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2021 Welcome Back Letter from our Principal, Sandra Berumen

Dear Sandoval Families,

 

I am excited to welcome you back to a new school year as your new principal! I truly hope you enjoyed a much needed summer to reconnect with your loved ones through talking, laughing, and experiencing the small moments that make this life great. I know that I was more intentional than ever to truly be present with my family and friends. As I have shared, I am the mother of two amazing children, whom I adore. My son is 22 and my daughter is 18.  They are in such an exciting stage in life. I am so proud of how they tackle their individual journeys with resilience, non-ending questions, pushing the status quo and willingness to try new things. I am very aware that they are these amazing adults because of the village that I relied on. Mine was not the only influence. So many others impacted their path such as educators, friends, and family. They remind me every day of why I accepted the challenge of being a school leader. I want to support all children to have a joyful, equitable and impactful school experience that will influence the adults they will become to make a difference in the future of our world. That they see their individual identities as assets and build confidence in themselves so that all students succeed and become socially conscious, contributing individuals.

 

It was great experiencing this summer with less restrictions. We were able to spend a week as a family in Grand Lake and one in Miami exploring and paddle boarding. I was conscious though, that we are not done with the pandemic yet, and precautions will still need to be taken in the upcoming school year. As you are aware, we are now hearing about variant strains of COVID. Health and safety guidelines are being updated day to day. As we move forward, I ask that we remain flexible, collaborative and supportive of our school community. See below the most current guidelines.**

 

I also ask that we reflect on these very impactful words from Sonya Renee Taylor, Author, Poet, Spoken Word Artist, Speaker Humanitarian and Social Justice Activist:

 

“We will not go back to normal. Normal never was. Our pre-corona existence was not normal other than we normalized greed, inequity, exhaustion, depletion, extraction, disconnection, confusion, rage, hoarding, hate and lack. We should not long to return, my friends. We are being given the opportunity to stitch a new garment. One that fits all humanity and nature.” 

 

As a society we have experienced so much as a result of the pandemic. We have a choice to acknowledge the lessons we learned and do better,  or to go back to the way things were. As a community let’s have the courage to move forward and not let go of the powerful lessons we have learned in service of our children and our communities.

 

Thank you for welcoming me back into our wonderful school family! I can’t tell you how much it has meant to me to feel your support. It energizes me for the journey ahead.

 

Warmly,

Sandra Berumen 

Principal 

 

I know there is still some summer left but I wanted to ensure you had important information to support the start of the school year on August 23, 2021. As you review this important information please post additional questions to this link. Please help us ensure we are getting all the important information out to our community. 

 

School Supply Lists: 

Primary-Parents will give $50.00 to the classroom teacher. They will purchase supplies needed. 

Lower Upper Elementary- Here are the links to partner teacher supply lists: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1hxcJEbkf4DwFJTZwZ70G4RrWa1hGcmd-

 

School day Soft Start and hours for students: 8:50-3:50

We will have “soft start” meaning that children can ease into their day, which aligns best to Montessori philosophy.  Our aim is to have children walk to their classrooms starting at  8:40 am ready to begin their work day at 8:55 am.  

    • For students who want to eat breakfast at school please have them arrive at 8:40 am
    • For students who don’t want to eat breakfast at school please ensure they arrive no later than 8:50 am.
    • We will not be having morning recess in the playground and therefore no supervision provided. If students want to play on the playground in the morning they must be supervised by their adult. 
    • At 8:50 am, a bell will ring to remind all students to make their way to the classroom.   Staff members will be in the hallways greeting students and helping students transition to their classrooms.  
    • Teachers will take attendance at 9:00am.  These twenty minutes serve as a buffer for those crazy mornings.  However, parents should always plan on having their children arrive at school by 8:50 am.
    • After 9:00 am, students need to come to the office to get a tardy stick.  At this point, an unexcused tardy will be marked into the attendance system. Tardy will be excused if a guardian calls with a necessary reason for the tardy.

 

  • Primary students must be signed in by an adult per licensing regulations and be dropped off directly in the care of their classroom teacher or paraprofessional at 8:50 am. 

 

 

** LE and UE families just on the first day of school, we will all meet on the black top in our main playground area at 8:40am to welcome all students back. Classroom teachers will walk them into the building and to classrooms on this first day only. Please line up your child by the sign with their teacher’s name. Parents, we ask that you give goodbye hugs outside. Per Safety and Health Guidelines, parents must drop off and pick up students from the outside of the building (see updated guideline below).

 

**Primary (ECE and Kinder) please follow ECE drop off and pick up procedures, so please follow your kids to their entrance door so you can sign students in.  

 

Back to School Night: This year we have a special back to school night planned. We will be celebrating our amazing community and also our school’s 20 year anniversary!  It will be held on Thursday, September 16, 2021 in-person in our school playground.  Please bring a blanket or lawn chair.  Teachers will be sending a video with all the important classroom information via Bloomz.

 

School Communication:

There are various ways of communicating with our community, please take a few minutes to review this detailed list and ensure you are connected through all these platforms: Sandoval Communication Plan

 

First Responders and Communicating Concerns:

Home school communication and  collaboration is essential in ensuring student success. Additionally, it is very important to  prioritize principal focus and time in being an instructional leader, to ensure the most impactful education and supportive environment for our students. That is why we will have the First Responders system in place:

  • Your concern/call will be directed first to the applicable staff member (i.e, parent liaison, restorative justice coordinator, school nurse, senior team leads, secretaries, etc.)
  • First Responders will get all information from parents about their concern.
  • They will also inform the principal of concern, all information and brainstorm supports/resolution. 
  • First Responders will call back parent with next steps or solution to the incident if needed.
  • If additional support  is needed or resolution is not able to be reached with the support of the First Responder the principal will meet with parent and First Responder for incident.
  • To make an appointment with the principal please email or call Mari Alvarez (maria_alvarez@dpsk12.org) or Ericka Soto Diaz (ericka_sotodiaz@dpsk12.org)  at 720-424-4370.
  • The best way to communicate with the Principal is via email.

 

Playworks:

I’m excited to share some big news. This year, we are bringing a “program of play” to our school through the Playworks TeamUp program!

 

We are proud to partner with Playworks to make recess a fun, inclusive time for every student in our community. Playworks is the leading national nonprofit using play to transform schools. A Playworks recess creates a place for every kid on the playground to feel included, be active, and build valuable social and emotional skills.

 

Get Excited!

A Playworks site coordinator will be working with us to create a safe, inclusive, and fun recess for all students at our school. The site coordinator will spend one week out of every month at our school to train, build and sustain a high-functioning recess. Our recess team staff will implement these new strategies to help all students at Sandoval experience safe and healthy play every day.

 

Visit the Playworks TeamUp welcome page (www.playworks.org/services/welcome/teamup) to learn more.

 

Thank you for your support. We look forward to building and sustaining a community of safe and healthy play!

 

**Most Current Health and Safety Guidance:

Please note that this guidance is subject to change and will continue to be updated as additional information is available. Please also see information from DPS website.

 

Health Protocols
Elementary
Indoor Masking
  • All staff and students will be required to wear masks indoors regardless of vaccination status. 
Outdoor Masking Since the risk of COVID transmission outdoors is significantly lower outdoors, students and staff will not be required to wear masks outside. 
Hand Hygiene Students and staff should continue to maintain good hand hygiene protocols as these are effective in mitigating the spread of illnesses. 
Student Health Screens
Quarantine
  • Quarantines for close contacts in the school setting may still occur but they will be less common due to mandatory masking
  • Quarantining will not apply to the following:
    • Fully vaccinated without symptoms (two weeks after last recommended vaccine dose) OR
    • Those who are previously positive in the past 90 without symptoms day OR
    • If both parties were wearing a mask properly over the mouth and nose at the time of exposure and without symptoms
    • We will continue to follow CDPHE quarantine guidance. We will update this document should quarantine guidance change. 
COVID Testing
  • COVID Testing will continue to be available through partnership with COVIDCheck Colorado at COVIDCheck sites. 
  • Families and students can also contact our School-Based Health Centers (303-602-8958) to be connected to COVID testing. 
School Day Protocols
Elementary
Cohort
  • Elementary schools will not need to implement cohorts or altered schedules for the 2021-22 school year. 
  • All elementary schools are expected to provide full time in-person learning. 
  • Schools must continue to follow quarantine protocols as outlined by CDPHE. 
Distancing
  • There are no physical distancing requirements for students and staff. This guidance may be revised in the event that COVID cases counts are not as low as expected come the start of school and/or in alignment with revised quarantine protocols. 
Seating Arrangements
  • Schools can use shared tables, though the following should be considered when deciding between using desks and shared tables:
    • Academic and social and emotional needs of students
    • Adequate ventilation
Lunch Protocols
  • While students are eating, 3ft distancing must be maintained since masks can’t be used. Note that this guidance may be revised as overall masking guidance is finalized.
  • To avoid large gatherings of unvaccinated students, elementary students can 
      • Continue to eat meals in classrooms and/or
      • Eat outdoors (At Sandoval we will continue same lunchtime practices as the previous year-Eating in the classroom or outside as much a possible)
  • In coordination with Food and Nutrition Services, grab and go stations will also be established for breakfast.  
  • Students must practice good hand hygiene.
  • This guidance will be reevaluated as vaccines become available to elementary students and/or based on COVID case counts.
Entry and Exit Protocols Schools do not need to implement staggered entry and exit protocols. 
Hallway Traffic Schools can return to normal hallway/staircase use; one-way traffic patterns are not necessary. 
Bathrooms Schools can use bathrooms at full capacity. 
Assemblies and Large Gatherings
  • To avoid large gatherings of unvaccinated students, indoor assemblees and large gatherings will not be allowed at the start of the school year. 
  • Schools may have outdoor assemblies and gatherings. 
  • This guidance will be reevaluated as vaccines become available to elementary students. 
Singing and Wind Instruments
  • Singing and the use of wind instruments indoors can resume, though outdoor is recommended. 
  • For both indoor and outdoor singing and use of wind instruments, the following protocols must be maintained: 
  • Physical distancing of 6ft between musicians
  • Musicians must wear masks 
Physical Education
    • It is recommended that PE be held outside as much as possible. 
  • If PE must be indoors due to weather or other extenuating circumstances, students and staff must wear masks. 
  • Materials can be shared. 
  • Materials do not need to be disinfected between each use, though they should be routinely cleaned. 
  • Students should be encouraged to disinfect their hands with sanitizer or soap and water after using any shared supplies.
Libraries Libraries can operate with no restrictions. 

 

Cleaning, Shared Supplies, and Operations
Elementary
Materials and Shared Supplies
    • Supplies can be shared between students. 
    • Deep cleaning of supplies between uses is not required though schools should continue to ensure periodic cleaning and sanitizing of supplies. 
    • In the event of norovirus and other outbreaks, policies to limit sharing of supplies may be instituted. 
  • Students should be encouraged to disinfect their hands with sanitizer or soap and water after using any shared supplies.
Lockers Students can use lockers.
Cleaning Protocols Touch surface cleaning protocols can be scaled back to normal cleaning procedures. 
Water Fountains Water fountains may be used though schools should maintain standard cleaning and hygiene protocols (i.e. regular cleaning and sanitizing, ensuring students do not touch their mouth to the water fountain, encouraging good hand hygiene).
PPE PPE will continue to be funded centrally for district-run schools. 
Beyond the School Day
Elementary
Transportation Typical transportation services will be available for all eligible students on DPS school buses, as well as RTD passes for students who qualify. 
Extracurriculars
  • Extracurriculars can resume. School day health protocols must be applied to extracurricular settings. 
Before- and After-School Care
  • Before-and after-school care can resume at full capacity. School day health protocols must be applied to extracurricular settings. 
School-Sponsored Out-of-State and International Travel
  • Out-of-state and international travel can resume. 
  • Since out-of-state and international travel brings added risk and is optional, staff and students participating in travel will be asked to sign a waiver. 
  • Schools should monitor COVID health conditions and protocols at their designation to ensure all entry requirements are met. 
  • Students and staff must follow all health and safety protocols for the designated field trip and destination (i.e. additional health and safety protocols may be mandated by the destination). 
Field Trips
  • Day-Time and Overnight field trips can resume. Students and staff must follow all health and safety protocols for the designated field trip and destination (i.e. additional health and safety protocols may be mandated by the destination). Students must also complete all required waivers and permission slips. 
Family Conferences
  • For the beginning of the school year, family conferences must be held virtually and/or outdoors. 
  • Regardless of future guidance around COVID, schools should continue to leverage virtual engagement strategies as appropriate (in addition to or in place of, depending on the event) given greater accessibility for some families. 
Registration & Back to School Night
  • For the beginning of the school year, student registration and Back-to-School Nights must be held virtually and/or outdoors. 
  • Regardless of future guidance around COVID, schools should continue to leverage virtual engagement strategies as appropriate (in addition to or in place of, depending on the event) given greater accessibility for some families. 
School Events and Celebrations (e.g. performances, etc.)
  • For the beginning of the school year, school events and celebrations such as performances and plays can only be held outdoors.
  • Regardless of future guidance around COVID, schools should continue to leverage virtual engagement strategies as appropriate (in addition to or in place of, depending on the event) given greater accessibility for some families. 
Adult Protocols
Elementary
Visitors +Families
  • For the beginning of the school year, visitors and families will not be allowed past the front desk unless absolutely necessary. 
  • Drop-off and pick-up of students should occur outside of the building.
Volunteers (non-DPS staff, including older students)
  • Volunteers who are non-DPS staff but have undergone volunteer approval via the Family and Community Engagement department and ARE fully vaccinated 
    • Vaccination proof must be collected and verified by the school
    • Allowed to volunteer across the school building
    • Must practice any health protocols currently in place
    • Volunteers must comply with standard volunteer processes; volunteers who engage with students through a community partner must abide by all community partner policies. 
  • Volunteers who are non-DPS staff but have undergone volunteer approval via the Family and Community Engagement department and ARE NOT fully vaccinated, 
    • Allowed to volunteer outdoors only
    • Must practice any health protocols currently in place
    • Volunteers must comply with standard volunteer processes; volunteers who engage with students through a community partner must abide by all community partner policies.
  • The same guidance applies to DPS students volunteering in DPS schools (e.g. high school students volunteering in elementary schools).

 

BIG Thank You!

To Highland United Neighbors Inc for volunteering to weed our student playground. This was a big job. HUNI is committed to a stronger partnership with Sandoval.