Dear Bolinas-Stinson School Families and Community,
I am deeply touched by the outpouring of support for our kids and families by staff, parents, and community members during this incredibly difficult and stressful time. Thank you for rising to the unprecedented challenge we are currently facing, with humor, love, and compassion for each other. It is heartwarming to see a community united together to weather this storm.
I hope you and your family are getting outside and staying active while the weather holds during these increasingly challenging times. When I’m not participating in virtual meetings or working on my computer, I have been investigating local hiking trails with my kids and husband. The wildflowers and green hills are spectacular right now. I highly recommend extended family hikes to help you de-stress and recalibrate. I hope you have a chance to connect with those close to you while enjoying the spectacular wilderness around you too!
UPDATES AND SCHOOL NEWS
Social Emotional Support and Resources for Families
Our school counselors, Grace Godino and Maud Zimmer are here to assist you if you or your child needs advice, coping tools, or extra support during this stressful time. Grace and Maud provide a safe, confidential, and kind space for our families by email, phone or virtual chat. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to either of them: Grace at graceg@bolinas-stinson.org or 815-627-0801 and Maud at maudz@bolinas-stinson.org.
Parent Chat Zoom Meeting, Friday, April 3rd @ 1:00-2:00 PM
I hope you are able to join me today for our first ever Parent Chat Zoom Meeting! I want to connect with parents to hear how home learning is going for your family, what you need, what is going well, and everything in between.
BSUSD Is Here for You During School Closure
Please call or TEXT 415-450-7324 or email Kara Perras at karap@bolinas-stinson.org
Even during the school closure, we are here for you! All our employees - teachers, paraeducators, support staff, specialists, counselors, business, office, and admin are working hard to provide continuous support for our kids. We will continue to check messages/emails and be responsive to your needs.
Due to the shelter in place order, If you need to pick up a device for your child(ren), please reach out to their teacher to set up a pick-up day/time in advance. We ask that parents not enter the office space for health reasons. Thank you for your understanding and patience.
Free Daily School Lunches Available for Any Child 18 and Under - Extended Through Spring Break!
Please call or TEXT 415-450-7324 or email Kara Perras at karap@bolinas-stinson.org
I am so happy that many families are using this valuable service. We will continue to provide free lunches for pick-up Monday-Friday, during the the spring break. Please let us know if you would like to pick up a school lunch for your child(ren) who are 18 and under, during the duration stay-in-place order/school closure. Tato and Suki have been working hard to provide free tasty lunches consisting of: a sandwich, fruit, vegetable, snack, and milk or juice.
Please call or TEXT 415-450-7324 or email Kara Perras at karap@bolinas-stinson.org with the number of lunches you will need for your children and we will have it ready for you to pick up the following day. We know that every little bit helps, and are happy to be able to do this for any family with children 18 and under.
Keep Your Child on Track! ~ Home Learning and Educational Online Resources
I am hearing lots of positive comments about the virtual class sessions that teachers are conducting with their students. Our teachers are hosting virtual meetings weekly and some are even offering individual office hours to support student learning. Our teachers are committed to providing your child with an enriching education as well as monitoring home learning closely using the best online tools and resources available.
Many of our teachers are trying out new websites and platforms to enhance their ability to communicate and share information with students and families. Your feedback is critical to help us provide the best home learning tools and support for your child. We know home learning is not easy, and want to develop a plan that works for your family. Please stay in close contact with your child’s teacher and communicate your needs to them.
IXL - New Online Adaptive Learning Platform for All BSUSD Students K-8
I hope your child has had an opportunity to try out our newest online learning platform - IXL, to support at-home learning for our kindergarten through eighth grade students. IXL is an online program that is designed to improve student understanding, performance, and confidence in math, English language arts and more. IXL provides differentiated learning environments that generate questions at the right level of rigor for every student and adapts with students as they grow. Teachers are able to track student growth and recommend activities to further student progress. Parents can monitor their child’s progress through grade level skills and concepts.
Also available to parents on the BSUSD website are links to the following online student resources. These educational resources are great fun and I hope you check them out!
BSUSD Website Teacher Pages
ed1stop - Login Information for ed1stop: User Name: bsusd02 & Password: bolinas15
DreamBox (contact teacher for username and password)
IXL (contact teacher for username and password)
Lexia (contact teacher for username and password)
Scratch
Devices for Student Use
If you need to borrow a device, please reach out to your child’s teacher to schedule a date and time to pick it up from the office. We ask that parents not enter the office space for health reasons. We will leave the device and sign-out sheet to you on the porch. Thanks!
Internet Access at School for Families
We realize the importance of having internet access during the shelter in place order and are working to provide access and devices to families as quickly as possible. Please know that it is a priority for us to ensure that all our students have equal access to online education resources and receive the support they deserve. We are very close to making this happen for families and overcoming the logistical hurdles.
We are still providing free access to our school internet. Our internet network name is Mobile Lab, and the password is 4158681603. We realize that our signal doesn’t travel far beyond the buildings, but it is accessible in the parking lot. We apologize that we are not able to open our doors to provide more comfortable access at this time. We ask that you remain in your cars and observe all health and safety recommendations when you are on school grounds. Much appreciated!
Please don’t hesitate to contact me. I miss seeing the kids and enjoy hearing from you! Stay strong, stay connected, and stay safe,
Michelle Stephens
Bolinas-Stinson School Principal
mstephens@bolinas-stinson.org
415-868-1603