Coronavirus – Update 5.01.20
May 1st, 2020
Parents and families of John Rex,
It’s hard to believe we are entering our last week of Distance Learning! The last day of school will be May 8th. It’s important to talk with your children about this week as a means of closure for this school year. We definitely didn’t plan to end the school year this way but in light of all that’s happened, I couldn’t be more proud of our staff, our students, and our families. Together, we learned new capabilities, faced struggles, and celebrated the things that brought us joy during this time of isolation. Thank you, parents and guardians, for your continued support and words of encouragement along the way. We just couldn’t have done it without you. This weekend, please talk with your students about this last week of school. Let them know how much their teachers love and miss them and how we will be together again in the fall. Provide time for them to process what’s happened and how they can say goodbye (for now) to their teachers and classmates. Perhaps making a good-bye poster that could be photographed and emailed to the teacher or creating a video message would help our students and teachers experience closure.
We would like to provide a scheduled time for any families who would like to pick up student personal items or medication. The pick-up times are drive-thru only. The grade level teachers will be there to hand out personal items that will be bagged and labeled. This would be an excellent opportunity to say one last good-bye to our teachers. Should your family choose NOT to pick up personal items, those items will either be donated or disposed of. The grade level pick-up schedule is as follows:
Mon. May 18
9am-noon Pickup
PreK– South Gate
Kinder– West Gate
Tues. May 19
9am-noon: Pickup
1st grade– South Gate
2nd grade- West Gate
Wed. May 20
9am-noon: Pickup
3rd grade– South Gate
4th grade– West Gate
Thurs. May 21
9am-noon Pickup
5th grade– West Gate
*The South gate faces California Ave. and the West gate faces Dewey Ave.
Yearbooks that were ordered may also be picked up on these same days for each grade level. If your child ordered a yearbook, we will pack it with his/her personal items and you may drive-thru on your grade level day for pick up.
Many families borrowed either a Chromebook or an iPad during our Distance Learning. These devices must be returned on May 11th at the West Gate from 9-11 am or from 1-3 pm. This is also a drive-thru. Make sure to return the charger for the Chromebooks. If you are not able to return the device on May 11, you’ll need to contact Mr. Duffy at pduffy@johnrexschool.org to arrange another time for return.
Report cards will be emailed to parents/guardians on May 20. The report cards will reflect student growth toward state standards up to March 11, 2020. Attendance will be calculated and recorded on the report card from August 14, 2019-March 11, 2020.
Foodservice will continue to be provided through June 30. Drive-thru pick up days will continue to be on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9 am-11 am. I strongly encourage you to take advantage of this service. Both breakfast and lunch are provided at no cost and anyone can pick up meals for any child age 0-18.
If you are needing additional support or have questions for your teachers, they will be available the week of May 11-15 via email or Classtag. Although they will not be sending any more teaching videos or additional resources, they are still available to provide support to your family.
Our teachers and staff have already begun the planning process for the next school year. We commit to your family that we will be prepared and ready to provide social-emotional support, instructional support, and academic interventions that will help all our students fill the gap as they return to school in August. I know you know this already, but I want to remind you that our teachers are among the most professional, innovative, and compassionate educators in the field. As we trusted one another during this transition into distance learning, it is my hope that the same level of trust will continue into the next school year. Together, we can journey into the school year 2020 stronger than ever with our shared mission; to offer quality educational opportunities to children in the heart of downtown Oklahoma City.
Always grateful to be a ROCKET!
Heather Zacarias
Interim Superintendent
John Rex Charter School
hzacarias@johnrexschool.org
