This musing will probably be out of date by the time you read it. Based on what I’m reading and learning through weekly Eagle County Public Policy calls, it appears tougher COVID-19 days lie ahead in Eagle County. It’s difficult to know what that will mean for VCHS, but we will be prepared for whatever comes our direction.
On a more positive note, I’m incredibly thankful to have four school months under our belt. Our teachers have been remarkable in juggling all of their normal responsibilities with the added layer of teaching in-person and off-campus students simultaneously. Our teachers continue to be my frontline heroes.
With the state and county’s COVID-19 green-blue-yellow-orange-red dial dashboard, Eagle County moving from yellow to orange seems inevitable. Subsequently a move to red this winter is also probable. As I’ve said before, orange or red zone restrictions do not dictate that schools must go fully remote. Eagle County Public Health has assured me that they will not make school recommendations using a “one-size fits all” approach.
The state has provided K-12 capacity restriction guidelines for counties. In the orange zone “remote or hybrid are suggested with limited in-person as appropriate,” and in the red zone “remote is suggested with very limited in-person when necessary.” Again, with a shift to either of these zones, my team will work closely with Eagle County Public Health to do what’s best for our school – teachers and students – always keeping health and safety as our top priority.
Eagle County recently launched a new COVID-19 website that you might find useful. I also regularly visit the state’s dial dashboard website for updates. For clarification on the dial dashboard and capacity restrictions for the various color-coded levels, please review this document.
We’re a week away from a much-needed Thanksgiving Break, and upon return we have three school weeks that include 3 days of semester exams. I will continue to prioritize in-person, on-campus, 5 days a week, but only if we can do it in a safe and healthy way. Whether we remain in-person, or need to pivot to some type of hybrid or remote scenario, the VCHS team is prepared and ready to do whatever it takes to ensure our 143 students receive the very best from us.
Warm Regards,
Steve O'Neil
