Eagle Flyer
A newsletter for Walnut Hills High School
Principal's Message
February 3, 2021
Dear Walnut Hills High School Families,
I hope this email finds you and your family well. This week's Eagle Flyer will feature all of the information that we know at this point about our return to blended learning. This information is presented below in a "Day in the Life of Blended Learning" format. Please note that the Board of Education and district leadership team is still considering our exact return dates. If we were to follow the same timeline for the other schools in the district, the 9-12 students would return on Tuesday, February 16, and the 7-8 students would return on Monday, March 1. As soon as we have confirmed start dates, we will share them with you immediately.
We understand that this is a lot of information. We appreciate your time to read it and stay informed.
Please use this FORM to ask questions. We are dedicated to a safe return and will do our very best to address your questions.
Sursum ad Summum,
John Chambers
Go Eagles!
What you need to know for next week!
Counselor's Corner
Students interested in taking CCP Courses:
A Day in the Life of Blended Learning
Instructional Plan
Students are divided into A and B cohorts based on their last names:
Students with last names A-K are in the A group and will attend on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Students with last names L-Z are in the B group and will attend on Thursdays and Fridays.
Parents/students can confirm their group by checking the designation in PowerSchool at the top of the Quick Lookup.
Here is the bell schedule for blended learning.
Monday: all students will follow a remote learning schedule. Class attendance is mandatory for all students.
Tuesday/Wednesday: Cohort A will attend in-person classes; Cohort B will follow asynchronous learning activities.
Thursday/Friday: Cohort B will attend in-person classes; Cohort A will follow asynchronous learning activities.
Teachers are planning a maximum of 240 minutes of instruction and learning activities per class per week. This is the same amount of instructional time as our current remote learning; however, the synchronous and asynchronous times change.
Synchronous instructional time is 120 minutes per class each week: 30 minutes of remote instruction on Monday and 90 minutes of in-person instruction on the one in-person day for each class.
Asynchronous learning time is 120 minutes per class each week: asynchronous learning experiences include homework from the in-person instruction days and the asynchronous instruction.
Teachers will post course expectations for the week by Monday in their Weekly Folder on their Schoology course page. The teachers will review the weekly plans during the Monday course meetings.
Transportation / Metro Buses
Metro bus cards will not be required for the first week of blended learning.
Students will receive their bus cards in their English classes on their first day of in-person learning.
As we get closer to the start of blended learning, we will send specific route information and the bus line up on Jonathan.
Capacity expectation is 50% of typical bus riders on each bus.
Metro is public transportation that mandates passengers and coach drivers wear a mask. Metro does not provide masks.
Metro buses will have seating charts to allow for contact tracing if needed.
Students will enter the bus from the front and fill in the seats from the back to the front.
Students will depart the bus through the rear door, starting at the front and moving to the back of the bus.
Metro uses ZOONO Z71 Sanitizer which is rated for 30 days of coverage. Metro will be sanitizing buses weekly using a mister to provide 360’ protection.
All vehicles will have a spray bottle, and at school release the driver will wipe down all high touch surfaces.
Morning Arrival
There are four entrances into the building: Blair Circle, Lot D, Sulsar, Plaza (for bus riders).
Students will have their temperature checked and go through the security check.
Breakfast bags (provided for free) will be available for students to grab and take to their first bell classroom.
When students enter their first bell classroom, they will sanitize their desk.
If a student plans to eat breakfast, they should grab a desk shield and sanitize it before and after each use. Once the student finishes eating, they will place their desk shield back in the proper storage location.
Classrooms
Please see the district-provided Classroom floor plan for 3’-6’ distance
Rows will be at least two feet apart. Three foot spacing is measured from the middle of one seat to the middle of the seat in front or behind.
All non-instructional equipment will be removed from the classrooms.
- Please refer to the following regarding HVAC information and updates
Hallways, Stairs & Class Changes
Hallways will be two-way. Students will walk single file down the hallway along the wall. There will be a perforated line taped down the middle of the hallway, and arrows will be placed on the floor to indicate the correct direction.
Stairways will be one way with exception to the two small stairways that lead to the 3500 classrooms. These two stairways will be two-way to avoid students passing in a narrow hallway.
All students will be dismissed from their classrooms at bell change. There will not be a staggered release from classrooms.
Students will have 10 minutes to transition from one bell to another.
Study Halls
Study hall will be held in the cafeteria for most bells with distancing protocols in place.
Students will have assigned seats in all study halls.
All students in grades 7-12 will be eligible for late arrival (in bells 1 and 2) and early dismissal (in bells 6 and 7) if their schedules allow and with parent permission. Permission slips and more detailed information for late arrival and early dismissal will be sent electronically to parents prior to the start of blended learning.
Students will be able to access support areas, such as the library, College Information Center, and Writing Center, by obtaining permission from their study hall teacher. Access to these areas will be limited to ensure appropriate capacity and distancing.
Lunch
Lunch will take place during the 3rd bell class.
- Students will eat their lunch in their 3rd bell classroom.
Kiosks will be stationed in various areas for students to pick up their lunch and return to their 3rd bell classroom to eat.
Lunchtimes will be determined by sections of the building rather than a student's grade level as in previous years.
All CPS students are eligible for a free breakfast and free lunch for the remainder of the 2020-2021 school year.
Sanitizing & Desk Shields
Desk shields will be provided and stored in each classroom.
Desk shields are a clear trifold that students will put up and use at their desks only while eating. They will be used for both breakfast and lunch.
Students are responsible for sanitizing their desk shield when they are finished eating. The custodial staff will sanitize the shields each night.
All classrooms will be equipped with sanitizing spray and paper towels. Students will be responsible for sanitizing their own desk both before and after usage.
Restrooms
Students will be encouraged to use the restroom during their scheduled classes.
Time has been built into the schedule to allow for these accommodations.
The goal is to limit the number of students using a restroom at one time and allow for proper social distancing.
Medical Room
There are several important documents that ALL students need to have completed and bring with them on their first day of in-person instruction:
It is highly recommended that ALL students have permission for a COVID test as this may be necessary if your child is sent to the Medical Room with a symptom that may be COVID-related: COVID-19 Testing Consent Form
If there is not a signed approval form on file, the nurse will call the parents for a verbal approval prior to administering the COVID test.
The COVID test approval form, if not on file, will need to be signed by the parent at the time of student pick up (if the COVID test was approved and administered).
If a parent declines a COVID test for their child to be administered at school, the child will not be permitted to return back to school without a negative COVID test result.
If a parent declines a COVID test (at school or out of school) for his/her child’s symptoms, the child will not be able to return back to school for 10 (ten) calendar days.
These forms need to be complete if applicable for your student:
Dismissal
Students that ride a bus will have a staggered release between 2:50 and 2:55 pm.
Students who will be picked-up and students that drive to campus will be released at 3:00 pm.
Attendance on Remote Days
Walnut Hills High School
Email: walnuthillsattendance@gmail.com
Website: walnuthillseagles.com
Location: 3250 Victory Parkway, Cincinnati, OH, USA
Phone: 513-363-8400
Twitter: @high_walnut