Wahluke School District is halting our transitions from Distance Learning to Hybrid Learning until after Winter Break.
With COVID Cases on the Rise and new updates from Governor Inslee's Press Conference on Sunday (Nov 15), WSD will delay Hybrid Learning Planning.
It has been the Wahluke School District's goal to reopen schools for hybrid learning as safely and as quickly as possible, given the many known and established benefits of in-person education.
The Wahluke School District is halting our transitions from Distance Learning to Hybrid Learning until after Winter Break. We will continue to plan the Hybrid transition and hope to take advantage of the extra time between Thanksgiving and Winter Break. We will also continue working with Grant County Health District, Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, and ESD 105 with our transition.
In addition, our building principals, department leaders, and nurses will take part in site visits to area school districts already in the Hybrid model, taking professional development, and work with building leadership teams to better create building specific COVID safety plans and schedules.
From the start of the pandemic, WSD has been unwavering in its approach to making thoughtful, student-focused decisions that take into account the most current guidance from medical professionals, balanced with the academic and social-emotional wellbeing of our students and staff. The District believes this decision follows our consistent approach.
For the time being, Wahluke will follow the transition dates below:
Tentative Transition Dates:
- TUESDAY, JANUARY 5: K-2 Grade transitions from Distance to Hybrid Learning
- TUESDAY, JANUARY 12: 3-8 Grade transitions from Distance to Hybrid Learning
- THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11: 9-12 Grade transitions from Distance to Hybrid Learning (end of SEM 1)
Cohorts:
- Students will be placed into an "AM" or "PM" chort and attend school on campus 4-days per week.
Schedule:
- MONDAYS:
- Student Asynchronous Day
- Teacher choice to be on campus during Hybrid Learning (like the Flexibility Plan we have now during Distance Learning)
- TUESDAY-FRIDAY:
7:30-7:45 AM _________________ Teacher Time
7:45-8:00 AM _________________ Student Drop-off “AM” Cohort
8:00-10:30 AM _________________ “AM” Cohort
10:30-10:45 AM _________________ “AM” Transition
10:45-11:30 AM _________________Teacher Prep
11:30-12:00 PM _________________Teacher Lunch
12:00-12:15 PM _________________ Student Drop-off “PM” Cohort
12:15-2:45 PM _________________ “PM” Cohort
2:45-3:00 PM _________________ “PM” Transition
3:00-3:15 PM _________________ Teacher Time
School Cancellations Due To Inclement Conditions:
Distance Learning:
- All on campus activities for PreK-12 students will be cancelled (connectivity students, small groups, interventions, etc.).
Hybrid Learning:
- During COVID, we'll transition to Distance Learning rather than cancelling school
- WSD will hope to make this call by 5:00pm the previous day
Other updates from Governor Inslee's Press Conference on Sunday:
- No changes in guidance to Day cares & School at this point.
- Preschool and small groups will continue meeting on campus.
- The Weight Room is closed to staff for the next 4 weeks.
- High School Athletics can only meet outside.
Health officials agree that our schools are safe places due to the strict adherence to masking, socially distancing, and proper handwashing protocols that are in place in our buildings. However, there is heightened concern that people may not always follow the same strict adherence to these protocols outside of schools.
Alone WSD cannot solve this health crisis, but we believe it is imperative to form a strong partnership between our schools and community. The District is urging our community to follow recommended health guidelines to slow the spread and return COVID-19 rates to low levels. Schools must be a priority and have a major impact on our students' academic and social-emotional wellbeing.
We hope that infection rates do not spike over the Thanksgiving holiday, and we can return our students to schools in the near future. The Wenatchee School District will keep working closely with the Grant County Health District, medical and mental health experts, our educators and staff to reevaluate when it is safe to bring more students back to our schools.