Reopening Information and Procedures

Families,

Below you will find two things: 

• Re-opening and procedures (including pick-up and drop-off procedures) specific to QUEST. 
• The general re-opening email and information sent by Dr. Kosiorek on August 20th. Please review carefully. 

Pick-up and Drop-off

Drop-off: Drop-off will look just like it did last year. 

• Your child can be let out of your car at 8:40 am. 
• Please pull into the parent drop-off/pick-up loop. Your child will get out of your car (please have them get out on the sidewalk side of the road) and will enter through door 24 (door near the flag pole). 
• Please be sure not to walk across the parent drop-off loop, and please be sure that your child does not get left prior to 8:40. 
• Staff members will be there to support your child as they enter the building. 

Pick-up: Pick-up will be different than last year. 

• Pick-up will begin at 3:25. 
• When you arrive, please park your car and walk up to door 26. 
• You will notice two lines at door 26. One line is for K-2 parents, the other line is for 3-6. If you have a child in both age groups, go to the line that is for K-2. 
• Give the person working the line your name. We will radio inside for your child and your child will exit the building and walk to you. 
• Please be prepared to show your ID, and any day you have someone other than you picking up your child, please be sure they have an ID as well. 
• When you park, you may park in the parent loop or any spot in the parking lot. 
• This is different than last year. We are changing it because of the traffic issues that we faced last year. No numbers will be assigned. Please note that while you are waiting for your child you will be outside, so masking is optional at this time for you while you wait in line. 

Volunteers

We are thrilled to share that volunteers are allowed in this year. This gets organized through your child's classroom teacher, or through the efforts of the PTSO. When coming in, parents will check-in at the security desk and should remain masked at all times. 

Lunches

Parents are not allowed to join their child for lunch this year. Given the need to unmask during lunch, and the intentional spacing we are planning for, adding extra adults becomes a challenge. Thank you for understanding.  

Students will eat in one of three locations: café, stage, or auditorium. We will be using three spaces in order to allow for the appropriate physical distancing. In addition, students will be assigned a seat based on where they sit on the first day. This will remain their seat for the first five weeks, and then every five weeks we will allow them to change their seat. This helps with contact tracing should that ever be necessary. 

Below you will find the information that was shared from Dr. Kosiorek on August 20th. 

I hope you are enjoying your summer.  The district has some important updates for you as we return to school.  This information will also be shared with parents and guardians at noon today.

 

We are looking forward to welcoming staff and students back to school in September for in-person instruction five days per week. Relaxed physical distancing guidance is allowing the district to open fully. We are grateful for this opportunity as we know this has been an extremely difficult time for our students, families, staff, community, and country. The following will outline important updates pertaining to the opening of school.

 

Masking

Our schools will start the year with students and staff, regardless of vaccination status, wearing masks inside and on school buses. Masks will not be required outside and teachers will be encouraged to hold classes outside whenever possible. Students will be given mask breaks throughout the day. Students who need a clean mask during the school day may stop in the main office or nurse's office.

 

The district's goal, if transmission rates decrease, is to transition to optional masking. Monroe County is currently at a High Transmission Rate. When we return to a Low or Moderate Transition Rate we will be able to adjust our masking policy. Transmission rates are based on a seven-day rolling average. Below is a metric illustrating the levels of transmission.

 

 

The decision to have our students and staff return to indoor masking was not made lightly, and we understand that many of our community members are passionate about this topic.

 

The district-based its decision on the fact that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), The American Academy of Pediatrics, New York State Department of Health, New York State Education Department, Monroe County Health Department, and our district physician all strongly recommend masking.

 

All school districts across Monroe County are also adopting these safety practices. Governor Kathy Hochul has also shared that, once she takes office, she plans to adopt a masking requirement for schools.

 

For more information, visit the CDC Guidance for COVID-19 Prevention in K-12 Schools.

 

Physical Distancing

Distancing requirements will be changed to three feet, except on district transportation. Music instruction involving wind instruments, brass instruments, or singing will take place at a distance of six feet.

 

Transportation

District buses will operate at full capacity. Students will be required to wear masks and windows will be open when the weather permits. There will be no physical distancing requirement.  

 

Lunches

Physical distancing during lunchtime will be three feet. When students finish eating or get up from the table, they will need to wear a mask.  

 

Health Screening

Heath screening is no longer required, but we do request that parents/guardians and staff check for COVID-19 symptoms each day before coming to school. 

 

Cleaning and Disinfection 

The district will continue with appropriate cleaning and disinfection practices.

 

Hygiene Practices

Proper handwashing as well as coughing and sneezing into one's elbow are effective in limiting the spread of infectious illnesses, including COVID-19. Schools can monitor and reinforce these behaviors and will provide adequate handwashing/hand sanitizing supplies.

 

Ventilation

The district will continue its prevention strategy to reduce the number of virus particles in the air. 

 

As we enter into the third year of school navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, I thank you for your continued patience and support. Our goal is to keep our learning community healthy so that we can continue with the business of educating our children in-person five days a week.

 

Below, please find an infographic illustrating the information above. Please contact your building principal or direct supervisor if you have questions.

QUEST Library News

 

Happy Almost Back To School!  
Hope you have all had a chance to do some summer reading!
Read in the SORA app between now and Sept 9th and win a prize if you log the most minutes at your level!  Directions for summer reading contest are here: http://questrockstar.pbworks.com/w/page/14004980/QUEST%20LIBRARY%20MEDIA%20CENTER%20IB%20PATHFINDER

Welcome Back!

 QUEST Families,

Welcome back to the 2021-2022 school year. Please join me in extending an extra welcome to our new K students and those families new to the QUEST team--we are certain you will love QUEST!

It is my hope that you and your family are knee-deep in summer fun, and that you have found plenty of time to read, relax, and recharge. Although the school has been quiet without students and staff, life has been quite busy at QUEST as our twelve month team prepares for the fall. Please allow this blog to serve as your mid-summer check-in. 

Ice Cream Social

Each year our learning community celebrates back-to-school with the help of our PTSO through our annual Ice Cream Social. Current details include: 

• August 25th, 6-7 pm at QUEST. 
• Masks will be required in the building. 
• Please park in the parking lot and not in the bus loop as we will have a bus on hand.
• A bus will be available for our youngest K friends to have a bus ride! 
• Feel free to drop off school supplies to your child's class. 
• When entering the school, you will be encouraged to enter through the entrance closest to your child's classroom. Signs will be placed out front with a reminder of which entrance leads to which classroom. Doing this helps with traffic flow and over-crowding. 

Should details need to change due to Covid restrictions, we will let you know! 

Pick-Up

Many families send their children on district transportation, but some families decide to utilize daily pick-up. If you plan on picking your child up each day, or if you plan on picking your child up on a consistent, particular day each week, please use the survey below to communicate that to our attendance office. 

CLICK HERE TO SIGN-UP FOR DAILY PICK-UP

Placement

Placement is complete and you should have received a letter in the mail. Included in that letter would be a supply list for 21-22. If you are enrolled at QUEST and did not receive a letter, please be sure to reach out. A huge thanks to our teaching staff for their efforts around placement--it is quite an involved process. 

21-22 Protocol? 

At the time of this writing, I do not have updated protocol for the 21-22 school year. With that being said, as soon as more information is known, it will be added to our blog for your viewing. 

We are halfway through summer, and what a gift it is to be afforded these months each year. Enjoy the time as a family, and be sure to make plenty of good memories in the coming weeks. September will be here before we know it. 

Be well,

Derek Warren

Principal 

Ice Cream Social!

 

Back to School Health Updates

Parent and Family Engagement Policy Meeting

 

Summer Reading!

 

Summer Read Using SORA our e-reader app or pick up a physical copy at the local library!  Don't know how to use Sora?  Directions here: 

http://questrockstar.pbworks.com/w/page/133716039/Sora%20Instructions%202020-21

 

Summer Reading Here: 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ILsn7ziT9xTTomxp6i8ezAnY_rCzaRICnMQEO8morLc/edit?usp=sharing

Principal's Message

 QUEST Families,

Happy June! We have made it to the finish line, and I could not be more proud of the students, staff, and YOU, the families, for the perseverance that all have shown this year. This year brought us so much that was out of our control, but we continue to be of support to one another. One of our school values is community, and I can find many examples of ways we lived up to that.  It takes all of us to make the educational experiences amazing for our students, and I cannot thank you enough for your partnership this year...what a year!

End of Year Events

I am beyond grateful to the staff for finding ways to make our end of the year events possible given all the protocol and changing norms. Between Science Fun Day, Field Day, concerts for our youngest learners, Kona Ice,  sixth grade graduation and lock-in...our kids are seeing first hand that they are our top priority. Go QUEST! It is my hope that next year we will be even further along with COVID and that we will be able to invite you, the parents, into all these fun events for the kids. Thank you so much for your patience as we inch toward that goal--I know this was not easy.

Placement Update and Change

One part of June that is typical to QUEST is a moving up day, and prior to that you would receive a letter with your child's placement listed. I apologize, however, we are unable to make this happen this year. Because we are still waiting on expectations regarding remote instruction from the state, and because we are still unsure of which families/staff may be part of remote teaching, QUEST will not be sending placement letters to families until the first week in August. This aligns with when the other schools send out their placement, but a shift for us. The district will communicate about remote instruction in the near future.

Please know that all of us at QUEST hope to be able to return to placement letters and a moving up day in June next year, however, it would not be fair to communicate out one thing only to have it changed on you. For example, last year we had several staff members and several families that had a classroom and roster change in mid-August due to all the shifts caused from remote instruction. 

Once again, you can expect to receive your placement letter the first week in August. This is also when our K placement letters go out. Thank you so much for understanding, and here's hoping next year we are able to go back to our traditional June timeline. 

Please utilize the summer to take a deep rest. Unplug, look up and enjoy the good happening all around you, dive into a good book with your child, and just make memories. We have all earned it. Thank you for sharing your children's learning with us this year. Our school community is grateful for you, and we wish you a fabulous summer. 

Respectfully,

Derek Warren

Principal 

Level Updates

Kindergarten:

Well, we made it to June!  The Kindergarten team has been quite busy as we head toward the end of the year.  We’re still learning every day but taking some time to celebrate all of our accomplishments, as well.  The kids have come so far and we couldn’t be prouder, especially considering the challenging and unusual year it’s been.  As always, thank you, families, for helping to make this school year a success! 

The K team would like to thank the Quest PTSO for funding our special Music event with Missy Reed this week!  We really enjoyed listening to and moving to the music!  We’d also like to thank them for funding our kites for our Kite Flying adventure after Kindergarten Promotion.  The kids are going to have so much fun!  

Just a couple weeks of Kindergarten left.  Look out, Primary, here we come!   

Primary:

The Primary Team has been busy with fun zooms and presentations.  On Friday, May 28th, we got to enjoy the Rochester Museum and Science Center, teach us about energy.  It was a great way to wrap up our Sound and Light Waves planner.  The presentation was a bang with lots of explosions.  Thank you to, PTSO for funding this "field trip."  

On June 4th, Mrs. Butlin zoomed into our classrooms during Science Fun Day and taught us about how Bees are important to flowers and farming. This was a part of our last planner this year on "Bees," where we learned how plants and animals are interdependent. 

The last "field trip" of the year took place for the Primary Team on June 9th in our auditorium.    We will get to enjoy the wonderful teaching and music of Missy Reed.  Missy Reed is a professor at Niagara University along with being an amazing musical therapist.  Again, thank you, PTSO for funding this "trip." 

As this crazy year draws to a close, the Primary Team thanks our families for their unwavering support and wishes everyone a wonderful summer. 

Elementary:

Our elementary students have been hard at work learning about animal adaptations and ecosystems.  In this planner, students learn that living things possess adaptations that make them well suited to life and survival within their habitats.  Students also learn that within any ecosystem there must be a balance as both living and nonliving things rely on one another.  Students learn that there is a flow of energy within an ecosystem as they examine both food chains and food webs.  During this final stretch of the school year, students also completed the NYS assessments in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science (4th grade students).  We are also preparing and taking part in both fun and traditional end of the school year events such as Science Fun Day and Field Day!   

Intermediate:

The intermediate team is so proud of the work that students are completing. Our graduates are busy plugging away at exhibition projects that are near and dear to our hearts. This year, our sharing of exhibition will look a little different. Students will display a visual representation of their exhibition experience around the walls of QUEST. Parents and family members will have the opportunity to view these amazing representations after graduation or after school hours. Speaking of graduation, 6^th graders will have the opportunity to graduate in the QUEST auditorium with their classmates and families this year! If you are a parent of a graduate, don’t forget to submit your graduation RSVP. Following the graduation, classes will celebrate together with an ice cream social hosted by our generous PTSO.

We wish the families of QUEST a relaxing and enjoyable summer. You have all worked so hard to support your child on the adventure of a lifetime and you ROCKED it.

June Health Office Updates