The reopening of our campus has required a meticulous organization to minimize contact between students of the same or different levels. This approach requires educating children about new precautions and behavioral routines that protect them from becoming infected with the virus. It is essential that the same logic applies outside of school: upon arrival in the morning or departure in the afternoon, we ask for the support of each parent with respect to our plan to maintain distance between children. Please do not allow your child to interact with others who are not in their class. Your help and support are critical in allowing the school to continue welcoming all interested students to our campus. We are all in this together. Thank you.
Why is cooperative pedagogy so important? Cooperative pedagogy focuses on communication, expressing emotions, and helping one another to succeed together in the respect of all. It allows students to improve their relationships with each other. It’s an instrument for producing social harmony.
What is a collaborative game? A game is considered cooperative when the result of the activity does not distinguish the winners from the losers: either everyone wins or everyone loses. Students work together to tackle a challenge or to break a previous record. The game ends when the goal is achieved. The game always ends with a phase of reflection and analysis. It is at this moment that the students express their feelings and the choices made. This phase of analysis allows the group to raise awareness of the strategies that are favorable and unfavorable to the success of the group game.
The Cooperative Pen This month, the 5th graders tried a new game: the cooperative pen! Students were randomly assigned to groups of 4 or 5. Each member of the group holds the end of a string that is attached to the same pen (see pictures). The goal is to work together, as a team, to reproduce a drawing (heart) with a message (École!). There is no time limit to accomplish the task. The students will repeat the exercise once a month, for three months, with the same teammates. That way, we will be able to see improvement over time. Several cooperative games will be done in 5th grade this year. Next challenge: building a pyramid with cups!
Cooperative Pen Google Photo Album
A short video:
6th Grade Movie Night Google Photo Album
6th Grade Movie Night Short Video:
7th Grade Movie Night Google Photo Album
December Events Same schedule as last week: Schedule All testing stations will be located in the PK parking lot. If you would like SDFAS staff to do the nasal swab on your child(ren), click here to complete the required consent form (only if you have not yet done it before – once submitted, the form is valid for the rest of the school year). If you plan to perform the nasal swab on your child(ren), please arrive on time. Summary of parent participation per class For more details or to make a gift, please click here. Thank you to Mendy Hoppel, proud mom of Graham in PK2, for being at the origin of this project and taking the lead in its implementation. Check out books with our new Online Library Catalog-includes a new Guide to how to use the online catalogCovid-19 surveillance testing on Monday 12/14 and Tuesday 12/15
From the Development Office
CLASS
PARTICIPATION
PK0
71%
PK1
65.2%
PK2
57%
KG
71.8%
1A
93.8%
1B
80%
2A
62.5%
2B
93%
3A
88.23%
3B
94.1%
4A
83.3%
4B
100%
5A
83.3%
5B
80%
6
82.2%
7
82%
8
85%
“À table” virtual series – A community-building initiative
Girard Gourmet
It is time to register for your winter session Girard Gourmet plan! The winter lunch plan starts on January 4th and ends on March 31st. Please follow this link to register. Holiday cookies are also now available at www.girardgourmetcookies.com!
Library
Linguascope
For questions related to the library, please contact Anne Ricart, Librarian, library@sdfrenchschool.org.
PK pictures previously scheduled on January 11th-13th are postponed. New dates will be communicated in next week’s Echo Info.
For questions about the preschool, please contact Babeth Esterly, besterly@sdfrenchschool.org, and Sophie Ricouard, sricouard@sdfrenchschool.org.
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It has been an incredible first trimester. Thank you for your patience and your support.
How to access the report cards in the FACTS Family Portal? You will have access to the report cards starting Friday, December 11th after 4:00 p.m. directly on the FACTS Family Portal. Once you log into the portal, Go to Student in the use blue menu on the left, Click on the arrow on the right to open the drop-down menu, Scroll down and click on Report Cards. If you do not have your login and/or password, please contact Stéphanie Humbert at admin@sdfrenchschool.org. Please, take the time to download and to archive them for future use. Francis Carlier, Director of the elementary school, fcarlier@sdfrenchschool.org remains available if you have any questions.
Please contact Erin Stoller, High School Placement Counselor/SEL Advisor at estoller@sdfrenchschool.org for questions regarding high school placement.
Message from Erin Stoller, HS Placement Counselor
Order Required Red Polo and Navy Blue T-Shirt and other Spirit Wear There is no school uniform at SDFAS; however, the school does have a Dress Code, as outlined in the Parent-Student Handbook. For the 2020/21 school year, we are excited to partner, again, with Land’s End, a provider of high-quality school clothing and spirit wear. Here is the Land’s End SDFAS webpage (900190869) where you will order: More Info here. Please remember to label your child’s clothing and personal belongings.
SDFAS offers tuition assistance to qualified applicants based entirely on demonstrated financial need. Applications are now available for 2021-2022 on SSS. Don’t miss the deadline!
The French government awards scholarships to French nationals, three years and older, who demonstrate financial need. The timeline for 2021-2022 has not been published yet. We will keep you posted. New this year! We are now accredited by Child Care Aware® of America (CCAoA) for Military/DoD Fee Assistance programs.Contact Isabelle Gilet, admissions@sdfrenchschool.org for more information.
From Alice Kong, STEAM Coordinator. It is more important than ever to talk to children on a regular basis about online safety and digital citizenship.
Family-friendly activities Grades 1-2 Grades 3-5 Grades 6-8 Helpful reading for adults
Parenting Conference by Fusion
Responsive Classroom
Return-to-School Documents for Acknowledgement and Signature All parents with children enrolled at SDFAS for the 2020-2021 school year are required to review and acknowledge with signature the following documents using this ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FORM: **URGENT Action Needed!**Click here for the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FORM to print, complete, sign, scan to pdf and return by email to Stephanie Humbert at shumbert@sdfrenchschool.org.
How to Update Contact Information and Pick-Up Authorization in FACTS?
Sign in Procedure in Preschool with Procare App Drop-off and Pick-up Protocols Rules for bicycles, pedestrians and vehicles in and around the dirt lot
Elementary School and Middle School Early Pick-Up
Download Magnus Health Screening App Consult our Covid-19 webpage at any time to see our most recent updates. Great news from Magnus! They have heard the recommendations from the community and have updated the Magnus application to now include Face ID/ Touch ID. The best way to take advantage of this update is to update the app in the Apple Store (iPhone users) or Google Play Store (Android Users). Once updated, log in, and a pop-up window will appear asking if you’d like to enable the Face ID/Touch ID feature. You may need to delete the app and download it again if you do not get the pop up upon logging in. Flu Season is here. Don’t wait to get the flu vaccine. Video from Anna and Mark Instructions to install Magnus App For the upcoming school year, parents will use the Magnus Health Mobile App to complete a daily COVID-19 screening assessment for each SDFAS student from a smartphone in just a few clicks. This screening will need to be done every morning, at home, no later than 7:30 am, before departure for school. On August 27, 2020, parents will be able to set up a Magnus Health account via FACTS. After activating your Magnus Health account via FACTS you will install the Magnus Health Mobile App on your smartphone. To log in for the first time please follow the instructions below: At the completion of this initial process, you will be able to download the Magnus Mobile App for free on your smartphone and log in through the app to complete the screening assessment each morning. If you need additional help, you can always reference the parent tutorial. You will access the screening via the button titled “COVID-19.” We thank you in advance for your cooperation in this daily screening as it will be an imperative function of our safety protocols. Upon completion of the quick survey each morning, you will receive a message for the student’s attendance giving instructions for that day. If your child arrives at school and the screening has not been completed, we will ask that you complete it before the student exits the vehicle. A parent must be the one to fill this out. Thank you for your cooperation in helping us keep the school operational during this pandemic. Use of this App will help us create the safest possible environment for your children, our faculty, and staff. For any technical issues with the mobile app such as login problems, or problems completing the screening please contact customer support at Magnus Health SMR by phone at 877.461.6831 or by email at service@magnushealthportal.com.
Medical FormsPreschool and K & Medical Forms
K-8 & Medical Forms
Grades Pk0-PK1-PK2
Grades K
Grades 1-5
4th grade
5th Grade
Elementary School Parent Webinar by Mark Rosenblum, Headmaster – SDFAS Reopening Overview
Middle School School Supplies
7th Grade
8th Grade
You can find here the general information shared during the Middle School Back to School Night.
School Supplies
The printing and delivery of the 2019 -2020 Yearbook were delayed due to circumstances related to COVID. Our publishers’ facilities are operating at a greatly reduced capacity which has significantly impacted their production schedule. We are in regular communication with them. We anticipate a delivery in late fall and will update the community with specifics as soon as they are available. Please contact our Yearbook advisor Andrew Ericson, aericson@sdfrenchschool.org, with any questions. Thank you for your patience.
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