Sherwood Schools: District Updates

With the current forecast indicating a winter storm warning for our area, beginning this afternoon, there is a strong possibility that our district will be impacted by inclement weather conditions over the next 24 hours. Please note the following:

• In the event of any inclement weather impacts in our district tomorrow morning, all distance learning will be delivered asynchronously (non-live), and will be available to students/families by 9:30am. As a reminder, asynchronous learning is flexible, allowing students to complete when they are able to do so -- and we hope this flexibility will provide families with time to be outside and enjoy the snow (if it, indeed, appears!)

• Students who had assignments due on days where a switch to asynchronous learning occurs will receive a deadline extension until after synchronous learning resumes. Students should work directly with their teachers if they have any questions about completing assignments, including those delivered during asynchronous learning.

• We will use our regular announcement procedures (FlashAlert, School Messenger, website alerts) to provide updated inclement weather decisions and information.

Please stay tuned for announcements from the district as we monitor ongoing weather conditions.

Last night, our Board of Directors took action on selecting dates to reopen our elementary schools to students for Hybrid in-person instruction; the recording of that meeting can be viewed here. The approved dates are:

• Grades K and 1 - Starting March 8

• Grades 2-5 - Starting March 15

The first week of school for each of these groups will be transition weeks, with half of the students attending on Monday, the other half attending on Tuesday, and then all students attending the remainder of the week. Additionally, March 12 will be a grading day for elementary and there will be no school on that day. Please see the calendar below for details:

With the dates approved for elementary schools to reopen for students in a Hybrid model, families can now prepare for their elementary students to return to in-person learning. While it is exciting to bring our students back to school, we know that the daily routine of school will look very different than when students left in March 2020. Our elementary school teams are working carefully to prepare to support students and families with learning new safety protocols and procedures when they return -- and there are some things you can begin to prepare for in advance as well!

Here are some important changes to note:

• All persons will be required to wear masks -- students, staff, and guests -- for the entire time that they are on District property. If your student is not familiar with wearing a mask for an extended period of time, it can be useful to begin practicing this in advance to help them become more comfortable with this safety measure. For more information on masks, including recommendations on helping your child feel more comfortable if they feel unsure about wearing a mask, please the Oregon Health Authority’s mask requirements website.

• Elementary schools will operate on a shortened schedule each day, with the end of day happening at lunchtime. Students will not eat lunch at school, but all students will have the opportunity to pick up a “to-go” lunch from Nutrition Services, which will also contain a breakfast for the following morning. Students will have a break each morning to eat a snack outside of their classroom.

• It will be important for parents and guardians to screen their students each day for COVID-19 symptoms, and to keep students home when symptoms occur. For more information about COVID-19 symptoms please click here for English, or here for Spanish.

These are just a few of the changes you and your student will experience once our elementary schools reopen in the Hybrid model. For more information, please visit our Elementary “Frequently Asked Questions” website.

As we continue to plan for reopening, it is essential that our Transportation Department begins to collect information about how students and families will utilize our buses. To begin gathering that information, all families whose students will ride the bus (once their grade level reopens in a Hybrid model) need to complete a Transportation Registration form, found here. For more information about safety protocols implemented by our Transportation Department please click here for English, or here for Spanish.

While the focus of last night’s Board meeting was on the topic of reopening elementary schools, the Board also announced that our District will be moving forward with similar plans for middle and high school, once staff at those grade levels have had access to a full course of a COVID-19 vaccination. Next week, the Board will meet in a work session focused on the next steps for these secondary schools, starting at 6:00pm on Wednesday, February 17. Live streams of Board meetings and work sessions can be viewed on our YouTube channel at https://bit.ly/39VlhD3.

Website: http://www.sherwood.k12.or.us/
Location: 21920 SW Sherwood Blvd, Sherwood, OR, USA
Phone: 503-825-5000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sherwoodschooldistrict88J/
Twitter: @SherwoodSD