Letter from Mr. Bagshaw
USD 505 Patrons.
Recently you received communication from our district regarding enrollment of your students. Unless you have indicated otherwise, we will plan on your children attending this school term. Both secretaries have been communicating the enrollment process to families as well. We recognize some parents may have questions or concerns about the school year. Please contact Mrs. Paden in Chetopa or Mr. Odell in Saint Paul and they will assist you in your planning.
Preparing for school this year has been an unfamiliar process. Information regarding the planning and considerations as we enter the 2020-21 school year have been very intense. USD 505 teachers and staff have spent a great deal of time digesting the information in the state’s guidance document. The Kansas States Department of Education’s nearly 1,100-page document speaks to considerations as opposed to strict guidelines. The considerations provide flexibility and enable districts to respond based on their district’s needs and their local current health conditions.
At last week’s special board meeting, our administrative team shared more details regarding the planning and considerations as they apply to USD 505 Chetopa-Saint Paul. The board reviewed three instructional models in response to COVID-19. Those models vary depending on the level of community spread, and are:
On-Site: Students physically attend school daily. Preventative practices and mitigation strategies are in place. Those strategies include social distancing when possible, temperature checking, wearing masks, adjusted scheduling to avoid over-crowding, and other measures. This is considered the base instructional model in USD 505. We believe our students learn best in front of our teachers. It is always the plan to start school in this mode.
Hybrid: Alternating schedules for physical attendance to better ensure social distancing. Students would learn at school and at home on alternating days
Distance/Remote Learning: All or most learning would occur at home. Curriculum would be developed, and instruction would be delivered by our teachers. This would be significantly different in expectations and rigor than what we worked with last spring.
Again, the instructional model will be adjusted as the level of community spread (COVID-19) requires and as recommended by our county health department. The following table below provides a brief description:
Phase 1 - Low/No Spread - On-Site Learning
Phase 2 - Minimal to Moderate spread - On-site or hybrid learning
Phase 3 - Substantial Spread - Distance/remote learning
We understand the degree of comfort regarding sending students to schools amid the pandemic varies among families. Therefore, we will offer a remote learning option to families who have legitimate concerns. Please make an appointment with your appropriate building principal to discuss those options. Families will be responsible for documenting 6.5 hours of learning per day. Additionally, those students not meeting the threshold of 1116 hours will not be promoted or graduate.
In summary, I want to stress a few things: 1. Be watching for information regarding enrollment. 2.There are three instructional models and they impact physical attendance, but on-site learning is the preferred standard. 3. Ultimately, local health conditions will determine the model for instruction and how the school operates.
I hope this letter answers some of your questions. Please contact me at cbagshaw@usd505.org with any more questions you may have. Thank you for your continued support of USD 505.
Best Wishes,
Craig D. Bagshaw
Superintendent
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