Superintendent’s Message
3.3.2021
WCS Families and Staff:
It is nearly one year since public schools in the State of Ohio were ordered to close due to COVID 19. Over this time we have experienced ups, downs, spikes, valleys and plateaus just like a roller coaster. During this time every one of us experienced various challenges. Even though we know children are resilient, the challenges our youth have faced academically, socially, and emotionally over the past year will take some time for them to overcome.
It is with this in mind, along with the safety, health and well-being of our students in the Warren City Schools that we are excited to announce a return to five days per week instruction for students in hybrid groups A and B in grades K-11 starting Monday, March 15, 2021! At this time WGH Seniors will remain on a hybrid schedule unless Mr. Capers recommends an alternative schedule.
Last evening I presented to the Warren City School District Board of Education the framework of our plan for hybrid students to return. We are aligning the five days per week return to school with the start of the fourth nine weeks. Currently about 2/3 of our students are participating in hybrid in person learning and about 1/3 are doing so through full online/remote instruction. Our schools will be operating on average at 2/3 capacity.
We will continue to utilize and maximize recommended health and safety guidelines consistent with those recommended by our local health officials. Students and adults will be required to wear facial coverings at all times unless permitted to remove them during a “mask break” or while actively eating or drinking. Plexiglass desk shields are available for student and teacher desks and during lunch times. Hand sanitizer and sanitizing stations are most everywhere in our schools and well supplied. Social distancing of 3-6 feet will be observed at all times consistent with the Ohio Department of Health’s acceptance of the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations. We are confident we can maintain the mandated health and safety standards for our students and staff provided health conditions remain consistent.
There will be some adjustments to our student school day. Start times at all schools will remain the same however dismissal times will change as indicated below:
WGH Dismiss at 1:35 pm, Bus departure at 1:40 pm
Lincoln & McGuffey Dismiss at 2:20 pm, Bus departure at 2:25 pm
Jefferson & Willard Dismiss at 3:05 pm, Bus departure at 3:10 pm
While we know and understand this schedule change may cause disruption to family schedules, we believe that the academic, social and emotional benefits to our students is critically important and needs to be our priority. This schedule change will enable us to have face to face in person instruction with our students five days per week and more than double learning time in all core content areas. We believe this change will have a significant impact on student learning as we close out our scheduled school year and move towards summer intervention and academic support programs for our students in the month of June (More information on our plans for extended learning opportunities for our students will be provided to families after spring break).
Over the next week and a half we will be preparing for the adjustments to accommodate the combining of hybrid A and B student groups. We ask families to be patient with us as we work to accomplish this task. If you have questions or concerns I ask that next week you contact your child’s Principal directly by phone, email or other means that works best for you. Please make sure you check for communications from WCS or your child’s school so you can be most informed. We will post district wide communications to the WCS website and send via the email account provided by families through Final Forms. School specific messages will also be sent to the email address submitted through Final Forms and through the Remind App (PK-8 Schools).
Thank you for the opportunity to be part of your child’s education.
Steve Chiaro, Superintendent
Warren City Schools
