DAY 133

The long-awaited announcement regarding a return to school was sent out today. Here is the e-mail that I received late this afternoon.

Dear Families,

The process of developing our Return to School Plan has been a long and difficult one. Several committees have spent countless hours reading and rereading Michigan's MI Safe Schools Roadmap as we have worked to build a plan that not only meets the requirements of the roadmap but also meets the expectations of our families. These committees have looked at every aspect of our district as we have adapted, revised, and created new procedures designed to keep both students and staff safe as we reopen our schools. They have also reviewed our family and staff survey results and used those to help inform the plan. In addition, dedicated teams of teachers have been working incredibly hard to develop Highlander Virtual, our new virtual school, to be a robust learning experience and a viable option to in-person teaching and learning. We have worked to prepare for the known and unknown and around what it looks like should our region move down to Phase 3 of the MI Safe Start Plan, which will trigger mandated distance learning for all students. Currently, our region is in Phase 4 of the MI Safe Start Plan, allowing for in-person instruction. As a county, our school districts have collectively decided to move forward with in-person instruction for the fall. I fully understand that with the release of our Return to School Plan, our families will be making very difficult decisions regarding how to proceed with their child's education. I hope that our learning options and plans will meet your family's needs and expectations. 

Our Return to School Plan outlines what teaching and learning will look like across Phases 1-6 of the MI Safe Start Plan and what safety precautions will be taken to ensure students and staff are safe while at school. To provide a high-level overview of our plans:

• Phases 1-3 Mandated Distance Learning - In Phases 1-3, all school buildings are closed for in-person instruction. This will be a much more robust experience than what we saw during crisis learning in the spring. Students, teachers, and families will utilize the district's new Learning Management Systems (SeeSaw and Schoology) for a more streamlined learning experience. All extracurricular activities will be suspended, and our food service department and technology departments will activate plans for meal and device distribution. Students enrolled in Highlander Virtual will continue their schooling as planned.
• Phase 4 In-Person Instruction with Strict Safety Protocols - In Phase 4, schools are open for in-person instruction. This phase requires facial coverings to be worn by students in 6-12 grade and staff while in the buildings and highly recommends that begindergarten-5 grade students also wear facial coverings. Facial coverings  are also required when utilizing district transportation. Additionally, efforts will be made to follow social distancing recommendations to the extent practical. Extracurricular activities can occur with strict attendance limits, and facial covering  and social distancing requirements. Visitors to buildings will be limited, and when allowed, visitors will be required to wear personal protective equipment. Students enrolled in Highlander Virtual will continue their schooling as planned.
• Phase 5 In-Person Instruction with Relaxed Safety Protocols - In Phase 5, schools are open for in-person instruction. At the same time, we will continue to follow many of the safety recommendations outlined in the MI Safe Schools Roadmap. Students enrolled in Highlander Virtual will continue their schooling as planned.
• Phase 6 In-Person Instruction, Normal School - In Phase 6, schools are open for in-person instruction, and we begin to return to normal operations. Students enrolled in Highlander Virtual will continue their schooling as planned.

In recognizing that not all families will be comfortable returning to in-person instruction at this time, we have developed Highlander Virtual, a robust virtual learning experience. Highlander Virtual is designed to closely mirror the teaching and learning that occurs in the classroom. Howell teachers have developed the core content area/Michigan Merit Curriculum courses, and Howell teachers will deliver this instruction. At the secondary level, families may choose to have their children attend select, in-person elective courses or choose elective courses offered by Michigan Virtual. Since Highlander Virtual was created locally, it will allow students enrolled to remain connected to a local school system opening up access to support systems, athletics, clubs, and other opportunities. To learn more about Highlander Virtual, please visit https://bit.ly/3fXgAwj. To allow us to adequately plan for Highlander Virtual and our school building staffing, we are asking families to make their decision by Monday, August 3, at noon. To enroll your child in  Highlander Virtual, please visit https://bit.ly/30xh5Xo. If you plan to have your child return to in-person learning, you do not need to take any action.

You can find our full Return to School plan at https://bit.ly/30OmR70. We have also created a Return to School Plan Quick Reference Guide, which touches on the plan's highlights. The Quick Reference Guide can be found at https://bit.ly/2ZZMvXv. Additionally, we have built a Return to School webpage to serve as a one-stop reference area. On this page, you will find a FAQ, links to resources, and submit questions about our plan. The Return to School webpage can be found at https://bit.ly/3eZral7. 

Knowing that there will be many questions about our Return to School Plan, we have planned three question and answer sessions next week. The schedule for these sessions is as follows:

• Tuesday,  July 28, Zoom Meeting, 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Click here to register for the meeting
• Wednesday, July 29, Freshman Campus Cafeteria, 10:00-11:30 a.m. Seating is limited, click here to sign up
• Thursday, July 30, Freshman Campus Cafeteria, 4:00-5:30 p.m. Seating is limited, click here to sign up

Our Return to School plan is still in draft form. As we finalize the plan and our return to school, there may be minor changes to the plan, the daily school schedule (class times, not school hours), or the approved school year calendar. We still plan to start school on Wednesday, August 19, however, we may adjust the schedule slightly to allow for an easier transition back to school. Any changes will be finalized by Monday, August 3, and will be communicated to you.

In closing, I would like to thank everyone who has helped develop our Return to School Plan and Highlander Virtual. I would also like to thank you for your continued partnership in your child's education. 

Sincerely, 

Erin J. MacGregor, Ed.S.

Superintendent

Howell Public Schools