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A Message From Dr. Waller


Thank you for continuing to work with us as we prepare for a return to in-person learning. We have shared key information and updates with you throughout this process, and we encourage you to stay up to date on the district’s reopening efforts at www.atlantapublicschools.us/reopen.

As you are probably aware, the district plans a return to in-person learning beginning in January 2021. The current plan allows PreK-2 to return to the building beginning January 25 and grades 3-5 to return on February 1. And as you might imagine, the school staff has been quite busy preparing for the students’ arrival. Many operational protocols have already been determined, yet some of the instructional models have yet to be determined as they are dependent on some of the factors detailed in this letter. 

As you make an informed decision about your selection for in-person or virtual learning, the following information is intended to provide an overview of some of what we know and some of what we do not know. Of course, E. Rivers takes the safety and well-being of our teachers/staff and students very seriously, so we have developed a Covid-19 Protocols and Procedures Manual that can be found on our website by clicking here. (An abridged version of this document for parents can be found here.) This guide, although detailed, is neither exhaustive nor permanent. As the current COVID-19 context changes and as our knowledge and experience grow, these procedures might change. For now, however, know that we have tried to address as many knowns as we can plan for. Moreover, Atlanta Public Schools has outlined additional safety measures that are detailed at APSProtects


The Latest Information that we know as of 12/10/20:

Declaration of Intent Survey

December 3 - 21, parents will have the option to select for the third quarter (i.e., January 19-March 15): 

  1. In-Person/Face to Face (F2F) at Rivers,
  2. Virtual from Rivers teachers, or
  3. Atlanta Virtual Academy. 

Please complete your survey by midnight on December 21st  

A survey must be completed for every individual child currently enrolled in an APS school. You can complete your child’s survey by clicking HERE. To complete the survey, you will need your child’s Student Number (7 digits) and your child’s APS Username (Without @student.apsk12.org). If you have completed the survey previously and would like to retain your original choice from October, then you do not need to complete the survey again. If you intend on changing your original choice, then you must re-submit the survey for each of your children. If you have questions about the survey, please reach out to your child’s teacher or to parent liaison Francesca Downie at Francesca.Downie@atlanta.k12.ga.us.

Again, the Intent to Return Declaration Form Link: https://dig.apsgraphs.com/ITR/


Information to Help Parents in Intent to Return Decision Making

Our goal is to build a strong, in-person “F2F” program with all the mitigation strategies outlined by APS as well as to continue a strong virtual program. During the intent to return window, we will not know which teachers have applied or received approval for extended leave or for telework. The timelines/deadlines for parents to declare their child’s intent to return and for teachers to apply for telework do not match.  

Many of the logistics for return are dependent on the results of these two important pieces of aforementioned information: percentage of students returning based on parent survey and the number of teachers who are approved for telework. Therefore, we cannot provide specific details about our teacher rosters right now. After we have all of these “puzzle pieces,” we will work individually with each grade level of teachers to create a plan for that specific group. Innovative and experienced, our teachers will have input into how we put the puzzle together in the best interests of our students. 

There are several instructional models that could be used in various instances in the school. Some teachers could be simultaneously teaching their in-person and virtual students (aka “Roomie Zoomie”); some teachers might be teamed together so that their homerooms can be grouped by F2F students and at-home students; and some teachers might be dedicated entirely to teach either in-person or at-home students. Please know some of these scenarios could involve students moving to another teacher’s class and a new homeroom. In the cases, I am confident that your children will be just fine and in good hands, for our school is blessed with strong teachers in every classroom. For those classrooms in which simultaneous instruction (i.e., Roomie Zoomie) is required, we will be ready with additional technology. The E. Rivers Education Foundation (EREF) has already purchased additional cameras and microphones for this purpose. Final decisions about instructional models will made during the first two weeks of January and will be shared with you at that time. 

Please make the best decision for your child(ren) and your family at this time based upon these known and unknown factors and based on your comfort level with the current state of the pandemic. 


Telework Status for Teachers

Teachers work directly with Human Resources on any telework or leave requests. The deadline for teachers to request telework status is January 4th. Families will not know the telework status of their child’s current teacher prior to completing the Declaration of Intent Survey. We ask that families refrain from asking teachers about their telework status or attempting to persuade teachers in choosing to apply or not apply for telework status. There will be no guarantee that your child will have the same homeroom teacher. 


Dates for Return to In Person/F2F Learning

January 19th - All teachers who did not request or were not approved for telework will return to school and teach virtually from Rivers. 

January 25th - K-2 and Low Incidence Program Special Education In-Person option begins  

February 1st  - Grades 3-5 In-Person option begins 

Proposed F2F School Day

  • F2F Learning for 4 days/week (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday)
  • Asynchronous Wednesdays for both Virtual and F2F Instruction
  • Deep Cleaning Day – To learn more about how APS has prepared to protect Students and Staff click HERE 
  • Later, we will be communicating a schedule of optional, live instruction for Wednesdays. We anticipate offering specials, art and music clubs, science labs, and small groups with the homeroom teachers. In addition, we will use these days for student-parent-teacher conferences. 
  • School Hours – 8am – 2:30pm for both F2F and Virtual learning.

This coming Wednesday, December 16, I will host a couple of sessions to review these plans for the second semester. Feel free to join at either 9:00 AM or 6:00 PM via Zoom using the following credentials: 

Join Zoom Meeting
https://atlantapublicschools-us.zoom.us/j/83042777713?pwd=OWVaTmpCQVRBeVRsZm5hdW52bnhIUT09

Meeting ID: 830 4277 7713
Passcode: 559343

As this most unusual year ends and during this holiday season, I am reminded—like many of you—of life’s blessings. For me, one of the richest blessings is to be a part of the Rivers’ community. It is a community of caring adults, supportive parents, and amazing students! I am honored to be your principal and appreciate your continued commitment to our great school. Please stay safe and enjoy your winter break. 

Sincerely, 

John Waller

Holiday/Winter Fun

December 14-18


Let's start to celebrate the Winter/Holiday Season!
Monday 12/14- Fuzzy or Holiday Socks
Tuesday 12/15- Flannel Shirts and Jeans
Wednesday 12/16- Winter/Holiday PJ Day
Thursday 12/17- Holiday Shirt Day
Friday 12/18- Ugly Sweater Day

Principal Check-In

December 16, 9:00 am or 6:00 pm


Please join Dr. Waller on Wednesday, December 16, at 9:00 am or 6:00 pm via Zoom (details below). He will provide an update on the school’s plan for a January re-opening and preview the upcoming semester. Time will also be provided for Q&A. The meeting will be held on Zoom to better allow our families to see and interact with each other! Translation services will be provided at both times.

You can log into either meeting using the log in information below:

Join Zoom Meeting
https://atlantapublicschools-us.zoom.us/j/83042777713?pwd=OWVaTmpCQVRBeVRsZm5hdW52bnhIUT09
 
Meeting ID: 830 4277 7713
Passcode: 559343

One tap mobile:
+19292056099,,83042777713#,,,,,,0#,,559343# US (New York)
+13017158592,,83042777713#,,,,,,0#,,559343# US (Washington D.C)
 
Dial by your location
+1 929 205 6099 US (New York)

December PTA Meeting Cancelled


The December PTA meeting, scheduled for December 16th,  has been canceled so that families can participate in the Principal Check-In.

E. Rivers Media News


Please click here for the latest news from the Media Center.  For more information, please contact Paula Boston at pboston@aps.k12.ga.us.

IB News

Hello E. Rivers Families,

Our IB Learner Profile Attribute for the month of December is Inquirer.

What does it mean to be an inquiring learner? 

Inquirer -We nurture our curiosity, developing skills for inquiry and research. We know how to learn independently and with others. We learn with enthusiasm and sustain our love of learning throughout life.

Inquiry – an act of asking for information

Inquiry in the classroom - students ask and answer questions that increase in rigor as their investigation progresses. Students take ownership of their learning and grow in confidence as they develop their own accountability in learning. 

Statement: “I ask questions to learn many things.”

The development of our attributes is the foundation of developing internationally minded students who can help to build a better world.

Paul Hulsing
E. Rivers Elementary
IB Coordinator

Calling all Kindergarten and First Grade Students


Parents, are you looking for 30 more minutes in the day for your child to be engaged in school?  Well look no further.  Starting next week Ms. Boston and Ms. Sanders will host online activity sessions for kindergarten and first grade students.  These 30 -minute sessions will run from 12:30pm-1:00pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  Please see the schedule below for the dates and zoom links.  Please only send your child to the correct grade level session.  If you have questions, please email Ms. Nicole Campbell Cheroff at ncheroff@atlanta.k12.ga.us.

Schedule:
Tuesday 12:30pm-1:00pm
 
Dates:  Nov. 17th, Dec. 1st, Dec. 8th, Dec. 15th
Thursday 12:30pm-1:00pm
 
Dates: Nov. 19th, Dec. 3rd, Dec. 10th, Dec. 17th
Kindergarten – Wendy Sanders
 
Join Zoom Meeting:
https://atlantapublicschools-us.zoom.us/j/82490650725?pwd=MDBFN0dzOXhKU0QwR0QrUTlaalR6UT09
 
Meeting ID: 824 9065 0725
Passcode: 353369

Kindergarten – Paula Boston 
 
Join Zoom Meeting:
https://tinyurl.com/Bostonzoom

long url:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4554426350?pwd=cE1XUzRkckdOWXdOZEV3TDYySGhXZz09

Meeting ID: 455 442 6350
Passcode: 3BFeL3
 
First Grade – Paula Boston
 
Zoom Link:
https://tinyurl.com/Bostonzoom

long url:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4554426350?pwd=cE1XUzRkckdOWXdOZEV3TDYySGhXZz09

Meeting ID: 455 442 6350
Passcode: 3BFeL3
First Grade – Wendy Sanders
 
Zoom Link: 
https://atlantapublicschools-us.zoom.us/j/82490650725?pwd=MDBFN0dzOXhKU0QwR0QrUTlaalR6UT09
 
Meeting ID: 824 9065 0725
Passcode: 353369
 

Curbside Book Checkout


Curbside Checkout is here!
Click here for instructions from Ms. Boston about how to check out books from our Media Center. Request + Receive + Read!

We want to get books in the hands our Loyal Lion Readers!

Book Donation Drop Update


In response to our call for children’s book donations, the E. Rivers community has responded generously. This has enabled us to distribute hundreds of books to keep our kids reading. Our pop-up events were a success and it was great to see so many kids browse and choose their own books. Your book donations will also help provide our Kindergarteners with take home books to keep as they start to visit the school, and we will partner with the Giving Tree effort this holiday season.

We are still accepting once-loved picture books, early readers, early chapter books and middle grade chapter books.

Please drop your books off:

• In the donation bin by the main campus front entrance
• Brookwood Hills - 284 Camden Rd
• Collier Hills - 2083 Evergreen Lane
• Loring Heights - 557 Hascall Rd
• Peachtree Hills - Peachtree Hills Cleaners. 174 Peachtree Hills Ave
• Underwood Hills - 999 Mantissa Street (house with red roof on the gravel road portion of Mantissa)

Additionally, email eriverswelcomedesk@gmail.com
if you would like us to pick up your book donations.

If you are in need of books, email  eriverswelcomedesk@gmail.com with the ages and reading levels of your children, and we will deliver books to you. 

Thank you in advance for your help to keep our students reading!    

Spiritwear Makes Great Holiday Gifts!


Please shop our New Spiritwear and show your Lion's Pride! We have new items for children and adults, and we still have limited availability of sale items as well. All proceeds benefit our PTA.

Tech Help


Technology continues to be one of everyone’s biggest challenges. There are multiple ways for you to receive some assistance with your device or with any of the platform. First, reach out to your teacher and let them know that you are having issues; they might be able to troubleshot with you first. You can call the district technology help desk at 404.802.1000. Also, you can contact media specialist Paula Boston at 404.802.7066 or pboston@atlanta.k12.ga.us. Please also click here for tips and tricks on navigating and accessing the various technology tools that the school and district are using. 

In This Issue


Our Partners






Our Business Partners support E. Rivers. Please support them!

Upcoming Events


Asynchronous Wednesdays
December 16

Holiday/Winter Fun
December 14-18

Principal Check-In
December 16, 9am or 6pm

APS Intent to Return Declaration From Due
December 21

Important Links


Lion's Pride - Donate Today

Join the PTA

Submit Entries for the Lion's Roar
 
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