September 3, 2021

Dear Capitol Hill Families,

This has been an amazing first week back to school! It has been a joy to us to hear our students happy voices, laughter, and footsteps in our classrooms and hallways once more. We are fortunate to be a school where all of our classes are able to accommodate at least 3 feet of distance between students, a covered play area that allows students to eat lunch 6 feet apart, and hallways that are wide enough for classes to pass each other with 6 feet of space in between. Our teachers have been focusing on community building, teaching routines, and get to know you activities. They have also taught their students to space out in line using creative techniques including “zombie arms.” Although this creates the longest lines we have witnessed in some of our largest classes, it helps us to be safer while together at school. Things are running very smoothly and I am happy to say, we are meeting all of the guidelines provided in our district’s standard operating procedures!! Thank you for your patience as we have kicked off this new year while implementing so many new procedures to protect us from the transmission of COVID. Please remember that there is no school on Monday because it is a holiday. We will be back to business on Tuesday and will be looking for each one of your children’s smiling faces then. 

If you are dropping your child off in the morning, it is important that you wear your mask and socially distance yourself as you wait for your child to enter the building. There are dots painted in front of the school to help you. You might have noticed many parents coming to drop off their students in Kindergarten through second grades. Our Kindergarten and first graders have had a staggered start to the school year, meaning that each day since the first day of school, we have welcomed a new group of our youngest students to school. That also means that multiple adults may have arrived to see their little one off and take pictures. Tuesday is our last group of Kindergarten students who will be having their first day of school so we expect the traffic to continue to be heavier than usual. We do expect it to be much less on Wednesday of next week and beyond. Thank you for your patience and support as we welcome our new students into our school for their first day.

It is very important that every child have a water bottle labeled with their name and a snack. If you cannot send a snack to school, your child can pick up a breakfast and save it for snack time. If your child also need both a breakfast and snack, they can pick up extra food in the morning when they get their breakfast. We want to be sure every child has enough food and water to get them comfortably through the day. If you have a student in the primary grades, please also remember to send a change of clothes in a gallon baggie labeled with their name in case of an accident. 

Finally, all children need to be screened for illness by you using this checklist. If your child is sick, we urge you to keep them home. If your child comes to school and develops symptoms, we will call you to pick them up right away. If you want your child to be COVID tested due to  primary symptoms that developed while at school, please fill out our COVID Testing Consent Form and return it to school. If you don’t have a printer, we have printed copies at school. There is going to be an option for weekly screening tests for families who are interested, but we don’t have them yet. When we get them, we will send out more information. 

It has been such a pleasure to be back in our learning spaces with our students this week. We appreciate all you are doing at home to prepare them for school each day and get them ready for this year together. 

In partnership,
Aimee Alexander-Shea
Principal  

December Newsletter

Please review the attached drop off and dismissal procedures for the ‘19-‘20 school year. Help us make safety a priority by following these guidelines. Here are a few very important things to remember about drop off and pick up. Our building opens at 7:45am so please wait until that time to drop your child off at school. Please remember to return your After School Plan on the first day of school so we know how your child is getting home. I encourage your to visit our school website at www.pps.net/capitolhill for school supply lists, upcoming events, student/parent handbook, important reminders, and classroom updates.

As your new Principal, I am honored to join the Capitol Hill Community. The high level of dedication, care, and support each family and staff member shows at our school has already become apparent in the short time I have been here. If you volunteer at our school, thank you! If you don’t, please consider signing up. The first step is filling out the background check at www.pps.net/Page/149. It takes a village to raise children and we would love to have you join ours. I am committed to working with each of you to create a nurturing school environment that meets your needs and expectations.

Thank you for entrusting us with your precious child. We are committed to ensuring that Capitol Hill is a safe and loving place that truly is a great place to learn and grow. Please drop by, call or email me if you ever you have a question, concern, or would simply like to introduce yourself.

Sincerely,

Aimee Alexander-Shea

Principal

TRAFFIC INFORMATION 

         I also want to encourage you to follow our Capitol Hill Traffic Plan. Remember that you are welcome to park in any available space in the parking lot and that you're welcom to come early to school. The drop-off is not busy at 7:45. Here are some general suggestions from our traffic plan:

DO: 

• Pedestrians and bikes only on Carson 7:30 - 8:15; 2:00 - 2:30
• Cross only at crosswalks
• Drop students off school curbside only
• Keep 17th One Way - south during drop-off times
• Be mindful of students crossing at 16th and Carson

Please Don't: 

• Make U turns in front of the school (it's unsafe and illegal)
• Load/unload students at the crosswalk/yellow curbs
• Block the parking lot entrance/exit
• Park in the wrong direction

 Pick up and drop off on 17th in the designated Drop Off Only Zone in front of school

• Drop students school curbside
• Do NOT drop at yellow curbs

• Limit vehicle traffic on Carson 7:45 – 8:05; 2:05 – 2:30

• Please no U-Turns

• Please park the correct direction