Update: Reset--Reconnect--Resume
Focus on Reset
Earlier this week the school district announced the first phase in the process of offering an in-person schooling option to students. This first phase of the Reset process focuses on opportunities for students in grades 4K-2 to return to campuses across the district beginning in March. What should we expect at the middle school level in the coming months? Read on for the details.
Options for Instructional Settings: While the below information pertains to the addition of an in-person schooling option for students, families will be able to choose between the current virtual and in-person options through June.
Help Us to Plan Ahead: It is said that to get ahead, you have to plan ahead. At Hamilton we are working really hard to plan for a safe in-person schooling option for our students and our staff members. We need your help to make this plan a success! In the coming weeks the district will be communicating with all families asking what your intention is when it comes to choosing an in-person option for your child's schooling, or staying with the distance learning option. Please, please, please complete the district survey when it comes your way, along with the information regarding a new app that you can use to keep us updated on your choice! We need accurate data to plan effectively for our Hamilton community!
Dates to Begin Offering an In-Person Option: Kindergarten students will have the opportunity to return to buildings beginning on March 9. Grades 1 and 2 will return together on March 16, followed by 4K on March 23. Additional grades will then be added each week thereafter, with a pause for Spring Break. The district may not add grade levels in a sequential order, and there may be weeks where multiple grade levels return at once. My take as principal: My perception (i.e., this is not what the district said) is that the earliest we will have the opportunity to add one or more grade levels to the hallways of Hamilton will be April 12.
A Change to Asynchronous Wednesdays: Beginning Monday, March 8, the asynchronous learning day of the week will change from Wednesday to Monday. So to be clear, beginning March 8, students will have their self-guided learning day on Monday, with live virtual learning taking place each day, Tuesday through Friday.
What Will an In-Person Option Look Like at Hamilton? We are currently planning for two scenarios when it comes to an in-person option to schooling. Which scenario is implemented will be a district level decision and is dependent on where we are with virus numbers in our broader community and the experiences at our elementary schools leading up to the time of our return. Both scenarios can include students coming to campus four days per week, or participating in a hybrid situation, coming to school two days per week and attending virtually on other days. The first format is a design that keeps students in pods of about 15 students in a single classroom across most of the day, eating lunch in these classrooms, but going outside for recess(s). Students in these pods would access learning virtually, but would have the opportunity for in-person Advisory class, and in-person support from the teacher across the school day. Most students would also have one or more classes during the school day taught to them by the teacher in their room. The second option is to have students follow their regular schedules, transitioning through the hallways to their classes for in-person instruction. Teachers in both these models will be teaching students who remain in a virtual learning environment at the same time they are instructing students who are here on our Hamilton campus.
Next Year: No one knows for sure where we will be as a community and as a nation with regard to this pandemic come September. That said, at this time principals have been instructed to plan for September as if schools are fully open with our full slate of in-person class offerings. Obviously we will have the summer to rethink our plans if the need should arise.
