Yealey Families,

It was so nice to see so many of you last night at our reverse parade.  We all loved it and have decided it was the perfect way to kick off the holiday.   Thank you for taking time out to come and see us!

Here are upcoming dates you will need to be aware of:

Jan. 4th - students return to virtual instruction.

Jan. 18th - No School

Jan 19th - students return to hybrid instruction as long as plans do not change.  This is the beginning of the 2nd semester of instruction.  So, this is when students will be changed based on the survey you completed a few weeks ago.

I hope each of you enjoy the winter break and find time to enjoy some new holiday traditions.  You never know what you will enjoy so much that it will become something you have to do every year!

Stay safe and healthy!

See you in 2021,

Mrs. Turner

 Hi Yealey Families,

I hope you've had a great week at home.  I have enjoyed reading student writing again this week. Keep sending them on!  

We came up with an exciting and fun idea this week.  We would like to do a reverse parade for you all on Thursday evening from 5:00 - 6:00.  If you'd like to participate, please arrive at the parking lot sometime between 5 and 6. Enter in the parking lot as you would for parent pick up and drop off.  You will drive through the parent lane and then up past the library and exit back onto Yealey drive past the canopy. You can't park or get out of the car so that we can keep the "parade" moving.  Each team will be lining the sidewalks decorated in holiday cheer.  We would just like the opportunity to see the kids, wave, and wish you all a nice holiday break.  I hope to see you all Thursday evening!

Please remember if a student tests positive for Covid, you need to notify me.  There is more information about this under the Clinic page.

We are still in need of a minority SBDM member.  If you meet the criteria and  are interested, please let me know.

Have a great weekend!  One week left until winter break!

Mrs. Turner

 Yealey Families,

Happy December!  I feel like we have gone straight to winter. I hope you are all staying warm and enjoying the little snow we had.  I have had the opportunity to jump in a few meets this week and I have enjoyed seeing the kids.  I also received lots of friendly letters from 3rd grade and loved reading each of these!  I am happy to hear from kids and encourage anyone to send me a message.

I anticipate receiving additional information next week about our instructional model for 2nd semester.  Please be sure to check your emails early in the week to be sure you're not missing anything.

We still have spirit wear, pictures, and yearbooks in the office for pickup.  If you ordered any of these, please stop by between 7:30 and 4:00 to pickup.  

We are still in need of a minority SBDM member.  If you are interested, please email me.

I hope you all have a great weekend.  Stay safe and healthy!

Mrs. Turner

 Yealey Families,

I hope you've had a good week at home.  From our end, I feel like we moved quickly in switching models and for the most part got all the wrinkles ironed out fairly quickly.  If you have questions or any struggles moving forward, please don't hesitate to reach out to your teacher, our guidance counselors, Mr. Rice, or myself.  We are here to support you and help virtual be a success for everyone!

Spirit wear and pictures came in this week.  They have not been sorted and organized yet.  We will work on doing that next week and then have those two things along with primary report cards available in the office for pick up beginning on 11/30. Office hours are 7:30 - 4:00.  

This week is one of my favorites of the year.  I love Thanksgiving day and the traditions we have as a family.  This year will be a little different as I'm sure yours will too.  But, it's just an opportunity to start some new traditions.  I have come up with a little surprise game for my family to spring on them Thanksgiving day and I know just this one little tweak in our plans is adding excitement to the week.  I hope you can find joy in the holiday and take the opportunity to really focus on gratitude.  It's easy for me to feel like there is NOTHING going my way right now - until I start to count my blessings and then I realize the important things are all still in place and I have been blessed beyond anything I deserve.  

I miss the kids very much.  Please tell each of them Happy Thanksgiving from me.  

Mrs. Turner

principal

 Yealey Families,

I hope you have had a good week and I hope the kids who were able to get back in the building enjoyed their time this week.  Unfortunately, the virus has impacted staff across the district to the point where we have to move to virtual instruction for the next two weeks.  The hope is that these two weeks will allow the quarantines to help reduce the spread and allow for us to have enough staff in place to function.  If your child has materials at school that they will need, please call school on Monday to make arrangements to pick these up.

I know this is frustrating for everyone.  I see parents, students, teachers, and staff members at the end of their rope with constant changes and uncertainty - including me at times.  We all need to remember our circle of control.  If 2020 has taught us anything, it is that our circle of control is a lot smaller than we have believed it to be.  All we really have control over is how we respond in the face of adversity.  Who do we want to be?  I know I want our school to continue to operate as a family.  One that understands while we are physically separated we are still in this together and it will take all of us staying positive and supporting each other to come out of this pandemic as a stronger family than when we started.  

It's also easy to be frustrated with the numbers - because they are just numbers.  But please think about the faces that go with these numbers.  Many of you know I have been home sick since election day.  I tested positive and the letter that went out last week was about me.  I have no idea where I was exposed.  It had to be from someone asymptomatic because no one I know was positive.  I have not felt great but feel fortunate to have been able to heal at home with just some over the counter meds.  I have now given this to people I love and care for.  They are doing fine and (knock on wood), are having an easier time than most.  I am telling you all of this because I want you to have a face to put to these numbers and know that we are doing everything we can to get back to normal.  No one wants this.  Right now, our priority has to be staying healthy and safe.  Unfortunately that means two weeks of virtual.  Let's all do our best to follow the guidelines so that two weeks is all we will need and November 30th can find us back in the building enjoying each other's company - even if it's 6 ft apart. 

I hope you all have a great weekend!

Mrs. Turner

principal

 Dear Yealey Families,

I hope you've had a great week!  Next week will be very exciting.  All hybrid students will return to in-person instruction for four days.  A big thank you to all the students who are moving into new classrooms.  We wouldn't be able to keep everyone safe and healthy without this team work!

I will be sending you a link to a survey from the district sometime Friday or Monday.  This is only a survey.  On November 16th (or after) you will be sent the form to make your final decision for an instructional model starting in January.

Thank you to everyone who participated in conferences this week.  We will finish those up on the 10th.  Be sure you have signed up for a time to meet with your teacher.

Thank you all for all you're doing.  I am so grateful to work for you all!  

Have a great weekend,

Mrs. Turner

principal

 Yealey Families,

I hope you had a great week and have plans to enjoy Halloween in a new and Covid safe way!  One good thing that is coming out of this pandemic is how it is forcing us to come up with new ways to enjoy each other's company and I know some of the things my family has done will be traditions we probably hold on to.  

As I'm sure you saw last night, we are staying hybrid A/B next week.  So, no changes to schedules, etc have to occur.  We will continue to make plans here for getting all hybrid students back.  And also for what school will look like if all students return under these safety guidelines.  I will keep you posted!

If any families need help with internet service, please let click on the FRC page of this blog and then let Mrs. Burns-Kraft know.  She will help you with the process but it is a quick turn around!

Everyone enjoy your weekend. Don't forget we are off school on Tuesday for election day.

Mrs. Turner

 Hi Yealey Families,

I hope you've all had a great week!  It has been another fantastic week at school.  Picture day is next week.  We will do "A" students on Tuesday during the school day, virtual students on Tuesday 2:00 - 6:00, and "B" students on Thursday during the school day.  Homeroom teachers will be sure to communicate any additional details.  

I am sure you saw the superintendent's message last night stating that we would stay on the A-B hybrid schedule for next week.  He plans to look at the numbers each Thursday and make a plan for the upcoming week. Since we have to make quite a bit of changes to prepare for that change, we are going to be proactive and prepare for things.  That way we will be ready to change quickly if we are asked to.  One of the things I will need from you is to consider volunteering to go into one of the new homerooms we will create if we all come back.  If you feel like your child is flexible, handles change, and is always looking to make new friends then they would be a great candidate.  We need 7 2nd graders, 15 3rd graders, and 12 4th graders to volunteer to move.  If we don't get enough volunteers, we will be choosing students who we feel like show these characteristics and asking them to move.  We will not actually be moving students unless the superintendent determines we can bring all hybrid students back 4 days per week. I just want to go ahead and get our lists ready in case we are told on a Thursday that we will move to this model on Monday. If you would like to volunteer, please email me, renee.turner@boone.kyschools.us by Wednesday 10/28/20.  Thank you!

Sometime in the next couple of weeks, you will also be receiving a form to sign up for either virtual or hybrid school for next semester.  I want to be sure that everyone makes an informed decision (as much as possible anyway).  So, next week, we will be creating a short video for you to view that shows you what it looks like at school now and describe some of the changes that would have to occur if everyone decides to come back in January.  I want everyone to make a choice that is the best for your child and your family.  I can't wait until all my Bobcats are back in the building everyday but I completely understand that each child and family are unique and I respect each decision made.  If you would like input from your teacher, please be sure to ask about that during conferences.  Our conferences are coming up on 11/5 and 11/10.  I will also host a principal Q & A during conferences.  I will send the zoom link for those that you can join if you would like. 

I believe plans for a virtual costume parade are in the works since we won't be holding any of our usual Fall celebrations this year.  Watch for info coming out next week on how to participate in our online costume showcase!

I hope you all have a great weekend with family and friends!  Remember to Sharpen the Saw (habit 7) when you can. 

Mrs. Turner

 Hi Yealey Families,

What a beautiful Fall break we had!  I hope you were all able to enjoy the four days off school.  I enjoyed every second!  

Last year's yearbooks are in!  If you'd like to purchase one, please contact the office.  They are $17.  If you pre-ordered one, they are available for pick-up in the office.  We will get them out to the homerooms as soon as possible but if you want them now, please just let us know and you can stop by and pick it up.

I'm sure that what is on everyone's mind is the decision made by the board last Thursday to bring all hybrid students back for 4 days starting on 10/29.  It is my understanding that this is the plan and that all the Covid numbers will continue to be monitored to be sure what status we should be in (red, yellow, or green).  I believe the superintendent is planning to send weekly updates on Thursdays to the community including to us here at school.  So, I plan to just watch for updates on Thursdays.  The superintendent has told us that we can't switch students from virtual to hybrid until January.  I know several of you were hoping to do this but I was told this week we can't.  If you have a hybrid student and this decision to bring more students back causes you to want to switch to virtual, we will be able to accommodate those requests. Please let me know by emailing renee.turner@boone.kyschools.us  by 10/21/20.

I know that these decisions and waiting to hear each Thursday what the numbers look like are causing stress but I wanted to let you know the plans that are being made here.  We are going to be able to observe all the healthy guidelines when all hybrid students return but it is going to take some creative problem solving and teamwork.  There will be changes to the specials schedule and classes that will impact everyone, changes to the RTI program that will impact some of us, and changes to homerooms that will impact some of us.  More communication will be coming in the next week as final decisions are made so please keep watching for that.  What we really need from everyone is a positive approach to the changes we will make because the big picture is students will be back in the building more than they have been since March 12th!  The teachers and staff here have been 100% positive and willing to do whatever it takes to get students back and make sure the healthy guidelines are a priority.  We are committed to keeping your kids safe, healthy, and give them the best education!

Our plan is to make these changes and keep things here the same as long as possible no matter what status we are in.  So we won't be switching teachers, schedules, etc. again until we are all green and back together! The only caveat to that is all parents will be given a chance to re-choose their option of hybrid or virtual starting in January.  An email will come from the district sometime in November giving parents the option of enrolling in hybrid or virtual starting in January. Once those choices are made, we may need to make changes again based on numbers.  

So, the bottom line is - flexibility and positivity are going to be keys to our success this year.  Remember we are all in this together and are all doing our best for these kids we love!  

Have a great weekend!

Mrs. Turner

 Yealey Families -

What an amazing week it has been here!  It has been so great to see so many of our Bobcats back in the building.  I know that the pictures you're seeing on Facebook and Instagram show some of what it's like to be back but since it's hard to see the smiles you really need to be here to hear them.  The kids and staff are so excited and happy to be together again.  Lots of laughing and positive comments can be heard throughout the building.  While our social media tells some of our story, in this case, there's a big part of it not being told without the sounds - and, these sounds are music to my ears!

I just wanted to be sure to clear up any confusion on the at-home learning days during this hybrid model.  When the kids are at home, there are work requirements and participation requirements for each day.  Please check with your teacher or in their google classrooms for specifics. Mr. Rice and Mrs. Roedersheimer have been following up with families on attendance and participation.  We want to make sure everyone is getting the most out of their educational opportunities.

If you had any confusion on how things worked this week, please go back and read 9/18's blog for details and please reach out if you have any questions.  Everything has really worked very well so far.  Thank you for helping with all the new procedures.

Please be sure to support the PTA this year by purchasing pumpkins and sharing our pumpkin fundraiser with your family and friends.  Sale ends Monday, 10/5/20. 

Our SBDM council is in need of a minority parent representative.  If you qualify as a minority by the definition from KDE: "Minority is defined as “American Indian; Alaskan native; African-American; Hispanic, including persons of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, and Central- or South-American origins; Pacific Islander; or other ethnic group underrepresented in the school” [KRS 160345(1)(a)]." and you are interested in running for a seat on our SBDM council, please let me know.   

There will be no blog update next Friday since it is Fall Break.  Remember we are off school Friday the 9th and Monday the 12th.  I will email or send a phone call if any urgent information needs to be relayed.  Enjoy this weekend and your nice long weekend next week.  

Mrs. Turner

principal

 

 Hi Yealey Families,

Well, the day is finally here!  I can't wait to start welcoming our Bobcats back to school on Monday.  Just as a reminder - we will have Hybrid A students in the building on Monday and Tuesday.  If you signed up for virtual, you will remain virtual until January.  At that point we will check in with everyone and allow for another sign up.  Then, on Thursday and Friday next week we will welcome back our Hybrid B students to the building.  We are all very excited here and can't wait to see our kids!  Please look for the google meet time for our hybrid children on their at-home days.  Most of these are adjusted from what they have been since students will be in the building.  Each homeroom teacher will have a half hour meet time with their at home students each day so just look for the new times.

Please also keep in mind our new parent pick-up guidelines.  We need advanced notice to change students from the bus to parent pick up.  Please send a note in with your child if you want them to be parent pick up next week.  If you have a permanent situation - parent pick up or daycare instead of home, please let the office know that as soon as possible if you haven't already.  Next week we will be taking our time at dismissal to make sure everyone is where they are supposed to be.  So, please be patient with the arrival home times.  We will keep the office open until we get the all clear from transportation that all students are home.  

Don't forget to help me spread some positivity to our staff by filling out this form.  I am printing the responses and posting them on our positivity bulletin board. https://forms.gle/C8FHbAtYC8Sy9DFR9

Food distribution next week will happen on the last day that your child attends school. So, on Tuesdays and Fridays your child will receive food for the three days they are doing school at home.  Virtual students will need to pick up their meals on Wednesdays still but you will pick them up here at Yealey.  Please go to the back parking lot behind the kitchen between 10:00 and 2:00.  Go up the ramp to door C-3 to pick up your food for the week.  Remember all food is free this year for Yealey students. 

Our SBDM council is in need of a minority parent representative.  If you qualify as a minority by the definition from KDE: "Minority is defined as “American Indian; Alaskan native; African-American; Hispanic, including persons of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, and Central- or South-American origins; Pacific Islander; or other ethnic group underrepresented in the school” [KRS 160345(1)(a)]." and you are interested in running for a seat on our SBDM council, please let me know.  

The weather looks beautiful this weekend.  I hope everyone can get out and enjoy it.

Have a great weekend,

Mrs. Turner

principal

 Hi Yealey Families,

I hope you've had a great week at home.  It's been an amazing week here welcoming our Kindergarten and 1st graders into the building.  Just a few of my highlights were meeting two new friends - a kindergartner who is very interested in space and is willing to consider moving to another planet if the opportunity arises and a first grader who said my new school shoes were good and not to worry that they're all white because I can tie dye them.  So, needless to say there have been lots of smiling and laughing by all the adults around this building this week thanks to our K-1's!  

The YMCA is going to offer services again this year but they are limited on what they can offer.  They are offering extended day Kindergarten and K - 5 childcare for students on their "at-home" days.  So, A students can come to school on Monday and Tuesday but then attend the YMCA on Thursdays and Fridays.  The spots for this service are limited so please sign up as soon as possible.  

This week we had a faculty meeting to review the logistics of coming back to school on the 28th.  So, I wanted to update you on how things will be working that you can start talking to your children about. The main changes are: temperature taking, masks, parent pick up procedures, and water bottles.  

First, we will be taking all student's temperatures as they arrive.  Mr. Rice and Mr. Jim will meet students at parent drop off.  To drop your child off in the morning, please use the cafeteria/gym entrance. You may pull around the car lane and you can use both lanes to form two lines.  Please do not allow your child to exit the car until their temperature has been taken.  Cars should pull away as they are waved on by staff.  Children will enter the doors and go to their classroom.  They will have the opportunity to eat breakfast if they’d like in their rooms. Students may not be dropped off early.  We will be unloading cars at 8:25. The rest of the admin team will meet the buses.  We will quickly scan temperatures and then send students into the building.  If someone has a fever, we will recheck the temperature to be sure and then call home.  Students with a fever will wait with an adult (our nurse, Millie, or me) for their parent in the conference room. 

Masks will need to be worn all day when inside the building.  Students will be allowed to unmask when outdoors. Student desks will be 6 feet apart and a schedule has been created for all transitions so that cleaning can happen in between grade levels moving around the building.  Students will unmask during lunch and will be eating in the classrooms most days.  All students eat for free this year.   

To pick your child up at the end of the school day, please follow the following procedures.  If your child needs to leave school early, please call the office and come in to sign him/her out. 

You will need a car tag to hang on your rearview mirror that shows your child’s pick-up number.  You will receive this car tag at the beginning of the school year.  This tag must be shown to pick up your child each day.

End of Day Pick Up Procedures:

1.    All students must choose a permanent schedule for dismissal.  Any changes to this schedule need to be communicated in writing to the office at least 24 hours in advance. 

2.    After 3:30 enter the school parking lot and choose one of the two lanes to line up in.  You may not enter the parking lot prior to 3:30 because we do not have the space for everyone to line up and allow buses to enter/exit. 

3.    Once you are lined up in one of the pick –up lanes, a staff member will write down the number from the pick-up tag hanging on your rearview mirror.

4.    Another staff member will find your child and send them out after buses are loaded.

During yellow or red school operations, we will not be allowing visitors or volunteers unless you have a meeting scheduled.  If you do need to visit, a mask will be required as well as a temperature check in the front office.   We will also continue using the Indent-A-Kid system for visitor sign in so please be sure to have your driver’s license or ID with you. A visitor sticker or tag must be worn and visible when at school.

Please send a water bottle with your child so that they can fill it up.  Water fountains will be used to fill water bottles only - no drinking from the water fountains. 

Most students paid fees when Chromebooks are picked up but we are still missing fees from about 100 people.  Please remember to send those in with your child once we come back to in-person instruction or go online and pay them.  If you need help with that, please contact Terri Bross in the office.

I think that is the highlights of how things will go.  I may send some additional communication next week if anything comes up.  

Have a great weekend!

Mrs. Turner

principal

Good Afternoon Yealey Families,

I hope you've all had a great week. It was awesome here to welcome Kindergarten students in for a meet the teacher/Chromebook pick up.  We have an awesome looking group of K's coming and I can't wait to get to know them.  It has also been great to see student work hanging in the hallways.  When students come in they will see some of their hard work on display.  Mr. Rice is working on a display for our virtual students also that we can showcase on social media.  Please know that the hard work is recognized and appreciated!

Next week we will begin transitioning Kindergarten and 1st grade back to school.  I am looking forward to seeing them and working on some of our procedures to be sure everything flows smoothly.  I have spent the summer preparing for the return of our VIP's and I'm ready to see these plans move from notes on my marker boards to actions!

As you begin thinking about 9/28 when everyone can return, the bus garage has updated the bus routes.  Please check the links below for bus information.  You just need to choose the link for the hybrid days you will attend - A or B.

Hybrid A schedule link:

   http://www.transportation.boone.kyschools.us/hybridawq/webquery

 Hybrid B schedule link:

 http://www.transportation.boone.kyschools.us/hybridbwq/webquery

Also, please consider joining PTA to stay in the loop on ways you can support the school.  You can click this link to join. 

https://yes.new.memberhub.store/store

I hope everyone has a great weekend. Stay safe and healthy!

Mrs. Turner

principal

  

 Good Afternoon Yealey Families,

I hope you have all had a great week.  It has been awesome for me to be back in the building.  I have enjoyed the few times this week I've been able to pop into google meets and see the kids. They are really doing a great job.  I know there have been moments of stress and some major adjustments but I really hope that you all realize you're doing great.  All we can do is try our best, stay positive and support each other.  If you need anything, please reach out we are here to help as best we can.  I also have been focusing this week on highlighting the positive for the staff.  If you would like to help with that, please complete this form to give a shout out! https://forms.gle/xByYYhLWtmf7u4zv7  I will be printing them and posting them to our positivity board!

Now that we have reached September, the district has begun making plans for our return to hybrid instruction.  We are very excited about this and can’t wait until the 28^th when all hybrid students will be returning to some in-person instruction.  As part of the return to school plan, the district has asked that we begin on 9/14/20 bringing in small groups of students who are in the transition years – Kindergarten, 1^st, 6^th and 9^th graders.  We have to follow guidelines set forth by KDE which include wearing masks, having 2 hour time maximums, and groups of 10 or less (including teachers).  So we are going to be able to bring back our Kindergarten and 1^st grade hybrid students for a total of 4 hours of activities where we can teach them how to do school – how they will come in off the bus, how we will take their temps, how to enter the classrooms and participate in class, restroom breaks, hallway transitions, etc. The elementary time slot is 1:30 – 3:30 and bus services will be provided.   I am so excited about this opportunity to give our smallest learners the time and space to practice these new procedures.  Kindergarten and 1^st grade families will receive a separate email detailing the schedule and bus information next week.  If you have any questions, please let me know.

I hope you all find a way to safely celebrate the Labor Day Weekend.  I know we are planning some more golf practice for me and as much time together as a family we can find between kids' work schedules.  I will just enjoy being outside - soaking up all the fresh I can while I can!

Have a great weekend,

Mrs. Turner

 

 Good Afternoon Yealey Families,

Welcome back to the 2020 school year.  This week you made history at Yealey Elementary -our first virtual start in 57 years!  I think overall it was a great start.  Thank you to everyone who sent in pictures so we could "see" the kids throughout the week.  I love getting these posts and look forward to them each day.  Remember to follow us on all our social media feeds - see the links on the side of this page. I want to get back to our normal modes of communication by updating the blog weekly.  While this might not be our first choice of how we attend school, this is our normal. And I think it's best that we return to some normal organization.  So, unless there is an emergency or time critical information that needs to be sent, I will go back to our weekly blog updated every Friday.  

I wanted to give you some additional information about some of the tools and structures we are using. First, Chromebooks were distributed to all families 1st - 5th who needed or wanted to use a school device.  We will be working over the next couple of weeks to hopefully get devices to all students as quickly as we can while also making a plan to repair the 12 Chromebooks that are having issues.  If you have any questions about these please don't hesitate to reach out to Mr. Dunlap or Ms Wilson our school technology coordinators. 

The district has recommended work time guidelines for virtual instruction of 2 hours online and 4 hours maximum.  I just wanted to be sure you were aware where these are coming from. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a 2 hour maximum of online instruction.  So, teachers are making assignments using online programs and meets to reach this maximum.  Then, they are assigning additional classwork that can be completed off of the computer for a maximum of 2 more hours.  This total of 4 hours comes from the amount of time students average of brain engaged class time when they are at school.  Once you remove transitions, recess, lunch, and other interruptions that occur naturally during in person instruction the amount of time students are engaged in learning averages about 4 hours per day.  

We are very excited that we are able to provide online instruction using the iReady program.  Next week you will start to see that students are asked to login to iReady and take diagnostics.  These diagnostics are designed to set your child up for instructional paths within the program.  So, please be sure to encourage them to do their best and don't provide too much help or instructions to them when taking the diagnostics.  Your homeroom teachers will be giving you more information on this.  We have a two week window to complete these diagnostics starting Monday.  Once the learning path is established, the teachers will be able to organize small groups, add additional assignments, and work individually with students on their progress and learning goals.  This is a new tool for our school that we specifically sought out this summer to help with virtual instruction.  We are excited to see the progress our students will make with this tool. 

Thanks for the feedback we received on our special area classes this week.  We have used that information to tweak the plan for specials for the month of September (or until we move to Yellow status).  Please look for directions next week from your homeroom teacher on how to access specials on Wednesdays – we are working on a process that will reduce the number of students in a meet and allow for a little more time with each special.  All other days of the week, please visit the special area classrooms that you received access to already.  There are great activities loaded into these classrooms for you to do whenever you want to complete them throughout the week.  Our special area classes are designed to give students a broad exposure to PE, Music, Art, Computers, and Spanish.  We want to give students a general knowledge so that they develop a lifelong appreciation of these subject areas.  We also hope that we will provide students enough exposure so that they can make good choices in middle and high school once these subjects become electives.  We will not be changing our grading policies or procedures for these subject areas due to virtual instruction.  Wednesdays will be a required meet time so please join live or view the videoed session– this takes the place of us “taking” them to specials everyday like we do when students are in person.  The other days we encourage utilizing the google classrooms to gain the most and best experience from our virtual specials.

Your homeroom teachers should have provided you with their communication methods.  Remind is the most widely used tool at Yealey but we do have some classrooms using different tools such as Bloomz, Dojo, and ClassTag.  Please be sure you have gotten the information from your homeroom teachers on how to receive these updates.

I hope you all enjoy your weekend.  Stay healthy and positive!  

Mrs. Turner

principal

Yealey Families,

I hope you've had an amazing week at home like we had here!  This week I was able to teach art to 2nd graders which was probably the highlight of my week.  They were so creative as they drew their pictures, they would add a story to go along with them.  And, even though they all were following the same model, there weren't two pictures alike.  I also heard them talking about warm versus cool colors and how to make their drawings look three dimensional.

We finished our field test for the state in grades 3 - 5 this week.  We will not receive results for this.  It is used to test the items used on future tests.  We also had Kids On The Block here with their puppet show.  This is always a beneficial program for our kids.

Hopefully, this is our last blast of cold weather.  I know it hasn't been a hard winter but it has still been too long since summer in my opinion!  Don't forget to set your clocks forward Saturday night.

Have a great weekend!
Mrs. Turner
principal

Yealey Families,

I hope you've had a great week!  We have been very busy here at school. Our video club took a field trip to Ignite and toured their video production studio.  Our Academic Team has worked hard at their last practices to prepare for Regional Governor's Cup tomorrow.  And, our 3rd - 5th grade basketball season has started.  They've been practicing all week and the games start next week.  All of this while incredible learning is occurring in the classrooms!

Next Wednesday we will be completing a state testing field test.  Basically the students will be taking a test assigned to them by the district to field test the new testing format and questions that we will be held accountable to next year.  Our schedules on Wednesday will be a little different - lunches and specials will have to be changed a little.  But, hopefully this gives the state some good data to move forward with the testing changes they will be making. 

I hope everyone has a great weekend.  Enjoy your "extra" day tomorrow. 

Mrs. Turner
principal

Hi Yealey Families,

I hope you've had a great week at home.  We have had a good week here.

Fifth grade wowed us with an amazing performance of the Jungle Book play.  I love hearing kids sing and seeing their personalities shine on stage.  Our new sound system that was purchased by the PTA did an awesome job also and it was so nice to be able to clearly hear everything that was happening.

I loved spending some time watching a group of third graders program Makey Makeys as they work on long division.  They are constantly amazing me with the things they do!

Information on Lisbeth's services are at https://cooperfuneralhome.net/obituaries/lisbeth-aleyandra-plavsic/  Her mother asked that I please share this with the Yealey Family.

I hope you all have a great weekend.  Spend time with family and friends!

Mrs. Turner
principal

Hi Yealey Families,

Happy Valentine's Day!  I hope you've had a great week.  It has been an amazing week here at Yealey.  I've had a chance to read with kids, work with others on math, and help kids with problem solving.  It's always a good week for me when I spend time working with our kids!

This week we had an ELEOT walk thru of our building.  This means that a team of people from the district come in and give us some feedback on different aspects of instruction.  I can tell you they were very impressed with the behavior of our kids and some of the amazing things they were able to do.  They said they could definitely tell that our kids are loved and cared about.  There were multiple comments about how happy everyone was here.  And all I could do was smile and tell them Yealey was the place to be and I was lucky to be here each day.

Thank you to the PTA for fulfilling teachers' wish lists and to 7 Hills Church for the care boxes they sent in.  This extra spoiling is much appreciated.

Don't forget we have no school on Monday, February 17th.

So, I will see you all on Tuesday.  Have a great long weekend!

Mrs. Turner
principal

Happy Snow Day Yealey Families,

Well I didn't think we'd get one but we did!  We have spent the day here cleaning thoroughly to cut down on any germs. One thing that you might consider would be to wash the winter coats or jackets that don't get laundered regularly.  And, possibly Lysol your backpacks.  This unexpected three day weekend is a good chance for us to try to cut down on the spread of germs.

We will have the pajama day on Monday that was scheduled for today.  This is to celebrate the kids meeting their clothing donation goal that the student lighthouse team has led.  So, it's a free pajama day for everyone.

The installation of the new sound system in the gym was completed today.  Thank you to PTA and several teachers for seeing this project through.  I think you will be impressed the next time you attend an event in the gym with how great we will sound!

Please see information from classroom teachers on Valentine's/Friendship Day plans.

Don't forget we are off school on 2/17 for a professional development day.

Have a great weekend!

Mrs. Turner
principal

Hi Yealey Families,

I hope you've all had a great week.  It has been a great week here and amazing- we made it through January without a snow day.  Could it be that we will actually get out of school for the summer on May 20th?

Thank you to all the families who participated in all our evening activities this week.  It has been a jam packed week here after school.  On Monday, we hosted a math night for K - 2 parents.  It was nice to have a curriculum based discussion with parents and I appreciate the interest in the academics.  Here are the resources from that event:

National Science Foundation Tips for parents - 

https://www.nsf.gov/discoveries/disc_summ.jsp?cntn_id=241898&WT.mc_id=USNSF_1

NEA

http://www.nea.org/home/59862.htm

Figure This!

https://figurethis.nctm.org/index.html

Early Number Progression Video

https://gfletchy.com/progression-videos/

We had our Leader In Me Family Challenge Celebration Thursday evening.  I was so happy to see our families who took on the challenge.  We are already thinking about how to make this even better next year, so if you didn't get in on it this year, make plans to join us next year!  This evening our PTA hosted a movie night.  We counted over 75 people in attendance.  Thank you to everyone who came out to enjoy the movie and thanks to the PTA for getting this organized.  Be sure to watch for information coming home about upcoming PTA events and opportunities to volunteer.

I hope everyone has a great weekend.  My family will be basketball and football fans all weekend long.

See you next week,
Mrs. Turner
principal

Yealey Families,

I hope you've had a great week at home.  It has been a great 4 days here.  We have celebrated 100 days of school today with lots of little ones trying to look 100 years old.  2nd grade has been to Ignite/MakerSpace for a field trip. 4th and 5th grade have taken the mid-year principal test and have shown how much they've grown already this year. 

Please check out the clinic page of the blog for some guidelines on when to send your kids to school.  It is that time of year where we are having illnesses pop up and want to be sure you know the guidelines we have to follow.

Thursday night our families who have completed the Family Challenge will come together and celebrate.  My family has been working through this and we have really enjoyed it.  I believe we will be doing this again next year and I would highly recommend everyone participating.  Next Friday PTA will have a movie night and general meeting.  I hope to see everyone there!

Have a great weekend and I will see you next week.

Mrs. Turner
principal

Hi Yealey Families,

Welcome Back 2020!  I hope the new year has been off to a better start for your homes than I have had.  I have been out sick most of the time since we've been back.  But, as of yesterday, I am back and feeling normal again.  It has been so good to see the kids and hear about their break.

We have hit the ground running in the new year.  First and Second grades are both going to MakerSpace this month.  The classes that have gone so far have had amazing trips.

We are excited because it looks like we will get through a good chunk of January without weather interruptions to our good teaching time.  Hopefully that continues!

I hope everyone has a great weekend.  Be sure to check out the AP and counselor pages for information on our behavior data and an upcoming mental health summit.  And remember, NO SCHOOL ON MONDAY.  See you all Tuesday!

Mrs. Turner
principal