WYNK: GWCS BACK-TO-SCHOOL INFO 2021-2022

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Hello Coyotes!

I am so excited to see you all next week! We have had a busy and exciting summer planning for this, our 23rd year, which will be our best school year ever. Below you will find a lot of information (all in one convenient place) regarding the start of the 2021-2022 school year. As always, please feel free to reach out to me directly with any questions that arise.

We continue to be nimble with our COVID-19 mitigation plan. Our latest briefing from Fairfax County Health Department was on August 9th and we will comply with all recommendations. Watch for continued GWCS updates as they become available.

Warmly,

 

Alexa Warden, Director
wardenac@gwcommunityschool.com

QUICK WYNK LINKS:

Note:  Blue Text = Links.  Happy Clicking!

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COVID-19 MITIGATION PRACTICES

In-person classes will resume on Monday, August 30, 2021 at 9:15 am with the following guidelines in place:

  • Vaccinations highly recommended for all GWCS community members

  • Universal mask policy - all students and staff will wear masks while indoors

  • Personal and classroom sanitizing practiced at the start of each class

  • Social Distancing of at least 3’ maintained at all times while indoors

  • Students and staff may eat indoors during designated times remaining at least six feet away from other community members. Students may not eat during class or Advisory. However, should a student need to eat during non-designated times, they may see Mr. Mallonee who can provide them with instructions on where they can safely eat away from others.

  • Two 15-minute breaks each day for students and staff to go outside, remove masks, and breathe fresh air while maintaining social distancing of at least 6’

  • Overnight trips limited to those who have been fully vaccinated

  • Personal Fitness and Basketball tentatively scheduled to begin at Audrey Moore RECenter on September 20th for all fully-vaccinated students

  • Remote learning option available for students who are not feeling well, experiencing symptoms consistent with COVID-19, or who may have been exposed to COVID-19

  • Bathroom use is restricted to one person at a time

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CLASS SCHEDULES

  • Class schedules will be available on students’ CoyoteWeb accounts. Look for an email update for when that goes live!

  • The first publishing of schedules often results a ripple effect of changes. All students will receive a printed copy of their current schedule on the first day of school.

  • Students will have an opportunity to meet with Ms. Warden during the first two weeks of school to discuss any changes needed.

  • The Add/Drop date for first quarter is Friday, September 24th. Changes can be made to students’ schedules during this time without grade penalty. See Advisor for blue Add-Drop form.

  • If you’re not familiar with CoyoteWeb - more information is available under the ‘Technology’ section below.

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FIRST WEEK OF SCHOOL SCHEDULE

  • FIRST DAYS:

    • School will begin in Advisory at 9:15 am for the first three weeks of school. Students may arrive at school at 9:00 am.

    • School will end at 3:15 pm for the first three weeks of school.

    • Orientation for ALL students: Monday, August 30, 2021

    • Orientation for ALL students: Tuesday, August 31, 2021

    • First Day Full Classes: Wednesday, September 1, 2021

    • Tentative: Beginning September 20, 2021 - PE, Hiking Club, and Basketball may be available at Audrey Moore RECenter for all fully-vaccinated students. We recommend holding off on purchasing memberships at this time. More info below.

    • Tentative: Beginning September 20, 2021 - After school electives and clubs may be available for optional 7th period which begins at 3:15 pm.

    • The first three weeks of school will inform us as to how we will proceed for the following weeks.

  • SYMPTOM CHECK

    Before leaving home all families should conduct the following CDC symptom check. If a staff member or student has any of these symptoms, they will be required to stay home. If you are unsure whether or not a student has symptoms that require them to stay home, call Mr. Mallonee at 703.978.7208 X303 to discuss before 8:30 am.

    • Fever of 100.4 degrees or higher

    • Chills

    • Cough

    • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

    • Fatigue (more than usual)

    • Muscle or body aches

    • Headache

    • Loss of taste or smell

    • Sore throat

    • Nasal congestion or runny nose

    • Nausea or vomiting

    • Diarrhea

    • Abdominal pain

    • New onset of poor appetite or poor feeding

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  • STUDENT ORIENTATION: All students will participate in Student Orientation beginning at 9:15 am on Monday, August 30th and Tuesday, August 31st.

    • BRING (AT A MINIMUM):

      • Laptop & Power Cord

      • Insulated Lunch Bag

      • Ice Packs (for lunch bag)

      • 32 oz Reusable Water Bottle (filled)

      • Extra Face Masks

      • Personal Hand Sanitizer

      • Pens & Pencils

      • Highlighters

      • Ruler

      • Binder or Folder with Paper

      • *Additional Notebooks/Binders TBD pending individual class requirements

      • *Calculator TBD pending math class requirements

      • Click Here for printable general supply list.

      • Specific class supply needs will be listed on individual class syllabi.

  • GYM/PE: GWCS will not be using Audrey Moore RECenter for PE at least for the start of the year.

    • First two weeks of school - no PE requirement.

    • We hope to begin Personal Fitness, Hiking Club, and Basketball at Audrey Moore RECenter on Monday, September 20th at 8:00 am for all fully-vaccinated students.

    • Students who are not fully vaccinated will need to develop an independent personal fitness plan approved by student’s Advisor.

    • The fall varsity basketball season is under construction with high hopes for a successful season.

  • PICK UP TIME: The school day will end at 3:15 pm the first three weeks of school. Beginning September 20th, 7th Period electives and clubs will begin at 3:15 pm for interested students. Pick up time will vary depending on the activity. Look forward to future WYNKs which will provide details about electives and clubs.

  • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1: This is the first day of regularly scheduled classes. Monday, September 20th is the first day to include 1st period and 7th period. See Coyote Howl bell schedule linked in the ‘Resources’ section below.

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GWCS FORMS

  1. EMERGENCY FORM: Please complete and return the 2021-2022 Emergency Form to the basket on the front desk by Tuesday, August 31, 2021. It is very important that we have this completed form without delay. New students who completed this form over the summer do not need to complete it again unless there are changes. We recommend downloading and completing this MS Word version of the Emergency Form so that you can save it to your computer and make and submit changes as needed during the school year.

  2. HEALTH FORM: All students are required to have on record a Virginia School Entrance Health Form (or similar immunization record). Physicals will only be required for students who indicate any flagged health issues on the FitLINXX form that will be completed during the first week of Personal Fitness and Basketball at Audrey Moore RECenter. (You can check student’s CoyoteWeb account to see whether or not we have their immunization on file.)

  3. MAT MEDICATION FORM: If it is necessary for a student to take medication prescribed by a physician during school hours or during a school-sponsored trip, please have your physician complete the MAT Physicians Medication Consent form (one for each prescription) and provide GWCS medications in the original prescription container. Medications will be administered during the school day by Mr. Mallonee.

  4. COVID-19 VACCINATION ONLINE FORM: GWCS families are asked to complete this vaccination info form by August, 31, 2021. This is your first homework assignment!

  5. PARENT-STUDENT HANDBOOK: It is important that parents and students take the time to read each and every page of the 2021-2022 Parent-Student Handbook. The last page is the GWCS Parent-Student Agreement Form. This needs to be printed, signed and returned to the basket on the front desk by Tuesday, August 31st.

  6. HOMEWORK COMMUNICATIONS: GWCS will be using Microsoft Teams Assignments for all homework-related communications. We are currently developing a method for parent notifications on assignments. Stay tuned.

  7. COMMUNITY SERVICE: All GWCS students are expected to complete a minimum of 30 hours of community service each school year. There are many opportunities to earn community service hours through school-sponsored community service activities. However, students may also complete their hours at any institution, facility, or program that is approved by Ms. Warden.

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GWCS RESOURCES & INFORMATION

  1. GWCS PARENT PORTAL: On the GWCS website is a password protected Parent Portal which has a plethora of information and is your go-to-place when looking for school forms or information. Almost everything mentioned here can be found on the GWCS Parent Portal. And the password is... gwcscoyotes

  2. GWCS CALENDAR: GWCS has an online Google calendar linked on the website which is updated daily. Click on an event for more details and easily add events or holidays to your own personal calendar, if you’d like. The 2021-2022 School Year Calendar-at-a-Glance includes all of the school holidays and some of the year’s events. We recommend referring to the online Google calendar for the most up-to-date information.

  3. WYNK NEWSLETTER: Most Fridays during the school year, everyone in the current GWCS community receives an email with a link to the WYNK - the GWCS Newsletter. WYNK stands for "What You Need to Know". What you are reading here is the first newsletter of the 2021-2022 school year. Traditionally, the newsletter will provide families with a list of the following week's activities followed by accolades and announcements. The WYNK newsletter is published on the GWCS website (under the Resources tab) and shares the same password as the Parent Portal: gwcscoyotes.

  4. FAMILY ROSTER: This year we have changed over to a new system and the The GWCS Family Roster is available on CoyoteWeb. This roster includes all of the students’ and parents’ names as well as addresses, phone numbers and email addresses. Although we like having student cell phones on file, we do not publish them in our Family Roster. Please feel free to use this roster to contact other GWCS families and arrange carpools. Inform GWCS of any changes or updates to your family contact information. (How-To: Parent Access to CoyoteWeb & Roster)

  5. STAFF CONTACT LIST: A list of all the GWCS teachers and staff with their contact information is available on Faculty/Staff section of our website as well. We encourage you to email your child’s Advisor and teachers with any questions, concerns or, the always welcomed words of appreciation!

  6. COYOTE HOWL: The Coyote Howl is our version of the school “bell schedule”. Please refer to this when scheduling appointments so that there is the least amount of class disruption as possible.

    • Coyote Howl includes 1st & 7th periods which are currently scheduled to begin on September 20th.

  7. COYOTE PAC (Parents Acting Collaboratively): GWCS depends on parent volunteers throughout the year. You will learn more about the volunteer opportunities at Back-to-School Night on Tuesday, September 21, 2022. PAC Volunteer Form

  8. SCHOOL SPIRIT APPAREL by Rokkitwear! Order GWCS gear such as t-shirts, polos, button-downs, sweatshirts, jackets, hats, shorts, pants, warm-ups, backpacks, scarves, blankets... you name it - they've got it in every style and size imaginable. Find the style that suits you and get your coyote on!

  9. SCHOOL SUPPLIES: In addition to this supply list, students will receive a course syllabus from each of their teachers the first week of school. Included in each syllabus will be a list of supplies needed for their class.

    • BINDER: For the first week of school students should have a binder or pocket folder with notebook paper and writing utensils.

    • LAPTOP: Most of students’ classwork and assignments will be delivered and returned electronically through Teacher Dashboard. Therefore, the most important school supply to bring to school every day is a laptop (fully charged) and a power cord. It’s important to have a system in place so that the occasional assignments, documents, flyers and permission forms that do get printed don’t end up in a crinkled ball at the bottom of the backpack.

    • LUNCH BOX: School kitchens will be closed and, for now, students will not be allowed off campus. Therefore, students need an insulated lunch box with ice packs as well as a filled water bottle. We will be updating the community as we ease off of restrictions as possible, and open the kitchen back up, as well as letting students go off campus for lunch.

    • MASK & HAND SANITIZER: Although masks are required, we do not require a specific type of mask. We want students to find the style that is comfortable for long periods of time. The only restrictions are (1) no valve masks and (2) no gators. Of course we recommend the GWCS Coyote Masks!

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GWCS TECHNOLOGY

  1. STUDENT LAPTOPS: All GWCS students are required to provide their own laptop or tablet and they are expected to bring their laptop and charger to school every day. Most laptops are compatible with Microsoft Office 365 but some tablets are not. Please confirm that your student laptop/tablet meets the requirements.

  2. LAPTOP PREP & CHECKLIST: GWCS students and parents/guardians should work together to get their student laptop up and running for the school year. Please make sure that you have turned your computer on since last year, and that all Microsoft programs are running up to date. This document should answer most questions and assist in the set-up process! Keep a list of any questions or problems and ask your Advisor for help as needed. The last page is a tech checklist to help track your progress. Orientation will include technology support for all students. To assist Advisors in knowing where students are regarding GWCS technology, please complete this online Technology Pre-Check.

  3. COYOTEWEB 2.0: CoyoteWeb is the GWCS academic portal which provides students and parents access to students’ schedules, weekly status reports, attendance, and more. Student login is their GWCS email address. Returning students' passwords were not changed from last year. New students should have received their password along with the Microsoft login info over the summer. Email Ms. N-O if student cannot remember their CoyoteWeb password. (Click Here for parent access instructions.)

  4. MICROSOFT OFFICE 365: GWCS provides students with a Microsoft Office 365 for Business account which includes Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Publisher, OneDrive Cloud Storage, Teams, Outlook Email, and much more. Families are welcome to take advantage of the five free downloads to any of your compatible devices. Students should download all Microsoft 365 software apps to their computer and bookmark the login pages. Student Technology Info

  5. MICROSOFT TEAMS: GWCS students who are not able to be at school but would like to join their classes virtually may do so using Microsoft Teams video chat. Students will have easy access as the GWCS network of staff and students via Teams.

  6. SOCIAL NETWORKS:

GWCS - WHO TO CONTACT

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SUMMARY OF FORMS DUE

TURN IN or complete online THE FOLLOWING FORMS by tuesday, august 31, 2021:

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GW COMMUNITY SCHOOL
9001 Braddock Road, Suite 111
Springfield, VA  22151
703.978.7208