Thursday Flyer January 28, 2021

Thursday Flyer 1.28.2021

COVID-19 Update

Based on the feedback I received over the last week, I recognize that my COVID-19 update last week caused some uncertainty and consternation - for that, I apologize, as that was not my intent. The Governor’s “Reopen Schools” plan has caused a lot of confusion amongst educational leaders (myself included), and we are still trying to figure out what applies and what doesn’t. Since he has tied funding to this plan, it’s going to require legislative action which has not occurred yet. Following up regarding a couple of the more confusing elements of his plan:

Asymptomatic COVID Surveillance testing: After attending multiple meetings on this over the last week, it appears that all schools that have reopened will now need an ‘Asymptomatic COVID Surveillance plan’, but that student and staff participation in such a plan will be VOLUNTARY.

Distancing and lower elementary student mask use: There is still confusion/controversy regarding these elements of the Governor’s plan, particularly for schools that have already reopened under the ‘old’ rules. It is my hope that counties that have successfully reopened schools under the old guidelines will be allowed to continue to operate under the new guidelines. Watching the wildly different interpretations of these new rules over the past two weeks, I have no idea at this point how these will play out.

Finally, while we continue to have people quarantined due to outside of school exposures, our total case numbers remain the same. Let's continue our diligence regarding all of our mitigation measures. As a reminder, our basic COVID-19 protocols regarding student/staff illness and quarantines are available here.

ATTENTION 8TH GRADE PARENTS - 8th Grade Yearbook Dedications Due ASAP

Parents, we need your help! The due date for submissions is quickly approaching and we don't want you to miss out on getting your child in the yearbook to honor their graduation from 8th grade.

We ask that you submit a personal message of 100 words or less and one jpeg photo. Messages should include a closing that clearly states who is sending the message. Please include "8th grade dedication-" followed by your child's full name in the subject line of your email. Please submit your message and photo to mmcayb@gmail.com by January 31.

Uniform Order

We’re going to do another round of school uniform orders. If your child needs new school t-shirts, athletic tees, polos, sweatshirts, etc., please go to our school store page at https://www.mmcharter.org/store. The deadline to turn in orders will be next Wednesday, February 3rd. Orders typically take about two weeks to process after we turn them into our vendor.

Yearbook PreSales DEADLINE is March 31

Yearbooks are available for presale through Jostens for $30 through March 31. Reserve your copy today. The only way to guarantee your child’s yearbook is to preorder by 3/31. https://www.jostens.com/apps/store/customer/1808608/Maria-Montessori-Charter-Academy/

2020 Tax Statements from Procare

You can print a tax statement from the Procare website (not the app) here: https://schools.procareconnect.com/login. After logging in, click "Payments" in the menu on the left. From there, you'll see a page that lists your invoices and payments. You can specify a date range (1/1/20 through 12/31/20) and create a pdf by clicking the "statement" button in the upper right of the page. If you have any problems, please contact Denise at dthorman@mmcharter.org.

Existing Students Re-Enrollment Time

It’s lottery time! That means that we need to get an accurate count of returning students so that we know how many new students we can accept in the lottery. The process has changed for this year; we will be utilizing the Aeries Parent Portals Data Confirmation Process to confirm your child’s enrollment for next year. Go to: https://aeriesportal.placercoe.k12.ca.us/Parent/MMCA/LoginParent.aspx and login. Click “Student Info” and choose “Data Confirmation” from the drop down menu. The data confirmation will guide you through confirming contact, medical, and authorization information. At the end click “Finish and Submit” and you will receive a confirmation that your student has completed the “Intent to Return.” You do not need to contact the school office. Please contact Denise at dthorman@mmcharter.org with any login issues.

Please take a moment to complete and submit no later than February 15th. If your child’s data confirmation is not complete by 2/15, they risk losing their spot to a new student in the lottery.

*Note: There will not be a question about whether your child will be returning next school year. Completing the data confirmation process lets us know that you do plan on having your child return.

Preschool Enrollment for 2021/2022

We began accepting enrollment for 2021-2022 Children’s House on Friday, 1/15. Children’s House is our preschool program for children ages 3.5 to 5 years old. Students must be potty trained and able to follow simple instructions. The enrollment packet can be found on our website at https://www.mmcharter.org/preschool-enrollment-1. Enrollment is on a first come, first serve basis. Call the office to schedule a virtual tour.

21/22 Enrollment Lottery Applications for Siblings

If you have students that will be starting at MMCA next year (an example is you have a kindergarten sibling starting in 21/22) you MUST fill out an application for the lottery. Applications are due by 2/15/21 and can be found at this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSchsRf77V0Mj_LVP2239XWipU7zDTzCg8-H1nxI9R9cu3nE-w/viewform.

DO NOT fill out an application for returning students; they do not go through the lottery process. See Re-Enrollment instructions above for details on how to complete the “Intent to Return”.