2021 brings Remote Learning to ALL District Schools through 1/8

2021+brings+Remote+Learning+to+ALL+District+Schools+through+1%2F8

Press Release from the Superintendent of Schools:

Following the Thanksgiving holiday, we saw a clear increase in the number of COVID-19 cases across the country, the region, and our school district. Over the past several weeks, we have done our best to minimize the impact on in-person instruction and keep our schools open to our students, however the number of quarantines has made it increasingly difficult to have sufficient staff for in-person instruction. It is widely expected that following Christmas and New Year’s there will be a similar surge in COVID-19 cases as many families travel and celebrate the holidays with others outside their immediate households.

Following a lengthy discussion at the December 16 Board of Education meeting we have decided that the District will shift to full remote instruction the week after the Holiday Recess (January 4-8) in an effort to mitigate the spread of the virus and protect the health and safety of our staff and students. We believe that this approach will allow time for individuals who were unknowingly exposed to learn about their exposures and take necessary steps to test and/or quarantine as appropriate.
Please know that we understand the inconvenience that this will place on many families, however we believe this proactive week-long pause will have the benefit of breaking the COVID-19 cycle, reducing the disruption of shifting back and forth between hybrid and full remote learning, and allowing for more in-person instruction over the long term. It is our hope that as infection rates plateau and begin to decline, and as the vaccine becomes more widely available, we will be able to return students to more in-person learning where possible.
During the week of remote learning, Pelham Middle School and Pelham Memorial High School will follow the hybrid bell schedule and access their classes via Google Classroom.
The elementary schools will follow their respective Distance Learning schedules. The elementary virtual school day will begin at 9am and end at 2:30pm. The daily schedules for each school can be found on the District website by visiting the “Distance Learning Plan” website under the “Reopening Plan 2020-21 tab” and clicking viewing the “Elementary Plan” tab. Please note that there will be no virtual office hours as all students will be learning remotely.
Wednesday, January 6 will continue to be an early dismissal for all students.
Over the break and during the first week of January, we strongly encourage all families to be safe, wear masks/face coverings, avoid large gatherings and maintain physical distancing from others.
Please enjoy a relaxing, joyous and health break and we look forward to seeing students in-person again on January 11, 2021.
Sincerely,
Cheryl H. Champ, Ed. D.
Superintendent of Schools