October 23, 2020
Dear Parents and Families,

The first week of transitioning to hybrid in-person learning has been fantastic – thank you. Our pre-Kindergarten through second grade students started this week and are doing well.

Next week, third through fifth grade students will start hybrid in-person learning across the district. If your student attends middle or high school, hybrid in-person learning is scheduled to start on November 9.  These dates are subject to change based upon community health conditions.

In our hybrid model students will be split into two groups.  Group A will receive in-person instruction on Monday and Thursday and Group B will receive in-person instruction on Tuesday and Friday.

Third through fifth grade students will use the same safety protocols employed for the pre-Kindergarten through second grade kids. The younger students are doing a great job wearing face coverings and following safety protocols. We anticipate the third through fifth grade students will do a great job as well.  On the days that students are not receiving in-person learning they will be provided independent learning opportunities to be completed each week.

For middle and high school students class schedules will follow traditional routines with safety protocols and added safeguards against the spread of COVID-19. This means class will start and end at the same time as in the past and students will rotate from classroom to classroom, attending each scheduled class period each day they are in-person.  On the days in which students are not in-person, they will receive instruction via Zoom on the same schedule as their in-person days.  Wednesdays are set aside for teachers to touch base with students who chose the full remote option and to provide support to students who are in need.  Teachers will also be engaged in planning lessons and collaborating with their teaching partners each Wednesday.

Student and employee safety is our top priority and the district has taken substantial safety precautions.

Safety signage about wearing face coverings, washing hands and social distancing is posted throughout schools to help remind students about safety expectations. We are confident that our students will do a great job following safety protocols. If your child comes to school without a face covering, your school will provide one.  Detailed guidelines for appropriate face coverings and other safety protocols can be found on the district website.  Your help reinforcing and supporting these expectations with your children will be of great value to the success of our transition back to in-person learning.

Another change involves our bus pickup times. In an effort to minimize the amount of time students arrive before school, these times have changed. To view new bus pickup times click here , then click the green “bus routes” button. If you are dropping your student off at school, please do so about 10 minutes prior to class starting.  It is important that students do not gather in common areas before school starts.

To help your student have a great day at school please make sure to complete the daily wellness check. Doing so will allow your child to arrive at school and proceed quickly to their classroom. For detailed directions on completing the daily wellness check click here.

As a reminder, the Federal Government extended the free meals program for all children from birth to age 18 through the entire school year. Any student can choose to eat breakfast and lunch for free, no qualification is necessary. The meal pickup locations will continue serve meals Monday through Friday.

We are limiting visitors to school as much as possible, but know there will be times you need to see us in person. You are welcome to visit school, but we would appreciate it if just one parent came into school at a time. Please wear a face covering and practice safety protocols when visiting school.

All district employees are working hard to make our return to school a great experience and we appreciate your support. If you have questions, please reach out to your school or email infoteam@longviewschools.org.

 

Respectfully,
Dan Zorn, Superintendent
Longview Public Schools