Dear Families,
Hello! My name is Annalee Bennin and I am the new Superintendent for the School District of Sheboygan Falls. I would like to thank you, our staff, and our community for the warm welcome I have received in my first few days. The opportunity to serve the School District of Sheboygan Falls and the community is an honor. I look forward to meeting all of you as the year progresses.
As we look toward fall, our schools may look and feel a little different--great students, caring staff--but still, a little different. There is not a uniform return to school
order
in Wisconsin. As we plan our responsible return to school, your feedback (more details below) is valuable to us and will inform the decisions of our task force. Your feedback, along with recommendations from the Departments of Public Instruction and Health Services, and guidance from our local health department, are the key elements guiding our planning for a responsible return to school. Authorities like the American Association of Pediatrics continue to state that, “...all policy considerations for the coming school year should start with a goal of having students physically present in school,” and should work “...to mitigate, not eliminate, risk of SARS-CoV-2.”
Please watch
this
three minute video
to learn more about our plans in Sheboygan Falls, the work ahead of us, and how you can help!
A few key points you will hear:
- July's focus will be around creating a Responsible Return plan -- a task force has been created that includes school personal, parents, and community members.
- Your voice is important to us. You have two options for your voice to be heard: complete the 3 minute survey that you will find in your Infinite Campus portal OR attend one of two listening sessions which will be held July 15th at 10:00 am or 5:30 pm in the middle school commons.
- We ask that everyone harmonize their ears and voices and work together to accept the start of the year will look different in many ways, but we will come together to make it work for our students and make the most of what we can offer.
- Early August will mark the release of our Responsible Return plan.
Our present conditions offer us an opportunity. An opportunity to think a little differently about how we serve our students, families, staff, and community. It challenges us to think differently about school and safety. It allows us to hone in on the Social Emotional Learning work the district has done to meet the needs of our learners, especially in these times. The African proverb fits well here, "it takes a village to raise a child." This could not be more true as we have all shared the opportunity to teach our child at home and partner with the amazing staff in Sheboygan Falls to offer the best learning opportunities we can as we move into a new school year.
As we communicate, plan, and share our work, I ask for your patience and support. We are dedicated to serving you and offering the best learning environment we can for our learners. It will look different, but the same caring educators will greet your child this year and make them feel like they are cared about and will be supported.
Sincerely,
Annalee Bennnin
Superintendent
