WMS Schedule Updates
March 10, 2021
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Short Term and Long Term Schedule Updates
I hope this communication finds you well and enjoying the spring-like weather. Over the next few weeks, we will be adjusting our schedule both in the short term and the long term.
Short Term - Beginning Monday, March 15th
- All World Language, Reading, Specialist, and PE classes will have 10 minutes added to each of them, making them the more typical 40 minutes long.
- The time slot from 2:30-3:00 will no longer be optional Office Hours. All students will be assigned to a class section and required to attend every day. Attendance will be taken and expected. Classes will include previously scheduled courses such as performance music, enrichment, and resource, and additional support and enrichment/challenge courses will be added.
- I will be working with all cluster teachers and counselors to schedule the students.
- Students will fill out updated schedules with the new times and classes on Monday, March 15, in Community Meeting.
Long Term - Beginning mid-April (exact date TBD)
- Students will come to school for the full day every day from 8:30 am - 3:00 pm. Families may also opt to have their students be fully remote.
- All students will attend their four cluster classes (ELA, Mathematics, Social Studies, Science) each day, as well as one period of World Language or Reading, and one period of Specialist/PE class. Additionally, students will be able to attend Performance Music, Enrichment, Resource, or another course.
- Students will eat lunch inside or outside at least 6 feet apart.
More details will be coming over the next few weeks as we receive additional guidance. We are looking forward to seeing students in school for full days very soon!
All my best,
Donna Martin, Principal
Please also see this information from Dr. Galdston's update (also linked below):
On Friday, the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education voted to grant authority to the Commissioner of Education to reopen schools for in-person learning. The Commissioner indicated that he would exercise this authority in a phased-in manner, beginning with elementary students on April 5, followed by middle school students and then high school students.
WPS will continue to plan for in-person learning, including the timeline for Watertown and school schedule adjustments. Today we received formal guidance from the state regarding the return to in-person instruction. As we process this guidance, I would like to share information on the impact that this announcement will have on our schools:
Starting Monday, April 5, students in grades K-5 will be able to return to in-person instruction five days a week. The principals and their teams have developed a return to school schedule that will begin with shorter days, moving to full days after vacation;
The timeline for the full return for middle school and high school students will be determined in the coming days;
Transitioning students back into school every day will require support, patience, and understanding, as changes to schedules and routines for children can be both exciting and disruptive. In the coming weeks, we will prepare for helping students and families with the transition;
Teachers are eligible for vaccinations on March 11, and we will continue to seek out ways to facilitate vaccinations that limit the disruption to teaching and learning;
To accommodate the move to in-person instruction, our classrooms will need to shift from six feet of distance as it currently is, to a minimum of three feet- seat edge to seat edge;
Families will have the option of either being fully in-person or fully remote for the remainder of the school year as the current hybrid model will no longer be available. Students who continue to be in the remote model will have a schedule that mirrors the in-person students;
We ask families to complete a survey to indicate if they wish to switch their child’s current model that will be sent today, Tuesday, March 9. The survey will ask for your preference for your child(ren)’s learning model- full in-person or full-remote. The survey will be due on Friday, March 12. If you do not complete this survey by Friday, March 12, we will assume that you are remaining in the model you are currently enrolled in (hybrid students will become full-time). A translated version of the survey will be available.
Please note that we may need to make adjustments to class and teacher assignments to accommodate the requests of all families- this will depend on the results of the survey;
Lunch, whenever possible, will be held outdoors at the elementary level;
Given the short duration of time before the end of the school, it is not feasible to put together an Extended Day Program.
When possible, all students should be participating in the COVID-19 testing, especially as the social distancing space is reduced. If you have yet to sign up your child, please use the information at the COVID testing webpage.
Universal free lunch will continue to be provided through the end of the school year.
As always, the school model may change based on the presence of the virus.
It should be noted that a return to school in April does not mean a return to normal. There will still be guidelines for social distancing (albeit less than six feet when masked), lunch without masks at 6 feet, physical education, music, and other operations impacted by COVID 19 restrictions. We will do all that we can to keep our students and staff safe, even with reducing social distancing to no less than 3 feet. Our numbers are very high for student pool testing, and we will continue to implement all of our existing mitigation strategies for the foreseeable future.
There are also many logistical challenges to moving from a hybrid model to full in-person learning. Each of our schools has varying space constraints along with staffing structures. The solutions to these challenges may differ depending on the schools, including lunch, classroom spaces, seating, recess, and other school-related activities,
The reopening plans will be discussed at length at the School Committee meeting on Monday, March 15 at 5:00 pm via Zoom.
I acknowledge that this change will require much consideration on the part of our families. To that end, I will be holding a meeting tomorrow evening, Wednesday, March 10, at 6:00 via Zoom to discuss the impact of this change and answer any questions that people may have.