All St. Vrain Valley School District students will return to in-person learning after winter break, although the return for each level looks different.
Students will return to classes beginning Jan. 6. Elementary students will attend school in person four days a week, with independent learning on Fridays. Preschool students will go back to classes based on he schedule parents selected at registration, Superintendent Don Haddad stated in a letter sent today to parents.
Middle and high schools will attend online classes upon their return from break, and will move to a hybrid model of in-person and online learning Jan. 11 and 19, respectively.
The hybrid model includes two days of in-person instruction and two days of online instruction, with Fridays for independent learning, teacher office hours and small group and individualized student support, Haddad stated in the letter.
Students with Individualized Education Plans, or IEPs, are allowed to return to school for four days of in-person instruction.
The decision on plans for students’ post-break return was made after district leaders met with several groups including the Teachers Advisory Council, the Parent Coronavirus Update and Advisory Committee, the SVVSD Leadership and Health Services Team, teachers’ association leaders, public health officials and the school board, according to the letter.
“In each of these meetings we discussed the current public health data and the Colorado COVID dial framework’s recommendation for providing some form of in-person learning at each level of the dial,Haddad stated in the letter.
Additionally, Boulder County Public Health and the governor’s school task force “have shared numerous studies that have demonstrated that schools are not a primary source of transmission, as they have many controls and safety protocols in place making them safer environments than most public spaces,” he stated.
Feedback from parents encouraged SVVSD to provide fully remote learning options for students as well. Families not comfortable returning to in-person learning can remain fully online.
“Families who began the school year with the hybrid model at their home school can opt to keep their students home” and have them attend remotely, the letter states.
The deadline to choose fully remote learning is Jan. 4 and the district is asking families to commit to theoption though spring break for the “continuity in our learning environments,” the letter states.
Students can still take advantage of the LaunchEd Virtual Academy. LaunchEd is a fully online program taught by SVVSD teachers using the Florida Virtual Schools curriculum.
“Over the winter break, we will continue to monitor levels of coronavirus in our community and share any changes to our current plan if the public health guidance recommendations change before January 6,” Haddad stated in the letter.
