Black History Month

Specialist Updates

Valentine's Day

Updated Health Guidance

Safe Drop-Off & Pick-Up

Bel Aire's Gaga Pit

Purchase a Yearbook

Spirt Wear

2021 Nominating Committee

Let's Get Social!

Dear Families,

February was designated as National Black History Month in 1986 when Congress passed Public Law 99-244. This was followed by President Reagan's Proclamation stating the purpose of Black History Month is "to make all Americans aware of this struggle from freedom and equal opportunity" (Library of Congress and Anti-Racism Daily).

In honor of this important month, Bel Aire students will engage in a variety of learning opportunities that explore meaningful Black contributions as well as issues of historic and current issues of social justice.

We are curating an extraordinary number of high-quality resources, and I would like to share some with families:

And just in case you missed it the first time I shared it, I have found that the Anti-Racism Daily is one of the best new resources for anyone looking to learn more about how to engage as an anti-racist. You can choose to receive a clear, short, informative email (with action steps!) daily or as a weekly digest.

Sincerely,

☞ IMPORTANT DATES ☜

★ SPECIALIST MONTHY UPDATE ★

♥ VALENTINE'S UPDATE ♥

As another entry in the long list of COVID-based disappointments, Marin Public Health has advised schools to avoid any exchange of paper valentines this year.

I know this is disappointing, as it's a holiday favorite, but our incredible Bel Aire PTA is preparing to share a special treat and holiday craft for each classroom.

🦠 UPDATED COVID HEALTH GUIDANCE 🦠

With Marin's transition to Tier 1 (Purple/Widespread), Marin Public Health has revised the Safety Decision Tree for Schools:

Here is a summary of changes:

New symptoms have been added as not requiring testing for students under 18:

Students under 18, with any of the above symptoms, are able to return to school after 24 hours without any symptoms. Note that if a nurse suspects COVID, we may require them to be evaluated by a healthcare provider and/or be COVID tested prior to their return.

Quarantine after high-risk activity is still recommend, but the definition of high-risk activity is now defined as:

🚫 IMPORTANT SAFETY REMINDERS 🚫

I continue to be impressed with how well families are following the long list of safety protocols. Below are are a couple reminders for drop-off and pick-up to protect the safety or our little ones and show respect to our neighbors.

✓ Designate a pick-up and drop-off area that is not immediately in front of the point of entry or a crosswalk. These are areas with the most pedestrian traffic.

✘ Avoid parking or stopping in front of driveways. Even for a quick drop-off, it is important that we all agree to use legal parking spaces only.

✘ Do not park or stop in the middle of the street. Please pull all the way over in a legal parking space.

✘ Avoid u-turns in or near a crosswalk. It is best to avoid u-turns all together, but if it can't be avoided, please do so safely and far away from pedestrian traffic. It's important to remember that the behavior of our younger ones is often unpredictable.

✘ Do not park at a stop sign. This makes it difficult for drivers behind you to proceed, and it blocks the view ahead of you which could include a child walking across the street.

We are in the process of removing the Gaga Pit from the playground that has not been in use since last March. This game has regularly resulted in conflicts and required adult supervision. We have also learned that this area is often used after dark by teens since it provides a space with limited visibility. You may recall that we re-painted the gaga pit in 2018 after finding anti-Semitic and offensive graffiti on the inside. Recent weather had caused the newer paint to fade, and some of the graffiti images were beginning to reappear. Initially, we planned to replace a couple boards, but upon further consideration of the aforementioned issues, we have decided to remove the pit completely.

✎ PLEASE REMIND YOUR STUDENTS ✎

I sent a reminder email via Alma today asking students to complete the wellness survey (and I cc-ed parents). Please remind your students to complete this important survey by Friday as we would like to know how they're doing.

 This year, we will need some help from our community to collect photos! 

Megan Pirsch at meganpirsch@gmail.com or

Jen Feldman at j.feld09@gmail.com.  

Bel-Aire Spirit is Gold and Blue.

Looking for a gift for your Bel-Aire sweetheart. Look no further. Bel-Aire PTA is selling their trendy flannel pajamas and other SpiritWear merchandise for Valentines day. If you order before February 8, PTA will drop off the merchandise at your door by February 14. Order yours today. Inventory is running out fast.

The Nominating Committee will meet over the next several weeks to develop a slate of PTA officers for the 2021-2022 school year. Open positions include District President, District Secretary, Bel Aire Site Chair, and Treasurers at all three schools. If you are interested in one of these leadership positions, please contact any of the Nominating Committee members or rusdptasecretary@gmail.com.

_⍟ IMPORTANT LINKS _⍟