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Return to Hybrid Parent Information

Happy New Year! I hope that the start to 2021 has been kind to you and that you and your family are safe and well.  This letter is intended to provide an overview for District families of instruction transitions occurring over the next several weeks. Your child’s building principal will share more detailed information tomorrow regarding information at your child’s specific building level.


At last night’s Hopewell Area Board of School Directors meeting, the Board of School Directors made several decisions regarding the status of instruction and school activities. As you review these plans for instruction and school services, please let your child’s teacher, principal or building secretary know if you have questions. We will continue to prepare our buildings for our staff and students’ safe return to in-person learning. With our hybrid model, we are able to provide maximum social distancing in our classrooms, especially, during lunch. We will continue to enforce all of our previous safety protocols that were in place during the fall, maximizing social distancing, wearing of facial coverings, and reminders for continual handwashing and use of hand sanitizer. 


Please be sure to read the important safety information updates at the end of this correspondence. Together, we can keep our buildings safe and remain open if we follow the necessary safety protocols.


Students in Grades K-4

  • Beginning Tuesday, January 19, all students in grades K-4 will return to hybrid learning.  Students in group A will return on Tuesdays and Thursdays and students in group B will return on Wednesdays and Fridays. 

  • Transportation will continue as it did in the fall.  

  • Mondays will be virtual for all of our K-4 learners and will follow our normal bell schedule. Students should be logged in for class by 8:55.  

  • Students with an IEP or GIEP who attended school in the fall for five (5) days each week will be able to participate Tuesday through Friday with Monday remaining a virtual day of learning. 

  • An administrator will contact the families of students currently participating in face to face learning to discuss schedule changes and learning options. 

  • Breakfasts and lunches for the remote school days are available at the end of each hybrid in-person learning day.

  • January 25 was a scheduled half day of school.  It will now be a full day of school following the regular Monday schedule.



Students in Grades 5-6

  • Beginning Tuesday, January 26, all students in grades 5-6 will return to hybrid learning.  Students in group A will return to in-person learning on Tuesdays and Thursdays and students in group B will return to in-person learning on Wednesdays and Fridays. 

  • Transportation will continue as it did in the fall.  

  • Mondays will be virtual for our 5-6 learners beginning on January 25. Students should expect to connect synchronously with their teachers on Mondays.

  • Students with an IEP or GIEP who attended school in the fall for five (5) days each week will be able to participate Tuesday through Friday with Monday remaining a virtual day of learning. 

  • On virtual days or hybrid days at home, students will follow a regular bell schedule with the start of the school day beginning at 8:00 AM. 

  • An administrator will contact the families of students currently participating in face to face learning to discuss schedule changes and learning options. 

  • Breakfasts and lunches for the remote school days are available at the end of each hybrid in-person learning day.

  • January 25 was a scheduled half day of school.  It will now be a full day of school following the regular Monday schedule.


Students in Grades 7-12

  • Students will remain in the virtual learning model.

  • The Board of School Directors will determine when students in Grades 7-12 return to hybrid learning at the January 25 board meeting.

  • The Board of School Directors will determine if midterms are going to be held at the high school at the January 25 board meeting.

  • Beginning January 25, during virtual learning days, students will follow a regular bell schedule.

    • Grades 7-8: Students will follow a regular bell schedule, listed on the Junior High webpage, with the start of the school day beginning at 8:00 AM. The last period will end at 2:22 PM. Staff members will be available for office hours daily until 3:10 PM. 

      • Students will need to submit attendance via Google Classroom prior to their first period class.

    • Grades 9-12: Students will follow the bell schedule posted to the HHS webpage with the first period beginning at 7:46 AM. Period 9 ends at 2:00 PM. Teachers will be available in office hours daily from 2:00-2:55.

      • High School attendance will be submitted on the link provided daily by Mrs. Vallecorsa in Schoology.  Students must register their attendance by 9:30 each day.

  • Winter athletics will continue practices through January 18 with competitions permissible on January 19.

  • An administrator will contact the families of students currently participating in face to face learning to discuss schedule changes and learning options. 

  • Breakfast and lunch distribution will continue to occur at Independence and the Junior High School between 11AM - 1PM until January 15.  Beginning Monday, January 25, curbside distribution of breakfasts and lunches will occur on Mondays at each building from 11 AM- 1 PM.

  • January 25 was a scheduled half day of school.  It will now be a full day of school following the regular Monday schedule.




Breakfast and Lunch Distribution

Breakfast and lunch distribution will continue to occur at Independence and the Junior High School between 11AM - 1PM through January 22.  Beginning Monday, January 25, curbside distribution of breakfasts and lunches will occur ON MONDAYS at each building from 11 AM- 1 PM.


Transportation

Transportation will be provided for all students attending school for in-person learning.  Students are required to wear a facial covering at all times, unless due to a documented medical condition and approved by the District. Should you have questions or concerns regarding your child’s bus stop or times for pick-up/drop-off, please contact our Transportation Department at 724.375.6691 X7000.


COVID: Safety Protocols at School and Home

As we move to in-person learning in a hybrid setting, please know that your diligence in assessing your child’s health is critical.  Also, please consider the activities in which your family and children engage in while not in school.  For each school to continue to provide in-person learning, we need everyone’s assistance in social distancing, wearing a facial covering, minimizing interactions outside of your own household, following the guidelines for gatherings and following the guidance of DOH. Thank you for your continued commitment to minimizing the spread of COVID in our community, protecting our students and staff, and keeping our schools open. 


If your child has COVID symptoms, tests positive for COVID or is identified as probable for COVID, is identified as a close contact, PLEASE CONTACT THE SCHOOL NURSE IMMEDIATELY. Not only does this assist us in identifying any close contacts in our schools, but our nurses can provide important information and guidance to you and your family. 


The Pennsylvania Department of Education has released new guidelines for closure of schools due to positive or probable cases of students and/or staff within a school.  A summary of these guidelines can be found on the blue banner on the District’s website. Please note that these cases are calculated on a rolling 14 day period for individuals who were infected and physically present at school.  For our elementary schools, closure for 3-7 days will occur with two (2) cases; for our Junior and Senior High School, closure for 3-7 days will occur with 4-6 cases. If you have any concerns about your child’s health or even suspect that your child has even the mildest of symptoms, please keep your child home. 


We appreciate your continued support and patience as we navigate these ever-changing times.  I am looking forward to bringing our students and staff back to our classrooms. Together, we will continue our commitment to our children’s education, their safety,  and support for our Viking community. 


Sincerely,


Michelle Miller, Ed.D.

Superintendent