Sudbury Public Schools
March 3, 2021
Dear SPS Families,
I write to you today to outline Sudbury’s plan to return to full in-person learning. We must recognize that this preliminary plan may be significantly impacted by family enrollment decisions and guidance issued by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). First, I want to extend my appreciation and acknowledge the hard work of our staff, which has gotten the district to the point where we can increase in-person learning. I would also reiterate that we all must continue to implement all of the mitigation strategies to keep the schools open. At the elementary level, we will return to in-person instruction five days a week for all families who choose to do so starting on April 5th. The date for middle school students is April 26th. In both instances, Wednesdays will remain Early Release days.
If you are pressed for time and wish to jump directly to the action items, please:
- Complete the family designation form by March 10th.
- Submit any questions you may have about the full reopening process by using this link.
- Mark your calendars:
- March 12 Hybrid “B” students attend a full day of school.
- March 24, 31 Elementary asynchronous instruction/services.
- April 1 Full-day professional development. No school for students.
- April 5 Full In-person learning begins for elementary students
- April 7, 14 Middle school students will receive asynchronous instruction
- April 26 Full In-person learning begins for middle school students
Returning students to in-person learning is a priority for state and federal officials. Governor Baker and Commissioner Riley have stressed that their decisions are based on recommendations by medical experts. Echoing the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), DESE has indicated that a full reopening is not dependent upon the vaccination status of teachers, due to limited transmission within schools. However, Governor Baker recently announced that K-12 educators are eligible for vaccination beginning March 11th. Additionally, six-foot distancing is a recommendation but not a requirement for districts like Sudbury that are employing mitigation measures and experiencing low or moderate transmission rates. Officials caution that concerns about students’ mental health and the potential for learning loss outweigh COVID-19 related risks. As a district, we have effectively mitigated the transmission of COVID-19 in the school environment through robust cleaning protocols, social distancing, mask-wearing, hand hygiene, enhanced air filtration, pooled and reflex testing, and timely contact tracing. At this point, we are confident that we are able to transition Sudbury students to full in-person instruction safely. As we have said from the beginning of the school year, we believe that there is no substitute for in-person student/teacher connections.
Health and Safety
SPS will continue with the mitigation measures listed above, including the funding of pooled testing when state-sponsored funding ends on April 18th. We will follow guidance from DESE and will maintain a social distance of 3 feet or more when masked and 6 feet when unmasked. The exception is on the bus where masked students will be seated 2 per seat with the windows open at least two inches to promote constant air exchange, per CDC guidance. In classrooms, students will not share seating or materials that are not sanitized, and high traffic areas such as hallways and restrooms will be sanitized throughout the day. The buildings will remain closed to visitors in order to minimize exposure to students and staff.
Learning Model
DESE has counseled districts to plan for a full return in the fall, as it is unlikely that a remote option for students will continue. Families will have the remote option available to them through this spring but we are hoping that each family will seriously consider returning their student(s) to in-person learning in order to ease the students’ transition, strengthen connections to school and peers, and allow educators to more thoroughly assess and plan for student learning.
Elementary Learning Model: Hybrid cohorts will be reunited for in-person learning. Fully remote students will join their in-person classmates for direct and guided instruction through live streaming. Our goal is to provide as close of a simulation to in-person learning as possible for those remote students. Therefore, each classroom with a remote cohort will have an additional educator assigned much of the day to assist with technology and provide supplemental instruction. This will allow for the classroom teacher to “move” between groups and ensure that questions and technical issues are resolved in real-time. We will be using an advanced video conferencing device that includes integrated audio and a 360° view of the classroom to also support classrooms with remote cohorts. Because the schedules of remote students will parallel that of their in-person classmates, remote families should anticipate a change to current schedules.
Middle School Learning Model: Hybrid cohorts will be reunited for in-person learning. In some instances, class size limitations may require a change in location or some degree of live streaming. Fully remote students will remain with their designated remote teachers.
Special Education Services: All special education services will continue per IEP and/or COVID Learning Plan. During the week prior to and during the first weeks of this transition, special education services may look different given the need to prioritize the social-emotional well-being and the reintegration of students. Special education teams will partner with general education teams to integrate student learning goals with classroom routines and with flexibility. IEP meetings may need to be rescheduled but will continue to be virtual. Extended School Year summer programming will also be in-person.
We are asking all families to complete one designation form for each student. The form is due Wednesday, March 10th, and can be accessed at this link.
Educator Preparation and Planning
In order to provide educators with much needed preparation and planning time, we are making several adjustments to the calendar.
March 12 will be a full-day for Cohort B. April 1 will be a full-day PD day for staff. No school for students.
Elementary students will be provided with asynchronous learning plans on Wednesdays of March 24 and March 31
Middle school students will be provided with asynchronous learning plans on Wednesdays of April 7 and 14
Bus Transportation
For bus transportation during the remaining school year, seating capacity will be extremely limited under the CDC COVID-10 Guidance for School Bus Transportation. We will send additional information with specific instructions on registering for any empty seats we may have. This will not apply to students that were registered and riding a bus throughout the year as they will continue to remain registered.
Next Steps
As a district, we have a number of logistical decisions to make, each of which will be impacted by enrollment numbers and guidance from DESE. Among these decisions are:
Unified Arts and Specialist Schedules (e.g., Art, Music, etc.)
Special Education Schedules
Instrumental and Choral Music Instruction
General Education Intervention Services
English Language Development Services
MCAS testing
School and district-based working groups will be making these decisions in an effort to provide an educational experience for students that aligns with the following principles:
Layer multiple mitigation strategies to ensure safety for staff and students;
Prioritize student to classroom teacher assignment;
Maintain high-quality models for all students and requisite supports for educators.
It is our belief that if we faithfully follow these principles we will be able to fully reopen in a manner that can be carried forward through summer programming and into the fall. We would ask that families also make a commitment to a full reopening by participating in pooled testing and observing social distancing and travel restrictions.
Communication
On Monday, March 8th, district administrators will engage in a conversation with the School Committee about our anticipated change in learning model. We will also be sharing the results of the latest family survey. For efficiency, families are encouraged to submit their questions in advance via this form.
We are committed to timely and transparent communication. Know, however, that due to the volume of questions we receive, there may be a delay in responding. If you have an immediate concern, please contact your building administrator.
Regards,
Brad Crozier,
Superintendent
Resources: