Dear Easton Valley Community,
This morning the Easton Valley School Board met to consider the recommendation to transition our elementary out of our hybrid model effective October 6, 2020. This recommendation was made to the board based on the following factors:
High percentage of elementary students attending school all day
Lack of positive Covid-19 cases in our schools
Declining enrollment/interest in online learning
Declining Covid-19 positivity rates in our counties
Feedback gathered from elementary teachers/principal
Feedback gathered from the community via survey
Ultimately, the EV board made the decision to remain in our hybrid model through the end of the first quarter, as originally planned. In addition to wanting to honor the original commitment they made, they asked for further work to be done to develop a plan for how we will meet the needs of online learners when we are in our traditional model. Since we are remaining in our hybrid model until at least October 26th, 2020, no action was taken in regards to the calendar recommendations that were being considered.
We would like to sincerely thank everyone who provided input via the Hybrid/Calendar Survey. Your feedback was reviewed by the EV administration, shared directly with the school board, and was used to guide our recommendations to the board. In the future we will revisit the need for early out Wednesdays for professional learning in the event that we return to a traditional schedule for the second quarter.
As a result of the input you provided in the survey, we decided to eliminate our recommendation to hold an all district virtual learning day on November 6, 2020. It was evident to us that asking all students to learn from home would be a hardship for many of our students’ families. We will plan to prepare our students for the possibility of virtual learning through other means.
Please know that the Easton Valley administration appreciates everything that our staff and community is doing to respond to the current challenges we are all facing. Unfortunately, there is not a perfect solution. Regardless, we will continue to work together with you to achieve what is best for all of our students.
Sincerely,
Easton Valley Administration