First Week of School Update

September 11, 2020

Hello Everyone!


We did it! Week one in the books and what a week it was! We are so excited to have students back in our building and to see their faces each day this week has been so refreshing for ALL of us.


Thank you again for being patient with all of our new procedures during the school day. Most of the procedures we are asking you and your children to follow have proved to work well thus far! (WAHOO!!) The majority of students have been in the building by 8:50 each day this week, and have been dismissed from campus by 3:25 each day. This is amazing work and only happens because we have worked so nicely together to make this all possible.


We will be making an adjustment to the parent pick up process to make it even more efficient. Starting on Monday, there will be 2 access points when picking up your children. If you have a pickup number in the 10s, 100s, or 200s, you will enter in the same parking lot as this week. The procedure will remain the same. If you are not a regular pick up, and you have called ahead that morning to arrange a JUST FOR TODAY pickup - you should enter this parking lot as well.


If you have a pickup number in the 300s, 400s, or 500s, you will enter the right side parking lot which is where drop-off occurs in the morning. You will pull in all the way forward to the cone in a single file line where a teacher will check you in. Please have your tag visibly ready. Your child will come to the passenger side of your vehicle and following such you may exit cautiously when you are ready. When waiting to enter the loading zone, please do not move forward until all 10 loading spots are clear and the duty teacher motions you forward. Thank you for working with us as we improve our end of day procedures.





In addition to smooth procedures, classroom routines are successfully being established. By the time Mrs. Fortier and Mrs. E make their morning rounds each day, students are settled into their classrooms, participating happily in their class morning meeting and community building activities. Teachers have been working hard to build community in the class cohorts and to make students feel safe, included, and calm in this new normal. We can already see by watching the students at lunch and recess how happy they are to be back together with their peers, socializing, and playing with each other! Smiles abound!


Teachers have been using our outdoor spaces all around our campus. It’s so exciting to see students outside with their peers, listening to a read-aloud, or working on a group activity! This is a great opportunity for students and teachers alike.


Here is a look at next week’s schedule:




We are so excited to continue this school year with you all and celebrate our successes and learn together as we navigate all of this collectively! As always, please reach out if you have any questions. We are here to help!



Take care,

Great Falls Administrators

Becky Fortier and Deanna Etienne