message from the executive director
2020-2021 return to school readiness
a message from the executive director
2020-2021 Return to School Readiness
I would like to start off by thanking the parents and guardians of our students for putting your trust in our Orlando Science School System and working with us throughout the Distance Learning period. These are unprecedented times and, as we progress through the weeks and months, I know the situation grows more and more challenging for everyone, so we appreciate and admire your resilience and dedication to your children’s education.
In regard to the 2020-2021 school year, we are closely monitoring both local and national discussions and leaders as they develop a plan by considering the experiences of other countries which have already reopened schools and are operating at reduced capacity by setting alternating daily schedules. The Florida Department of Education has also been collecting input from the K-12 community to aid in their decision-making process. The link to FLDOE survey was circulated via our school social media accounts and newsletters. (https://www.smore.com/0bkd3-orlando-science-high-school)
At this time, we strongly believe that both Distance Learning and in-school learning options will be available for families to choose from based on their personal situations and preferences. A hybrid model may be available as well. To be clear, these options are our own speculation and we are putting a lot of focus and effort into developing our educational model to prepare our teachers and staff for the various possibilities that may arise in order to continue to provide an excellent education to our students. The final decisions will be made by the authorities. I am very proud the share with our community that Orlando Science High School was ranked the #1 Best Public High School in Central Florida by US News and recently named a National School of Character. We have every intention of moving forward with the same quality of education to maintain these statuses.
We are fully committed to establishing a safe learning environment for all our students and staff. Therefore, we have been taking many steps to reduce the possibility of COVID-19 contamination at our campuses when the schools reopen. The budget below specifically addresses contamination prevention methods at your campus which include purchase of personal protection equipment, the hiring of additional staff for both day and evening disinfection of commonly used surfaces, implementing technology to disinfect airborne viruses, and utilizing UV-C light technology in the evenings to disinfect surfaces. We know this is a financially challenging time for all of us but kindly ask for donations of any kind to support this budget for the upcoming school year: https://www.schoolpay.com/pay/for/COVID19-Prevention-Budget/SewZqvc. The fundraising goal tracker will be shared with parents regularly. If you have any questions or suggestions about the budget, please email DL@orlandoscience.org.
Please continue to monitor your emails as well as our school social media and newsletters to stay up-to-date regarding any announcements for the upcoming school year as we move into the summer months.
As always, we appreciate your confidence and trust in our school and will be working hard to ensure we can continue together safely, and as close to normal as possible, in order to continue providing your children with an enriching education.