Hello Parents & Students,

Plans continue to come together for this next school year. We continue to follow government and public health guidelines to ensure we will be keeping our students and staff safe. Covid-19 virus has a very low infection rate in children under 19 and schools are considered a controlled environment as it is a consistent group of people, with policies and practices to reduce risks. Therefore, we are comfortable and happy to be welcoming all our students back to regular in-person classes in September.

We are still planning our Meet & Greet/Registration Day for September 3 and starting regular in-person classes for all students on September 8. We are able to be ready for the 8th as our teachers have scheduled planning days prior to that week where we will ensure our safety procedures are in place to receive students. As the local school district may be having a gradual restart to school, school district bussing may not be available the first few days of school. We will work with them to determine dates and protocols that may be required for riding their busses.

As a fairly small school with small class sizes and ample building space, we are able to meet recommendations with minimal changes to our program. We will have continued safety protocols, many similar to what we practiced in June. These will include:

– Keeping student interactions within their learning cohort (group) of less than 60 students, unless physical distancing can be maintained. We will have two learning cohorts, elementary and high school. This means we will revise a few programs like our reading buddies and house team activities that included students from both these groups.
– Minimizing physical contact between students
– Consistent seating arrangements
– Enhanced cleaning and disinfecting of high touch points during the day
– Additional hand washing and sanitization
– Posters to address traffic flow
– Assemblies with only one learning group present at a time

We will be asking you as parents to:
– Ensure your child(ren) is feeling well before attending each day
– Remind your child(ren) to minimize physical contact with their friends as needed

Please let us know if you have questions or concerns. You’re welcome to stop by our table at Farmer’s Market the next few Friday afternoons from 3 – 6 pm, or email or call the school. Happy last few weeks of summer break!

Mrs. Atherton