Dear parents,
This email includes very important information as we start school.
Start Dates Reminder
Programs
COVID-19 Community Agreement (CBA parents must fill out this form)
Update on the Kindergarten Cottage
Meet the Teacher information
Sign Up for CBA Sports School, Lunch Bunch, and Kindergarten Aftercare
CBA Communication Channels
Drop-off and Pick-up Instructions
CBA Is Starting Back!
We are grateful that our children can return to school this month. 1st-4th grades will begin on Monday, August 24th at 8:10 am. Kindergarten and preschool will begin on Monday, August 31st.
Programs
We are offering several options this year to serve each family’s individual needs. Check out our programs on our website. Families who are not enrolled in the CBA school are not guaranteed a spot in the future. However, you can reserve a spot if you continue to pay tuition. Families that are enrolled in our KOM and/or outdoor circle time options will be given preference to enroll in CBA in the future should the class have a waitlist.
COVID-19 Information
Check out our FAQ page to answer your questions about the many measures we are taking to keep our children safe during this pandemic. All families who are attending CBA must sign our Community Agreement. In this agreement, parents will commit to taking measures to protect their family and the school from COVID-19 transmission. Parents will agree to stay home if they suspect their child has COVID-19, the child has tested positive for COVID-19, the child has COVID-19 symptoms, or their child or any of the household members have recently had close contact with a person with COVID-19. Parents will also daily affirm that no one in the household has been exposed or are symptomatic. The school will also take students’ temperatures before attending class.
Students and staff will be excluded from school if they have:
- Any 1 of the following: Fever >100, difficulty breathing, loss of taste or smell, vomiting, or a new undiagnosed cough, undiagnosed nausea/diarrhea
- Any 2 of the following: Sore throat, muscle aches, chills, (*This list could change as we get more information).
Kindergarten Cottage Update
The renovation of the Kindergarten cottage is not complete. We have ample space in our outdoor classrooms, fellowship hall, and adjacent classroom to accommodate. However, we are awaiting final approval for an agreement to temporarily rent the Armory Park next door (You can see the church steeple next door in the first picture below). We will be the only ones occupying the building during the school day and will have an office person work next to the front door. Our sanitation officer will sanitize the area each day. This provision allows more than ample social distancing. Please contact Dr. Johnson if you have any questions (njohnson@charlestonbilingualacademy.org). Kindergarten parents will drop students off and pick them up at the Armory Park until the Cottage is ready. The general contractor said it could still be 1-3 months before the cottage is ready.
MEET THE TEACHER
This week 1st-4th grade teachers are sending an introductory video tour, google classroom information and classroom protocols to their families. Please accept your google classroom invitation. Their email includes a link to our Meet the Teacher Zoom call on this Friday, August 21st, where we say hello and answer any questions. We will provide a recording of the meeting for parents who are unable to attend. Below is the “Meet the Teacher” schedule:
- 1st Grade virtual “Meet the Teacher” meeting is at 11:30 am
- 3rd-4th Grade virtual “Meet the Teacher” meeting is at 11:30 am
- Mandarin K-1st Grade virtual “Meet the Teacher” meeting is at 12:30 pm
- 2nd Grade virtual “Meet the Teacher” meeting is at 12:30 pm
Kindergarten-Preschool teachers will also send an introductory video tour and email classroom protocols to their families next week. Their email will include a link to follow-up zoom call next Thursday morning. We will provide a recording of the meeting for parents who are unable to attend.
On Friday, August 28th, we are inviting preschool families to drive through the campus between 9:00-9:30 am to get to know their drop off point, as well as say hi to their teachers.
AFTER-SCHOOL ACTIVITIES
1) Preschool Lunch Bunch – Parents of preschoolers, you can use this form to obtain details and sign up for CBA Lunch Bunch for the school year: Lunch Bunch Info and Registration Form. Your next invoice will reflect your lunch bunch addition. Lunch Bunch will occur within each individual class.
2) Aftercare for Kindergarteners – Parents of Kindergarteners, you can use this form to obtain details and sign up for afterschool care from 12:45-3:30 pm: Kindergarten Aftercare and Registration Form.Your next invoice will reflect your aftercare addition.
3) Sports School (1-5 days of sports options from 3:30-4:20). Sports School Registration Form
COMMUNICATION
1) El Bilingue – Beginning August 31, you will receive the biweekly school e-newsletter. We strongly encourage you to read this information. El Bilingue is the very best way to stay informed about everything happening at CBA!. You will be able to find all archived newsletters on our communications page.
2) Website and Social Media – News and events in all areas of the school are posted on our communications page. Please take a moment to “like” or “follow” us on Facebook or Instagram, and then share posts about our school! We use our Charleston Bilingual Academy Facebook page to communicate to the community at large. We will use our CBA community connections page to cross-post news and events from our website. Please also tag @charlestonbilingualacademy on your posts and photos.
3) Emergency text messaging system – Larry Collett, an extraordinary parent volunteer who created our new website, is building an emergency text messaging platform, which allows us to quickly communicate in the event of a school emergency or closure. You will also receive a text each day you drop your children off to verify that your household is not symptomatic nor has had a close exposure to COVID-19. ****Be on the lookout from an upcoming text.
4) Apps by Class
Preschool – ClassDojo ClassDojo is a free, simple communication app for teachers, parents, and students of PreK-12. Click on the logo below to download the app. Your child’s teacher will send you the class code. A few of the many helpful features: translate messages to and from your child’s teacher, and teachers can post pictures of students that only the class will see.
Elementary – Teachers will communicate to parents through Google Classroom, and you should receive an invitation this week. ***Elementary parents, please be sure to accept the invitation as soon as possible, even if your student is starting out the school year in-person, as this will be the main method of teacher-to-parent communication this year.
5) You can communicate with the office via the following:
Call 843-779-2472
Enrollment Questions: admissions@charlestonbilingualacademy.org
Day to Day Questions: officestaff@charlestonbilingualacademy.org
Communicate with Dr. Johnson: njohnson@charlestonbilingualacademy.org
6) Reporting absences, late arrivals, and early departures – Parents should email officestaff@charlestonbilingualacademy.org AND their child’s teacher if their child will be absent, late to school, or will leave early. We ask that you provide 24 hours notice if you will be picking up your child early, to ensure we have your child ready at the front door to sign out.
1)Drop-off Areas- Please remember that elementary students will be dropped off at the back entrance. However, 2nd-grade parents will park and walk their children to the outdoor Math classroom. We will move as quickly as possible in taking student temperatures. Preschool parents will park and walk their children to the drop-off areas. Please plan to arrive earlier and be prepared to wait in line for a few minutes. Here is a campus map that indicates all of our new drop-off points.
2) Authorized Pick-Up Cards – Students will be picked up in the same place where they are dropped off each morning. Here is a link to the campus map indicating the different drop-off points. Each parent/guardian listed in your child’s application will receive an Authorized Pickup Card at the e-mail address provided before the first day of school, which will include every CBA student from your family. You will need to present this card at the door and to your child’s teacher at every pick-up. We understand that schedules change and different pick-up arrangements need to be made at the last minute. When this happens, please:
A) Send the Authorized Pick-up card to the person who will be picking up your child. They will then need to show the picture to the staff member at the door and to your child’s teacher, OR
B) Contact the office (admissions@charlestonbilingualacademy.org) with your child’s name and the first and last name of the person picking up your child. That person will need to show an ID before they are granted permission to pick up your child
