sock Day)
  • Tuesday: Together we can do hard things (Dress Like Twins Day)
  • Wednesday: Team kindness (Team Jersey Day)
  • Thursday: It’s a great day to be a Wapiti! (Wapiti Gear Day)

Take a picture dressed in each day’s theme and tag @elkridge_redribbon on Instagram to be entered to win cool prizes!

Categories
COVID-19 PTC's PTSA Skylert Wally the Wapiti

Skylert: Community Council, Red Ribbon Week

PTC Survey

Now that parent-teacher conferences are over, we want to know how it went and what we can do to improve communication. If you could take this brief survey, we’d love your feedback!

Community Council Nominations

Would you like to be involved in the big picture planning at Elk Ridge? If you or someone you know would like to join, let us know using this form. Depending on interest, we’ll send out a voting form once nominees are confirmed. Thanks for you nominations in advance!

Red Ribbon Week

Red Ribbon Week starts next Monday, and our PTSA has a lot of excitement in store. To get in on the fun, follow this Instagram account. Red Ribbon week runs from 10/5 to 10/9.

Picture Retakes 

Retakes for student pictures will take place on October 7th. More information to come.

Chalk Art Festival

Our Chalk Art Festival will be happening on October 9th, and students can participate in person or from home. Applications for in-person and online participants can be found here. In-person participant applications are due to Mrs. Gonzales by October 1st at 3 pm.

Quarantine Process at ERMS

We get a lot of questions about symptoms and quarantine. If you have any questions, feel free to use this tool to see current guidelines we have from the health department and quarantine types specific to your situation. We use a modified version of this tool when determining exposure and length of quarantine. This tool is for your information only and does not collect any data. Please contact the school if you have symptoms or confirmed exposure to a positive COVID case.

Stress and Anxiety Group

Feeling stressed out or anxious? We want to help! Let one of our counselors know and we’ll make sure we connect you with resources and others that can support you.

Categories
Wally the Wapiti

Chalk Art Festival

It’s time for the Chalk Art Festival, and we can’t wait to see what you come up with. This year’s theme is: “Courageous, Caring, and Cactus.”

Because we have students in person and at home, we’ll be running both a social media and at-school event.

The festival for all students will take place on Friday, October 9th.

For those participating at school, you will come in on a Friday to decorate your section of the front of the school. Use this link to apply by October 1st at 3 pm:

In-Person Festival Application

For students participating at home, you can find all the information you need to make a submission using this link:

Social Media Festival Application

If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Gonzales.