June 14, 2020
NBFA Parents and Guardians,
I trust this email finds you and your family in good health and high spirits. As this unconventional and unforgettable school year draws to a close, I would like to update you on some important information regarding summer school, NBFA’s summer reading program and end-of year farewell motorcade, Trimester III report cards and the distribution of students’ personal belongings.
Summer School Program
After reviewing and giving much consideration to the recent state guidance regarding summer school, NBFA has determined that an in-person summer school program is not feasible at this time as the health and safety of all NBFA students and staff remain paramount.
Summer Reading Program
Being cognizant of the “summer slide” phenomena, the learning loss children experience during the summer break, we have designed a robust summer reading program for all NBFA students. Reading is one of the best learning activities children could engage in to mitigate the summer learning loss. So, we strongly encourage you to support your child’s participation in our summer reading program. To this end, we invite you to join us via Zoom on Monday, June 15 at 7:00 p.m. to learn more about NBFA’s summer reading program. If you have yet to receive the Zoom link and/or login information to our summer reading informational meeting, please reach out to your child’s teacher for this information. I look forward to seeing you on Monday evening!
Farewell Motorcade (6/17/20)
It is the tradition of NBFA to send our students off for the summer break in style. Though COVID-19 has forced us apart physically, we will not allow it to rob us of our long-standing tradition of wishing our students an in-person farewell. Hence, NBFA will host an end-of- the-year farewell motorcade for our students on Wednesday, June 17 at 1:30 p.m. We are inviting every NBFA student along with their families to come in decked out automobiles to a staff-lined street of teachers, social workers, instructional assistants, office assistants, interventionists, and administrators who will be holding up banners, waving goodbye and cheering on our graduates! Graduates are invited to come in their caps and gowns, so that they can be especially recognized by their current and past teachers.
In an effort to maintain social distance regulations, staff members will be masked and staggered approximately 6 feet apart along Couse and Garden Street. Families, likewise, are asked to maintain social distance practices by remaining in their automobiles and refraining from coming in contact with staff members. This celebration will start at the intersection of Blackrock Avenue and Couse Street. In order for this event to be seamless, please do the following if you plan on attending:
- Enter Blackrock Avenue from Iranistan Street facing Park Avenue. (Do not enter Black rock Avenue from Park Avenue!) For ease of access, families coming from Park Avenue should take a right onto Garden Street, then a right onto Iranistan and the first right onto Blackrock.
- Drive towards the intersection of Blackrock and Couse and stop when prompted or when behind an idle car with flashing hazard lights.
- Each car that is parked and participating in the motorcade should have their hazard lights on in order to indicate that they are next in line.
- Once the motorcade begins to move, do not stop.
- Drivers are expected to accelerate at a crawl.
- The procession will head in one direction along the right side of Couse and Garden. (All cars will turn right on Garden, which will be the end of the motorcade route.)
Trimester III Report Cards
Trimester III report cards will be mailed home on June19. This novel report card will be attached to copies of your child’s Trimester I and II report cards.
Distribution of Students’ Belongings (6/22/20)
All NBFA families are invited to come to NBFA on Monday, June 22 between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. (rain date: Tuesday, June 23) to collect their children’s personal belongings and/or medications. Belongings and/or medications will be bagged and labeled with the student name. The bags will be organized by grade levels and teachers on tables in the parking lot across from the school. Please observe the following protocol when collecting your child’s belongings.
- Please park on the street. Only one person may exit the car to collect the belongings
- You must wear a mask
- Once your bag(s) is taken, immediately return to their car
- Please refrain from socialization on school grounds during this process.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for allowing me to serve your children and the Bridgeport community. I am grateful for the continued collaboration and support you have afforded me during this unprecedented school year. When I began my principalship at NBFA in the fall of 2019, I certainly did not envision moving an entire learning community to an online learning environment but it has been a rich learning experience- one that I will never forget! I have learned a lot from you and your children and I look forward to learning more about how I can better serve you and your children as we move forward together as a STRONGER learning community. I wish you and your family continued health, peace and safety and I solute you –the true heroes of distance learning!
Regards,
Mrs. Fearon
Elementary Principal