Hopkins

Elementary

School

Reminder: Wednesday, August 26, 2020 is a PLC Late Start Day. All schools will begin one hour later, and all school buses will run one hour later. PLC Late Starts are every Wednesday throughout the school year for all learning models, excluding preschools.

Passage of a local mill levy is the only way to save what the community values most in LPS During its regularly scheduled meeting on August 13, 2020, the LPS Board of Education voted to move forward with plans to place a mill levy override on the November 2020 ballot. Throughout the summer, the Board studied various options available to fill the anticipated ongoing $12 million budget gap LPS will face caused by the COVID-19 economic downturn in Colorado and due to the State of Colorado’s chronic inability to adequately fund its public schools. Colorado has shortchanged LPS more than $156 million over the past decade, which has placed tremendous and increasing pressure on the district’s budget. No state solutions are in sight. If local solutions are not found, people and programs – the very parts of our schools that the LPS community values most – will face drastic cuts for the 2021–2022 school year.  The Board began exploring local solutions last January. After making $4.2 million in cuts for the 2020–2021 school year, and projected cuts of $12 million for 2021–2022 (and beyond) looming, the LPS Board recognized that these budget cuts will negatively impact the academic excellence this community value and expects of LPS: Continuing to attract and retain quality teachers Maintaining school counseling for mental health and suicide prevention Providing career, technology and skilled trades classes that provide students with real world job skills such as health care, skilled trades and computer science As presented to the Board of Education at their August 13, 2020 meeting, the local mill levy override would raise $12 million to fill the $12 million state funding gap for the 2021–2022 school and in the years ahead. The money would be used to keep the teachers, academic programs (including those in the skilled trades), mental health support and physical safety measures that are currently in place.  “These are extreme circumstances; COVID has placed an additional strain on many of our families and on our district’s budget. But with Colorado’s inability to adequately fund its public schools, we are facing truly catastrophic cuts. While this is a hard time to have to do this, we are a public school district. So we need to at least ask the public and let them decide,” said Board of Education President Jack Reutzel. “We have exhausted all other options. A local mill levy override would give us the chance to save the things our community values the most – the very people and programs that makes Littleton Public Schools so special, which in turn would allow us to keep providing our community with an outstanding education.”  Ballot Initiative and LPS Budget Info

Littleton Public Schools will begin the school year Monday, August 24, with in-person learning for PreK–5 and a hybrid/blended model for Grades 6–12. This plan – originally announced during the July 30 Board of Education meeting – was confirmed during the August 13 Board meeting after an impactful and in-depth discussion about the merits and concerns of starting in this model and another review of Arapahoe County COVID data, which shows that it is appropriate for students and staff to return to school, with overlapping extensive health and safety protocols in place. The plan for the start of the school year is as follows: Preschool–Grade 5: All students return to in-person learning with overlapping extensive health and safety protocols in place. Grades 6–12: Hybrid/blended model of both in-person and remote learning. Students will attend school in-person with their teachers two days a week, with overlapping extensive health and safety protocols in place, and engage in learning remotely from home the other three days. This model allows for greater physical distancing, as only half of the students will be at school at the same time. TOPS: A temporary, fully online program from K–12 and Transition Services will remain available for the 2020–2021 school year and will not be impacted by changing COVID data. TOPS will begin as scheduled on Monday, August 31, 2020. The TOPS registration deadline was Friday, August 7, 2020. The course catalog is now available on the TOPS web page.  This approach is aligned with current research and recommendations of pediatricians and other health experts regarding what is appropriate for preschool and elementary-age students and what is appropriate for middle and high school students. Decisions regarding which school model LPS will follow at the start of the year and in coming months are based on Arapahoe County’s COVID-19 data as reported by Tri-County Health and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE). View Process and Data Learn More: Restart Plans & Health and Safety Measures  “I want to again express my deep gratitude to all LPS employees for their tireless efforts to develop improved learning models for all of our students over the summer. We are ready to move between an in-person school model and a hybrid/blended learning model, as well as a robust online learning model should Arapahoe County COVID data suggest we need to do so for the safety of our students and staff,” said LPS Superintendent Brian Ewert. “We will do our very best every day to meet the individual needs of our students regardless of which model of learning we are in at any given time.” Students, staff, parents and community members must work together to make the start of the school year successful. We will follow the guidance of health officials and will implement the public health and safety measures in place at the time that are shown to limit spread of the virus, such as mask wearing, health screenings, frequent hand washing and maintaining physical distancing to the greatest extent possible. We all must have patience and must be dedicated to following the safety protocols at every school, every day. It will not be perfect, but please know we are committed to doing our best to keep everyone safe. Our chances to continue and maintain an in-person learning model increase with the successful implementation of safety precautions.  It’s also critical that we all continue to remain flexible and open to change. The circumstances around the pandemic and the return to school this fall seem to change daily.

Dear LPS Parents/Guardians, As we prepare for the start of the 2020-2021 school year, we greatly appreciate your efforts to keep our schools healthy.  As school staff work to implement health and safety guidelines, we ask for your partnership in screening your student for symptoms each day before school at home.  Please keep your student home if they are demonstrating symptoms consistent with COVID-19 or other illnesses.  Specifically, do not send your child to school if they are experiencing fever (100.4 or higher), chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, loss of taste or smell, vomiting or diarrhea,or if they have been in close contact with someone who is ill.  When students arrive at school, we will be conducting a secondary screening. This will consist of screening questions and temperature checks differentiated by age and grade level.  Students who demonstrate one symptom will be sent home.  Students demonstrating symptoms at any point in the day will also be sent to an designated isolation area and required to go home.  We ask for your prompt attention to pick your child up within one hour of receiving the call to pick them up.  It is important that students with symptoms are not around other students and staff in the school  We greatly appreciate your efforts to adhere to this.  Students who are sent home should not return to school until the parent has spoken with the nurse consultant/school staff to discuss the requirements of the return to school.  This may involve providing documentation from your child’s primary care physician.  If your student does test positive for COVID-19, please contact your school nurse consultant (not the school health assistant) as soon as possible. Your student will be required to isolate at home for 10 days from the onset of symptoms and or 24 hours after fever and symptoms have resolved, whichever is longer. If you are not sure  who your school nurse consultant is, please see below.  Secondary students will be able access learning through their teachers’ google classrooms during their time of absence, as they are feeling better. Elementary teachers will work with parents to provide essential make up work. We ask that all parents complete an acknowledgment of these health considerations before your student returns to in-person learning on August 24.  To access this, please login to the Infinite Campus parent portal here.  Please follow these directions (click here) to complete the health screening acknowledgement.  As we partner together for your students’ return to in-person learning, also, please be aware that we will be asking you to complete a form for each absence that your student has.  After calling the attendance line, please access the link on the district/school website and complete this form for each student who will be absent. As you know, students in grades K-12, including Transition Services, are required to wear masks on the bus and at school.  As the school year approaches, please be working with your student to practice wearing a mask so that they will have a greater tolerance for wearing a mask for longer periods of time. Your collaboration and support are greatly appreciated as we prepare for the start of the 2020-2021 school year!  Please do not hesitate to contact your school nurse consultant or me if you have questions.  In partnership, Melissa Cooper Director of Student Support Services Charlotte Brazelton BSN, RN Arapahoe, Franklin, Hopkins, Twain 720-951-3853 Janet Deutsch MS, RN ChildFind, Goddard, HHS, Village Highland, Village North, Nova North, Wilder 720-281-7635 Kim Gates BSN RN Euclid, Lenski, Moody, Options 720-827-6455 Nicole Guider, BSN, RN Centennial, Highland, Powell, Transition Services, Voyager 720-951-7495 Geri Johnson MS, RN LHS, Newton, Nova Newton, Runyon, Sandburg 303-495-9631 Sarah Orlando BSN, RN East, Field, Littleton Academy, Littleton Prep, Peabody 303-495-9619

Take a night off from cooking and join us for our next Restaurant Night at Bad Daddy's in Southglenn.  You can dine in, or carry out, but any way you order, Hopkins will receive a portion of the sales from that night!  If you turn in your receipt, we can also get credit towards the StreetSmarts Program.  So it looks like September 23rd can be a win-win for Hopkins, your belly, your dishes and your stress level!

Don't forget that Friday, September 25th is an early release!  School will dismiss at 12:00 and lunch will be served!  

For 5th grade parents interested in sending your student to Euclid Middle School, click here for information regarding the upcoming Coffee and Conversation virtual meeting.

 USDA (our regulatory agency) has announced that we will be able to offer FREE meals to all students regardless of their free and reduced meal eligibility through December 2020 or until funding runs out!  Click here for more information.