Anser Charter School Flight Plan 

October 21st, 2021

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Welcome to the Anser Flight Plan. If you have Anser related submissions, please email them to Maua Romano at mromano@ansercharterschool.org by Monday 4:00 PM for inclusion in that week's Flight Plan.

 
Anser Website
 
 

Important Dates to Remember

 

October 15th Lottery Application Opens

October 21st Early Release @ 1:45pm for Goal Setting  

October 22nd No School for Goal Setting Conferences

November 3rd: Family Council Meeting at 6:30pm

November 1oth Q & A with Board Members and Directors

November 16th: Board Meeting at 6:00pm

 

Anser Covid Update

 

Anser Specific Covid Data:

Week of 10/18-10/21 as of today: Number of confirmed cases in students or staff: 1

Week of 10/18-10/21 as of today:  Number of students or staff in quarantine*:5

Staffing limitations due to Covid and/or quarantine: Minimal


*Please remember that a student or staff person could be in quarantine for any number of reasons, including cold and allergy symptoms, while awaiting testing. Do not assume that a student or staff member who is absent or in quarantine should be interpreted as a “potential or probable” Covid case.
 
Wider Community Data

Cases of Covid in Ada county decreased 542.37 cases per /100,000, down from 662.19 /100,000 last week.

 

Anser’s weekly cases are included in the Anser Covid Tracker on the website which is  Linked here.

 

 
 

Link to Responsive Return Plan
 
 

Important Communications for Families

Q & A with Anser Board Members and School Directors 

 

Our first office hours with the CRT+  and school directors was a wonderful opportunity to connect with families and answer questions related to Anser Covid policy and implementation. 

 

The next Q&A with the CRT+, Michelle and Heather will be held on Wednesday, November 10 from 6:30-7:30pm. A link to the zoom call will be provided the week prior and a form to submit questions in advance will be sent to families one week prior. 

 
 
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Fall Fund Drive

Did you know that Anser has only two primary fundraisers per year- The Fall Fund Drive and the Spring Auction. That means that Anser will NEVER ask your kids to go door to door to sell things or pressure friends and family into buying things they don't want! Instead, we simply ask that you help support our community by contributing to the Anser Fall Fund Drive. Your contribution helps support improvements to our outdoor spaces, such as playground equipment and our new nature based play area, and many other aspects of an Anser education. Make your contribution by clicking here today!

 

Thank you to the following people for the contribution to the Fall Fund Drive: Garrett and Kelly Bauman, Tamsen and Chad Binggeli, Sean and Lisa Birt, Nova and Joey Burns, Emily and Gabe Carnell, Shelly Henrikson and Brent Thomas, Sarah and Chad Hurst, Camille LaCroix and Stephan Burgos, Kim and Jason Mora and Melody Maxey.

 

 

Click here to donate!

 
 
 
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Halloween Events

Family Council has planned some awesome Halloween Events that we can safely participate in this year!

 

-Jack-O-Lantern Drive-Thru-

Friday October 29th, bring your kids jack-o-lanterns to school at drop off and we will put them all on display for a drive thru from 6:30 to 8:30 pm that night! Pick your jack-o-lantern up between 8:30 and 9pm that night! If you don't bring a jack-o-lantern, come and drive thru to see and celebrate safely with us!

 

-Costume Contest-

We are also having a virtual costume contest! You can submit photos of your kiddos awesome costumes from October 15th-October 23rd to events@ansercharterschool.org. You are welcome to do group or indivudal costumes!

We will start voting online from October 24th-October 30th, and we will announce winners on Halloween!

 

 
 
 

Parent At Large Board Position Open 

 

A Parent-At-Large board member position is open on the Anser Community Board. The Parent-At-Large is elected by the Anser parent community. The member serves on the Anser Community Board for a two year term and is assigned to at least one board committee. The Anser Community  Board is the governing body of the school and is charged with setting the long term vision of the school, and working with the co-directors to make sure the mission of the school is realized. We encourage a parent with a passion for effective governance, and a willingness to serve. Currently, the Anser Board is looking to recruit a new member with a strong financial, business or accounting background, but those skill sets are not a requirement.

 

For more information about this position, please email Anser’s Community Board Vice President and Governance committee chair Leslie Brown for more information at lsbrown328@gmail.com.  Names of candidates will be accepted until Friday November 5th.

 

 

A Message from the Anser Community Board AD Hoc Communications Committee 

 

October FAQ’s

 

On behalf of the Covid Response Team (CRT+) we want to thank those who were able to join the office hours with the CRT and Anser Directors on October 11. This proved to be an excellent way to answer questions from the parent community and to have discussions about Covid related protocols and communication within our school.

 

The CRT will continue to hold office hours for the parent community monthly. Mark your calendars for WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 10, 6:30-7:30PM for the next conversation with the CRT. A Zoom link and form for parents to ask questions in advance will be sent out in the flight plan on November 4th. 

 

As we execute this school year navigating Covid protocols and in-person learning, we would like to continue to provide transparency and information in the following ways: 

  • Answer frequently asked questions (FAQ’s) via monthly written communication 

  • Hold monthly office hours with the CRT to address questions related to the Rapid Response Plan (RRP)

  • Clearly outline expectations and purpose when we anticipate changes in our protocols

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Question: How does Anser ensure that classroom environments are safe and following the protocols outlined in our Responsive Return Plan (RRP)? 

 

Answer: Every staff member has a role to play in ensuring that protocols are implemented effectively. The protocols are reviewed regularly with staff, and Crew Leaders have set classroom norms with students to support understanding. 

All staff are empowered to address appropriate mask wearing, handwashing and social distancing among students both in and out of the classroom. 

The co-directors perform  monthly Classroom Mitigation Audits, where they visit classrooms to observe that all layered  mitigation strategies are in place, that mask use is consistent and that the classroom is set up to reduce the risk of transmission. In the event that areas for improvement are identified during these audits, the co-directors work with Crew Leaders to implement the strategies more effectively. Based on the first audits of the school year, mitigation strategies are being implemented with a great degree of success. If concerns arise between audits, the Staff Crew work together to quickly develop solutions.

 

Question: What evidence does the CRT+ consider when making revisions to our RRP? 

 

Answer: The RRP has been carefully written, revised, and adopted by the Board of Directors to serve as the foundation that guides Anser’s pandemic protocols. This is a living document. As new information, research, and/or recommendations are made by the health experts cited (or by local public health officials) the Anser Board of Directors may adopt revisions presented by the CRT+. 

 

As a public school, Anser has an obligation to base its plans on the guidance developed by entities entrusted with the health and safety of school children and personnel. 

 

Anser’s protocols have been, and will continue to be, based upon recommendations from entities including but not limited to: 

  • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

  • Central District Health (CDH)

  • The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)

  •  The State Board of Education

 

The CRT also evaluates new studies or research on Covid in children, published by long-standing, trusted institutions that rely on a peer-review process to confirm the use of scientifically defensible research methods and valid interpretations of the data.

 

Primary data that has and will continue to guide decision making of the CRT include but are not limited to:

  • Schoolwide Data:

o   Levels of transmission within the school

o   Ability to offer continued operations with adequate staffing

  • County Level Data:

o   Weekly case rates of Covid-19 in Ada County

o   Test positivity rates

o   Levels of hospitalization

  • Data or recommendations from CDH

 

NOTE: From July 2020 through September 2021, Anser’s directors had weekly calls with the CDH held specifically for advising Idaho school administrators. As of October, these meetings continue to take place bi-monthly. Information from those calls are shared with the CRT+. 

 

Question: When will my student be able to stop wearing a mask at school?

 

Answer: Research and guidance provided by the entities outlined above supports that the best defense against spread of covid in our school community is through layered mitigation strategies (more than one!). 

 

These include but are not limited to: 

  • Masking: universal masking for all people indoors and outdoors in high-density situations. Optional masking outdoors in low density situations

  • Physical distancing: Cohorting by Crew, desk spacing within classrooms, minimizing indoor overlap of Crews, staggered lunch times or lunch service area to support physical distancing

  • Handwashing regularly throughout the day

  • Sanitizing all high touch surfaces daily

  • Ventilation and air purification maximized throughout the building

  •  Learning outdoors maximized whenever possible

  • Minimizing visitors and volunteers: All persons who enter the building are screened for Covid-19 symptoms and are required to wear a mask at all times on campus and off campus at field work when in a high density setting. 

    • Reminder: At this time the Anser Board of Directors has decided to revisit our current “no volunteers at this time” decision after the upcoming holiday season.  

 

These layered mitigation defenses will remain in place while our greater community spread is high, even if spread within our school proves to be low. When Covid-19 transmission in our greater community is reduced, masking and other mitigation layers will be reconsidered.

 
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Looking for Fast Covid Test Results? 

Boise State has testing  available to students and the turn around on results is often same day! They are offering both PCR and Rapid testing so you can get answers about your child’s illness! Anser is still offering PCR saliva testing, but the turnaround is 36-48 hours for results.

 

 
 
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Family Council Facebook

Come join Family Council on Facebook! We've created a private Anser Family Council group to facilitate communication to families about our community events. Join us at https://www.facebook.com/groups/562799611476908/?ref=share to connect with other Anser families and hear about the latest happenings!

 
 
 
 
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Lunch Calendar

Breakfast Calendar

Lunch Calendar 

Reminder that lunch and breakfast are free to all students this year! However, you may add money to their student account though Infinite Campus if they would like to purchase a la cart items such as extra milk, or PBJ. 

 
 
 
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