Happy Monday Murch Families:
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT – The parents of all students who are learning virtually are being asked to return all electronic equipment on Wednesday, June 23rd, between 3:00 pm and 6:00 pm. See the information shared on the website from last week HERE. . There will be no virtual instruction on Thursday, June 24th. Teachers will be sending a reminder this weekend. If you have any questions about the return of this equipment, please contact Mary Eckstein.
Information regarding next year will begin to be shared via my blog and website starting on Monday, August 2nd.
Last week, the Chancellor shared information regarding the safety measures the district will be taking to ensure that everyone can return to school in person; All staff and all students, starting on August 20th for staff and August 30th for students. Pre-K 4 students’ first day will be on September 2nd.
Back-to-School Health & Safety Measures
DCPS has been recognized as a national leader for the robust health and safety measures that allowed us to reopen all buildings this past winter. We continue to lean on the expertise of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and DC Health for guidance on COVID-19 school operations. We also highly encourage all students age 12 and older and all staff to get vaccinated as an additional layer of protection.
For SY21-22, here’s what families can expect at school to maintain a safe environment for in-person learning:
- HVAC enhancements allow for well-ventilated spaces at every school, including state-of-the-art HEPA filters in classrooms and air quality sensors throughout the building.
- Practice safe routines: All staff, students, and visitors must wear a mask or face covering, and daily PPE and hygiene supplies will be provided.
- Enhanced cleaning protocols for high-touch surfaces, and a deep cleaning completed after a suspected or reported COVID-19 case.
- Space arrangements: Students should be separated as far as possible and individual desks and tables are to be facing the same direction to the extent feasible.
- Student meals: Pre-K and Kindergarten students will eat in the classroom and all other grades will eat in the cafeteria. Social distancing should be followed while eating and drinking, to the extent feasible.
- Student cohort interactions will be limited to the extent feasible, but there will be no cap for student or staff cohort interactions in any grade.
- Screen for illness: Students and staff will complete a daily “Ask, Ask, Look” screening, but temperatures will not be taken upon arrival at school.
- COVID-19 reporting protocols: Schools will report positive cases within a school community if a person has been in the building during their infectious period and follow a quarantine protocol. Additional information about asymptomatic testing will be shared over the summer.
These layered mitigation strategies will ensure that our schools are physically safe and healthy learning environments. We will regularly update our community about health and safety protocols throughout the summer, including opportunities to join safety walkthroughs at your school ahead of the start of classes to see these measures for yourself.
Virtual Learning For Students With Medical Needs
We hope and expect the overwhelming majority of DCPS students will return to full-time in-person learning in the fall. However, we know there are students who have a documented medical condition who need to continue virtual learning. To support these students, DCPS will offer virtual instruction for a limited number of students who meet medical eligibility requirements. Virtual instruction based on medical need will be available across all grades from PK-12.
DCPS will provide a rich online learning environment for students who need virtual instruction, including a technology device for those who require one. Please note that we cannot guarantee access to all courses or programs; however, virtual students in secondary grades will have access to all courses required for graduation. Virtual students will be assigned to a DCPS teacher, but in some cases, it may not be with a teacher at their enrolled school. Students learning virtually may be part of an online classroom with all virtual students or, in limited circumstances, join a class where the teacher is instructing both in-person and virtual students. Additionally, students will attend all live instruction taught online, and attendance expectations for virtual students will mirror those for in-person learning.
- Please also note that virtual students will not be able to participate in in-person activities at their school, including extracurricular and athletic activities, as well as before or aftercare, due to their medical needs. Meal distribution sites will still be open across the district for virtual students to receive meals.
- Consistent with a District-wide policy, families whose students need virtual learning must provide a form signed by a physician or nurse practitioner that explains why their student requires this option (i.e., a documented medical need as determined by a health professional). Each student in a household that needs virtual learning should complete their own registration form.
- At this time, virtual instruction will be offered on a semester basis, covering Terms 1 and 2 at DCPS (August 30 to January 26).
You can begin the registration process online here or you can drop a completed medical form off at your school. DCPS will safeguard information in alignment with all privacy laws. Families will be asked to provide their student’s name and ID number on the registration form. We encourage those who need virtual learning to complete this process by July 6 to help schools create class schedules for the fall.
After the COVID-19 Medical Consent and Certification form is uploaded online, families will be notified once their virtual learning request is processed.
Have more questions? Review the medical eligibility form and read an FAQ for families at dcpsreopenstrong.com/sy21-22/virtual.
OPEN FORUM FOR PARENTS -I will hold one last open forum for parents on Wednesday, June 16th. There will be two times offered for you to attend are 11:00am-12:00pm, and 8:00pm-9:00pm. We will have guidance from the district for next year’s opening by then so this could be a good time to ask clarifying questions or specific questions related to Murch’s opening.
The information for the meetings is:
Topic: Parent Open Forums
Time: Jun 16, 2021 11:00 AM and 8:00 PM
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9971918912?pwd=SW9kOUtwUGtMRHJ3RUdrYkVEcHN2Zz09
Meeting ID: 997 191 8912
Passcode: 131664
Have a great rest of your week!
Principal Cebrzynski