AASD leadership just sent out a letter regarding their plans for the rest of the semester and the steps they will be taking to increase in-person learning. They will remain fully virtual for the remainder of the semester and hopefully start a hybrid model of learning on 01/19/2020. From the letter:
Based upon the current state of the pandemic in our community, we have made the decision to remain in our current Fully Virtual Plus model until the end of the first semester, January 15, 2021.
Then a little bit later…
We are targeting a second-semester start for increasing in-person learning opportunities for all students. Early Childhood will start in a fully in-person model following their traditional program schedule.For Grades K-6, a revised plan to implement a cohort hybrid half-day in-person model is being finalized. Additional information regarding the K-6 hybrid half-day schedule will be shared with elementary families the week of November 30.For Grades 7-12, we will follow the previously planned cohort hybrid model
Here is the full text of their announcement:
November 20, 2020
Dear AASD Families,
As per our AASD Pandemic Plan, we worked closely with our City of Appleton Health Officer and chose to take a conservative approach to start the year, prioritizing the health and safety of our students and our staff and working to implement reduced class sizes to accommodate the mitigation strategies that had been promised as part of our Safe and Resilient Return Plan. We were hopeful that we would reach our targeted metrics and be able to pivot to some form of in-person learning within the early part of the school year. Since that time, we’ve continued to learn more about how the virus is spread and which mitigation efforts are most important in keeping students and staff as safe as possible while in our school buildings. We all agree that schools are absolutely essential and vital to our children’s well-being. We agree that in-person learning is best for most students and we are very concerned for students who have continued to struggle in the fully virtual model, particularly those with mental health needs and those who are not successfully engaging in virtual learning opportunities. Student outcomes are a factor that must be considered in our potential transition between learning models, as noted in our board approved criteria, specifically “if District experience with current educational models indicates that learning and academic performance have not met District expectations or if inequities for certain groups of students have or may develop”. This, along with our confidence in our safety protocols and key mitigation strategies leads us toward increasing in-person learning for the second semester of the 20-21 school year. Based upon the current state of the pandemic in our community, we have made the decision to remain in our current Fully Virtual Plus model until the end of the first semester, January 15, 2021. The Virtual Plus model was designed to provide targeted in-person support for identified students while we continue with fully virtual learning. By continuing this careful, phased-in approach where we consistently follow all safety and mitigation strategies, including wearing face coverings/masks, following physical distancing guidelines, and participating in small cohorts while also limiting overall building capacity, we can provide our students the necessary opportunities to have their essential academic, social, emotional, and physical needs met – even while our community burden remains extremely high. We will continue to track and monitor how our Fully Virtual Plus implementation is going and will make any needed improvements or adjustments to our mitigation strategies and safety protocol. This also applies to our co-curricular activities. We are targeting a second-semester start for increasing in-person learning opportunities for all students. Early Childhood will start in a fully in-person model following their traditional program schedule. For Grades K-6, a revised plan to implement a cohort hybrid half-day in-person model is being finalized. Additional information regarding the K-6 hybrid half-day schedule will be shared with elementary families the week of November 30.For Grades 7-12, we will follow the previously planned cohort hybrid model. ?In the upcoming weeks, we will focus on virtually pre-teaching and reviewing safety protocols and expectations for in-person and virtual environments for all of our students, especially our youngest learners. Why are we targeting January 19, 2021? Our rationale for a second-semester start date is multilayered: Our health officials and school nurses have advised us that by starting at that time, we can avoid the potential for increased spread due to holiday gatherings. The two-week window after the New Year’s holiday should decrease the risk of potential spread. Semester 1 ends on Friday, January 15, there is no school on Monday, January 18 in honor of MLK Day, then we believe that new models could start the following day on Tuesday, January 19. This will avoid any disruption to summative testing and report cards. The semester is a natural academic break and is also the timeline we originally provided to families to request a change in the instructional model (in-person vs. virtual).This date will ensure the district has time to determine staffing needs while taking advantage of any new teacher graduates at semester that can be added to fill vacant positions. It provides our families and our staff members time to make childcare arrangements if needed. The pandemic conditions in our community will continue to be a factor that must be considered in our decisions regarding in-person learning scenarios. We will continue to monitor our COVID tracker data, staffing needs, and the effectiveness of our current mitigation efforts while we continue within the Fully Virtual Plus model. None of our plans to continue to phase in additional in-person learning opportunities will be fully possible if the community spread of the virus continues to grow. What do you need to do? Our families don’t need to do anything at this time, except to help us as we work together, especially as significant holidays are approaching, to guard against complacency and follow all safety recommendations that we know work to mitigate the spread of the virus. Please support us in this process by continuing to practice the safety measures that we know make a difference in slowing the spread of the virus. If your student is participating in any in-person opportunities, screen them daily. Encourage your family members, neighbors, children, and colleagues to work with us to stop the spread and reduce our cases. Physically distance at least 6 feet from people with whom you do not live. Wear a cloth face mask, unless unable to wear one for medical reasons. Wash your hands frequently with soap and water or use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Outdoors, limit gatherings to 10 people or fewer, physically distance, and wear face coverings. Self-monitor symptoms of COVID-19 for 14 days after return from travel. If symptomatic, call your healthcare provider, get a test, and stay home while awaiting results. Cooperate with public health officials if you have tested positive or are a close contact.
Be the first to reply