Roadmap to Reopening My School
RCSD Families to Choose Learning Model for Second Half of 2020-21 School Year
During the first week of November, Redwood City School District (RCSD) families will have the opportunity to select the learning model in which their child will participate for the remainder of the school year. The school district has proposed a return to school campuses starting on January 19, 2021, and the RCSD Board of Trustees is scheduled to formally adopt this January date at the next School Board meeting.
The return to in-person teaching and learning in January of 2021 means that families who choose to return to school campuses will participate in the Hybrid Model following all safety protocols as indicated in the Four Pillars--health and hygiene, face coverings, physical distancing, and limiting gatherings. Families who prefer to continue with the Full Distance Model will have the opportunity to do so as both models will be offered. All families received this week a questionnaire directly from their school asking if they prefer the Hybrid or the Full Distance model for the second half of the school year.
January 19, 2021, is the district’s proposed start date for all grade levels in the new model. This means that all students will still be in the Full Distance Learning Model between the end of the first trimester (November 13) and January 19 including after students return from winter break on January 5.
Top 5 Questions Asked by RCSD Families as they Make the Decision:
1. I would like my child to stay with their teacher regardless of the model they are teaching. Is this possible?
All families will have the option to follow their child’s teacher regardless of the model the teacher teaches for the second half of the school year. Families who are interested in knowing which model a specific teacher will teach, can call their school office.2. I do not feel comfortable having my child return to a school campus. Will the Full Distance Model still be offered? What will instruction look like? Both models will continue to be offered for the second half of the 2020-21 school year. If a family decides to stay with the Full Distance Learning model for the remainder of 2020-21, teachers will continue to use both synchronous and asynchronous instruction. Please note that a different teacher may be teaching your child should the current teacher teach the Hybrid model for the remainder of 2020-21.
3. I would like my child to return to their school five-days a week for a full day of teaching and learning offered each day. Will you make this happen?
All models, including the Hybrid Model, include both synchronous and asynchronous instruction as students will need to alternate days on campus to comply with the health and hygiene and physical distancing requirement in the Four Pillars.
The difference between the Hybrid and Full Distance Models is that the Hybrid Model allows for in-person instruction for part of the day, or selected days, while full distance learning does not. Both models will also include asynchronous instruction.
The minimum daily instructional minutes for both models are as follows:
TK - K: 180 minutes1 - 3: 230 minutes
4 - 8: 240 minutes
4. If I decide in November for my child to return to in-person teaching and learning, can I change my mind later?
Once families make their decision for the second half of the school year, that will be the model in which the child will attend school for the remainder of 2020-21.
5. What happens if San Mateo County is moved back to Purple?
Should the cases in San Mateo County rise, the school district will follow public health’s lead similarly to our action in March.
The School Board is scheduled to formally adopt the return starting January 19, 2021, during its regularly scheduled public School Board meeting on Wednesday, November 4, 2020. The meeting starts at 7 p.m. Members of the public who wish to tune in can check here for the agenda, instructions on how to join, and a link to a speaker’s card should they wish to fill it out and address the School Board. It is important to know that the three-minute time allotted for speakers may be adjusted to a shorter time depending on the number of speakers.
As part of the presentation, staff will update the Board of Trustees of the most recent work as RCSD gets ready for reopening, which includes:
San Mateo County Health and the San Mateo County Office of Education both have approved the district’s plan for the Pilot Program, which will launch next week in early November. The following sites will be offering the November Pilot Program:
General education classes, with a focus on equity: Clifford, Ford, Roosevelt, and Taft
Special Education classes (RSP, SDC): Cloud, Ford, Hoover, MIT, North Star, Roosevelt, Taft, Clifford
The Pilot Program is based on which teachers participate in the program.
District staff completed a teacher questionnaire to survey teachers who plan to participate in the Hybrid Model starting in January.
The district contracted with a provider to test employees on an ongoing basis, which is a San Mateo County Office of Education requirement for reopening. On Monday, October 26, the district started testing all employees on sites who are currently participating in the Learning Hubs and will help launch the Pilot Program in early November. Both of these initiatives provide in-person, targeted, and specialized support and services to small groups of students on school campuses before the proposed start date of January 19. The employee testing will continue with all employees who participate in the Hybrid Model starting in January.
Teachers and staff participated in a question and answer forum with medical experts.
In accordance with the Physical Distancing pillar, district facilities and maintenance staff continued the work of preparing classrooms for the Pilot Program launching in early November. This work involves the set up of only 15 desks per classroom and the removal of miscellaneous furniture and storage of it in the district warehouse. The district’s facilities and operations staff is charged with this task and staff members will use the furniture that best meets the 6ft physical distancing requirement.
District Launches Pilot Program in November
What Will the School Facility Look Like?
What Do the Health Checks Entail?
Redwood City School District
Website: www.rcsdk8.net
Location: 750 Bradford St, Redwood City, CA
Phone: 6504822200
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RedwoodCitySchoolDistrict/
Twitter: @RWCSchools