Dear Blakely Families,
Here we are—we have arrived at the start of another week on our long and winding journey that is the 2020-21 school year!
This week I am grateful for fall sunshine, being able to see students and families around town, and watching football games as a family each Sunday. The combination of fall and Sunday football almost feels like some semblance of a “normal” fall routine.
A decision was made today by the Bainbridge Island School District that our Developmental Preschool, Kindergarten and 1st grade students will return to school in the Hybrid Model on November 9th.
This decision was made in collaboration with local officials and aligns with neighboring school districts. As long as COVID-19 rates do not increase and BISD can maintain the proper levels of staffing (including substitute teachers), our tentative schedule is as follows:
Preschool, Kindergarten & 1st Grade: Nov. 9
Grades 2-4: Nov. 23
Grades 5-6: Dec. 7
Grades 7-8: January or second semester
Grades 9-12: Second semester
As a district we have been working to develop plans for re-entry and will continue to do so in preparation for opening. Please know that there will be much more information shared at the building and district levels in the coming days and weeks.
In the meantime, it is important that we spend time tending to our Continuous Learning, focusing on what is working, and ways in which we can continue to adjust and improve where needed. The difficulty is that what works really well for some students and families absolutely does not work for others. We recognize that some students and families thrive from a structured and consistent schedule reliant on continuous Zoom instruction, while others are needing more flexibility.
As a staff, we are leaning into these complexities and working to find systems and strategies to meet our students and families where they are at. Please continue to reach out to your child’s teacher if your child is struggling to find success during this time. We want to work as a team to be creative in how we can best support each of our students. Our main goal continues to be for all students to feel safe, engaged, and happy during this time of so much uncertainty.
Take care and enjoy your week,
Reese
