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PLEASE UPDATE YOUR CALENDAR:

Parents/Guardians of In-Person Learners: 
 

Families of students who are in-person learners must complete a “Daily Screening Pass” that is also signed by the parent or guardian. Your child/ren will then give the pass to school personnel prior to boarding the bus or entering school. 

The District mailed screening passes on Sept. 9, but we understand that some families did not receive the mailing due to a labeling issue with our vendor.

If you have not received the letter with passes in the mail, please print a copy of the Health Screening Pass (link to pdf) or, if time permits, stop by any school for passes before your child starts in-person learning. 

After the first day of in-person instruction, your child will bring home a pre-printed pad of passes for you to use each day. These forms will function as a “health pass” that will be required for your child to board a bus or enter a school building each day.

Parents MUST complete and sign a screening pass each day

for your child to board the bus or enter school

The screening form is based on guidance from the New York State Education Department and the New York State Department of Health. The responsibility for ensuring children are healthy and can attend school each day is the responsibility of parents/guardians. Specific expectations include screening children for COVID-19 symptoms (which includes temperature taking), as well other COVID-19 screening questions. 
Please take a few minutes to watch a video on how to track your child’s body temperature and why tracking is important (link).
ESM is reviewing a digital app for use in the future that will assist in communicating this information electronically to our transportation office and school offices prior to students getting on the bus or arriving at school each morning after being dropped off or driving. In the meantime, we are using the printed paper passes.

Thank you for your assistance in completing this vitally important health screening process.  Specific health-related questions can be directed to the School Nurse at your child’s school by calling 315-434-3000.

Pine Grove Middle School Families: 
 

Please review the Pine Grove In-Person Phase-In Schedule:

• Thursday, Sept. 17: Only 6th grade Hybrid Group B students will report for in-person learning. All other grade levels and distance learners will continue distance learning.
   
• Friday, Sept. 18: Only 7th and 8th grades Hybrid Group B students will report for in-person learning. All other grade levels and distance learners will continue distance learning.
   
• Monday, Sept. 21: Only 6th grade Hybrid Group A students will report for in-person learning. All other grade levels and distance learners will continue distance learning.
   
• Tuesday, Sept. 22: Only 7th and 8th grades Hybrid Group A students will report for in-person learning. All other grade levels and distance learners will continue distance learning.
   
• Wednesday, Sept. 23: All students in all grades will be distance learners
   
• Thursday, Sept. 24 & 25: Full implementation of Hybrid Model: Group B for all grades, students will report for in-person learning. Distance learners will continue distance learning.

School Day: Parent drop-off is available starting at 7:45 a.m. and breakfast will begin at 7:55 a.m. Students must have their completed Daily Screening Pass to enter the building. The school day begins at 8:10 a.m. and dismissal is at 2:40 p.m. 

Daily Screening Pass: Please make sure to fill out the Daily Screening Pass for Students. There was an issue with the mailing of the screening passes. If you did not receive this in the mail, you can also print a pdf of the form from our ESM Website (link to pdf) or, if time permits, stop by the school for passes. Contact the school nurse with any questions or concerns at 315-434-3053 or cenglish@esmschools.org.

Pine Grove Middle School Families: 

First Day Login Information: 

The first day of school is Thursday, September 10. All students will be distance learning from September 10-16. Students at Pine Grove will follow their School Tool schedule for Term 1, Day 1 on Thursday, September 10. Prior to your child’s first period class on Thursday, he or she should log in to Google Classroom and accept any invites that have been sent. At 8:10 a.m. on Thursday, September 10, all students will go into their first period Google Classroom where they will find a Google Meet link. This link will connect students to the live class with their first period teacher and classmates. Please check School Tool for the most updated student schedule to follow.

There are two times during the day when students will not be meeting with a teacher during distance learning: Lunch and any ilabs (independent/remote study time) in their schedule. Students will not need to be logged onto their Chromebook during those times during the day. 

Logging into your Chromebook:

Username: Lastname.FirstnameGraduationYear@esmschools.org
ex. Smith.Allison21@esmschools.org
First time password: #ESMSpartans 

If you already have an ESM Google account, use your own current password, for password or SchoolTool assistance call 315-434-3050

Joining a Google Classroom:
Go to: classroom.google.com
click on the blue button that says “Join” for each of the classes you’ve been invited to.

The virtual school day will follow the regular school schedule running from 8:10 a.m. to 2:40 p.m. All Google Meet links for each period of your child’s day will be in the corresponding Google Classroom. Students at Pine Grove will continue to follow their School Tool schedule for Term 1, on Day 2 on Friday, September 11 and continue following the schedule cycle through Day 4.
Pine Grove’s daily schedule is as follows:

6th Grade
Period 1-   8:10-8:55 a.m.
Period 2-   8:58-9:38 a.m.
Period 3-   9:42-10:23 a.m.
Period 4-   10:26-11:07 a.m.
Lunch-      11:10-11:40 a.m.
Period 5-   11:43 a.m.-12:24 p.m.
Period 6-   12:27-1:08 p.m.
Period 7-   1:11-1:52 p.m.
Period 8-   1:55-2:40 p.m.

7th Grade

Period 1-   8:10-8:55 a.m.
Period 2-   8:58-9:38 a.m.
Period 3-   9:42-10:23 a.m.
Period 4-   10:26-11:07 a.m.
Period 5-   11:10-11:51 a.m.
Lunch-      11:54 a.m.-12:24 p.m.
Period 6-   12:27-1:08 p.m.
Period 7-   1:11-1:52 p.m.
Period 8-   1:55-2:40 p.m.

8th Grade
Period 1-   8:10-8:55 a.m.
Period 2-   8:58-9:38 a.m.
Period 3-   9:42-10:23 a.m.
Period 4-   10:26-11:07 a.m.
Period 5-   11:10-11:51 a.m.
Period 6-   11:54 a.m.-12:35 p.m.
Lunch-      12:38-1:08 p.m.
Period 7-   1:11-1:52 p.m.
Period 8-   1:55-2:40 p.m.

Any assistance needed to get your child logged in or to navigate Google Classroom should be directed to our technology support by calling 315-434-3024.

ESM has been notified that the free meal program providing breakfast and lunch for ALL children 18 and younger will continue this fall starting September 10 through December 31.

In-Person Learners: Meals will be free for all of ESM’s in-person learners on the days they are at school. For the days students are not in school, families can pick up free “grab & go” meals Monday, Tuesday and Thursday at your choice of three sites — ESM Central High School, Minoa Elementary or East Syracuse Elementary from 9-10 a.m. As a reminder, ALL students start with distance learning Sept. 10-16, followed by a phase-in of in-person learning by grades from Sept. 17-24, so families may choose to pick up meals during the first few weeks of school. 

Distance Learners and Other Youth 18 & Younger: Free “grab & go” meals will be available for pick up on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday at your choice of three sites — ESM Central High School, Minoa Elementary or East Syracuse Elementary from 9-10 a.m. This includes non-school-age children.

The program is primarily federally funded and includes some state assistance to ensure all children are fed and ready to learn—whether they are learning in the classroom or virtually. 

Available pick-up days for grab & go meals are from 9-10 a.m.: 

• Monday (one day of meals)
• Tuesday (two days of meals, Tues./Wed.)
• Thursday (two days of meals, Thurs./Fri) 

In-person learners will receive FREE breakfast and/or lunch at school on the days they are in school. Therefore, you may not need to pick up meals three times a week.

If you plan to pick up “grab & go” meals, please use this order form (link) which must be completed one week before pick-ups can begin to ensure accurate meal distribution.

If you have further questions, please call 315-434-3026 or email esmfoodservice@esmschools.org. 

PLEASE NOTE: Under this federal program, ESM is able to provide breakfast and lunch meals free of charge through December 31. However, it is still important for families to ALSO fill out the free and reduced price meal application using the online form or the paper form that was mailed to homes) so those who qualify can continue received free/reduced price meals for the whole school year.

Required Information: 

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA. 

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.  Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:

(1)     mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;
(2)     fax: (202) 690-7442; or
(3)     email: program.intake@usda.gov.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider

Pine Grove Middle School Families: 
Thank you for your patience and understanding as we have reviewed the parent confirmation forms indicating whether families chose in-person or distance learning. The Pine Grove Reopening Team has been working diligently to ensure we are ready for school to start safely and orderly. 

All students whose parents chose distance learning will receive distance learning five days a week.

We do not have the capacity for in-person learning for all the families who chose this model, five days a week, with the new social distance requirements. Therefore, to accommodate all the families that chose in-person learning, we have determined we need to use the hybrid model.  

This means that approximately half the Pine Grove students signed up for in-person learning will attend school on Monday and Tuesday with distance learning on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. The other half will start the week with distance learning on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and finish the week with in-person learning on Thursday and Friday. See a visual of the Hybrid Model (Link) 

Now that we know Pine Grove will use the hybrid model, counselors and administrators are working to quickly complete schedules and team assignments. Those will be communicated to families as soon as they are ready. We are also working with the high school so that siblings and family members in the same household stay on the same schedule following the hybrid model.

As a reminder, September 10-16 will involve virtual learning for ALL students. September 17 we will begin a phase-in of in-person students. This will be the first day for some sixth graders, while remaining sixth, seventh and eighth graders will be phased in through September 24, when all in-person students will be following their hybrid schedule.Additional information about the phase-in of students will be coming for the hybrid model.

Schedules and team assignments will be sent soon. Despite these continued, unprecedented times, we hope you and your child/ren are excited about the upcoming school year. The Pine Grove school community is looking forward to welcoming students back for the 2020-21 school year.

Ashleigh E. Wilson
Principal
Pine Grove Middle School