June 3, 2020

I hope this communication finds you and your family healthy. I have been hearing great stories about the connections that staff have been making with families since the beginning of our school closure. I want to commend our staff for their efforts during this time.

There are so many questions about what will next school year look like. Although there are many unknowns, we have begun preparation for next fall. These discussions are preliminary only as we wait for additional direction from the State of Michigan and Michigan Department of Education. We have formed a COLT (Continuation of Learning Team). This team is working on details of three main options of services in the fall. These include full closure, partial re-entry, and full re-entry. First and foremost this team is considering the safety, health, social and emotional well-being of our students and staff.

Whether we offer full in-person instruction, a blended model of in-person and online instruction, or a fully remote learning continuation, please be assured that you and your child have a place in the Southgate Community School District. If the decision does not seem to fit your family's needs, we will have a fully online option for all students K-12. We look forward to working together to develop individualized academic plans that work for you and your child.

We do have some great news regarding communication and learning platforms. We have chosen to use one primary communication tool and learning platform to help families. We will no longer use Dojo or Remind, instead we will all be using a learning management system called Schoology.

We are also making plans to ensure that each student in our district has their own device assigned to them.

Food distribution will continue on Tuesdays through Tuesday, June 23rd. We distribute in the Davidson parking lot beginning at 10:30 a.m. until supply last or 1:00 p.m.

At this time we are sharing this information in order to help bring you an assurance that we are preparing to provide a quality education for ALL students. As plans are formalized and we have more details we will communicate these with you. Please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns. Please call at (734) 246-4600 or email at pastorj@sgate.k12.mi.us.

Titan Strong!

Jill Pastor, Superintendent