Southington Superintendent's letter to parents - July 15, 2020

SOUTHINGTON PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT______________________________ Office of the Superintendent

July 15, 2020 Superintendent’s Update and Family Survey Good afternoon SPS Families, As you know, we have been directed by the Governor and the Commissioner of Education to develop a plan for our students to return to school for “in-person” instruction this fall. The overarching goal of the plan is to provide a safe, secure, and positive environment to accomplish a return to school. While we anticipate that most of our students will return to in-person instruction, it is understood that it may not be possible for some children with health risks. It is likely as well that some families may have members who are at risk and therefore fear exposure, while some families may believe that opening schools is simply the wrong decision. All families will have a choice of in-school instruction or a remote, online program.

To help design the final plan, your input is essential. Please review the basic components of the plan and complete the family survey. The survey link follows the description. The survey information is for planning purposes. Your responses should be based on your current thinking and should not be viewed as firm commitments. Circumstances do change, sometimes dramatically as we have witnessed. In mid-August, a request will be sent asking for a firm commitment on attendance and transportation.

Even with that commitment, families will still be able to change options in the future. Please complete the survey no later than Friday July 24, 2020.

I. IN-SCHOOL INSTRUCTION The 2020-2021 school year will look very different at the start. As noted above, the overarching goal of the plan is to provide a safe, secure, and positive learning environment for all students. All staff will continue to work within the guidance of our state and local community partners and public health providers. Specific protocols will be necessary and a summary of some of those protocols is included below. The protocols will continue to be informed by medical and public health professionals and updated continually as new information emerges. The response to COVID-19 continues to be a public health issue and as such we will follow the lead of the medical professionals.

A. Face Coverings: Face coverings have been deemed a necessary mitigation strategy by state health officials and will be mandatory for students and staff, with some exceptions for health reasons. There will be ample opportunities for “mask breaks” during the day, and the use of the outside areas around the schools for activities will be encouraged weather permitting. There may be other opportunities for students and staff to remove their face coverings if appropriate physical distancing can be achieved.

We will be in consultation with state and local health officials regarding this issue.

A graduate of the Southington Public Schools will be college or career ready and prepared for life beyond by mastering the knowledge and demonstrating the skills to communicate effectively, think creatively and critically, and contribute to the global community.

B. Hand washing: Hand washing at regular intervals, will be mandatory. Teachers and health personnel will continue to educate our students (especially our youngest) on appropriate cleaning techniques. Hand sanitizer will be available in classrooms and stations will be available in appropriate locations in the buildings.

C. Physical Distancing: Class sizes at the elementary level in the Southington Public Schools are an advantage. The average class size ranges from just under sixteen students at Kindergarten to just under nineteen at grades four and five. Obviously, there are differences between and among the schools at various grade levels based on population density. The American Academy of Pediatrics Guidance suggests that physical distancing can be three to six feet and the Centers for Disease Control Guidance suggests that six feet is optimal. The SPS plan will try to maintain appropriate physical distancing in all areas. It is reasonable to assume that it will not always be possible to maintain six feet of distance between students, thereby reinforcing the importance of face coverings as a mitigating strategy.

Southington High School presents the most significant challenge in physical distancing. Given that approximately two thousand students move every class period, even a modified schedule will not eliminate the density of the student population. Staff are analyzing the use of all larger spaces in the high school, but the reality is that it may be very difficult to implement in-person instruction with the appropriate physical distancing mitigation strategies as directed by the State.

D. Cohorts: Elementary classrooms provide natural cohorts and students will remain together throughout the day. It is likely that special area teachers will go to student classrooms whenever possible. It may be possible for building administrators to assign a rotational schedule to allow specific grade levels on a given day to eat lunch in the cafeteria. However, planning for students to eat lunch primarily in classrooms is the standard at this point. At the middle schools, Teams provide a natural structure for cohorts and middle school staff are working on plans to minimize student travel and to limit transitions. At Southington High School, it is virtually impossible to implement a cohort model.

High school staff are exploring other options to minimize student travel, but logistically it will be very difficult.

E. Scheduling: If it is necessary to move to a hybrid model of combined in-person and remote learning, school and student schedules may need to be adjusted. It is anticipated that state and local health data will determine criteria that dictate moving to a hybrid model. If that becomes necessary, families should anticipate a school schedule that includes some in-person instructional days with significantly reduced class sizes and some online or remote learning days for all students.

F. Bus Transportation: The guidance provided by the State Department of Education indicated that bus transportation could proceed at near capacity with students and staff using face coverings. It is likely that some families will choose to provide their own transportation and we encourage you to do so if possible. Student arrival and parent drop-off may be adjusted as a result. Please be sure to complete the transportation portion of the family survey. Your input will be much appreciated and assist the school district in planning for transportation services.

A graduate of the Southington Public Schools will be college or career ready and prepared for life beyond by mastering the knowledge and demonstrating the skills to communicate effectively, think creatively and critically, and contribute to the global community.

G. Sanitation: Recommended cleaning protocols provided by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) will be followed. Enhanced cleaning and sanitizing will occur during the school day and throughout the week and in the evenings.

H. Illness Protocols: The school district will work closely with the state and local health departments to implement strategic illness protocols. While the CDC does have guidance available, it is anticipated that the State Department of Public Health will be issuing additional guidance to be implemented at the local level. Our local Health Department has been and will continue to be valuable and dependable partners in this arena. We are waiting for the Department of Public Health guidance currently.

II. ONLINE AND REMOTE LEARNING Students who require online or remote learning will have a very different experience than the “distance learning” program in the spring. Families should expect a greater percentage of time spent in “synchronous” or face-to-face learning although both synchronous and asynchronous methods will be utilized. The district employs a Learning Management System, Canvas that will be used primarily for grades six through twelve. Professional development has been provided to facilitate the use of this teaching and learning tool. Google classroom will continue to be the primary tool to deliver online learning at the elementary level. Additional professional development has been provided to enhance the ability to use this tool effectively. In addition, the district has committed to provide all students with a mobile device, therefore becoming a 1:1 district, an advantage that did not exist in the spring.

A. Grouping: Students will be grouped by grade across the district for efficiency of operation.

B. Schedule: The intent is to schedule the class day to closely mirror a typical school day. Of course, the appropriate or desirable amount of “screen-time” varies greatly by age. Middle and high school students will be scheduled by subject and grade level.

C. Synchronous & Asynchronous: Instruction at all grades will feature significant synchronous (realtime) teaching and learning in addition to asynchronous lessons and resources with individual and small group conferencing and integrated supports based on individual student needs. Group sizes and screen time duration will vary based on developmentally appropriate guidelines.

D. Food Service: Students will have access to pre-packaged lunch at designated school sites during specified times.

III. SPECIAL EDUCATION Rebecca Cavallaro, Pupil Personnel Services Director, and her team, will be sending more information to families soon regarding plans to support students with special needs. Our goal is to ensure that all students receive services appropriate to meet their individual needs. During this difficult time, it has not been easy to do so. I want to assure all families that SPS staff will work diligently to provide the very best programs for our children with special needs. I urge you to continue to collaborate with the members of your child’s Planning and Placement Team as we work through the logistical and technical issues together.

A graduate of the Southington Public Schools will be college or career ready and prepared for life beyond by mastering the knowledge and demonstrating the skills to communicate effectively, think creatively and critically, and contribute to the global community.

IV. CONTINGENCY PLANS The State Department of Education has mandated that all districts provide contingencies in the planning process to account for in-person learning, a hybrid model of in-person combined with online or remote learning and a completely online or remote learning model. The Southington Public Schools staff will continue to develop and refine the plan throughout the remainder of the summer.

The summary information above is intended to provide a snapshot of what school may look like this fall. Unfortunately, the State has left districts in the position of formulating plans individually instead of in some collective manner. Our response in these situations typically is to collaborate with neighboring districts to create similar structures since so many families and staff live and work within the boundaries of our communities. I would like to thank the school districts of Cheshire, Wallingford, Meriden, Plainville, Bristol, and West Hartford for their partnership and for sharing information and allowing the use of portions of their work to be included in ours. We can be sure that changes in information and data will continue and we will adjust accordingly. Hopefully, the information included above, although not a final document has provided you with some insight regarding school reopening in the fall.

It would be very much appreciated if you would complete the Family Survey via the link below. Your input will be critical in the final planning stages. We will be adding a Q&A document to the district website in the near future. In addition, families can provide other feedback through the COVID19@southingtonschools.org email address. As always, thank you for your time and support.

We will continue to provide families and staff with timely updates.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BSGDX9X Respectfully,

Timothy F. Connellan, Superintendent

A graduate of the Southington Public Schools will be college or career ready and prepared for life beyond by mastering the knowledge and demonstrating the skills to communicate effectively, think creatively and critically, and contribute to the global community.