Whitewater Unified School District families,

Planning for returning to school in the fall of 2020 is underway. We want all our children to return to school as safely as possible. Thanks to our teachers and families for their extraordinary efforts to continue learning during the COVID closure. Despite those efforts, we know that distance learning is not as effective as face to face instruction. This is especially true for our youngest, our disadvantaged, our English Language Learners, and our special needs students. As the pandemic subsides, schools will not be the same. Some students, families and staff will be unable to participate fully because of continuing health concerns. Some schedules, routines and procedures will be modified to protect health and safety. Another COVID outbreak may require another closure.

We need your help and involvement in planning for continued learning in the fall, for providing students and families with choices, and for protecting the health and safety of all our students. Continued learning, health and safety, and parental choice will be our guiding values. We are considering three options to begin school. The first option is returning to face to face instruction for as many students as possible. The second option is to continue distance education at home for all children. The third option is a combination of the two, a hybrid model that involves both face to face instruction for some or all children, and with some distance education in the home. We intend to develop each option within the limits of the school board approved budget, with guidance from the Wisconsin Departments of Health and Instruction, and with input from teachers, parents, medical advisors, and community partners.

It is our goal to present three draft options to the School Board on June 22. In July, the District Administration will conduct parent and community focus group(s) to evaluate each option, will survey every parent about their preferred option, and will consider the feasibility of a “high flex’ model to allow parents and students to move between models as conditions change and circumstances allow. After the community input activities are completed, the school board will consider and approve a model for beginning the 2020-21 school year at the July 27 School Board meeting. It is our hope that this timeline will allow for community input and careful, timely consideration of changing health and safety conditions.

We want to focus on student learning. We also want as many students to attend school as safely as possible. We need your help and involvement to achieve the right balance between health and safety concerns and the learning needs of children. Thanks for your help and continuing support.

Jim Shaw, Interim District Administrator

Caroline Pate-Hefty, District Administrator

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Familias del Distrito Escolar Unificado de Whitewater,

La planificación para volver a la escuela en el otoño de 2020 está en proceso. Queremos que todos nuestros niños vuelvan a la escuela tan seguros como sea posible. Gracias a nuestros maestros y familias por sus extraordinarios esfuerzos para continuar aprendiendo durante el cierre de COVID. A pesar de esos esfuerzos, sabemos que el aprendizaje a distancia no es tan efectivo como la instrucción de cara a cara. Esto es especialmente cierto para nuestros más pequeños, nuestros desaventajados, nuestros estudiantes de aprendizaje de inglés y nuestros estudiantes con necesidades especiales. A medida que la pandemia disminuya, las escuelas no serán las mismas. Algunos estudiantes, familias y personal no podrán participar plenamente debido a los continuos problemas de salud. Algunos horarios, rutinas y procedimientos serán modificados para proteger la salud y la seguridad. Otro brote de COVID puede requerir otro cierre.

Necesitamos su ayuda y participación en la planificación para continuar el aprendizaje en el otoño, para proporcionar a los estudiantes y a las familias opciones, y para proteger la salud y la seguridad de todos nuestros estudiantes. El aprendizaje continuo, la salud y la seguridad, y la elección de los padres serán nuestros valores de guía. Estamos considerando tres opciones para comenzar la escuela. La primera opción es volver a la instrucción cara a cara para tantos estudiantes como sea posible. La segunda opción es continuar la educación a distancia en casa para todos los niños. La tercera opción es una combinación de las dos, un modelo híbrido que implica tanto la instrucción cara a cara para algunos o todos los niños, y con algo de educación a distancia en el hogar. Pretendemos desarrollar cada opción dentro de los límites del presupuesto aprobado por la junta escolar, con la asesoría del Departamento de Salud e Instrucción de Wisconsin, y con el aporte de maestros, padres, asesores médicos y socios de la comunidad.

Nuestro objetivo es presentar tres opciones de proyecto a la Junta Escolar el 22 de junio. En julio, la Administración del Distrito llevará a cabo grupos de discusión con los padres y la comunidad para evaluar cada opción, realizará una encuesta a cada padre sobre su opción preferida y considerará la viabilidad de un modelo de "alta flexibilidad" para permitir a los padres y a los estudiantes moverse entre los modelos a medida que las condiciones cambien y las circunstancias lo permitan. Después de que se completen las actividades de aportación de la comunidad, la Junta Escolar considerará y aprobará un modelo para el comienzo del año escolar 2020-21 en la reunión de la Junta Escolar del 27 de julio. Esperamos que este calendario permita la aportación de la comunidad y la consideración cuidadosa y oportuna de las condiciones cambiantes de salud y seguridad.

Queremos centrarnos en el aprendizaje estudiantil. También queremos que el mayor número de estudiantes asistan a la escuela con la mayor seguridad posible. Necesitamos su ayuda y participación para lograr el equilibrio adecuado entre las preocupaciones de salud y seguridad y las necesidades de aprendizaje de los niños. Gracias por su ayuda y apoyo continuo.

Jim Shaw, Administrador de Distrito Interino

Caroline Pate-Hefty, Administradora de Distrito

Dear WUSD Families,

We hope you’re doing well. As we are nearing the end of April we have much to reflect upon. With this quarantine, we’ve had an unprecedented six weeks that we could not have predicted. Our district and each of our schools has responded to the needs of students and the community through different means appropriate for each level. We’re grateful for our supportive parents and pleased with the collaborations between staff and families that have taken place to support our students. We want to thank you for your patience and flexibility as we work to support our WUSD learners through this ongoing school closure. Now that the governor has extended school closings to the end of the school year, all our teachers have been working hard to put together more lessons and create additional meaningful learning activities designed to ensure that students continue to progress academically. Our teachers have updated their classroom postings and learning opportunities on our district Home-Based Learning Site. Additionally, our elementary families are being sent another packet of printed materials, intended to take our students to the end of the school year. These resources are intended to provide review, extension and enrichment of the content offered at each child’s grade level. Again, there is no pressure to get through all of it or to complete the activities within a certain time frame. These activities are meant for students to use at their own pace, as works best for each child. Therefore, do what works for you as a family and no papers from these packets need to be returned or sent back. We expect these packets will be received by families the first week in May. There will also be electronic versions of the packets posted on the WUSD COVID19 Home Based Learning web page.

https://www.wwusd.org/page/3432

We know this is a challenging time for families and this shift in the academic delivery of instruction can be difficult. All our teachers are committed to supporting our students and families as we partner in navigating this unprecedented quarantine. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to your child’s teacher, the building principal or to Kelly Seichter, the Director of Instruction for the school district. We’re here to help you in any way possible. We wish you all the best as we navigate this school closure and look forward to seeing everyone back at school as soon as safely possible.

Washington Elementary -
Pride of the East Side