Diamond Ridge First Day Procedures

Good Day Diamond Ridge Parents and Guardians,
Welcome back to the 2020-2021 school year, it is going to be a great year! I wanted to send some communication regarding the first day of school and the procedures that are going to be in place as students and parents arrive at the building Monday morning. Please be aware of the following items:
Face to Face Learners:
● Face coverings are required for everyone at the school building. Diamond Ridge will be providing masks for all students. We would like to encourage the use of masks by all students and patrons as you arrive on school grounds each day.
● Proper social distancing, 6 feet apart, will be continually and consistently encouraged for all students and patrons on the school campus.
● School personnel will be located outside around the building to answer questions and help parents and students find their line location. Posted signs and markings on the pavement will signify where students should line up when the bell rings, allowing space for proper social distancing.
● Only students and essential school personnel will be allowed in the school building.
● Teachers will be bringing students into the building one class at a time.
● The teachers and administration are creating a virtual Back-to-School Google Site in order to allow parents to get a look inside the school building and classrooms. Teachers will be sharing class disclosure letters, donation wish lists, pictures, and classroom tours/videos. We anticipate that the site will be active some time after the first week of school is completed. More communication will be coming.
● We will provide student water bottles for each student in the school. All school provided student water bottles will be labeled with student names and will remain at school. We encourage students to provide their own water bottle if they wish to transport their bottle to and from school. School drinking fountains will be capped and will not be in use.
● Before and After School:
○ Please be aware that all previously established procedures regarding vehicle drop off/pick up of students will remain in effect as we begin the year. Only the drive through circle, located off of Clover Creek Lane just east of the school,
should be used for parents dropping off/picking up before and after school. The main parking lot is reserved for faculty and staff as well as our school bus. Thank you for helping us to maintain safety for all patrons of Diamond Ridge in and around our school parking lots and drop off/pick up locations!
○ If your student(s) walk to and from school, please arrange with them a meeting place in advance and remind them to stay together. It is an excellent idea to review our school safe walking routes map, which was posted to our Facebook page and is located on our school website as well.
○ Please discuss with students that if they need to travel from one side of the school to another, they should move behind the school and avoid the drop off/pick up circle area. The sidewalks are a bit narrow there and we need students to stay clear of our parking lots and drive through areas.
○ Specific areas are marked on the pavement where students will line up when the first bell rings before school at 8:35. Each grade level has a designated line area marked for proper social distancing while students are in line. A Line Map is posted on our school website if you are interested in reviewing it before Monday morning.
○ If your student needs help with anything, they can look for any adult on the school campus wearing a neon safety vest to assist them.
Distance Learners:
● Chrome books are available for pick up. If you did not sign up for a time to come on Friday and check out a Chromebook for your student, please call the school office and arrange a time to do so.
● Lunch is available for all students. Distance learning students interested in receiving school lunch will be able to pick it up at the doors on the south side of the building (much like lunch during school dismissal in April and May). Lunch will be available from 10:30 to 11:00 Monday-Thursday and from 10:30-11:30 on Friday. Meals will no longer be provided at “no charge”, students will be charged according to their eligibility category. We strongly encourage all households to submit applications at https://www.myschoolapps.com/
● Friday will be a distance learning day for all students. More information will be coming home from individual classrooms and grade levels regarding learning structure on Fridays. Thank you to all Diamond Ridge Families for your patience, understanding and support as we prepare for an amazing and unprecedented school year. We cannot wait to get back to
teaching! Have a great weekend and we will see you all soon.
Sincerely,
Andy Carbaugh
Principal, Diamond Ridge Elementary