Fall Planning Update – August 19, 2020 Dear WPS Families and Staff,
Throughout this very busy summer, we have kept our focus on the health and well-being of our students and staff as we plan for the 2020-21 school year. We greatly appreciate your patience and understanding as we do our best to consider parent, staff and student input and remain responsive to the evolving guidance from our State departments.
At its August 10 meeting, the WPS School Board authorized the delay of the first day of school for students if it was considered necessary. I am writing to inform you that the decision has been made to change the first day of school from Tuesday, September 8 to Monday, September 14 for all Pre-K-12 students. The start of our Wayzata Kids childcare program will align with the start of the school year. Registration will open on August 20 at 8 a.m. for care beginning September 14.
Starting school on Monday, September 14 will give staff much-needed, additional preparation time to deliver the highest-quality instruction within the new learning models. The September 14 start will also allow additional time for principals, teachers and other staff to prepare for students' arrival, plan and provide for student orientation time that could not be provided last spring and this summer and to review all essential operations for schools and sites.
As a result of this decision and in an effort to add back some of this instructional time from the week of September 8, the following professional development days from November and January will be converted into student instructional days: Thursday, November 12 (for grades K-5), Friday, November 13 (for grades 6-12) and Friday, January 29 (for grades K-12).
I acknowledge that changing the school start date for students may cause challenges for some families. Making this change was a decision not taken lightly.
During the week of September 8, in addition to classroom and instructional preparation time, principals and program supervisors will work with their staff to establish activities that foster personal connections with all students. Principals and program supervisors will be sending communications regarding specifics about student orientation, daily routines for students, drop-off and pick-up information, virtual open houses, school supplies, etc. For the latest districtwide information, please visit our Wayzata Learns webpage. And, of course, you can always reach out to your principal or program supervisor for more information.
We are looking forward to the start of the school year and welcoming our students. We will do our very best to create a warm and welcoming school environment for our students, whether they are engaging through hybrid learning or Wayzata Distance Choice. While many things will be different this year, I am confident students and staff will also find many things to be familiar. I know our teachers, staff and principals will rise to the occasion to make the very best of these challenging times and provide an excellent experience for all of our students. Again, many thanks for your understanding and your partnership.
Sincerely,
Chace B. Anderson Superintendent |