Happy Friday Ludlow Families!  How about a little late night reading on a Friday?  It was so great to see you all today, even in the sweltering heat at 9:00 a.m.  Thanks to those families that came out.  We look forward to welcoming our new families tomorrow by appointment only, for school tours organized by PTO.  We have arrived to the first day of school and we are so excited to be back in person with our kids. 
As promised, I wanted to send a few reminders before the first day:

*School hours are 8:45-3:15. Our tardy bell rings at 8:45.  Doors open at 8:15 for students and please have your daily ASK, ASK, LOOK form in your child’s backpack or hand.  Dismissal will begin promptly at 3:15. Students must be picked up by 3:30.*

Please Wear Your Mask Daily, Social Distance, and Wash Hands Frequently!


Weekly COVID Testing:
Please note change* Today the Mayor announced all students would be “opted-in” to random weekly testing.  We will test 45 students per week with a saliva test kit.  If you want to “opt-out” you must send in the form DCPS sent to families today.  I have shared a video with teachers which shows this process in kid friendly terms.  They may share it in the classroom to make students feel comfortable with the process. 

SPARK Grades K-5 Only:
Morning SPARK time is back! We know our students love this time outdoors each morning with staff before school.  Students should be dropped at the appropriate entry point (mentioned below).  Next, they will be directed to the playground area starting on Monday for outdoor physical movement activities led by Coach Smith, Coach Lawson, and many others.  This will begin at 8:15 if you want your child to participate.  This is our morning duty and supervision area for students and it will move indoors to the café during inclement weather days.  If you arrive later than 8:40, your child will report to the classroom.

Ask, Ask, Look Form:
Please click here for Ask, Ask, Look form so you can print at home to be day one ready.  If you do not have a printer, we will have several copies outside when you arrive.  Please check your student daily for symptoms and complete the form.  We will check it quickly outside when they arrive so they can enter our school.  We wanted to move away from using the form, but after talking with our nurse today she recommended we keep the process going for a speedier entry.  The same form can be used daily, so just keep it in a safe place. 

Isolation Room:
In the event your child is sent to the isolation room, because they are displaying COVID symptoms, we ask they be picked up immediately by you or another parent/guardian.  We do not want sick students to remain in the room for any length of time.  This room is simply a safe, temporary, holding spot for students supervised by a PCT.

PreK3 and PreK4:
School starts for you, Thursday!  Your main entrance and exit point each day, will be the side of our school on G Street and you must sign in and out daily.  Many adults will be there to support and answer any questions you may have.

Arrival and Dismissal Procedures:
There will be no early dismissal after 2:00 p.m. daily.  If your child has an appointment, please pick them up before 2:00. 
We have two ENTRY POINTS this year!
Grades 1-5 and bus students will enter and exit daily through our main lobby entrance on 7th Street.  Again, PK along with K on G Street (side entry).

Afterschool:
Our afterschool program Flex Academy, will begin serving students on Monday.  We have about 150 students enrolled and they will be spread about the building for safety.  Please meet our school contact for Flex on Monday when you arrive for pick-up in the evening.  Her name is Sheritha, and she handles Ludlow after care.  If you have issues after 3:30, she is your contact if your students are in her care.  I am sure Flex will be sending more details and communication soon.

Immunizations:
All students must have up-to-date immunizations this year.  DCPS is adhering to strict guidelines centered around this.  If you have not gained the appropriate immunizations within the first 20 days of school, your child will be unenrolled on the 20th day.  We do not want this to happen to any family, so please make your appointments now, to handle this very important task. 

Breakfast and Lunch:
Breakfast will be in the classrooms once SPARK ends and kids come inside.
PK3, PK4, and K will be eating lunch in classrooms.
1st-5th grades will be eating in the café and seating charts will be used for assigned seating.  This is required by DCPS for COVID processes, not a punishment for students. 
Outdoor tents and furniture have been ordered for LTES and should arrive over the next few weeks to give us more outdoor learning and eating spaces as options. 

Water Filling Stations:
These are located on each hallway for students.  Water fountains are closed.  Please send in a water bottle with your child daily already filled when possible. 

Uniforms:
Uniforms are worn daily Monday-Thursday with Fridays being casual.

Recess:
Recess will be held outdoors daily (weather permitting) for 30 minutes.  This is in addition to morning SPARK time. 

LSAT:
The Local School Advisory Team (LSAT) is a group of elected and appointed members that exists in every DCPS school. The team consists of parents, teachers, staff, and a community member who advise the principal on matters that promote high expectations and achievement for all students.  The names of our team members will be listed on the LTES website soon, along with meeting agendas and links.  Our first meeting will be held virtually on September 1st at 5:00.

*Visitors are not allowed in our building.  Appointments can be made if necessary, but we will continue to use phone and virtual communication as best we can, while still in a pandemic.*

Enjoy your last weekend of summer.  Remember it is a full week and the following week we have a day off for Labor Day and to enjoy some college football.  I can’t wait to see you Monday!  

Dear Families,
 
It is hard to believe we are one week away from seeing so many smiling faces!  You will get a final email from me next Sunday with many more details.  I wanted to send a quick follow up to a few things I mentioned in my email last week.
 
Meet the Teacher Friday, 8/27:
This event has been modified down to one hour and will take place from 9:00-10:00.  We will decide later in the week which format to take.  We hope to be outside at LTES for social distancing, weather permitting.  If that is not possible, we will move to a virtual posture.  Please look for an update later in the week.
 
Class Assignments and Staffing Updates:
We had several staff on leave Friday, so if you are a family who did not receive notification, please give us until Monday at 3:00 p.m. before inquiring more.  In an effort to provide clarity and transparency, I want to give you more details related to staffing.  We have two staff who are taking intermittent maternity leave, one staff member in PK3 who retired last Friday, and six various types of staff members still processing through DCPS/HR onboarding (which I have no control over).  We will begin the school year with substitutes in some areas.  Employment offers are made daily to employees from DCPS, so each day we keep our fingers crossed that these employees are processed in a timely fashion.  
 
Devices:
Thanks to everyone who has started to return devices to LTES.  Please continue to do so and don't forget the charger!  
 
PTO Shirts:
Spirit shirts have arrived, but still have to be organized by PTO.  These will be ready for pick up late this week, or we will send them home with your child in their book bag, during week one of school.  
 
Kide Ride Free:
These cards are only for students in K-5 and must be picked up by the enrolling parent at our school location.  Just wanted to clarify these details.
 
ASK, ASK, LOOK Forms:
It is our goal not to require the health forms daily, but conduct verbal screenings with our kids who are old enough to verify in their own words.  If they are not, for example thinking PreK and K, we will take a parent verbal at drop off.  
 
Mayor's Situational Update:
The Mayor's situational update from Wednesday can be found online via Youtube if you want to watch the recording.  
 
 A Few Points To Note:
*Families are strongly encouraged to skip travel at this time.  
*If a student must quarantine/isolate, asynchronous learning will occur for the most part.  This means learning at home with materials provided by the teacher.  Often times, this may be traditional paper/pencil class assignments.  Our teachers may be utilizing Canvas to post assignments in this case.
*Simulcasting (teacher teaching in person and virtually at the same time) will only occur in special cases.  You will be notified in the event this occurs.
*COVID testing protocols will exist in all schools and parents will have to sign consent.
*Any partner who conducts work within DCPS, including any after school programs or clubs, will have to comply with COVID regulations.  
*We are trying our best to keep grade level cohorts of kids together and decrease any chances of mixing multiple aged children in close spaces.  
*Our school is fully stocked with PPE supplies.  Anything that you send in as a family is a bonus to the teacher, but not required.  
 
Coming Soon:
*More information on morning entry points and grade levels assigned to each location. We plan to have 2-3 locations.
*More information on our morning and afternoon dismissal routines.
*Bell schedules.  
 
Other Important Notes:
*Parents should provide a healthy snack for their child daily (per teacher's request or directions) and water bottles that are filled and labeled with your child's name.  We will have a way to provide water to students, but our water fountains are in the off position.
*All parents should communicate to the classroom teacher by Friday in writing, how your child will be getting home each day.  Additionally, let them know who may be authorized to pick up your child if it is not you.  They also need to be made aware of any medical alerts and custody issues.  
 
Thanks as always for your support and we look forward to making connections soon.  Never hesitate to email if you have more questions.
 
​Dr. Rachel A. Williams
Principal

Dear Families,
 
I wanted to update you on a few things for the week:
 
Renovations and the Impact on LTES Events:
As you are aware, we are under a full HVAC renovation and our school is still an active construction site.  If you drive by, you will notice the debris outside and work being done on the roof.  Our interior is still very much in need of a tremendous amount of work, from the completion of ceiling tiles, major cleaning, waxing, and dusting, and the relocation/moving of furniture.  We have been given support in the form of additional cleaners/movers, as well as district check-in's daily.  Regardless, our school is still very much a work in progress.  I say all of this to let you know, we may have to make some last minute modifications to our "Meet the Teacher" event on the morning of August 27th.  I am not in a position to provide any details just yet, however we will be making decisions up until the last moment.  That is how quickly things change in a day here with the workers still on site.  I appreciate you understanding this is a complex process and we are doing all we can to have a presentable space to welcome you.  
 
Devices:
Many families did not return devices at the end of the 20-21 school year.  We are in desperate need of these devices in order to reimage them and have them ready for students.  If you have a device, please plan to deliver it to our front office between now and the start of school.  Our hours are 8:00-3:00.  If you need to make other arrangements for us to pick up a device, please call the office and we can note that as well.  Just leave your name and phone number and we can see how to best support you.  We realize transportation can be an obstacle at times.  
 
School Tours:
Saturday, August 28th we will be hosting morning school tours for any new families to LTES.  This includes new families who just moved or families who have never seen our school in person due to virtual learning.  PTO will be sponsoring this event and it is by appointment only.  We anticipate these lasting about 30 minutes total in staggered time increments to be safe and cautious.  Please see the attached Google form here to reserve your spot.  More details will be forthcoming on this event as we get closer to the date.https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-Ipp749jZ4YxW1YPW4mNY6bVQNfXFTmmOAWdUeF0yac/edit
 
Campus Beautification:
Event will be held 10:00 until noon on August 28th outside.  Please join us!
 
Back To School Information:
School hours are 8:45-3:15. Our doors will open daily at 8:15.
The tardy bell rings at 8:45. If your child is tardy, they must be signed in by an adult, at the officer's desk  located at the entrance of our school.
Breakfast will be in the classroom for all grades.
Lunch will be in the classroom for PK3, PK4 and K.  All other grades will be in the cafe.
Teachers will reach out to you with class assignments and supply lists by this Friday 8/20.
Uniforms are required Monday-Thursday each week.  Fridays are casual.
Masks are required daily for all staff, students, and visitors.
Visitors-We are not allowing visitors during the school day until we see a decrease in COVID cases around the DC area.  This is for the safety of our kids so we can help keep classes open.
 
COVID Updates:
Just a few updates since my last correspondence.  We will be using multiple assigned entry points for our students to enter the building daily.  *Parents will not be allowed to walk students to class starting on day one or any day thereafter.*  Families will also be asked to complete a daily health screening form for their child and more direction will come on this soon.  DCPS staff are now required to be vaccinated or complete weekly tests if they have opted out for a medical or religious reason.  Mayor Bowser announced this will be a requirement for all government employees.  This will take effect 9/19.  The Mayor will be holding a mid-day press conference tomorrow for any additional updates.
 
After School Care and Clubs:
Flex Academies is our after-school provider and registration can be found online.  We are working in collaboration with them to provide extracurricular clubs, which would begin later in September.  
 
Kids Ride Free
Kids Ride Free Cards are available as of this Friday. Please allow 48 hours to have a card assigned and ready for pick-up. Send an email to chantay.powell@k12.dc.gov with the student's name and teacher name. Parents must sign for the card when picking it up in person.
 
Have a wonderful rest of your week!  We are counting down the days until we see YOU.