Westside Union School District released the following statement regarding plans for reopening school
On Tuesday, June 30, Westside Union School District released the following statement regarding plans for reopening schools in the fall. More information to follow on July 6. That said, we wanted to be sure to share as much as possible, as quickly as possible. We appreciate everyone's support during this challenging time.
Dear Westside Parents, Staff and Community Members,
Thanks to those who joined the Board of Trustees on Saturday for a long and robust conversation about reopening our schools in August. As we all know, these unprecedented times have made us reconsider how we go about educating our students, and the impressive levels of public participation show that we are, indeed, all in this together. After nearly six hours of presentation and discussion, the Board voted unanimously that in the best interest of the health and safety of our students and staff to implement the following for our opening on August 5, 2020:
• Students attending elementary grades (TK-6) will receive face-to-face instruction two days per week and on distance learning three days per week. This approach will accommodate half of the students on campus at a time to maximize social distancing.
• Students attending middle school (including K-8 schools) will receive face-to-face instruction with their teacher two days per week and will participate in distance learning the other three days of the week.
• Leona Valley is the only school in the district with sufficient instructional space to allow all students to return to school five days per week with face-to-face instruction. The school can accommodate 120 students maximum, and so a limited number of seats will be available for Districtwide transfer. Should the number of requests exceed the number of available spaces, we will conduct a lottery to ensure equitable distribution.
• Students in Special Day Class at all sites will receive face-to-face instruction with their teacher five days per week. This approach, however, is dependent on the ability to limit the number of individuals in the classroom so that social distancing can occur. Bussing will present issues in getting students to and from school, so arrangements will need to be made with each family concerning transportation to school.
• Students and staff will be required to wear face coverings while on campus, remain socially distant from others by six feet, have temperatures taken daily and will remain with the same students throughout the school day. These precautions will help ensure the safety of our students and staff.
• Students who wish to remain in full-time distance learning may select one of two options for instruction.
o One option, which we’ve labeled Homeschooling, will be delivered via a computerized program for English, Language Arts and Mathematics. The remainder of the instructional program will be conducted remotely by a classroom teacher.
o The other option will be distance learning with the child under the instruction of a classroom teacher who will assign the classwork.
o Keep in mind that students in these programs will not come to campus except by special arrangement.
We understand that these changes are indeed significant and that there will be many questions surrounding them. On Monday, July 6, 2020, please expect additional information about making a learning choice for your students for the 20-21 school year. We will also continue to provide as much information as it becomes available.
Given the limited time to prepare for the upcoming year, you will need to return your information about your desired educational option not later than July 16, 2020, by 3:30 p.m. If you plan for your child to return to school as indicated above, you will have no need to return anything to the school, and you will be notified of the session and teacher your child will have for the coming school year. If you plan to participate in either of the stay-at-home options, you will need to submit a form so that we can properly register your child in that program. Those forms, along with additional guidance, will be available on July 6 as stated above. If you plan to have your child attend school somewhere other than Westside Union School District, please let us know that so that we can have an accurate student count for each site.
Again, thanks so much for your understanding, patience and support as we continue to provide the best education possible for your children while maintaining a healthy and safe learning environment for everyone.
Sincerely,
Regina L. Rossall
Superintendent