Open House Info + Supply Lists!

Meet the Teacher: Thursday, August 12, 2021, 4-6 pm, Exploris School

We are so excited to kick off this year! The Exploris staff has been busy at work this whole week to put the final touches on getting ready to welcome everyone back, in person.

We are keeping a close eye on the evolving situation with how the Delta variant is affecting Covid spread in our community. After much discussion this week, we have decided to make the following modification to our Meet-The-Teacher Night.

ELEMENTARY CAMPUS INFORMATION:

We look forward to seeing those able to attend. Please note that this is a low stakes opportunity to say hello to your teachers for the year. This is not a mandatory event.
Anyone attending this event is required to wear a mask that covers both their nose and their mouth, regardless of vaccination status.
Weather permitting, all of the activities will be outside. Each grade-level team, Global Arts, and Student Services will have a labeled pop up tent on the main playground area where families and students can meet with us.
Due to the COVID 19 Delta Variant, we are working to minimize large groups of people. With this in mind, we will alphabetically stagger the event by last name:
- Families with a last name starting with A-J are encouraged to attend from 4-5 PM.
- Families with a last name starting with K-Z are encouraged to attend from 5-6 PM.
We kindly request that students NOT bring any school materials on Thursday, but rather bring them the first day of school. If you need to bring your supplies on Thursday, please put them all in a bag and label them with your student’s name.

MIDDLE SCHOOL CAMPUS INFORMATION:

Hours and location (indoors at Middle School at 401 Hillsborough St) will be the same: Thursday, Aug. 12th, between 4 and 6 pm
We will STRONGLY encourage that only NEW families come. Returning students and families are asked to consider not attending in person, but instead crew teachers will reach out to you through emails and phone calls. We know there are many who have not been inside the building, and that some students are anxious about seeing their classrooms, etc., so we will not ban anyone who is planning on coming; we do encourage you to consider the risk and to help us limit the number of people in our indoor spaces.
We will use three separate entrances, one for each grade.
- If your student will be in 6th please use the main front door
- 7th graders and families should use the side door near the recycling cans
- 8th grade families can walk up the stairs by State of Beer and enter at the lanai
Crew teachers will spread out to both crew rooms to encourage social distancing and discourage clumps of people. Please stop by each room
Our Global Arts team will set up at a table outside (front bench right)
Our PTO will set up a table outside near Global Arts
Each room will have the air purifiers turned on and windows open as much as possible
We ask that families stay no longer than 15 minutes
We reserve the right to limit the # of people in the building at the same time. To help with this,
- Families with a last name starting with A-J are encouraged to attend from 4-5 PM.
- Families with a last name starting with K-Z are encouraged to attend from 5-6 PM.
- If that doesn’t work with your family’s schedule, you are still welcome to come when you can
Masks are still 100% required and we will have extras on hand

Please remember parking is also extremely limited at the Middle School location and plan to use on-street parking or parking in a nearby paid lot.

We are working hard to balance everyone’s safety with a chance to see the building and meet staff in person! Thank you all for your support and understanding with these changes.

School Supplies

SUPPLY LISTS: Here’s the supply lists for each grade! Bring supplies on the first day of school if possible.

The School Supply links are also included on our Back to School webpage. Please use this handy page as a reference for all things Back to School! 2021-22 Back to School Checklist – Exploris PTO

It’s time to sign up for the EXPLORIS FAMILY CARPOOL MAP!

Each summer, Exploris PTO volunteers help families connect by posting the Exploris Family Carpool Map. Whether you need a daily carpool, occasional rides, or just want to connect with families that live near you, we hope you’ll opt-in to this map. We’ll keep it updated for about six weeks so everyone will have time to get carpools lined up.

Please fill out this form to get on the map:

Exploris School Family Carpool Map 2021-22

Password Protected: The Family Map and the School Directory will be posted on password protected pages on the PTO website. You will be emailed the password once your information has been added. Please do not share the passwords publicly.
Get on the Map! Even if you’re not sure if you will be carpooling, please fill out the form. Your address will be on the map, making it easier to find Exploris families in your neighborhood.

The Map will be updated daily as more people fill out the form.

Feel free to email Dana and Jen at news@explorispto.org if you have any questions. Thanks!

Back to School/First Trimester Dates!

August 9-13: Teacher Workdays
August 12: Back to School Open House!
August 16: First Day of School
August 18: PTO General Meeting (on Zoom)
August 22: Popsicles in the Park (5-6:30pm, Chavis Park)
September 6 & 7: Holidays/No School (Labor Day, Rosh Hashanah)
September 13: Flex Day (details TBA)
September 16: Holiday/No School (Yom Kippur)
October 4-6: Fall Break/No School
October 22: Teacher Workday: Parent Conferences
November 11: Holiday/No School (Veteran’s Day)
November 12: Flex Day (details TBA)
November 19: End of Trimester 1

View the 2021-22 school calendar and Google Calendar here: https://explorispto.org/calendar/

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