Dear Parents and Guardians,
Communication. Engagement. Partners in Education. Thank you very much for the great feedback and communication on the preliminary plans for Fall 2020 that were released last week. By actively engaging in the discussions regarding the plans, we will be able to plan for a fall reopening that focuses on using the best information available, balances the differing needs and opinions of stakeholders, and manages the risk factors of COVID-19 to the best of our ability.
As information continues to change and we receive additional guidance from local medical experts, county health departments, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, and the CDC, we will update the fall plans and keep you posted.
Fall Plan Updates: July 24
Cloth Face Coverings
Current health recommendations support wearing cloth face coverings in public spaces where you are not able to physically distance from others. Cloth face coverings help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and wearing them has become much more normalized even since we released our Fall Plan last week. Based on the recommendations from medical experts and to provide as safe an environment as possible, we will be requiring cloth face coverings for all Kindergarten - Grade 12 students and staff to start the school year. We also highly encourage it for our 4K students. Please work with your child to build stamina in wearing the cloth face coverings. Children will follow your lead if you positively and proactively talk about wearing masks and preventing the spread of germs. As we continue to plan with our Comeback Teams, we will work to find opportunities for students to take breaks from wearing them throughout the day.
High School In-Person
With the change to required cloth face coverings for all students, we will be able to offer in-person learning at WHS for all Grade 9-12 students, every day! We will be working to plan for physical distancing to the best of our ability, hand hygiene, and cleaning and disinfection protocols, but we are very excited to bring back all Grade 9-12 students for in-person learning, 5 days a week!
'Learning from Home' Online Option
We know a majority of families support in-person learning for fall. We are excited to have students and staff back in our buildings! We also know there are families who will be uncomfortable having their children return to in-person learning in fall. We will have a 'Learning from Home' option for those families that will be online and computer based. Families may choose the 'Learning from Home' option by contacting their building principal by August 7. The online platform will be much more robust and rigorous than the continuous learning that happened in spring with the school closure. While there will be weekly progress checks with our teachers, the content is much more independent and student/parent driven. Regular grading procedures and daily attendance will be back in place for the learning from home online option. Families may choose the 'Learning from Home' option now for the first semester, and then again in January if you would like your child to continue from home for the second semester.
Thank you for your flexibility, patience, and understanding as we continue to navigate these uncharted waters! Please continue to watch your email and the school district website for updates to the Fall 2020 plan. We are thankful to have you as partners in the educational journey of your children.
As always, please contact us with thoughts, ideas, questions, or concerns.
Carla Buboltz Caroline Mihalski Scott Thompson
Craig Haese Bob Caelwaerts Sarah Nelson
