"Back-to-School Year Info"

Although we are returning to the 2020-2021 school year under some very interesting circumstances, I am still so very excited to be part of yours and your child’s lives. It is my absolute pleasure to serve you as your newest principal here at Citrus Elementary and it is my promise to you that all decisions made will be with the best interest of your children in mind. That said, below is some very important information in regards to our return.

Day-to-Day Procedures

The first day of school is Monday, August 10, 2020 in a LaunchED format only. If you are Face-to-Face, you return to school on Friday, August 21st. Face-to-Face students are encouraged to participate in the LaunchED format from August 10-20, if possible. Attendance will not count against your child. Grading will not negatively impact a child during this period. Lessons will focus on previewing activities and 1st 9 weeks content to develop fluency. Understand, these first days are a trial run. Be prepared for anything. We are all navigating in uncharted waters.

School hours are from 8:45 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. School hours are from 8:45 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Wednesdays. We will be able to offer all students free breakfast and lunch. Breakfast is served daily from 8:15-8:40 a.m. and is in a grab-and-go format. Understand, there will be a wide array of social distancing practices this year. Please assist us in providing your child with a facemask and a labeled water bottle as fountains will not be accessible.

Arrival procedures remain in effect in order to provide a safe and secure campus. Unfortunately, this year parents/guardians are not permitted to enter the building with their child nor exit the vehicles while dropping off/picking up. All students must be dropped off in the P.E. pavilion in the morning. Students will be housed at a designated, socially distant locations throughout the building. The front parking lot is for official school business only. Parents who register students, volunteer, attend scheduled appointments or have other school business must have an appointment in advance and check in at the front lobby upon arrival. We thank you in advance for your support as we continue to provide a safe and secure environment for you child.

Car tags will also be available for car riders at first pick up. If your child will be a walker or bike rider, please review your rainy day plan with your child and your child’s teacher. Students will not be able to walk or ride a bike home if there is heavy rain and/or thunder and lightning. Please remember if a student is leaving campus in a car, they are considered a car rider and must be picked up in the car rider loop. Walkers are considered those students walking off campus and should not be picked up in a car. All students that ride a bike, scooter or skateboard must wear a helmet and will not be allowed to ride home without a helmet. A transportation schedule will also be available for students who ride a school bus to school.

First Day Folders

Please review and complete any necessary documents within these folders. You will find information on school procedures, PTA, After School Program (ASP), and district documents which need to be completed and turned in each year.

Devices

All devices are signed out in your child’s name. These devices are OCPS district property. Upon receipt, you are taking full responsibility for the condition of the device and ensuring its return in good condition. Each devices will be mapped and inventoried to your child. To LOGIN to your device, you will need your user name and password. User Name: Your child’s 8 digit student ID #, Password: your child’s date of birth 4 digit year 2 digit month 2 digit day. For example, user ID: 5555555555, Password: 20001128.

LaunchPad

This is your “one stop shop” for all things curriculum. LaunchPad can be accessed through your child’s device after signing in, or from a personal device at Launchpad.ocps.net . In here, you will find various tabs/icons to take you where you need. This is where you will login to get to Canvas. For example, you will find an icon to Canvas once you login to LaunchPad. Canvas is the platform in which all teachers will work. It is where your “class” and teacher can be located. Your child is automatically tied to your teacher’s account. You will also find a Skyward icon here. Information on Skyward is below. If you login via your child’s device with the username/password mentioned above, you will not be required to enter your login info to subsequent applications as it is a single-sign-in. If however, you are using a personal device at home, you will be required to type the username/password for each application.


Meet Your Teacher

Meet the Teacher will be held on Friday, August 7th and will be in a 100% virtual format for the safety of our community. Your event will be accessible at 4pm on Friday, August 7th. Our school webpage will have a tab dedicated to Meet the Teacher and will have a links to teacher videos, as well as, videos from your leadership team and principal.


Skyward

Skyward is the school district’s student management system. Here is where you will see official grades posting, progress report/report cards, completed or missing assignments, attendance, and so forth. It can be accessed through your Launchpad indicted above. There is also a mobile app which can be downloaded to smart devices if you wish. Simply go to your App Store or Google Play and search for Skyward Family Access. If you choose to download to your phone, know that your child’s login information is identical to that of your device login information.


2020-2021 School Year Teacher

Schedules were in place prior to the districts requirement to provide the state with LaunchED@Home in order to meet the state’s outline of an Innovative Model. As a result, schedules were required to be adjusted to meet the needs of our families and teachers. Below is the name and room number of your currently assigned teacher after this shift. This very same information can be found both in Skyward and in Canvas. Please know, this is subject to change as we move forward. If indeed changes do occur, both Skyward and Canvas will reflect that within 24 hours of that change. You will always have availability and access to your teacher’s “Meet the Teacher” information via Canvas course if a change does occur. Flexibility and fluidity are simply common place in today’s environment, and I thank you very much for your understanding.