Hawk Talk - Weekly Updates from ECCA

ECCA Hawk Talk
Weekly news from
Eagle County Charter Academy
Volume 11, Issue 2
Welcome to this year's first issue of Hawk Talk, 
ECCA's weekly newsletter. 

While essential updates will still be communicated via Principal's Message, this newsletter will typically come out on Fridays and will house updates and school-wide information that is less urgent in nature.  We will do our best to streamline communication, but recognize that we may overlap in our attempts to ensure that everyone remains informed throughout this ever-evolving school experience. 

As always, if you have a submission for Hawk Talk, please send it to hawktalk@ecca.org.  
School Start Updates
(shared via Principal's Message 8/11/20)
Due to the decreasing presence of COVID-19 in our community, ECCA will start school on August 25th with a modified in-person mode of instruction to maximize social distancing at school. Grade level communications will be forthcoming. 

Though the district has pointed to Public Health's Key Performance Indicators as a tool to guide its decision that the public could follow along with, administrators point out several other influences, including the current Public Health Order, consultations with other school districts, discussion with the Governor's office and the Colorado Department of Education, plus negotiations with the Eagle County Education Association. As the name suggests, the Key Performance Indicators best represents the presence of the virus in our community. 

As a district-authorized charter school community, it can sometimes be difficult to know where ECCA aligns with our community schools and where we might diverge in our policies and procedures. We will continue to follow up with any district-wide communication or publications to help clarify how we anticipate ECCA will operate. (Please note that follow up communications may not always be immediate.) Recently Eagle County School released the Work Together to Learn Together Reopening Guidebook. If you haven't received it via email, please find a copy of it attached here. ECCA adheres to many of the same guidelines and protocols especially related to general health & safety practices.
ECCA Class lists
Additional grade level specific information is forthcoming and will be shared by teachers through their classroom newsletters.
Please click on the links to view the anticipated cohorts.
Kindergarten - cohorts to be determined
 5th Grade - cohorts will be released on Monday, 8/24
6th Grade - cohorts will be released on Monday, 8/24
 7th Grade - cohorts will be released on Monday, 8/24
 8th Grade  - cohorts will be released on Monday, 8/24
5th-8th Parent Orientation Meetings
ECCA middle school teachers have scheduled virtual meetings to share grade level specific plans for both In-Person and Remote Learning models with parents.  

Please click on the following links to join these virtual meetings.


*The information presented will be made available at a later date for parents/guardians who are not able to attend the live sessions.
Returning Families Mandatory Update REQUIRED
(Also shared via Principal's Message 8/11/20)
Everyone should have received an email from Eagle County Schools around July 9th titled "ECS- student info Annual Update" for students previously enrolled in any district school including ECCA.

  • Sibling letters may be combined in one email - please scroll down
  • If you don't see it, please check your Spam folder or verify that it did not go to the email assigned to Guardian #2
  • This annual update is mandatory

Please complete this update as soon as possible so we have current information on file for your child(ren). You will be prompted to create an account to proceed with the update.

If you have questions, please reach out to jennifer.sassi@eagleschools.net

*Returning students only*
After School
Dates + Times
Begins: Wednesday, August 26th
From: 3:15pm - 5:55pm Daily
Kindergarten - 2nd Grade only
Registration Forms
All students must have fully completed registration forms submitted to After School prior to After School care. 

Registration forms can be found on the school website www.ecca.org or by clicking here.

Parents must also read and sign the ECCA After School Program Policies and Procedures prior to having their child(ren) attend After School care.
Please submit completed Registration Forms and the signature page of the Program Policies and Procedures to the After School Program Director, Rebecca Wirth at rebecca.wirth@eagleschools.net or Jennifer Sassi, ECCA's Office Manager at jennifer.sassi@eagleschools.net 
Cost
$16.00 for each normal day (3:15pm - 5:55pm) a child attends ECCA's After School Program.  
$32.00 for each half day / noon release (12:00pm - 5:55pm)

Children are charged to their SchoolPay.com accounts. Please be sure to load money onto these accounts prior to the students' attendance in After School. This is done by logging into their PowerSchool account. 
How to Sign Up
New this Year: Students must be signed up at least one day before their planned attendance.
Drop Ins are no longer permitted this school year.

We will begin the year with 15 available slots for Kindergarten through 2nd grade students. The slots are first come first serve. If you have signed up your child(ren) but have made other arrangements, you must remove them from the list. Student accounts will be charged whether or not the student attended ECCA's After School Program. If students are on the list, the account will be charged.

Pick Up Procedures
Parents are to wait outside the front doors of the school or in the front Foyer and call Rebecca Wirth at 970.390.6903 to have their child(ren) brought out to them. Parents will then sign out their child(ren). Parent access to the building is restricted at this time.
Important Information
As much as possible, ECCA's After School Program will be held outside. Once the weather begins to turn, the program will be held in the gymnasium. Indoors, masks will be mandatory and students will be asked to socially distance as much as possible. 

A snack will be provided daily in the form of a prepackaged individual serving. 
Immunizations
Current immunization records are due before the start of school, 8/25/20 for all Kindergarten, 6th grade and new families to ECCA. Please email a scan or copy to jennifer.sassi@eagleschools.net
Click here for more information.
charter garb
Charter Garb
The Charter Garb store will NOT be open for business as usual. 

Order and pay for your Charter Garb through ecca.org. At this time, all orders will need to be made online.  Orders will be delivered to your student's classroom. (We will have sample sizes in the front foyer of school.) 

 
The free charter garb bucket is in the front foyer. Please help yourself. There is also a bargain bin with items marked down to $5.00 each.
Drop Off/Pick Up Updates

Grade level specific information will continue to be shared by teachers as we further refine these procedures

  • Masks are required on ECCA's campus  
  • Students will enter & exit the building through assigned doors (as cohorts) 
  • Parent access to the building is restricted at this time
  • Please help us maximize social distance & limit congregating on sidewalks, etc.  

Drop Off 8:15-8:25
Please know that if you drop your child off prior to 8:15 there is no supervision in the parking lot or on the playground. Adult supervision is provided starting at 8:15 every morning. 

Please pull all the way forward to either the stop sign or the car parked in front of you to drop off your child. 
For their safety, please have children exit the vehicle from the right side only (curbside).

If you exit your vehicle to escort your child, please wear a mask.

Pick Up 3:15 
We anticipate using the entire length of the curb to separate cohorts for pick up.  Student pick up is curbside only (the far right lane). Once your child is safely in your vehicle, you may pull into the inside lane and proceed to the exit.  The "inside lane" is only to be used for exiting.  

If your child is not available at the time you are picking up, we will ask you to pull into the inside lane and re-enter the carpool queue. 

Please make sure to use our crosswalks when moving to and from parked cars for your safety.
Lunch Program

August Menu

September Menu

This year we will be offering hot lunch on Mondays and Wednesdays ONLY. All other days of the week (Tuesday, Thursday and Friday) students will be required to bring a sack lunch. 

A count for hot lunch will be taken in the morning. This year we will not be able to add any late orders should the student miss the count for any reason.

MONDAYS
Pizza Mondays are back again! Gondola Pizza will provide cheese and pepperoni pizza. A small carton of milk and a side will also be provided.

WEDNESDAY
Smiling Moose will provide a choice of macaroni and cheese, bagel w/cream cheese or chicken noodle soup. A small carton of milk and a side will be provided. 
Notes From The Business Office


After School visits are now charged to Food Service accounts. 
For easier tracking, After School charges (along with Lunch charges) will be billed to each student's Food Services account.  This is great news because now you will have instant access to dates and charges, and balance remaining in each student account for After School and Lunches together - in the Food Service section of your Schoolpay.com account.

Please remember that payments for After School and Lunch are due in advance, or at the time of service.  Please make your payments in the Food Service section of your Schoolpay.com account. If you have any questions please contact Linda Tierney at 

Click here for a "How To" on After School payments. 

Need help paying for Hot Lunch, Enrichment fees and Kinder Tuition? 
CLICK HERE for an Economic Assistance Application for assistance with Hot Lunch and Enrichments (click here para en Espanol) and contact the business office directly in regard to Kinder Tuition assistance.  Please forward completed applications to the ECCA Accounting Manager at linda.tierney@eagleschools.net
2020-21 Calendar
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
AUGUST 2020
Tuesday, 8/25/20:
FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL 1st-8th grades
8:30 a.m.-3:15p.m.
***Students should wear Charter Garb
Tuesday, 8/25: Kindergarten Stagger start.
Student last names A-K
9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
Wednesday, 8/26: After School Program anticipated to begin
Wednesday, 8/26: Kindergarten Stagger start. 
Student last names L-Z 
9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Week of 8/17/20: Parent Meetings per grade will occur. More information to follow.  
Hot lunch is also anticipated to begin this week.
Monday, 9/7/20: Labor Day. NO SCHOOL
Tuesday, 9/15/20: Picture Day
Back to School Nights-- TBD



SCORE BOARD
Middle School Sports

MS Cross Country
August 24 - October 17
Cross Country opportunity through Berry Creek Middle School. Contact is Nanci Almonte: nanci.almonte@eagleschools.net
 
ECCA provides this information as a public service only. It does not necessarily endorse any organization or activity listed.
BULLETIN BOARD
Events
Call Kathy Morrow if interested in Piano and/or vocal lessons. She can be reached at (970) 376-3477 or via email katsjazz@msn.com

Looking for an after school Enrichment? Try sewing. A life long skill! Learn more about Patterns of Joy sewing lessons contact Marie at 390.3460 or email patternsofjoysewing@gmail.com. More information here.

Offers
Inyodo Martial Arts Academy happily welcomes ECCA students (and parents of students) to experience the life balance and discipline offered through martial arts practice. Take advantage of our children's "back to school" starter kit which includes 2 months of classes and your child's uniform ($199). Click here to learn more about our adult and children's classes.

Cool Kids Caps, owned and run by an ECCA parent is currently offering a discount to any ECCA families wanting to purchase sun protection products. Visit www.coolkidscaps.com for more information. To receive the 15% off dicount, enter ECCA ROCKS at checkout.

Click here for information on class offerings at Alpine Arts.

Gondola Pizza in Avon has great offers for you! 1.They will donate 15% from your entire bill to ECCA; or 2. You can get 10% off your entire bill if you mention that you are an ECCA family. You decide.
ECCA | 970.926.0656 | hawktalk@ecca.org | www.ecca.org
STAY CONNECTED:
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