Parent/Community Update
March 26, 2020
Due to the directive of the Washington State Governor to Stay home and Stay Healthy, the Grand Coulee Dam School District will be making the following in changes of our meal delivery service to children 0-18 years of age.
Beginning Monday, March 30, 2020 GCDSD will be Delivering meals on Monday’s, Wednesday’s, and Friday’s. The Monday and Wednesday delivery will contain two days’ worth of meals, and the Friday delivery will contain 1 days’ worth of meals. Please make sure to refrigerate your additional days’ meals. Meals will continue to include both breakfast and lunch. Meals will be available for pick up from 11:30 am-12:30 pm at the following sites (delivery by bus routes will not be continued):
◊ Tillman’s - Elmer City
◊ Lake Roosevelt Schools- Coulee Dam
◊ District Office -Coulee Dam
◊ Grand Coulee Dam Middle School- Grand Coulee
◊ Bobby O’s -Grand Coulee
◊ Lake View Terrace -Grand Coulee
◊ Fowler- Delano
◊ City Hall -Electric City
For students that live in the Nespelem area, Nespelem School District will provide Grab and Go meals available from 11:30 am -12:30 pm at the following locations:
White Buffalo, New HUD, Old HUD, and City Park.
Meal delivery will continue during the scheduled week of spring break April 6-10. 7th -12th Grade second round of academic packets will be available at all sites listed above during meal delivery times
Working with Coulee Medical Center: We are working closely with CMC on the needs of the hospital as well as the school. If you have respiratory health symptoms, please call 509-449-1170 before going to the hospital. Any other hospital issues contact 509-633-6229 before you go. This will allow the hospital to give you directions.
Medical supplies: There continues to be a shortage of supplies especially masks. If you are able to sew you can help by making masks. This is a need and a task that can be done from your home. What a great way to help during this crisis. See https://www.deaconess.com/How-to-make-a-face-mask for directions.
We are currently working out the details to distribute food during spring break. Also note: we will not be distributing meals on the weekend.
Educational materials: This is a great time to become educational partners with the school. We ask that you spend some time with your child and not only review their academic materials, but look around at other opportunities where they can learn. Maybe talk about the weather, have
them help you cook a meal or go on a hike and talk about nature. Our first round of educational materials went out today. If you missed today materials will be available during tomorrow’s distribution.
I have added a statement that was sent from another school to their parents. I thought it would be very encouraging for parents. I hope you enjoy!
≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠
This is a crazy time with updates from schools, posts of learning ideas for home, shared spreadsheets with days organized and planned to the second. But we want you to be a parent first.
Chances are your children may be more nervous and anxious about these changing times than they show. Chances are they are more nervous than you because they are too young to have any control over any of the things happening around them. And they, too, will be okay.
Yes, school is important. Yes, schedules are handy. Yes, teachers are amazing and do not receive the credit they deserve for their labor. Also, this gift of time with your children is important. The way that you handle this time will be etched in your children’s memory and hearts. Take this gift of time to be a parent, and take this permission to not be a teacher.
Play a board game. Chances are there is math in that game. Lounge on the couch and read books or magazines together. Chances are the kiddos will be reading something in which they are really interested.
Take a walk outside together. Chances are nature is the best science teacher any of us will ever have.
Watch a funny TV show together. Chances are your family will have a more authentic conversation about the characters in the comedy than some scripted test question.
Make something together. Chances are your kitchen is the best makerspace of them all. Follow a recipe, or don’t. Either way you’ll be creating something new together and it will be great, or it won’t. And that is the best kind of learning.
We have been given a gift of time. When we look back decades from now, will our children remember the color-coded schedule spreadsheets and fighting as teacher/student? Or will they remember this time as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to spend special time with a parent?
Lessen the fighting by lowering the expectations of being a perfect teacher during this less than perfect time. Be a parent. Provide reassurance that everything will be okay by providing you - not necessarily a daily curriculum. Because school activities will come and go, but -you- you have the opportunity to be the constant comforter and parent to help your children through this unusual time.
We are here to help support you and to co-navigate through these new learning adventures.
≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠≠
Important: Buses will not be able to stop at the exact bus stop that it would normally, due to safety. They will be stopping as close to the normal stop as possible in a safe place off the road.
We at GCDSD continue to thank you for your patience and understanding during this time. Please contact the Elementary at (509)633-0730 or the High School at (509)633-1442 if you have questions about distribution or packets.
As we continue to evolve into this new world of education, virtual communication is becoming the mainstay. For the safely of all, reducing staff at the building continues to be a priority as more staff will be working remotely from home. We will be reducing staff at school to essential needs.
Reminder school extension: The end of the school year will be extended from June 11th to June 19th. Please mark your calendars.
Mr. Turner
Superintendent
Distribution of Learning Packets
Beginning Tuesday, March 24th, Grand Coulee Dam School District will begin distribution of our Learning Reinforcement Packets. The packets will be available at the same times and locations as the meal distribution times and locations with the exception of students living in Nespelem. Students that live in Nespelem will be able to pick up their packets at one of the 4 distribution sites in Nespelem. The four distribution sites are White Buffalo, New HUD, Old HUD, and City Park. Packets will be available at those sites on Tuesday, March 24th and Wednesday, March 25th. If packets are not collected on either of those days, they will be available for pick up at Lake Roosevelt Elementary/High School.
Each packet is specific to a student’s grade level, so it is important that students collect the correct packet. Our distribution workers will have a list of all students for that distribution route, so when you or your child picks up their meal and packet, they will need to provide the worker their name and grade level to ensure all students are getting their Learning Reinforcement packets. Packets will be available during normal distribution days on each route. The packets will also be available at Lake Roosevelt Elementary/High School for pick up if you did not get a packet.
The Elementary school (Kindergarten through 6th grade) will distribute one Learning Reinforcement packet that will contain learning activities for the entire school closure period ending on April 24th. The Jr/Sr. High School (7th through 12th grade) will distribute two packets in total. One packet beginning March 24th and a second packet beginning March 31st. The packets will contain all the directions and resources needed to complete any and all activities inside the packet.
Just as a reminder, our buses will not be able to stop at the exact bus stop that it would normally stop at due to safety, but they will be stopping as close to the normal stop as possible in a safe place off the road. Please see the distribution information for routes and times so that you can receive meals and Learning Reinforcement packets.
We at GCDSD thank you for your patience and understanding during this time. Please contact the Elementary at (509)633-0730 or the High School at (509)633-1442 if you have questions about distribution or packets.
We are so excited for the upcoming year! We have some changes that we would like to inform you about. We know that change can be hard, but these changes are necessary to create a safe and positive learning environment for your child.
We are proud to offer the parents or guardians of our students free access* to ParentU!
Grand Coulee Dam School District is offering free access* to the ParentU website provided by the North Central ESD. ParentU offers parents free 15-20 minute lessons regarding the most popular devices, websites, and apps used by today's students. Lessons explain the various devices and apps, the risks of using mobile devices, students' digital foot prints and the risk of sharing too much personal information; as well as covering cyberbullying and sexting. Each lesson has ample examples of the mobile apps and computer screenshots of the websites discussed.
*Please contact your student's teacher to receive the free password to access the lessons through GCDSD's license.
