the project school

Download our new smartphone app for iPhone and Android, and you'll be able to stay in-the-know about important announcements, calendar items, special events, and more. Use the app to access our directory, to send communications to staff right from the app, and to visit each teacher's portal page with all the learning links you need. You can check out the lunch menu, read through the family handbook, and submit required absence notifications. You can even make a donation via the app to support heart-mind-voice educational excellence. Search for The Project School in the app store - for everything TPS in the palm of your hand!

TPS Families, please check your in-boxes for a very important message regarding our switch to all-virtual learning for the start of the school year, beginning August 17. The safety of the children and all of our community is paramount in our planning.

Good morning, TPS Families! Your weekly Update has just hit in-boxes. Please have a read! Wishing you a beautiful and safe day.

TPS Families - due to increased COVID-19 community cases, we are moving our mask making to a DIY set-up. Instead of Switchyard tomorrow, we'll be organizing materials & instructions to be picked up (safely) in upcoming days. Please check email for details. AGAIN - we will NOT be meeting at Switchyard tomorrow for mask making. Our deep thanks to the parent organizers!

All schools in the area just received the following statement from the Monroe County Health Department: "Based on the sharp increase in cases over the past few days and a possible increase in hospital demand the MCHD thinks it would not be unreasonable to consider going to your “plan B” while we monitor this situation. Dr. Sharp reminds you that this is still a school system decision. However, considering a delay in re-entry of in-person classes for a couple of weeks is worth considering." This statement affirms the decision that we have already made to delay the start of any version of school at TPS until August 17. It also causes us to lean more strongly toward the virtual start that we again shared as a possibility in the letter to our families on 7/22/2020. We will finalize the decision of how we are opening by by 7/27/2020 at the latest. We will then work with families who MUST have care at school to support their needs. In our weekly update this week there will be a survey that will also help our families to connect to each other. Please pay special attention to the opportunities this creates for connecting our new families to our veterans. We are all in this together, at least 6 - feet apart!

TPS Families, a very important message was just sent to you via email from Ms. Cathy, regarding a change to reopening plans. Please read as soon as you are able. It has also been posted to our Facebook page. Stay safe!

As we move forward with our plans for reopening, and the using of outdoor spaces as much as possible, we are seeking 2 very important things! 1) A survey to mark our green space property lines for the purposes of fence installation; 2) Large canopies (10x20 feet or larger would be ideal, but any size would be great to consider) that can be set up for shade and protection during outdoor learning. Know of anyone who can help us with either of these? Please be in touch asap: connect@theprojectschool.org. Thanks!

TPS Families - the weekly Update has just arrived to in-boxes. Please take a look at your earliest convenience!

"Daniel Tiger" will air an episode dedicated to teaching children how to deal with COVID-19 and safety: https://people.com/parents/daniel-tiger-coronavirus-pandemic-episode/?fbclid=IwAR2S3siHRUzhds3pDV6oNzlybPi6eZASXJJPC7cIq4bIvpiB6HNQ90Za6Js

We have received responses from almost all of our families (only 10 students left to reach!) for their plans for August-October school at TPS. As parents and educators, we know how challenging it is to decide what is best for your child and your family. This is tough stuff! Thanks for working with us to create the best situation possible. We are now working with responses to determine the placements and groupings that give the best chance for physical distancing. Once we have this information, we will share it with all families, likely sometime the week of July 20. These are the plans will be based on current knowledge of the pandemic. If the situation with COVID-19 changes in our community, so too will our plans. We recognize that the results of the best plans we are able to put in place may mean that some families will want to change their commitment. We will work with families who feel this way and will most definitely consider all requests. Below is an article that speaks to us as we are making decisions. There are 2 points that we believe are worth noting in response to the article: (1) We very much hope that Governor Holcomb listens to teacher-leaders and requires face-coverings in schools. As you know, we would certainly support this decision, as it is a requirement that we have made, as well. (2) In Indiana, officials are not currently using specific metrics to guide local school districts as they decide when to reopen and when to remain virtual. Rather, districts are taking an assembly of input from state, local health and education officials to make that decision. State health commissioner Kristina Box said the state does not currently have specific metrics for schools to follow in their counties, but that could change as the state’s infection rate climbs. As a school that is working diligently to make the best decisions possible, we would WELCOME specific metrics for schools to follow in our county. If you have interest in expressing support for this, we encourage you to contact Dr. Box and the ISDH at 877-826-0011. As we have said from day one, we are constantly watching the data. Increases in cases in our community must be considered, and understanding the data matters. Reopening is most certainly complicated for everyone. Thanks for your support. https://indianapublicmedia.org/news/indiana-schools-reopening-could-be-complicated-by-covid-19-infection-increase.php?fbclid=IwAR1kLZy2kh9epmApXhF4jrB8aeGXmyjj4VFB2U0SmRt4ZakY-iDRqSgFj_k

Hello TPS Families! Our important weekly email Update has just hit inboxes. Please read through it at your earliest convenience, paying special attention to the optional Q&A sessions happening tomorrow, and the deadline Tuesday for completing your learning format commitment form. Thank you so much!

Sharing a beautiful new resource created by our Kindergarten teacher Ms. Liz, as part of her masters course work. Here is her description of the site: "Loving Library was created help educators find books and resources to use in their classroom to educate their students in a way that fosters tolerance, empathy, anti-racism and activism. We want to give educators the tools to be agents of change in their communities and to make a difference in the lives of their students." This link has been added to our growing resource library (linked on our website) of anti-racism materials for children and families. Thank you, Ms. Liz! https://sites.google.com/view/loving-library/home

TPS FAMILIES - an extremely important email has just landed in your in-boxes regarding reopening. Please make sure to read it as soon as you are able. We miss you greatly, and are wishing you continued health and safety!

We are pleased to share our reopening plan, approved this evening by our school board. We thank the members of our reopening committee for all of the thoughtful and meticulous work they put into crafting this plan, and we thank our board for their deep commitment to what is best for the children and families of our school community. A link to the reopening plan is below. You can also check the COVID-19 banner at the top of our website at any time for timely updates. https://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/783848/reopening_plan__approved.pdf

At 4:30 today there will be a special Zoom board meeting, where the reopening plan will be discussed and voted on. The public is welcome to attend. Community questions can be submitted publicly in the chat bar. This meeting will also be recorded and posted later, for those unable to attend. Find the Zoom link and details here: https://www.theprojectschool.org/article/262061

We are so excited to be almost ready to introduce our new website and smart phone app to you - they are getting their finishing touches this week. Stay tuned!

We are so proud of some of our TPS middle school students for receiving such a fabulous recognition from NPR for their podcast work! https://indianapublicmedia.org/blog/bloomington-students-win-npr-student-podcast-challenge-honorable-mention.php?fbclid=IwAR2ZAvTxrSfeo4v0kWOlITPCKjkZIKHGZRoEwuotAVwvXaghfhd5FoOKIF8

TPS families - an important email with message and brief survey has just hit your in-boxes. We hope that everyone will take a few moments to complete the survey by the end of this week, to share a bit more important feedback to help us develop our re-entry plan. Thank you so much!

We are extremely pleased to share that through an exciting grant, we will have 2 full-time, salaried Teaching Fellowships available for the 2020-2021 academic year. One fellow has been hired, and we are now seeking an outstanding second candidate. The Project School Fellowship program is a collaborative effort with Indiana University Purdue University (IUPUI) School of Education that is designed for individuals who hold a bachelor’s degree in any field and are highly interested and motivated to become a licensed elementary level teacher. This two-year fellowship includes all licensure coursework and an integrated student teaching experience and mentorship from experienced TPS classroom teachers. TPS fellows are full-time TPS employees and thus afforded the same level of benefits, support, professional development opportunities, and administrative services as any other employee. Our fellowship is an opportunity to engage with passionate educators in a fully immersive experience. Click below to learn more. Please help us spread the word! http://projectschoolin.apptegy.us/o/tps/page/current-openings--28

On this #Juneteenth - and every day - we dedicate ourselves to ending the systemic and structural racism still embedded in all facets of our society, and to doing our part to create real and lasting liberation, equity and restorative justice for everyone. We are deeply humbled to be part of a learning community committed to this crucial work. We will continue to try to do better every day.