As we move into summer, we want to update you about our work to return to the school campus in the fall. At this time, SGWS is planning to begin in-person learning in the fall and will accommodate 6-ft social distancing guidelines set by the State of Ohio while students are on campus. This will be done with the understanding that distance learning may be occasionally required if COVID-19 cases increase in our local area and we are asked to close the building temporarily.
Our decision making is informed by
the State of Ohio's most recent orders and those of the Ohio Department of Health
, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Summit County Health Department (SCHD) and our education regulating bodies.
For our Early Childhood Program, our goal is also to accommodate all students on campus, each day. That being said, accommodating the youngest children and adhering to guidelines for this age group presents us with many questions to be answered before we can say with certainty that we are able to do so. Please bear with us and know that we will be creative in working towards our goal.
Additional Considerations
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We understand that
this is an ever evolving situation and we will keep you informed if and when we receive updates regarding different or new requirements from the state and local government.
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In order to accommodate enrolled students within the building while adhering to 6-ft social distancing recommendations, we are creating a waiting pool of students who apply to join classes that are at 18 students or above. This means if your student's class has less than 18 students, we will set a limit of 18 for that class. If your student's class has over 18 students at this time, we will not add any additional students.
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We are working to prepare for more stringent social distancing requirements to be met on campus, such as 9:1 student-to-teacher ratio, just in case that were to become a requirement mid-year.
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We are
planning to build upon and improve our Distance Learning technology and processes, so that we will be ready to provide interactive, robust, at-home learning experiences for our students if required during our 2020/2021 school year.
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We are working to make decisions which may include restricted building access for parents and visitors, policy regarding masks, group gatherings- either impromptu or scheduled, class plays, assemblies, and before/aftercare. The focus of these decisions will be providing the safest environment for our students, employees, and families.
Decision Making
To manage and streamline decision-making, we have created a task force to lead teams organized in the planning efforts for a return to school. The Return to School Task Force is mandated by the Administrative Faculty and Board of Trustees to be responsible for 2020-2021 school reopening efforts, integrating health and safety, scenario planning, financial and legal implications, facilities, faculty expectations and curriculum delivery methods.
The Task Force will rely on input from the College of Teachers, the Board of Trustees, the administration, and families, and serve to streamline and create efficiency in the discovery and organization of information in planning for the 2020-2021 school year.
We will be scheduling a virtual social event for July and a Town Hall prior to August 15th to stay connected as a community and keep our lines of communication open as we move into the upcoming school year.
No matter what our new year looks like as we work to keep our families, students, faculty and staff safe, we would like to ask everyone to hold the spirit of mutual respect and generosity for all as an example for our students and as a kindness to one another.
We will send out an email next Wednesday detailing motions approved by the Board of Trustees in relation to tuition and contracts for the 2020/21 school year. Please continue to read your emailed school communications over the summer and if you have any specific questions about, or for the Task Force, please email [email protected] or [email protected].
Sincerely,
Tracy Edwards, Director of Administration and
Kyle Yoder, President, Board of Trustees
