Members of our Re-Opening Task Force Committee are meeting weekly to help create and give focus to plans for the upcoming school year. Barbara Federspiel, our Parent Council Chair, has been attending our meetings, and has offered to help with communication, and we couldn't be more thankful.
The letter below comes from the work of the most active sub-committee right now, which is the Health and Safety Committee. The Collegium and Pedagogical committees have been meeting frequently working through a myriad of possibilities for the fall, so you can expect to hear about this work soon.
Summer greetings to you all,
Kathy Fraser, Administrative Director
Dear WHWS Families,
The Re-Opening Task Force committee has been meeting weekly to discuss and shape our 2020-21 school year. Planning the re-opening is a significant effort, and our team is working hard to sift through all the documents surrounding our reopening.
One change we wanted to alert you to right away is that our
first day of school will be September 2, 2020.
It has been recognized on a state level that, while all schools did their best to bring remote learning to their students, these last few months have shone a light on how difficult it is to do this equitably. The decision to begin a week earlier was made with the hope that we can capture more in-class instruction time.
We would also like to share with you the resources we are using to help shape our plan for both in class and remote learning scenarios. For kindergarten through eighth grade, we are looking to the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Education’s (OSPI)Reopening WA Schools 2020 District Planning Guide. For our licensed preschool programs, we are referencing the latest news from the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) and the Whatcom and Washington State Department of Health.
It is important to remember that we are obliged to follow the mandates of the state. These are required rules that all schools, public and private must adhere to in the state of Washington. It is required that we have a fully formed plan for both in-class instruction with physical distancing, and remote learning and that we be prepared to move between these two plans as seamlessly as possible.
Known campus requirements:
- Everyone will be screened for possible viral exposure by answering a simple list of questions and having their temperatures taken before entering campus
- Everyone must wear a mask at all times
- Students will be spaced with a physical distance of 6 feet apart, or as best as we are able.
While the 2020-21 school year will look very different, we are committed to being prepared, keeping our community safe and making sure all students are given the resources they need to learn and thrive regardless of circumstance. All the while, we will aspire to shape these commitments within the values of community, connection and care of the whole child that we hold so dear.
As we continue to meet, both together and in our sub-committees, we will be communicating with you through all school emails, our newsletter and on our website. Please stay tuned , and thank you for your continued patience and flexibility.
On behalf of the Re-Opening Task Force committee,
Barbara Federspiel, Parent Council Chair
