LETTER TO PARENTS AND COMMUNITY FROM SUPT. OLSEN ~ JULY 24, 2020
July 24, 2020
Dear Rutland Schools Community:
Here is the latest update on the work being done to plan for school reopening. Again, I write taking the district perspective. Building principals will communicate separately with more specifics as they pertain to each school.
We are near the final stages of our planning, as the Vermont Agency of Education will release its last significant guidance next week. Our goal is that after incorporating those details from the state, we will provide a comprehensive document to the public during the first week in August. Again, the most recent state document on the reopening of schools is found here .
We want to remind our community that all of our decisions for reopening are based on recommendations from the Department of Health in the context of the current state of the virus in Vermont. Also, our practices will shift in response to health and safety conditions.
This latest update is to notify families to be looking for communication from your schools regarding choices to which we want families to commit for the fall. As we explained previously, we are developing options for families that will suit their needs and interests. The basic concept is that families will have the ability to commit to in-person learning or a remote option that we are calling the Remote Learning Academy. In-person learning opportunities will follow the health and safety guidance of the Agency of Education. The at-home opportunity of the Remote Learning Academy commits a student to learning from home for a designated time period while accessing through technology the curriculum and the instruction of our talented staff.
We want to make certain that families feel comfortable with returning to school in the fall. Based on the input we received from our family survey, we can offer everyone that choice.
What we ask of families now is to look for that registration survey from each school and then complete it for each child, allowing us to then organize staffing appropriately. Each school registration survey is found on the school’s website.
If you have questions as to the options that you have, please call your child’s school directly. We are happy to guide you through the process so that you gain the best fit.
Thank you once again for your collaboration through this busy summer!
Sincerely,
Bill Olsen, Superintendent