3/24 Principal's Message
Alston Ridge Elementary Parents:
The sun has begun shining a little brighter and I hope that your family is looking forward to the upcoming track-out period. As we prepare to conclude Quarter 3, we continue to be grateful to our families for their support, and thankful for our students for their perseverance!
Upcoming School Calendar Reminders
Monday, 3/29 and 3/30 are Asynchronous learning days for all students. Track-out begins for all students on Wednesday, 3/31. Due to changes in the year-round calendar, students will return from track-out to learning earlier than was originally anticipated: Wednesday, 4/14.
The following are a few reminders and announcements, including follow-up to recent legislation and decision-making by the WCPSS Board of Education regarding reopening schools for in-person learning.
Pre-K Enrollment
Wake County’s Office of Early Learning is currently registering Pre-K students for limited spaces in local programs, including at Alston Ridge Elementary School. All applications for enrollment are through the Office of Early Learning and are not processed at the school. The following is a message about applying for Pre-K in Wake County Public Schools:
Apply Before April 30 for Pre-Kindergarten for the 2021-22 School Year
WCPSS offers a free, high quality pre-kindergarten program for children who will be 4 years old by August 31. Students spend the full day at school with their classmates learning skills appropriate for their age through exploration and discovery. The goal is to prepare children to enter kindergarten ready to learn and succeed. Applications must be submitted by April 30. Learn more and apply today.
Registration, 2021-2022
A reminder that registration is underway for the 2021-2022 school year. Our kindergarten seats are rapidly filling. For families who have resided in the Alston Ridge Elementary base attendance zone prior to capping in February 2019, registration must be completed prior to April 1 to guarantee a seat at ARES for the upcoming school year. Learn more about registration through the WCPSS Office of Student Assignment--https://www.wcpss.net/Page/33753. If you have a neighbor or know someone who has not yet registered their student for the upcoming school year—have them start the process and contact the school’s registrar: Mrs. Joy Tang (jtang@wcpss.net) with any questions.
Change to Plan A for In-Person Instruction
During their meeting on Monday, 3/22, the WCPSS Board of Education reaffirmed commitment to extending reopening for middle and high schools to offer Plan A, daily in-person learning (minimal social distancing). Based on the Board of Education’s decision and new state law—SB 220—families of elementary grades students may return to in-person learning from the Virtual Academy for Quarter 4.
No action is required for families to continue learning in the current program assignment (to continue in the Virtual Academy for the remainder of the school year, or to continue learning in-person.
If you want to change your child’s program assignment, please consider the following:
- April 1 is the deadline for communicating a request to change programs
- Requests must be made via e-mail to the principal, Mr. Niko Schutte, nschutte@wcpss.net; please include your student’s name, grade, current teacher, and the program change that is requested
- Requests for a program change will require a change in teacher—students who change programs will be reassigned to a new classroom for the final 9 weeks of Quarter 4
- Changes will begin on Monday, 4/19. Students will not return on the first day back from track-out (Wednesday, 4/14), except for those students with an IEP or Section 504 plan
- New teacher/classroom assignments for students who are requesting a program change will be communicated to families the week of 4/12
- All students requesting a program change to in-person instruction who will come to the school building for the first time will need to complete the health guidelines acknowledgement form before the 4/19: https://www.wcpss.net/studentaccountability health accountability.pdf
- All students choosing to return to the Virtual Academy from in-person learning will receive Google Classroom information for the week of 4/14
Please contact the school at 919-544-2474 if you have any questions as you consider the best options for your family.
Virtual Coding Workshops K-8, Green Hope High School
Green Hope High School’s Next-Gen STEM student-led program is hosting a series of Coding workshops for students in the district. Remaining workshops include 4/10 and 4/24. Sign up at: https://bit.ly/3qdJjkQ FAQ regarding this organization are available at http://bit.ly/3sTdr6J
Spring School Pictures and Yearbook information
Families of students enrolled in the Virtual Academy will be able to sign-up to have students’ pictures taken at the school on Wednesday, 5/19—an asynchronous learning day for all year-round calendar students. Health Screenings will be conducted, pictures will be contactless and social distancing will be strictly maintained throughout the session. Alston Ridge ES faculty will facilitate adherence to our health and safety protocols in the gymnasium to ensure that this service can be available to all families. In-Person students will take pictures during the school day on Tuesday, 5/18. Although a Yearbook will not be developed this year due to the barriers to including all students, a Class Composite picture will be available to capture a snapshot of each teacher’s class.
Remember to always call the school with any questions that we can answer to help you support your student and engage here at Alston Ridge Elementary!