Dear Families,
I presented our district’s Reopening Plan to the School Board this past Tuesday. It’s a comprehensive, yet fluid plan, which gives our parents the choice as to which option they want for their child. We will take you step-by-step through the plan in this communication to help guide you in this process. However, I want to directly address three questions I’m hearing most often:
- Will masks be required? The answer is no. However, they are highly recommended and we will be offering each student and staff member reusable masks.
- Will eLearning be an option? The answer is yes. Full-time eLearning will be an option in every model we’ve created. We are also working on improving the eLearning process based on what we have learned during the past three months.
- What if there’s a case of COVID-19 at school? This question is more difficult to answer. I can tell you we will not shut down the entire district if we are presented with one case. However, we will follow CDC and Florida Department of Health guidelines if and when a student or staff member becomes ill. We will also have procedures in place at each of our schools to care for an individual who presents with symptoms.
Within the next few days, we will be sending a Declaration of Intent to each of our families asking which back to school option they prefer for their child. I ask you to watch for an email and fill out the information so we can best determine how to meet your child's educational and safety needs.
We are also looking forward to our July graduations to celebrate the Class of 2020. Right now, they are taking place at the Florida State Fairgrounds with CDC safety guidelines in place. However, this is a very fluid situation and we are keeping a close eye on the number of COVID-19 cases. We are doing everything we can to make sure our seniors are celebrated.
I hope you are enjoying your summer and staying healthy. Please know we are working hard to address all your safety concerns so we can get our learners back to school, in front of a teacher, safely and quickly.
Respectfully,
Addison Davis
Superintendent of Schools
This past Tuesday, Superintendent Davis presented his Reopening Plan to the School Board. There are three models depending on where the community stands when it comes to COVID-19.
The district created the models, the parent makes the choice.
If we return to school under Model A there are three options for parents:
- Traditional face-to-face instruction with social distancing where possible and sanitation measures in place. Masks will be recommended but not required for students and staff. Controlled movement will be in place where possible and mass gatherings, assemblies and field trips will be limited.
- Full-time eLearning. Students will not physically attend their assigned home school but will participate in a school-based distance learning program from home. Lessons will include the use of live, virtual instruction during defined hours, interactive videos and independent work. The school-based eLearning program will be taught by certified teachers assigned to the home school and will be delivered through the district’s new learning management system platform: Canvas, which will replace Edsby. Students will be expected to participate daily for attendance and must commit to at least one semester.
- Hillsborough Virtual K-12. This is a school option for all students entering kindergarten through 12th grade. It is not the same as eLearning. Hillsborough Virtual K-12 uses web-based curriculum and highly-qualified teachers from Hillsborough County to provide students with an education.
If we return to school under Model B there are three options for parents:
- Hybrid rotation with students split into two groups. Each group rotates 4 days in the classroom and 6 days eLearning. This provides for easier social distancing in schools and on buses since only half the student population is in the building at a time.
- Full-time eLearning. Students will not physically attend their assigned home school but will participate in a school-based distance learning program from home. Lessons will include the use of live, virtual instruction during defined hours, interactive videos and independent work. The school-based eLearning program will be taught by certified teachers assigned to the home school and will be delivered through the district’s new learning management system platform: Canvas, which will replace Edsby. Students will be expected to participate daily for attendance and must commit to at least one semester.
- Hillsborough Virtual K-12. This is a school option for all students entering kindergarten through 12th grade. It is not the same as eLearning. Hillsborough Virtual K-12 uses web-based curriculum and highly-qualified teachers from Hillsborough County to provide students with an education.
If we return to school under Model C there are two options:
- Full-time eLearning. Students will not physically attend their assigned home school but will participate in a school-based distance learning program from home. Lessons will include the use of live, virtual instruction during defined hours, interactive videos and independent work. The school-based eLearning program will be taught by certified teachers assigned to the home school and will be delivered through the district’s new learning management system platform: Canvas, which will replace Edsby. Students will be expected to participate daily for attendance and must commit to at least one semester.
- Hillsborough Virtual K-12. This is a school option for all students entering kindergarten through 12th grade. It is not the same as eLearning. Hillsborough Virtual K-12 uses web-based curriculum and highly-qualified teachers from Hillsborough County to provide students with an education.
Watch Superintendent Davis present the School Reopening Plan during a School Board workshop
When we return to school in August, expect to see a lot of masks on faces of staff and students. They are not mandatory in our schools, however, they will be strongly recommended.
In fact, our district will be providing staff with masks and offering our students at least three reusable masks a year.
The state will be helping school districts across Florida with this task.
Florida will provide each school district with a certain number of masks for its staff. In Hillsborough County, we have been allotted 410,655 masks to be distributed among our staff.
For students, we turned to FEMA.
Last Monday afternoon, our Chief of Security and Emergency Management, John Newman, along with the Hillsborough County Emergency Operations Center, submitted a request to FEMA for 1,050,000 masks. That would provide each student in our district with five additional masks.
Since the pandemic has been declared an emergency-this request falls within FEMA’s guidelines.
The same rules are in place on our school buses. Masks will be offered to our students as they get on the school bus.
Bella was all smiles as she skipped from the VPK classroom at Mitchell Elementary, but due to the mask she was wearing to help prevent the spread of COVID, you couldn't see just how big her smile was.
Bella's mother, Ana Maria Zea, was smiling, too! She was worried that it would be a challenge for her 4-year-old daughter to wear a mask all day. It warmed her heart to hear that her child had done just fine.
Bella wasn't the only child to attend a program this week as the school district's VPK and HOST programs welcomed many new and returning children back. So far, parents and staff are all in agreement. They are happy they are open and glad to see the extra steps the schools are taking to keep everyone safe.
"We had a 30-minute training on what we would be doing to prevent the spread of COVID," said Yulisa Ibarra, an instructor for the HOST program at Bailey Elementary. "From taking the children's temperatures before they entered, safely spacing the children out within the cafeteria, and not allowing adults into our HOST area without a mask."
"Parents were a little nervous at first, but after hearing about these steps, it made them feel better," acknowledged Alexandria Patry, another HOST instructor at Bailey Elementary. "The kids have also been terrific about listening and keeping everyone safe."
"Parents are glad that the HOST program is open and glad that we are here," said Scott Valdez, the principal at Bailey Elementary. "They are certainly happy to hear that our custodians follow the CDC guidelines and think about the safety of the kids."
Parents and staff feel the same over at Mitchell Elementary, too.
"Our daughter puts on her mask like she is putting on her shoes. It is a part of her routine," commented Bella's mom, Ana Mari. “This pandemic is stressful on us all, and our children's opportunity to get back to something normal while still being safe is a good place to be."
This is especially true for our families of students who have a disability.
Our Exceptional Student Education (ESE) department has been creating extraordinary ways to continue to connect and teach their students during the pandemic. Many of these students are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 but that hasn't stopped our ESE teachers and staff from thinking up creative ways to instruct.
As the district looks at ways to reopen schools, our ESE department, led by General Director Kimberly Workman, is making sure our students with disabilities are cared for with the utmost attention. Plans are in place for our ESE students no matter which model we return to school under.
Model A - Face-to-face instruction - ESE supports
- ESE support services based on the IEP/EP
- 504 Plan accommodations implemented per plan requirements
- ELL supports provided based on district and individual student plans
- SEL programming will be incorporated into regular instruction
Model B - Hybrid rotation - ESE supports
- Services and supports will be provided based on the IEP/EP/504 plan. Some specially designed instruction and related services will utilize virtual instruction and tele-therapies due to rotating schedules. Services and supports that may be provided virtually include:
* Speech therapy
* Language therapy
* Occupational therapy
* Physical therapy
* Small group/individual social skills instruction
ELL supports will be provided as appropriate
SEL programming will be incorporated into regular instruction and delivered through teacher-directed or eLearning activities
Model C - Schools closed to public - ESE supports
- Services and supports will be provided through tele-therapy options developed in collaboration with parents and based on services in the IEP/EP plan. Specially designed instruction and related services will utilize virtual instruction and tele-therapies
- ELL supports will be provided remotely as appropriate
- SEL programming will be incorporated into regular instruction
- Services and supports that may be provided virtually include: Accommodations; small group instruction; speech therapy; language therapy; occupational therapy; physical therapy; small group/individual social skills training
The following is written by Catherine Hengstenberg, Access 1-3 ESE Teacher at Clark Elementary, about missing her students and providing support to her ESE students during eLearning...
I know my fellow ESE teachers feel the same as I do about our special students. I know they also all probably WISH as I do that we could be back in the classroom with them providing the support and structure that they all deserve and need. I'll take this time to let you know a little bit about my incredible class.
In the classroom, our morning meeting was centered around communication opportunities and we worked on many skills. We have morning meeting binders where we work on sentence building. Once the students build a sentence, a para or myself would ask the appropriate question then the students would answer in the complete sentence they just made.
I made morning meeting fun and functional - I made it work.
That being said, since their morning meeting binders are such a huge part of their routine and structure, I got them from school, wiped them all down with Clorox wipes, and delivered them to families along with work packets. During eLearning my students' days consisted of morning meeting zooms. Once we got all the sound issues worked out and other logistics, it was really something I think the students looked forward to because it is at least a small part of their routine that they have back.
While I am not able to do everything I would typically do in morning meeting in the classroom, I believe I have been able to recreate it as close as it can get! My students still see silly Mrs. Catherine dancing around, modeling many things, engaging them, and making her lists.
Are these morning meetings perfect? No. But I had to remind myself that they were not perfect in the class either, things rarely are when teaching a self contained class of students with autism. If it has been this hard for me, I can only begin to imagine how my students feel as they do not understand, but we are all making it work!
Clark Elementary is truly blessed to have such amazing people and I am very blessed to be on their team. I could not do what I love doing without them! Thank you for taking the time to read this, and thank you for truly caring.
Thank you to the Class of 2020 and our teachers, staff and administrators for being so flexible as we try to celebrate you in the best and safest way possible.
Right now, plans are still in place to hold graduations at the Florida State Fairgrounds with health and safety precautions in place. You can find your school's scheduled time here.
If these plans stand there will be strict guidelines in place to comply with the CDC recommendations and the Fairgrounds' required safety measures:
- To allow for appropriate social distancing, each graduate will be permitted to invite two (2) guests
- Guests will be seated in the upper bleachers of the EXPO Hall and will be socially distanced from other families
- Graduates will also be protected by social distancing
- Masks will be required and provided at parking entry if guests or graduates do not have them
- Parking at the Fairgrounds cost $5; please provide exact change to eliminate the need to transfer money back and forth
- Limited ADA seating will be available on the floor
- After each ceremony, we stress the importance of exiting the EXPO Hall as quickly as possible without congregating in small groups. Crews have limited time between each ceremony to ensure the venue is thoroughly cleaned and secure before the next school arrives
These plans may change if we continue to see spikes with COVID-19 in our community. Superintendent Davis will be making his final decision on Wednesday, July 1st.
We know our seniors and their families are looking forward to this long-awaited celebration--your teachers and administrators miss you and want nothing more than to commend you for your hard work and achievements over the years, but the health and safety of our entire community must continue to remain our top priority collectively as a school district.
Registration for the Back 2 School Health Clinics begin Monday, July 6, 2020. Children must be pre-registered to receive no cost services.
Register at https://www.back2schoolfair.org/
The purpose of the Back 2 School Health Clinics is to target students entering kindergarten through high school who are in need of a physical, immunization, short records update, vision, dental and hearing screenings. The focus is to ensure students meet the medical requirements to attend Hillsborough County Public Schools.
Children will also receive a free backpack and school supplies. Guardians need to bring a driver's license and if a child is receiving medical services their shot records are required.
SCHOOL SITE LOCATIONS
((These are appointment-only sites for physicals, immunizations and shot record updates))
Lennard High School - RUSKIN
Saturday, July 25, 2020 9:00am - 1:00pm
2342 Shell Point Road E., Ruskin, 33570
Bowers Whitley Career Center - NORTH TAMPA
Saturday, August 01, 2020 9:00am - 1:00pm
13609 N 22nd St, Tampa, FL 33613
Middleton High School - EAST TAMPA
Saturday, August 08, 2020 9:00am - 1:00pm
4801 N 22nd Street, Tampa, 33610
Blake High School - WEST TAMPA
Saturday, Aug 01, 2020 9:00am - 1:00pm
1701 North Boulevard, Tampa, 33607
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Email: newsletter@sdhc.k12.fl.us
Website: HillsboroughSchools.org
Location: 901 East Kennedy Boulevard, Tampa, FL, USA
Phone: 813-272-4000
Facebook: facebook.com/HillsboroughSch
Twitter: @HillsboroughSch