North Snohomish News

Snohomish School District issued the following announcement.

Hello families and staff –

I’m reaching out today to share current information as we plan for school this fall. Although, we do not yet have all the answers, it is important to share the discussion at this point. While we await additional guidance from the OSPI, the Washington Department of Health (DOH) and Governor Inslee, we have been planning for various scenarios. Although none of our models are final, and unanswered details remain, it shares our path forward for the upcoming school year.

The Re-Opening Committee (ROC) has formalized its Educational Offerings recommendation to the School Board, which will be considered at the School Board’s July 22 meeting. It is based on four values:

• High-quality learning opportunities for all students
• Safety
• Community
• Sustainability 

With these four values driving the conversation, the ROC’s recommendation to the School Board includes the following three programs. Each family will have the opportunity to choose the one that best meets the needs of their child(ren).

• Hybrid:
  • Grades K-3 and K-12 students who receive special services will have the opportunity to attend all-day, every day.
  • Grades 4-12 will have a rotating schedule of A, B, A, B. Which means, half of the students will attend on A days and the other half on B days. A decision on what the Friday schedule will look like remains (whether to rotate between A and B, or have another use, such as virtual or home-based learning).
• Parent Partnership Program (PPP):
  • This current district program will continue to partner with families who want their students to experience learning from home while partnered with school-offered classes and programs. The advantages of our district’s PPP program include core academic courses, academic enrichment courses, expanded or supplemental activities.
• Online Learning:
  • This program is for those families who choose not to have their children physically attend school, but rather receive their education through 100% remote, online learning. This plan would be taught by instructors within our district, as well though Apex Online Learning.

In the event that schools are closed and we must offer education entirely through distance learning, we are preparing a robust program that will enable learning to continue. This online program provides each child the ability to interact daily with their teacher and receive the help and support necessary to continue their education. 

Each of the options above will allow:

• Learning and instruction to occur every day through interaction with the student’s teacher.
• Continuity of the learning experience – classroom to classroom – school to school.
• Known expectations, such as schedules for instructional times and support.
• A safe environment that follows state and DOH safety protocols.
• Understanding that all decisions must acknowledge the impacts to our families and community.
• Sustainability by the district, staff, families and students.

Early next week, please watch for a survey/questionnaire that will be emailed to all district families asking for them to choose which educational model fits their needs best. Responses will not be binding, but will provide preliminary data to help in our planning.

Documents and resources from our reopening work are posted on our website at www.sno.wednet.edu/reopening. We encourage you to take a look through them and stay connected. We are continuously updating this site as more details and information is available.

As the first day of school is only eight weeks away, discussions are happening and decisions are evolving. As the School Board considers the ROC’s recommendation and we continue to plan for this fall, it is imperative to hear your voice. Please stay in contact and never hesitate to reach out with questions or concerns.

Original source can be found here.