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Dear GMS Community,

Campus is abuzz as we prepare to welcome students back for in-person instruction next week! Additional tents have been set up to create more outdoor learning spaces, classroom technology has been fine-tuned, and teachers are planning exciting and engaging activities. 

COVID Testing
Nearly 90 staff members and students participated in yesterday’s first on-site COVID testing event, which ran like clockwork. Many thanks to parents for arriving on time and to our students for making COVID testing look easy! Look for an email from Marjorie with the next steps for our sixth-grade families and reminders for seventh and eighth-grade families as your turn approaches.

Carpooling
If you are carpooling to school, please follow these guidelines: 
  • Wear a face covering; a medical-grade mask or double-masking is recommended.
  • Seat students as far apart as possible in the vehicle. 
  • Only the driver’s child should use the front passenger seat.
  • Keep windows open to maximize outdoor air circulation.
  • Ensure the carpool driver or students have screenshots of their Magnus Mobile “Go” message on their phone before arrival on campus.
Drop Off, Pick Up, & Attendance
Students should be dropped off between 8:00 and 8:20 am. We will not be assigning drop-off times as we did in November, and otherwise, drop-off procedures remain the same. Whether arriving by car, bike, or on foot, students need to show their green “Go” message from Magnus Health to come on campus each day.

If you are dropping your child off late or picking them up early, please notify the GMS Front Desk (650-968-8338 x100 or frontdesk@girlsms.org) to coordinate. 

If your child is sick or will otherwise not be attending classes, remember to call the Front Desk or email attendance@girlsms.org.

The school day finishes at 3:20, and students not participating in after-school activities should be picked up between 3:20 and 3:35. Students participating in GMS after-school activities should be picked up between 4:45 and 5:00. Please put your yellow name placard on your dashboard to facilitate pickup.

Extracurricular Activities
We are getting ready to kick off the after-school physical activity program. Sixth-grade parents will receive a TeamSnap invitation by next week Monday. TeamSnap is an online platform for sports teams, and it primarily serves as a communication tool and provides the coaching staff with your contact information in case it is needed. 

Seventh and eighth-grade families can still sign up for after-school physical activities here; please sign-up by the deadlines below:

  • 7th Grade: Sunday, February 21st
  • 8th Grade: Sunday, February 28th

What to Wear
Next week’s forecast is typical California spring weather, with chilly mornings, clear skies, and some blustery wind. Students will be outdoors for all recess and lunch periods, and some classes. They should come to campus in warm layers and dressed to learn outdoors comfortably. 

What to Bring
Sixth-grade families and students will receive an email from the 6th-grade team about the specific school supplies that students need to bring next week. More generally, students should always bring:

  • one mask and an extra mask in a ziplock bag
  • a clean ziplock or Tupperware to hold the mask while eating or drinking
  • GMS laptop, charge cable, and headphones
  • snack and lunch (microwaves will not be available)
  • water bottle (foot-operated water coolers are available for refills)
  • asthma inhaler or EpiPen (if prescribed)

If you have any questions, please reach out to our team (reopening@girlsms.org). 

In partnership,
 
Laura and the COVID Response Team
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