As a reminder, if your last name begins with the letters A-K, your children will attend school on Monday and Thursdays. If your last name begins with the letters L-Z, your children will attend school on Tuesday and Fridays. On Wednesdays, all students learn from home under the virtual learning model on a compressed schedule, similar to how they are accessing the curriculum and their teachers instruction currently.
New routine
Under the hybrid schedule, students will have access to their teacher(s) for in-person instruction and also varied amounts of synchronous and asynchronous learning on the other days, depending upon your child's grade level. We are seeing the limitations of live virtual instruction for our youngest learners and our Principals and staff are assessing the feedback from parents and teachers to find the best balance for kids.
Parents do not need to register their child for hybrid learning - we are ready for your children to arrive whether you transport them yourself, they walk, or they choose to take the bus, on the days they are scheduled to come to school. It will be an exciting first in-person day for many. To be sure, school will feel different. We are honoring the social distancing guidelines and all required health and safety protocols, including the especially effective wearing of masks. Schools that have reopened in other parts of the state and region report positive experiences so far, with a typical new school year energy - something a mask just can't take away!
An alternative to hybrid
Penn-Delco Cyber will be activated for parents who are not yet comfortable sending their children back to school. At the elementary level, the size and staffing of the cyber classes will be dependent upon the level of updated interest (in other words, there could be just one section for one grade from all elementary schools across the district ). We plan to assign a dedicated elementary cyber teacher to cyber students so they can receive the full virtual attention they deserve.
At the secondary level (6-12), students enrolled in Penn-Delco Cyber will generally maintain their existing teachers. More information on this option can be found by following the links below including directions to withdraw your preliminary interest in Penn-Delco Cyber. Should you choose Penn-Delco Cyber for your child, we would ask that you remain enrolled in the cyber program until at least the end of a marking period (December 4, 2020).
Going forward
Recognizing that this is a first-time for school districts to deliver both cyber and hybrid learning simultaneously, we will assess both programs on an ongoing basis and when it is possible to make improvements, we won't hesitate to do so. The decision on these models of delivery are based on how best to deliver instruction to our students. I have confidence that our staff, who have done a superb job starting the year virtually, will continue to meet the challenge, regardless of instructional format. But they deserve support and understanding under this new model as well. Thank you in advance for your patience as our programs evolve in this unique time.
To better assist parents who may still have questions, we will review these info documents during a Q and A that is scheduled for Monday, September 28th at 6:30 pm. The link to that Zoom webinar will be posted on our main website on Monday.
Please continue to also review any information that may be sent from your child's school, teacher, or Principal. As always, thank you for your support and understanding as we work to make the best out of a situation that is not at all ideal. Our schools will be ready to serve students while meeting the health and safety guidelines expected for in-person learning at this time.
Sincerely,
Dr. George Steinhoff
