August 21, 2020

Good afternoon,

This is the first of our Principal Updates for the 20-21 school year.  Initially these may come a little more regularly than weekly.  Please be attentive to this as we have a great deal of information to share.

• We have granted every student request whether for Full-Remote or Full-In School Attendance.  These numbers for CHS are as follows:  

• The following is a link to the updated school year calendar for the Litchfield School District:  
  https://www.litchfieldsd.org/Downloads/2020-2021%20FINAL%20REV%20Calendar%208-6-20.pdf  

• We are switching our schedule over to a 4x4 block schedule.  
  This means that students will have their Block A, B, C, and D classes in first and second quarter.  (The students will have their Block E, F, G, and H classes during third and fourth quarter.)  Depending upon their schedule students will attend three to four classes each day of the week for 90 minutes.  This will allow students to have fewer classes to focus on during that particular quarter if we have to go to a Remote Learning model.  Also, it means that a class that is normally a year long class will take only one semester.  A class that is normally a semester long will take only a quarter.  For students who have been at CHS this will take a bit of adjusting to.  

• Buses:  There will be a trial bus run on September 1.  
  The buses will be following their routes and stopping at each bus stop along the route.  If students want to meet and greet with their bus drivers they may do so wearing masks and saying hello. This is more important at the elementary school than the high school though.   Finalized Bus routes have not been determined yet and will be communicated out by the School District and the schools when completed.  

• Schedules:  Students will be able to access their schedules on Tuesday, August 25th by logging onto our new student information system, Powerschool.  Classroom.powerschool.com is the website.  Students then “Sign in with Google” and use their CHS login information. The parent portal is currently not open to access and we are working with PowerSchool to complete that process.  When the parent portal is available, that access will be provided to parents.  For students who wish to change their schedules, CHS counselors will be available on September 2 and 3 when students  are in the building.  Remote Learning students will need to communicate with their counselors via phone or email if they wish to change classes.  Keep in mind that we are very limited on space due to the changes made due to the COVID 19 pandemic, and it may be very challenging to accommodate these.  .  

Please read the following carefully:  The first three days of school will be broken up by cohort (full in or full remote) and by grade levels.   These are going to be September 1st , 2nd, and 3rd.  These days will be broken down as follows:

September 1 will only be for all students who have chosen the Full Remote model.  

• Teachers will be reaching out to parents/students to set up Google Meets for between 7:35 and 12:00 to discuss what their classes will look like.
• This will include such topics as classroom expectations, understanding the technology, reviewing parent and teacher expectations, and providing some face-to-face time for students and teachers.

September 2 will be a school day only for 9th and 10th grade students who have chosen the Full-In School model.

• The schedule for this day will run on an early release schedule for CHS from 7:35 until 12:00 with students having a chance to grab lunches before they leave. 
• Students who self-transport must have their parking permit with them as they park in their assigned parking space.
• Parent drop off will run as normally through the student parking lot.  
• The buses will depart from CHS at 12:30.

September 3 will be for 11th and 12th grade students who are in the Full-In School model.

• The schedule for this day will run on an early release schedule for CHS.  
• Students who self-transport must have their parking permit with them as they park in their assigned parking space.
• Parent drop off will run as normally through the student parking lot.
• The buses will depart from CHS at 12:30.
• The day will run from 7:35 until 12:00 with students having a chance to grab lunches before they leave.  

September 9:  This will be the first day of regular classes for all students, whether in-school or remote.   
An important point for all Juniors and Seniors is if these students had a study hall in A Block, they have all been assigned a delayed opening and do not need to come to CHS until their B block class.  All Juniors and Seniors who had a study hall in their D Block class have all been assigned an early release and may leave CHS after their C Block Class.  This year, any freshmen or sophomore with an A or D block study hall can apply for Early Release/Late Arrival.  The form is attached and can be dropped at the main office. Parent approval is required and the parent transportation is necessary as well.  Students will not be allowed to stay on campus during their delayed arrival or early release without administrative approval.  Also new this year, juniors and seniors can apply for open campus.  This means that if a junior or senior has B or C block study hall, he/she can leave CHS and return in time for the next class.  This form is not yet available.

Normal school day classes will run as follows:

Masks and Other PPE:  

When it comes to wearing masks the scientific evidence is clear and decisive:  Masks prevent individual droplets expelled by breathing from being spread to others.  The purpose of masks is not to filter out droplets for the wearer, but rather to prevent a wearer’s breath droplets from being spread to others.  Therefore, we will require masks to be worn on each school campus when six feet of distance cannot be maintained. This includes entry and exit from the building, in hallways, and during passing periods. While lines will be spaced out during passing, we cannot confirm that 6 feet will be able to be maintained. While desks will be 6 feet apart to allow for mask removal, there may also be times in the classroom where masks will need to be worn (i.e. small group work, morning meeting, etc.)

Some parents have inquired about their child wearing other PPE, mainly face shields. Face shields can be worn but only with a mask as well. A face shield alone does not provide the protection or mitigation that a mask does. If you choose to send your child with a face shield as well as a mask that is more than acceptable. 

Thanks for your support as we begin the 2020-21 school year. 

Regards,

Bill Lonergan, Principal