Safe Return to Additional Learning Opportunities
- CSD Reopening 2020
- Superintendent's Message
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Superintendent's Message
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March 25, 2021
Dear Christina Parents/Guardians and Students,
We want to provide you with the most up-to-date information on the status of Reopening Christina Schools. We have listened to your feedback through our most recent survey and have made plans to pivot to the next phase of our learning plan. Our implementation plan will continue to address the needs of our students and families by focusing on the following:
- Increasing the amount of In-Person Learning
- Providing more targeted support for struggling students via high dosage tutoring.
- Increasing the opportunities for enrichment and acceleration
- Continuing to allow flexibility for hybrid families who chose to remain in their current cohort.
- Continuing with our highly successful Virtual Academy
- Continuing to focus on mitigation strategies to ensure the safety of our students and staff.
We remain committed to providing a safe learning environment and providing our students the very best educational opportunities.
Phase 3 - Safe Return to Additional Learning Opportunities
Christina School District (CSD) has reviewed recommendations from national, state, and local health agencies and experts when considering the implementation of our plan. We have also taken into account the COVID-19 metrics and the fact that schools are opening without major outbreaks.
Finally, we have analyzed the CSD Instructional Support Family Survey data and received the mitigation strategies recommended by the CSD Reopening Task Force, which concluded its work this week.
We are excited to announce the next phase of our plan as described below:
- For the past month, CSD educators have been working with families to safely bring students back on a prioritized basis. We will continue to invite more students to come back for additional learning days as we move forward and space is available. Our prioritized list includes, but is not limited to students with disabilities, English Learners and students who are struggling in the remote environment. Our schools will continue to extend invitations for additional in-person learning until we reach capacity on our buses and in our classrooms.
- Additional learning opportunities for students who have accepted the invitation will start the week of April 12th. We chose April 12th to allow students and families, as well as, our school teams the opportunity to remain focused on academics as everyone prepares for Phase 3 - Safe Return to Additional Learning Opportunities.
- Wednesdays will now be a FULL instructional “remote learning day” for all students. This includes students enrolled in our Virtual Academy and students who do not accept the invitation for additional learning opportunities. Everyone will receive extra learning time on Wednesdays. You can expect to receive a new Wednesday schedule before April 12th.
- Current school times will remain in place.
- As we phase-in additional in-person learning, the Christina School District continues to be mindful that all current mitigation strategies are fully implemented and strictly enforced.
- Over the next week, schools will be communicating additional details, such as safety protocol expectations, new schedules, transportation information (if applicable) and meal service updates.
- As we increase the in-person learning time for students, we highly encourage all hybrid students to participate in free Antigen testing offered at our schools. Students and families must opt-in for testing and complete the consent form. Please select your child’s school-specific consent form.
Safety Considerations
For the health and safety of our staff, students, parents/guardians, and families, we continue to require daily health screenings before leaving for school.
- Routine cleaning will be done throughout the school day and after school hours. EPA registered cleaners and disinfectants will continue to be used daily and multiple times throughout the day in high-touch and high-traffic areas.
- The custodial staff will clean and disinfect all high-touch points in classrooms nightly, including but are not limited to, student desks & chairs, tables, bathrooms, door handles, countertops, and light switches. The custodial staff will also re-apply BioProtect over the spring break. BioProtect will add another layer of protection on all high-touch surfaces to enhance the EPA-approved disinfectant used to prohibit the growth of any bacteria and viruses on the surfaces.
In addition to implementing this next phase, we are also near completion of our summer learning plan. We will provide extended school year services for qualified special education and prioritized regular education students based on academic need. More communication will be provided soon.
Spring Break for our schools will be April 2 - 9. We hope you have a safe and relaxing break, and we look forward to seeing everyone when we launch the next phase of our Safe Return to Additional Learning Opportunities.
Thank you for your partnership and patience during this pandemic. Our ability to continue moving forward depends on all of us wearing masks, staying home when sick, and following all the other mitigation strategies recommended by Public Health to reduce the spread of the virus.
Together we will ensure our students continue to grow and learn.
Thank you.
Dr. Dan Shelton
Superintendent of Schools
Board of Education Presentations
Messages from the Superintendent
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Message from the Superintendent - January 4, 2021
January 4, 2021
Christina Families,
We hope everyone has had a safe and healthy start to the new year. As we embark upon new beginnings, we will continue to evaluate our status of Hybrid and Remote Learning. Today, Governor John Carney and the Division of Public Health announced the launch of the COVID-19 Community Spread Dashboard that includes more district-specific data related to the coronavirus. Governor Carney, along with the Department of Education, urged Delaware schools to return to Hybrid Learning, with a mix of remote and in-person instruction beginning Monday, January 11th (Read the full letter to school leaders, educators, and parents here). Governor Carney stated that his priorities are “bringing children back to school safely and getting the vaccines to Delaware’s vulnerable populations and essential workers.”
On Monday, January 11th, all Hybrid Cohort A students Grades PK-12 including special programs, will return to In-Person Learning with Hybrid Cohort B students returning on Thursday, January 14th to In-Person Learning. For more information about Hybrid Learning, please visit our website.
Prior to Thanksgiving, the Christina School District moved to full Remote Learning due to operational issues in a number of our schools. Statewide, similar issues lead to the recommendation of a pause in Hybrid Learning from the Governor’s office as the State worked to identify and address these issues. It was important that the issues be addressed in a safe way that followed the medical research and CDC guidelines. Examples of operational concerns that could lead a classroom, grade level, school or the district to have to return to Remote Learning include but are not limited to:
- Quarantine of a group of individuals who are identified as potential contact with someone who is COVID-19 positive
- DPH contact tracing and/or quarantine recommendations
- Key personnel who are in quarantine
- Evidence of community spread within a school building
We take the health and safety of our students and our employees very seriously and will be closely monitoring each of our buildings as students and staff return to Hybrid Learning. We know from the data that we have collected that Remote Learning does not lead to the outcomes we want both in student engagement and learning. In order to ensure our schools are safe, the following protocols and enhancements have been put into place:
Health and Safety Protocols:
We will add to our existing protective measures by implementing the following health and safety protocols in all of our schools:
- Regular announcements and messaging about hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette
- Encouraging students and staff to stay at home when feeling ill or exposed to an individual with a COVID-19 diagnosis or symptoms
- Consistent and pervasive district-wide requirements for all teachers, staff and students to wear face masks while on campus and use of appropriate social distancing.
- Continued district-wide commitment to high standards of cleaning, disinfecting and sanitizing
- Continued planning for student safety while riding school buses
The Christina School District Facilities Department will continue to supply PPE and COVID-19 labeled disinfectants to our buildings. BioProtect, which gives a 90-day window of protection on surfaces against COVID-19, was reapplied over Winter Break to all higher touch surfaces in our schools. Sterionizer air purifiers have been installed at the Brennen School and the Christina Early Childhood Center. They are in the process of being installed in our other schools with shared ventilation systems. The ventilation systems across the District remain set to provide higher levels of fresh air as a strategy to minimize the spread of the virus.
Testing is a key strategy to minimize the spread of COVID-19. To that end, Christina has partnered with Mako Medical to provide on-site testing for Christina families. Please find testing dates and sites here. We are also working with the State of Delaware to provide rapid Antigen testing within our school buildings. You will receive additional information as well as a permission form to opt-in to this program in the coming days.
School nurses will continue to monitor the daily impact of the virus as certain health concerns may trigger a school closure, such as positive cases, quarantines, virus symptoms and limited availability of teaching staff and bus drivers.
Please be mindful that the “Three W’s:” Washing your Hands, Wearing a Mask and Watching your Distance, are critical to keeping the virus from spreading in our community.
Governor Carney, Delaware Division of Public Health and the Delaware Department of Education believe that schools are one of the safest places. We will continue to work with state health officials to maintain a safe environment for our students and staff while maximizing our educational impact using diverse learning models.
Finally, I want to conclude by thanking all of our teachers and staff who have worked tirelessly throughout this pandemic to provide food, learning opportunities and a safe and healthy environment for our kids. I also want to thank our families for their patience and the grace they have shown as we have worked through the struggles of educating children during this pandemic. THANK YOU! The safety of our students and staff remains our number one priority. For more information and updates, visit www.christinak12.org.
Sincerely,
Dr. Dan Shelton, Superintendent
Christina School District -
Message from Superintendent - December 3, 2020
Good Evening Christina School District Staff and Families,
Today, the Governor announced that the State Gating criteria has moved to Red. While he emphasized that Schools are safe and we have not seen spread in the schools, he is also recommending a pause to in-person learning ahead of and following the Winter Break. Our concerns are in Operational Management of our buildings, not a demonstrated health or safety concern in our schools. It is absolutely essential that our staff and families follow the Governor’s stay at home recommendations and protocols around social distancing, wearing masks, and not attending social events or social situations. In this way, we protect ourselves and others from the places where community spread has been seen.
The Christina School District will continue with Remote Learning for all students in Cohort A and B through Friday, January 8th. All students in grades Preschool through 12th grade will return to in-person learning according to their cohort schedule starting on Monday, January 11th. Our offices will be open as usual throughout this period of time.
Please note, the Christina School District is closed for hybrid and remote learning in observance of the winter holiday from Thursday, December 24th through Friday, January 1st. The safety of our students and staff remains our number one priority.
We continue to encourage you to monitor your child for any symptoms of COVID-19. If a student or staff member is sick with any of the following symptoms, stay home: fever, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, muscle aches, fatigue, chills, shaking with chills, loss of smell or taste, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, or headache or congestion, or runny nose without a known cause such as allergies. Your school nurse is available to support your family by reviewing symptoms to watch for, answering questions you may have, assisting with follow up communications and providing further information on available testing sites. COVID-19 testing is free in our local community. The Christina School District will be offering testing for our students and staff. Check your email and social media for upcoming dates.
DPH encourages all Delawareans – whether you are experiencing symptoms or not – to consider getting a free test. That will help our state more accurately track the spread of the disease and keep our communities healthy.
- Visit https://coronavirus.delaware.gov/testing/ for information on free COVID-19 testing in Delaware.
- Visit https://coronavirus.delaware.gov/ for the latest updates on COVID-19 in Delaware.
Individual decisions on quarantining are made by DPH epidemiologists in consultation with the affected individual, and may depend on whether the individual was wearing a mask.
- Click here to learn more about DPH protocols around positive COVID-19 cases in schools.
At this time, we have no information that would lead us to believe that any community spread has happened in any of our schools. In fact, the use of quarantine is a key tool being employed by Delaware Public Health to combat community spread. As we continue into the holiday season, please be mindful that hand washing, wearing a mask and keeping a safe distance is critical to keep the virus from spreading in our community. Please use the resource links below for more information on CDC guidelines and ways to keep your family safe.
These CDC guides may be useful:
- https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/after-travel-precautions.html
- https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/holidays.html
Again, all students in Cohort A and Cohort B will continue Remote Learning until January 8, 2021. Students will return to school on Monday, January 11th. Students should continue to log in at their regularly scheduled times for remote instruction. If you do not have technology, packets will still be available at your school.Our offices will remain open and will operate as normal during this time. Please note, the Christina School District will utilize the following schedule for winter break:
- Thursday, December 24th - Friday, December 25th - Schools and Offices Closed
- Monday, December 28th - Wednesday, December 30th - Schools Closed/Offices Open
- Thursday, December 31st - Friday, January 1st - Schools and Offices Closed
- Monday, January 3rd - Schools Open Remotely/Offices Open
All District and school staff will continue with their standard work schedule and may work from the building. Staff should remember to maintain appropriate social distancing while working, wear masks when in common spaces or meeting with others, and continue to wash hands regularly.Please contact your child’s school if you have any questions or concerns. For more information and updates, visitwww.christinak12.org. The safety of our students and staff remains our number one priority.
Sincerely,
Dr. Dan Shelton, Superintendent
Christina School District -
Message from the Superintendent - November 17, 2020
Dear Christina School District Staff and Families,
Christina continues to observe the strength and resiliency displayed by our staff and families. Together we are facing a global pandemic that is affecting our families, students and community and we all play a part in helping to keep each other safe and healthy. We cannot thank you enough for the part each of you plays in our success in educating our students.
Decisions to keep our schools and offices open are based on current health metrics and trends for New Castle County along with each of our individual schools. The daily positivity rate for New Castle County is 8.06% and has been on the rise. If local public health metrics continue to rise, our district must be prepared for the possibility of a transition from hybrid to remote learning. We are working closely with Delaware Public Health (DPH) and Governor John Carney to monitor the situation daily. Please note that these difficult decisions could happen at any time and may be related to COVID-19 numbers, but also could be due to the situation in our schools as a result of quarantines. At this time, the District and the State are seeing an increase in quarantine. This is a mitigation strategy being used to curb the spread of the virus. In other words, it is not an indication of community spread, but an indication that we are being proactive in keeping our community safe. We will continue to prioritize the safety of our staff, students, and families, as well as provide frequent and ongoing communication regarding our hybrid status.
We know you must be wondering – How can I keep my family safe? When will things ever get back to normal? Well, no one has all the answers, but there are a few simple guidelines that can be followed to keep everyone safe: wear a face mask, wash your hands frequently, and practice social distancing as much as possible. The number one mitigation strategy is to not attend social events or gatherings of people outside of the family you live with. This may be hard, especially around the holidays, but not gathering in groups and wearing a mask when you have to be outside of your home is the best way we can stop the spread of the virus.
We will continue to communicate with you frequently and review the updated COVID-19 numbers and the evolving conditions of this pandemic. If we shift back to remote learning for a period of time, it will not change the classes or the schedules for remote learning or for the Virtual Academy. The only change will be the shift to learning from home five days per week in the remote model for our Hybrid students.
We are adding a link to the COVID-19 Data Dashboard to our website. More information can be found here.
https://myhealthycommunity.dhss.delaware.gov/locations/state
These CDC guides may be useful:
- https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/after-travel-precautions.html
- https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/holidays/thanksgiving.html
The well-being of staff and students remains a priority. If we all work together and do what we can, we will succeed at keeping our community safe. Together, we can minimize the impact of community spread. For more information, visit www.christinak12.org. If you have any questions, please email us at info@christina.k12.de.us.
Respectfully,
Dr. Dan Shelton
Superintendent, Christina School District