Smith School Newsletter
April 2, 2020
Principal's Message
Dear Families:

Thank you for your continued support and efforts with distance learning. This is a new experience for all of us and we are all learning together. Please do not hesitate to contact your child's teachers with any questions or concerns. Our service providers are also available to you and your child. Please be sure to visit the District Learning Portal to find service and contact information. 

We continue to distribute daily meals at each of the nine sites across the city. Additionally, we continue to distribute technology devices as requested. We are working hard to make sure your child's needs are met. 
 
Please note that during this time our office staff is also working from home. If you call our main office, please leave a voicemail. Due to the wonders of technology, voicemails are redirected to our email, allowing us to respond to your call.

This video captures the spirit of Smith Intermediate School!

Be well - 
Mrs. Wanish
Distance Learning Continues
We will continue to provide distance learning and meal distribution through  at least  April 14, 2020. Please note that the week of April 6 - 13, originally designated as Spring Vacation, is now instructional time. Teachers will continue to provide you with updated lessons. Thank you for helping to maintain this continuity and consistency of instruction at home.

We will continue to provide you with updates regarding home instruction and a return to school date as information becomes available.
Collection of Student Work
As we have transitioned to the online format, teachers are collecting student work and providing feedback online. For students who have completed work in paper format, collection sites will be set up at each school, at Penguin Trailer Park and Rickard Street Apartments. Per the March 31st Special Announcement from the District:

Thanks to the  Cortland Standard , the collection of printed work materials will occur via their previously retired newspaper vending boxes.  At the front door of each school, we will soon have a  Cortland Standard  newspaper vending box where work can be returned Monday through Friday.  We will also station a newspaper vending box at the food distribution sites at Penguin Trailer Park and Rickard Street Apartments. Work that needs to be returned can be left in any of those newspaper vending boxes (returned in the original, labeled envelope, please, so we can route the materials back to the teachers). We will empty the boxes each day at approximately 1 p.m. We ask everyone to respect the boxes and to respect the work that is left inside. We plan to have these in place no later than Monday, April 6th. Thanks,  Cortland Standard , for your help!  
Chromebook Info: 
Chromebook usage restrictions were preset for home use as they are at school.  Specifically:
  • Google Hangouts is disabled.
  • Students can not receive email to their school account from outside of cortlandschools.org
  • Chrome is internet content filtered. (Note that it is impossible to filter all content)  
  • Chatting is allowed within Google Classroom.
  • Youtube is not restricted. 
It is always a good practice to regularly monitor your child's online activity, regardless of the device being used. Thank you for promoting appropriate usage and online behavior.

If you are having a problem with the Chromebook, please email: helpdesk@cortlandschools.org   or call 607-758-4188.

Be sure to include your child's name and grade, along with your name and contact information.
Food Service Continues
Breakfast and lunch will be available for every student, Monday through Friday, at locations across the community from 11 a.m. to 1p.m. Locations include:
  • Barry Primary bus loop
  • Junior Senior High School bus loop
  • Randall Middle bus loop
  • Smith Intermediate bus loop
  • Virgil School bus loop
  • Additional sites added: 
  • Parker School (parent drop-off area)
  • Penguin Trailer Park (11a - noon only)
  • Rickard Street Apartments (11a - noon only)
News from the Nurse
It is important to practice good hand washing to protect yourself and others from getting sick.
Good hand washing should be done:
  • after coughing or sneezing
  • when caring for the sick
  • before during and after you prepare food
  • before eating
  • after using the toilet
  • when hands are viable dirty
  • after handling animals or animal waste

The new term we keep hearing about is "social distancing." Together we can slow the spread of COVID-19 by making a conscious effort to keep physical distance between each other. Read more about social distancing by clicking  here   .
Get Social With Us @CECSD_Smith
  Stay tuned for our newsletter next month!