Dear Parents/Guardians,
During the May 10, 2021, Board of Education Meeting, the Board discussed a recommendation to return to a traditional, five day per week in-person instructional model for the 2021-2022 school year. After careful consideration of current federal, state, and local health guidelines, and conversation surrounding current COVID-19 conditions, the Board unanimously approved the recommendation for all students in grades 4K-12 for the 2021-2022 school year. The approved model also includes a K-12 fully-virtual instructional option; a 4K virtual option is still being discussed. The District will be sending a virtual instruction survey in the near future to better help plan for student enrollment.
The current Stronger Together plan clearly and responsibly defines operational safety protocols, daily procedures, and screening and illness procedures. The Board’s decision on the instructional model for 2021-2022 does not address any operational/mitigation items from the current plan. The Board will review and take action on the operational/mitigation items during the summer. Specifically, the face covering requirement and contact tracing or quarantine procedures will be reviewed, and we hope to have a decision and protocol in place by the end of July 2021.
With three short weeks remaining in the school year, I would like to remind you to continue to monitor your student’s daily health; should any illness symptoms that are not related to a baseline health condition arise, please keep your child at home. Additionally, if anyone in your household is being tested for COVID-19 or awaiting results, please keep your child home and any siblings home.
We continue to be grateful for the overwhelming support that you have expressed during this school year. Let's finish the year healthy and Kaukauna Strong!
Be well.
Mark P. Duerwaechter
Superintendent
|
Dear Parents/Guardians,
During the May 10, 2021, Board of Education Meeting, the Board discussed a recommendation to return to a traditional, five day per week in-person instructional model for the 2021-2022 school year. After careful consideration of current federal, state, and local health guidelines, and conversation surrounding current COVID-19 conditions, the Board unanimously approved the recommendation for all students in grades 4K-12 for the 2021-2022 school year. The approved model also includes a K-12 fully-virtual instructional option; a 4K virtual option is still being discussed. The District will be sending a virtual instruction survey in the near future to better help plan for student enrollment.
The current Stronger Together plan clearly and responsibly defines operational safety protocols, daily procedures, and screening and illness procedures. The Board’s decision on the instructional model for 2021-2022 does not address any operational/mitigation items from the current plan. The Board will review and take action on the operational/mitigation items during the summer. Specifically, the face covering requirement and contact tracing or quarantine procedures will be reviewed, and we hope to have a decision and protocol in place by the end of July 2021.
With three short weeks remaining in the school year, I would like to remind you to continue to monitor your student’s daily health; should any illness symptoms that are not related to a baseline health condition arise, please keep your child at home. Additionally, if anyone in your household is being tested for COVID-19 or awaiting results, please keep your child home and any siblings home.
We continue to be grateful for the overwhelming support that you have expressed during this school year. Let's finish the year healthy and Kaukauna Strong!
Be well.
Mark P. Duerwaechter
Superintendent
Dear Parents/Families,
Today, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that the mask mandate put in place by Governor Evers exceeded his authority; following this decision, the mandate has been repealed, effective immediately. Despite this ruling, the expectations from Kaukauna Area School District’s Stronger Together Reopening Plan requiring all students, staff, and visitors to wear face coverings when in school buildings will remain in effect until further notice. It is important to note that the decision by the Supreme Court does not affect local face covering orders by counties or municipalities or mandatory face covering policies authorized by employers.
The Kaukauna Area School District believes strongly in the use of face coverings to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus. Throughout the school year, our staff, students and visitors have complied with this standard extremely well; it has become the new normal in our classrooms and buildings, and we believe it is an essential component in keeping our school buildings open. As a District and a community, we must continue to follow the Center for Disease Control’s guidelines (social distancing, wearing face coverings and washing our hands) to the best of our abilities. Your continued support with these practices is greatly appreciated and needed.
On behalf of the Kaukauna Area School District, thank you for your continued support, patience and understanding as we continue to navigate changes and do our best to make this a successful year. I wish you and your family a safe and fulfilling upcoming break.
Be well,
Mark P. Duerwaechter
Superintendent
Dear Parents/Guardians,
During the March 8, 2021 Board of Education Meeting, the Board reviewed and discussed a proposal to return to a 5-day per week, in-person learning model beginning in mid- to late-March. After much discussion, specifically surrounding the needs of virtual students who compose nearly 20% of our student body, the Board voted (4-2) to maintain the current 4-day per week in-person, 1 day at home virtual learning modified hybrid instructional model for the remainder of the school year for students in grades 5-12.
The decision to maintain the current 4-1 modified hybrid model includes the continuance of an all-virtual option for those who so choose, as well as the existing late-start virtual Wednesday.
I would also like to note that the Center for Disease Control (CDC) has released guidelines on how fully-vaccinated people can now safely visit with others. These new guidelines do not have a direct impact on our existing school protocols; we will continue to monitor the CDC and State guidelines and communicate with our school community should revisions be needed. I am also pleased to report that nearly 75% of staff will have received their second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by the end of the month.
With just under three months remaining in the school year, I hope that you and your family are doing well and are able to enjoy these early days of spring.
Be well,
Mark P. Duerwaechter
Superintendent
Dear Parents/Guardians,
Kaukauna Area School District has launched a school-based COVID-19 Rapid Testing Program. The purpose of this testing program is to provide students and staff within our school community easy, on campus access to a 15-minute COVID-19 rapid antigen test (Abbott BinaxNOW, supplied by ThedaCare) in order to more quickly identify those who have the virus, so those individuals can isolate sooner and minimize the spread of the virus within our schools.
After consultation with your school’s Health Office, an individual interested in testing should contact Vicki Becker at 920-766-6113 ext. 5448 or beckerv@kaukaunasd.org to schedule an appointment. The drive-thru test will be administered at Kaukauna High School (circle drive, adjacent the Bank of Kaukauna Stadium, Door #AA4); there is no charge for the testing. A testing technician at the site will provide additional necessary information, and a signed waiver is required for each self- or parent-administered nasal swab test. Those testing will get a phone call with results, which will be reported to the individual within 20 minutes, and then reported to the State. More information on the testing process can be viewed on the Abbott BinaxNow web page.
Be well,
Mark P. Duerwaechter
Superintendent
Dear Parents/Guardians,
During the past several weeks, we have received a number of communications from parents and community members respectfully sharing their input on the current Stronger Together plan and instructional model. I have appreciated the support that nearly every communication has expressed to the District for this difficult work. Likewise, KASD respects and appreciates the support and work that our families and community have shown to both students and staff.
Since early January, the District has been actively engaged in collecting parent, student and staff input and reviewing county COVID-19 data, all in an effort to make a responsible recommendation to the Board of Education to increase the number of in-person learning days for Grades 5-12. On Monday, February 8, 2021, the Board of Education voted (7-0) to approve the following plan:
Beginning Monday, February 22, 2021, students in grades 5-12 will attend classes in person four (4) days a week: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. One (1) day per week, Wednesday, will be maintained as an all-virtual day and will continue to have the same late-start schedule. At the Board meeting on Monday, March 8, we will again convene to discuss the conditions and the potential transition to an in-person, five (5) days per week model, with a targeted transition date of Monday, March 15.
An all-virtual instructional model will still be available for those who choose that alternative.
Please watch for additional information specific to your student to come from your student’s school. Should you have specific questions about this plan, please contact your student’s school office.
Be well.
Mark P. Duerwaechter
Superintendent
At the February 8 Board of Education Meeting, the Administration will present our recommendation regarding a change to the current Secondary Hybrid Instructional Model. You can access our full proposal, including background and considerations at the District’s BoardDocs site in the February 8, 2021, Board Packet. The Secondary Transition Proposal is agenda item 6.F. For your convenience, you can also access the full proposal here.
Our recommendation as presented to the Board of Education is the following:
- Given the myriad of considerations that must be examined or evaluated in making a responsible decision, we recommend that River View Middle School and Kaukauna High School transition to the 4-1 Modified Hybrid Model with the beginning of Trimester 3 on March 8, 2021, with the continuance of an All-Virtual option for those who so choose and with the continuance of late-start All-Virtual Wednesdays. We believe that this recommendation strikes a balance between various stakeholder preferences, safety for all, and student learning.
- We will continue to monitor the impact of the implementation of this Model. If conditions continue to improve, the District will consider another transition to the all in-person model: 5 days in person each week. Conversely, if conditions worsen, we will need to consider a reversion to Model 2 or a change to Model 3 or Model 4.
- We ask that the Board of Education approve our recommendation as presented.
This proposal is scheduled for both Information and for Action on February 8. Of course, the Board of Education has discretion in a number of regards. They can choose to accept, reject, and/or modify the recommendation, including the instructional model and/or the implementation date. In addition, the Board can choose to vote on the recommendation at the February 8 Meeting or table the Action until a later date.
We will send an additional communication following Monday’s BOE Meeting to provide an update. The BOE Meeting will be livestreamed, and, if interested, you can view the meeting by following this link.
In addition, as shared in Superintendent Duerwaechter’s letter to parents on September 18, 2020, the Kaukauna Area School District believes strongly in the use of face coverings to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus. Throughout our nearly 100 days of school this year, our staff and students have complied with this new standard very well; it has become the new normal in our classrooms and buildings, and we believe it is an essential component in keeping our school buildings open. As a District and a community, we must continue to follow the Center for Disease Control’s guidelines (social distancing, wearing face coverings and washing our hands) to the best of our abilities. With uncertainty about the current face covering mandate at the State level, expectations from Kaukauna Area School District’s Stronger Together Reopening Plan requiring all students, staff, and visitors to wear face coverings when in school buildings will remain in effect until further notice.
Sincerely,
Matt Smith, Director of Secondary Education
Dear Parents/Guardians,
The beginning of 2021 certainly brings about new energy and hope for a successful and healthy new year. The past year brought many unique opportunities and challenges that I trust helped us all grow as individuals and as a school family. I know that the Kaukauna Area School District, much like your family, needed to develop new ways of supporting each other. With a little more than five months remaining in the school year, we have much time to build on the successes of the first few months as well as to continue to improve our services to students.
In early December, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) released new quarantine options for asymptomatic individuals. As a result, KASD is also revising our quarantine guidelines. The current 14-day practice after the time of last exposure remains the safest strategy; however, effective immediately, if an individual is not showing any symptoms during the self-monitoring period, they may end their quarantine after the 10th day. KASD is not adopting the 7-day option due to the specific nature of the testing requirements and the challenging logistics that accompany this option. More detailed information on the new CDC options can be found here. This new option does not change our essential expectation that if someone in your household is getting tested for the virus, all school-aged children from the household must stay home until the results of the test are available. If you need further clarification on this matter, please contact your student’s school. Thank you for your continued support in ensuring that the current mitigation practices continue, as they are making a difference for our
students and staff.
I would also like to update you on the recent discussions specific to the Stronger Together instructional models that are occurring internally and at the Board of Education level. We find that it is prudent to be discussing preliminary plans in preparation for a future transition from the current Model 2 (grades 4K-4 in-person and grades 5-12 Blended model) to the desired Model 1 (all grades-in-person 5 days a week). For clarity, the earliest timeline for decision-making would be late January or February. It is possible that we could take an intermediate step of having more days of in-person learning in the Blended Model (Model 2 Plus) prior to going all-in-person 5 days a week at the secondary level. This reasoning is based on a few ideas: first, we need to monitor the post-holiday caseloads carefully; and second, we would use the additional in-person days as a case study to better understand the impact on the virus caseloads, therefore, better managing the potential spread of the virus. Additionally, we will consult the benchmarks as a guide, to support decision-making with any instructional model transition. Given the community caseload conditions, please continue to practice safe mitigation behaviors. We also have plans for the potential that conditions could worsen and that a shift to Model 3 (classroom or school closures) or to Model 4 (all students virtual) would be necessary.
With nearly 17 weeks of schools completed, and on behalf of staff, I need to say thank you for your continued support. I have been extremely proud to share in many different public settings, that our parents have been remarkably supportive during this school year. Thank you; your support has been noticed and is needed for KASD to continue to create a special journey for our students. Our focus on what we can do rather than what we can’t is leading the way for our students.
Be well,
Mark P. Duerwaechter
Superintendent
Dear Park Community Charter School Families,
We are writing to inform you that effective Thursday, November 19, 2020, all Park Community Charter School students will temporarily transition to virtual learning. The first day of virtual learning instruction will begin on Friday, November 20 for grades K-4 and 4K will begin on Monday, November 23, 2020. Please be looking for a communication from your child's teacher tomorrow (Thursday, November 19th) regarding more detailed information. We expect that in-person learning will resume for our students on Monday, December 7, 2020.
The decision to temporarily suspend in-person learning was not one that was taken lightly. The increased number of active cases and quarantined staff and students at Park Community Charter School has significantly impacted our ability to offer effective, in-person instruction. We believe it is in the best interest of staff and students to make this transition.
While we know this may be disappointing, please know that we have planned for this scenario, and we hope that the transition for your student between learning models is seamless. Staff at Park Community Charter School are prepared to provide a high-quality virtual learning experience for all students; your student’s teacher or designee will follow up with more details as soon as possible.
The health, safety and well-being of students and staff members remains our highest priority as we navigate this public health crisis. We continue to follow protocols aligned with guidance and support from local health officials to ensure we are doing everything we can to protect the health of our students and staff members.
Positive Tests and Symptoms
If your child has tested positive for COVID-19 and you have not already contacted KASD, please contact District Nurse Mary Sundelius at sundeliusm@kaukaunasd.org. As a reminder, the primary symptoms of COVID-19 include shortness of breath, coughing, and fever or chills. Other symptoms include congestion, sore throat, diarrhea, abdominal pain, body aches, and loss of taste or smell. If your student begins to experience symptoms, please consult a healthcare provider and notify the school office. Unless you have been contacted prior to this communication, your child has not been identified as a close contact.
Meal Services
Breakfast and/or lunch will still be available for pickup at one of KASD’s five pickup locations. For additional information on this program and our pickup locations, please visit the KASD website.
Technology Access
Any students or families who need technical assistance during distance learning should work directly with your child(ren)’s teacher. For emergencies, password resets, or software issues you can also reach our KASD Help Desk by phone at (920) 759-6115, please press 0 at the prompt.
Student Services
If your student has an individualized education plan (IEP), your case manager will be reaching out soon to discuss how it will be implemented during distance learning. While we know virtual instruction can be challenging, we are working to ensure a high-quality learning experience for all students and continued connections between and among students and teachers.
It is incredibly important that, as a school community, we support each other through these uncertain times. The more we are able to reduce the spread of COVID-19, the greater ability we have to continue offering in-person instruction to our students. We will provide regular updates as we continue to monitor the situation. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me directly. Thank you for your perseverance and partnership.
With appreciation, we wish you well.
Ken Kortens
Principal
Dear Parents/Guardians
I hope that this letter finds you and your family doing well. Managing the day-to-day stressors can be a challenging task. Understanding the technical nature, expectations, and at times the competing values of COVID-19 makes it even more difficult. On behalf of the District staff, I would like to thank you for doing your best and working together to keep our students and staff healthy and our schools open.
As challenging as the past 12 weeks have been, I am very grateful that we have followed our reopening plan and have developed a consistent process to keep our schools open. We are learning everyday and getting better with the plan’s processes and communication. We appreciate the patience that parents have shown as we work through this together. At the elementary schools, the isolation of classrooms in exposure situations has been very effective at reducing the spread of the virus. We would prefer to utilize a deeper contact tracing measure as we do at the secondary level, however, our elementary students' ages and the proximity of students throughout the day prevent that action from being effective. Through contact tracing we have also learned that the majority of the spread of the virus is not occurring in schools. We can all take pride in the fact that our students have been remarkable with following the mitigations expectations. With that said, an essential expectation that I need to restate: if someone in your household is getting tested for the virus, all school-aged children from the household must stay home until you know the results of the test.
With two holidays in the next 6 weeks, the anxiety of how school will look is likely weighing on your mind. The District will continue in our current instructional model in the weeks following these holidays. I understand that, depending on your personal viewpoint, this brings about different responses. This decision has been made very thoughtfully and if the burden of cases in schools becomes too high and the ability to meet the staffing need cannot be met, we are prepared to transition to a virtual model quickly. As a reminder, please have a family conversation and have a plan ready in the event of a classroom or school closure due to COVID-19. I am not sharing this information to alarm you, but to help you be both aware and prepared.
On another topic, winter is just around the corner, and that brings about potential inclement weather days. If the District closes school for inclement weather, we will proceed with a traditional no school “snow day.” Staff and students would stay home and no instruction would occur.
The Galloping Ghost Story November Newsletter has been sent; please take the time to review it, as it has more details on important KASD matters.
In my family, Thanksgiving is a favorite holiday. While it will look different this year, we will focus on how we can celebrate together. It is a wonderful opportunity to reflect and to be grateful for our neighbors, friends, colleagues, and family. I wish you and your family a safe and peaceful holiday.
Be well,
Mark P. Duerwaechter
Superintendent
Dear Parents/Guardians,
I am writing to keep you updated on several important school matters. We are all aware of the serious nature of the County defined “uncontrolled spread of the COVID-19 virus” in the greater Fox Valley region. In the most recent parent letter, I optimistically shared that we all have a common desire to return to a five-day-per-week, in-person instructional model across the District. While that is still the end goal, today, my message is much different: As individuals, we each need to start doing our part for the good of the entire group - to keep our schools open.
Given the serious regional spread of the virus, each of us must take on a greater personal responsibility to follow recommended mitigation behaviors to give the Kaukauna Area School District a better chance of keeping our buildings open for staff and students. Avoid close contact (being within 6 feet of a person for 15 or more cumulative minutes in a single day, physical contact, sharing personal items) with infected individuals. Should you be in close contact with someone, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) recommends you quarantine for 14 days. If someone in your household is getting tested, everybody in the home should stay home until that person receives the results. Wash your hands. Wear a face covering. Do your part. Our community must do better for the sake of students staying in school.
Unfortunately, I have received reports of students being asked to quarantine who are not, students being sent to school despite having a household member that tested positive for the virus, and ill students attending school. Our staff and contact tracing team are overwhelmed trying to make sure that our District is keeping all students safe, but the responsibility should not fall squarely on that team. If you’re questioning whether or not your student should be in school, please review the Parent Daily Health Screening to assist you in decision-making.
As I noted in early September, changes in a classroom or school instructional environment can happen (and have happened) quickly, so please discuss the needs of your family and prepare yourselves for the possibility. At this time, we will continue to work in the current instructional model at all levels. It is important, however, to understand how, why and when changes are made. To assist families, KASD created a District COVID-19 Information page which details the benchmarking and transition information, along with an overview of the current status of the spread of the virus within our schools. This COVID-19 dashboard, which will be updated weekly, is meant to give our broader community a perspective on the number of active student and staff cases, as well as the number of individuals in quarantine.
Please understand that there is not one measurement/benchmark that KASD will use to make a decision. Currently, we are using five criteria, reviewed daily to determine next steps: two are student and staff absenteeism due to illness, which we monitor on a daily basis; a third is the county data, which we receive weekly; the final two are based on the spread of the virus within our schools, determined through our District Contact Tracing Team’s process, along with the availability of adequate staff to deliver an effective and appropriate instructional experience for our students, as determined by daily evaluation by our building principals and our Human Resources office.
I’d like to close this letter on a positive note. I have heard directly from many parents that they are very appreciative of the work of our staff members each day. I’m grateful for the parents who are reporting this, and who are telling their stories of success during what has been a difficult and sometimes stressful start to the school year. It’s a great reminder of the importance of the work that we are doing, and serves as evidence that we are truly Stronger Together. I, too, am very proud of the work of our staff and our students, both inside and outside of school buildings. Currently, about 75% of our staff in quarantine are able to continue instruction remotely, allowing for continuous learning by the regular teacher for those in school (with classroom monitors for in-person supervision). Our students, families and full classrooms that have transitioned from in-person to virtual learning are doing a tremendous job; the transitions away from school and back into the classroom have gone really well. In your own way, please take the time to share your appreciation for our staff; they are doing incredible work during very challenging times. I am proud to be part of the unique (sometimes unreal) work that we are doing as a team this year.
Please, let's continue to work together for the best interest of our students and staff.
Sincerely, be well.
Mark P. Duerwaechter
Superintendent
Dear Families,
I hope this communication finds you and your family doing well. As I noted in the September 15, 2020 Galloping Ghost Stories e-newsletter, the Stronger Together Reopening plan is well underway and with the support of parents, students, and staff, is guiding us well. I am very pleased and grateful to share that a few of the prominent summer concerns such as transportation, lunch, recess, virtual learning, blended learning and face coverings seem to be settling into the school days with a sense of normalcy. While positive cases and close contacts of the virus have caused the need to quarantine classrooms as well as individuals, the transition into temporary virtual environments is allowing for continued learning for affected students, while keeping other students in schools. Families of impacted students can expect direct and prompt communication from their school in these types of situations. Thank you for your continued support; your efforts at home help students comply with day-to-day operations at school.
On September 28, 2020, Governor Evers’s Executive Order #1 requiring the use of face coverings inside public buildings is set to expire. Kaukauna Area School District believes strongly in the use of face coverings to mitigate the spread of the virus. Candidly, our staff and students have risen to this new standard very well. Should the face covering order expire, the District will continue to require all staff, visitors, and students to wear a face covering inside our school buildings during the school day (as we are currently doing) until further notice. We believe that the use of face coverings is an essential piece of keeping our school buildings open.
Another important topic I’d like to cover is the importance of being ready to transition between instructional models. Recently, the Board of Education held a discussion on this topic; I encourage you to review the information and discussion item on the September 14, 2020 BoardDocs meeting. The discussion centered around decision-making in the event a district-wide change from our current instructional model into another model is necessary; any change would be data driven based on community burden rate, school burden rate and age group data, along with student and staff absenteeism rates. For clarity, there is no specific benchmark that must be met to initiate an immediate transition between models at the elementary or secondary level, however, a 7- and 14-day rolling average will guide decision-making. With the support of County Public Health departments, KASD will continue to monitor and assess local and regional COVID-19 data.
We all share a strong desire to return to 5-day-per-week, in-person instruction at all schools as soon as possible. With that common desire in mind, I would like to close with a rather matter of fact statement: in order to keep our schools open in their current instructional models, and to return to our traditional in-person model as soon as possible, as a school community, we must follow recommendations and engage in practices that reduce the spread of COVID-19. Do your best to avoid becoming a close contact, wear your face coverings, watch your distance and wash your hands.
Thank you for your continued support. Be well.
Sincerely,
Mark P. Duerwaechter
Superintendent
Dear Families,
The 2020-2021 school year is underway, and on behalf of the Board of Education and the District staff, I would like to sincerely thank you for your patience, understanding and support during the past six months. I would also like to note that our students and staff did an exceptional job during the first two days of instruction; they are to be commended on their patience, resilience and support for others. They are rising to the new conditions and successfully navigating the many new routines and practices. In your own way, please take a few moments to recognize their noble efforts.
One of the most consistent themes I have heard recently has centered around how great it feels to be back in school; I couldn't agree more. The first days brought out some strong emotions and positive energy focused on making the school year work for all.
I would also like to share a few important operational notes. Per the Stronger Together plan, should KASD need to close a classroom or school and transition to the virtual model for a period of time, a communication could be sent with less than a 24 hour notice. I strongly encourage you to have a family conversation and to have a plan ready in the event of a classroom or school closure due to COVID-19. I am not sharing this information to alarm you, but to help you be more aware and to be better prepared. KASD has developed a Contact Tracing Team process to provide a quick response to potential cases and notification of close contacts. A voiceover presentation is also available on the Stronger Together web page. Our hope is that this streamlined process, along with the Daily Health Screenings we’re asking staff and students to perform each day and other daily mitigation procedures we’re taking within our schools can be very effective tools to better control the spread of COVID-19 in our community.
Finally, the District’s website and the Stronger Together web page will serve as the most up-to-date information regarding closures and new information. We will continue to send communications to families via the Infinite Campus Messenger process as well.
Thank you for your attention to this information and for your continued support.
Take care and be well.
Mark P. Duerwaechter,
Superintendent
School meals will be available for pickup for all of our virtual students at designated schools at their main (front) entrances. Breakfast and lunch will be available, and must be picked up at the school at which your child is enrolled.
Times are as follows:
- River View Middle School: 10:20-10:50
- Electa Quinney Elementary School/New Directions Learning Community: 10:25-10:55
- Kaukauna High School: 10:30-11:00
- Park Community Charter School: 10:40-11:10
- Victor Haen Elementary School: 10-45-11:15
- Tanner Early Learning Center: 10:55-11:25
If you have additional questions surrounding these lunch schedules or meal pickup, please contact Chartwells at (920) 759-6122.
|
To view the most recent FAQ document, please click here.
Dear Families,
First and foremost, I want to thank you for your understanding and patience during the development of the Kaukauna Area School District Stronger Together Reopening Plan. As the plan highlights, we believe that this is a responsible pathway to reopen Kaukauna Area School District on September 1, 2020.
The Board of Education will take action on the Task Force recommendation on Thursday, August 6, 2020, at 5:30 p.m. The Board of Education Reopening Plan cover memo and the Stronger Together Reopening Plan are two essential documents for your review.
Please be looking for more information from the District and from your student(s) principal as we finalize details. Specifically, a virtual-only instructional model is a choice for families and a communication sharing the registration process for all levels will be sent in the next few days.
I’d like to provide you with a quick update on the work that we are doing to plan for the upcoming 2020-2021 school year. While I would truly like to share a final plan with you now, we have not yet finalized any decisions. Our current timeline includes preparing and presenting a final recommendation to the Board of Education for action on August 10, 2020; the information will be released to the public on August 11, pending Board approval.
We understand that our families are anxious to know what this school year is going to look like, and need this information for planning purposes. Here is what I can tell you: the 2020-2021 school year will be different than any other school year; the expectations and practices for learning will be revised or new, and it will take flexibility, understanding, compassion, and a Kaukauna Strong mindset to work through it together.
I am happy to share that the KASD Reopening Task Force is working to develop three potential instructional models (in person, virtual and blended), and continues to discuss collaborative mitigation practices for in-person learning. Conversations within the Task Force and the Board of Education have shown support for a differentiated approach to start the school year, which includes a 4K-4 in-person model and a blended learning environment (virtual and in-person) for students in grades 5-12. Throughout the development process, KASD will continue to prioritize the health and safety of our students and staff, and will release a responsible, relevant and flexible plan that meets the needs of our KASD community.
If you’d like additional information about the work that our Reopening Task Force is doing, you can visit the KASD website: https://www.kaukauna.k12.wi.us/family/reopening-task-force.cfm
We greatly appreciate the understanding and patience that our families and school community have shown over the past several months. We look forward to a rewarding and successful school year ahead, whatever that path might look like.
Be well, and trust the process.
Mark P. Duerwaechter
Superintendent
We hope you're soaking up every moment of summer that you can, enjoying the moments, the days, the warmer weather, and all of the great things that summer holds.
As we continue to wrap up the 2019-2020 school year and move into planning for next school year, we wanted to share a few things with you.
First, the safety of our students and staff is our highest priority; this will not change. As we begin the planning process for re-opening our school buildings for learning in September, we will continue to meet with local/regional health, county and school officials to understand the changes that continue to take place and to help in our decision-making process. In late June, we expect to receive a "roadmap" from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction to assist with this planning. Additionally, Kaukauna Area School District has created a "School Opening" task force to help us develop a safe and prudent plan for the opening of school buildings for the 2020-2021 school year.
KASD truly hopes to open next school year in a traditional, in-person environment, with careful risk mitigation and safety procedures in place, however, right now, we do not have any specific information to share about what this will mean in our classrooms and buildings. As we continue our research and planning, please know that we will continue to keep you informed. We WILL develop models that provide flexibility so that we are able to quickly respond to conditions, should they change during the school year; we may ask for additional input on specific models as these plans evolve as well.
As always, thank you for your patience and understanding during this decision-making and planning process.
Until then, Kaukauna Area School District wishes you a safe, fulfilling, and renewing summer season.
|
|
|