June 16, 2020
Dear Union Elementary School
District Parents and Families,
We hope that you are healthy,
happy, and enjoying this unconventional summer break!
As you
have probably heard by now, Governor Ducey announced that schools are to resume
at the start of the school year. On June 1st, we received the
Roadmap to Reopening, from the Arizona Department of Education (ADE). The
Roadmap provides some guidance to districts; however, it is up to each District
to put the details together.
Since our closure, your Union ESD
team has been actively planning how to appropriately
support our student and staff transition back to school in a way that protects
health, safety, and ensures students accelerate their academic growth and overall
well-being. We truly believe that the best learning happens when
students are in our classrooms. However,
we want to keep the community as safe and healthy as possible while doing so. Union ESD has established working groups in a variety of
areas to ensure we are ready for the year ahead. Additionally, to ensure we are prepared for
opening, we are trying out several of the scenarios during our summer school
programming.
Our
working groups now needs input from you, our parents, and families. Please take
a few minutes to complete the survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/6NQWCDD
Input Needed for Reopening
Model
Planned
flexibility will be the key to our success throughout the upcoming year.
Tentative plans include in-person to completely virtual scenarios and adhere to
CDC recommendations and align to ADE’s Roadmap. We anticipate each model will
have to be deployed at different points in time throughout the year. The start of the Union ESD school year
may include the following options to suit the diverse needs of our families:
• An on-campus,
in-person learning option as close to “normal” as possible with increased
safety protocols.
• A “hybrid”
option that includes on-campus learning paired with remote (at-home) learning
to reduce the number of students present on-campus each day.
• An all online
learning option with classes taught by UESD teachers.
Union ESD asks for your input to
ensure we build a model that meets the needs of your family. Please take
a few minutes to complete our survey by
5pm, on June 19, 2020.
We want nothing more than to
welcome our students back on August 3, 2020, to a supportive learning
environment that focuses on social, emotional, and academic growth.
As we continue to plan for the
opening of school in August, the safety and well-being of your children is our
top priority. We appreciate all that you are doing to raise children in today’s
world and understand our role as your partner, is to provide safe, supportive,
and hopeful places for every child to thrive and learn.
Thank you for taking time to make your voice heard. Your
feedback is important and will help inform the priorities of our plan. We will
continue to update you as more details become available. Please ensure your
contact information is up to date in the survey or through your school’s front office. If you have any
questions, or need additional support, please do not hesitate to contact your
school or the District office.
With warmest regards,
Ms. Kristine
Morris
Superintendent