School Reopening Update from Superintendent Miner

Supt. Rebecca Miner

This update about the possibility of hybrid reopening of Shoreline schools was sent to families with students in Shoreline Public Schools on Friday


Dear Shoreline Schools families and staff,

As I look at the smoke-filled skies outside my window, my thoughts are with the many people who have been impacted by the terrible destruction the wildfires in our state and regions have had on so many communities. I hope you and your family are staying well during this time.

I also want to thank you all for our first seven days of remote learning (a few less for our kindergarteners). While there have been some bumps in the road along the way, our engagement rates are looking strong and school teams are reaching out to every family to see how they can support our students. Our progress so far this year is a testament to the incredible work and dedication of our staff members and the commitment and flexibility our students and families have shown in adapting to the challenges that remote learning can present.

I want to take a moment to provide a brief update on where we are with the possible return to schools and classrooms. I’m happy to report that King County’s COVID-19 infection rate has been trending down in recent weeks, which is very good news. We have moved from the HIGH range of over 75 cases per 100,000 residents over the past 14 days to the MODERATE range of 25-75 cases. The current King County rate is about 65. Please continue to follow public health guidelines to keep us on this positive trend.

Based on the Department of Health’s decision tree framework, we are now in a range where we can start to consider beginning hybrid in-person learning options for younger elementary students. Specific grade levels that will be given the option of in-person hybrid learning will be announced at least two weeks prior to opening. In discussions this week with Public Health-Seattle & King County, they have cautioned us that before planning an imminent return, we should wait two weeks from Labor Day to see if there is a spike in infection rates. This is due to the trend they saw this spring and summer with infection rates rising dramatically after holiday weekends. They noted that if we are able to stay at the moderate level, schools can begin a phased-in approach to in-person hybrid learning in early October. You can also read more about their recommendations for schools in their latest Public Health Insider blog post HERE.

I’m sure many of you are wondering how much notice you will have before the possible return to in-person school. As part of our agreements with our employee associations, we will provide staff with at least two weeks’ notice before implementing in-person learning. We expect that we would inform families shortly after staff are notified.

I also want to remind families they will have the option of having their child continue with remote learning when we move to hybrid in-person learning. We will be sharing more information about this option in the coming weeks.

To assist in our planning, we will be surveying families next week to gauge interest in participating in hybrid in-person learning when it is available.

Sincerely,

Rebecca Miner
Superintendent

(Updated) City of Shoreline Offering Remote Learning Camps, FREE for Families Who Qualify

The City of Shoreline is now offering their Remote Learning Camps for FREE for families who qualify. Payment plans are also available for families who do not qualify for free service. Learn more about the programs and available scholarships HERE. You can also find links and information on our Child Care Programs resource page.

(New) Health Curriculum Night Webinar on Sept. 22

Join us for our District Health Curriculum Night Webinar on September 22, 2020, from 6-7 pm to learn more about our health curriculum, ask questions and receive opt-out information. Registration is required. A recording will also be posted on our website for those unable to attend. Learn more and register here.

(Updated) Remote Learning Resources

We have added a Food and Meal Support page on our Remote Learning Resources site. This page has information on school district and community partner programs offering student meals and/or family food assistance. You can find this page, along with more information and resources related to remote learning, at www.shorelineschools.org/remotelearning.