While the Governor has closed school buildings, she has not closed school. Teaching and learning will continue at USD 108! Thank you all for giving us a little time and space to pull everything together for families and students.
As each day passes, we do receive ongoing guidance from the state department on how we are to deliver “school” in new methods of instruction, teaching and learning for our students. Starting next week, I will be working with a small group of elementary teachers and a small group of secondary teachers and my principals to develop a Continuous Learning Plan. Leading the USD 108 development of the Continuous Learning Plan will be information and guidance that the KSDE State Task Force is putting together. From that information, USD 108 will create a plan that meets and exceeds our students learning needs.
USD 108’s Continuous Learning Plan timeline goal will be Monday, March 30, 2020. Things to consider…
- Will it look like the school we have known? No
- Will it provide learning for our students at their grade level? Yes
- Will it be delivered online or in person? That strategy will certainly show up in the plan, probably one or the other OR both. Whatever is used, it will be based on student learning needs and how to keep learning progress moving forward.
- Do I need to educate my child at home? You are always welcome and invited to be a part of your child’s educational experiences, but our faculty/staff are looking ahead and gearing up on how to best deliver instruction for all students, at all levels and with various learning needs. Great things will begin to happen starting Monday, March 30, 2020.
- Will school be 6.5 hours long like it is now? No. Again, the length of teaching and learning (school) will be determined by the Continuous Learning Plan. Your child’s respective teachers have great relationships with your child(ren). They know what works well and what might need adjusted. The goal will be to keep students engaged and provide a variety of learning methods.
- What to expect regarding the upcoming new “normal”. We WILL be transparent for our public in decisions as they are being made. Our “Tigers” and your children are our greatest hopes, dreams and futures. In all the changes ahead of us “Keeping Kids First” is top priority in the new “normal”!
As we continue to figure out our new normal, we will continue to include our community in decisions that have been made. We appreciate your patience as we figure out what that new normal will be. Do not hesitate to contact me or any of my administrative team with questions or concerns you may have. The best interests of all Washington County students will continue to be first and foremost in all decision made during this transition.