November 18, 2020
Republic School District Families and Employees,
As you are aware, the district implemented the RepMO Return to Learn plan for the 2020-21 school year. Details can be found HERE. Essentially, this is a three phase plan. We have been able to complete nearly 13 weeks in phase 1 with the large majority of our students participating in seated instruction. We feel strongly that students learn best while they are at school, in-person with their teacher(s) and classmates. However, COVID19 has created challenges and obstacles that are making this difficult to sustain. Specifically, the number of employees positive for COVID19 has increased greatly, which has caused teacher absences to be left unfilled by a substitute or another district staff member. Since November 1 we’ve had 35 positive employees, 19 of these have surfaced in the last three days.
In July when we unveiled the RepMO Return to Learn plan we indicated it might be necessary for us to “jump around” from phase to phase depending on the number of positive cases in our schools, the number of students and employees in quarantine, our ability to fill substitute teacher vacancies and the overall spread of COVID19 in our community. After much consideration and consultation, we feel the time is necessary to take a short pause from phase 1 and move into virtual learning for all of our students. Virtual learning will take place November 20, 23, 24, 30 along with December 1 and 2. This short pause is considered phase 3 of our RepMO Return to Learn plan. We are hopeful to return to phase 1 on Thursday, December 3.
Although we are very aware of the inconveniences this creates for our families, please know this decision was made with the best interest of our students and employees in mind. We feel this short implementation of phase 3 will allow for slowing the overall spread of COVID19 in our community, our facilities to be deeply sanitized, those currently ill with COVID19 to heal and for those on quarantine to serve the rest of their time and return to school. The virtual learning days following Thanksgiving break will also allow us to evaluate the potential impact holiday gatherings might have on our ability to return to phase 1.
Since this will be new to all of us, we are thankful in advance for your grace. However, we feel confident in the virtual instruction plan we have put into place. Virtual learning will look much different than it did in the spring and will be required for kindergarten through 12th grade students. For those who have experienced virtual learning during quarantine, phase 3 will be very similar. Please refer to the FAQs listed in the link below for additional details. Also, please be watching for communication from your student’s teacher(s) and/or school building with specific information about learning virtually November 20, 23, 24, 30 along with December 1 and 2.
Again, we feel that learning takes place best when our students are seated at school. Our hope is to return to phase 1 on Thursday, December 3. However, communication will be released on Tuesday, December 1 after we are able to determine the potential impact that the Thanksgiving holiday might have on our ability to return to phase 1. We appreciate your consideration of this as you make plans for the upcoming holidays.
