Reintroduction Update – Recommendations from Working Advisory Group to be presented to Board on Tuesday

En Español

Dear BVSD Families,

Please see below for updates on the following:

• Reminder: No school for students on Monday 9/21

• Current health situation

• Next steps for grades 3-12

• Opting in or out of in-person learning

Reminder: No school for students on Monday 9/21
Monday, September 21 is a planned Professional Development Day in BVSD, so there will be no school for students. That means there will be no Monday Launch Day or asynchronous assignments. BVSD’s Child Care program will continue, as normal.

Current health situation
We are in regular communication with our public health partners and, in conjunction, are actively monitoring the current situation with rising cases in our community. 

In addition to working closely with the University of Colorado and the City of Boulder on the increase, Boulder County Public Health has been finalizing a dashboard of community indicators (including Boulder, Broomfield and Weld counties) that will help us decide if it is safe for students to return to in-person learning.  Look for an update at our Board meeting next week (meeting details are below).

Admittedly, the current trend is concerning. We are committed to keeping everyone updated and we expect our next update on Tuesday night at the Board meeting. 

Next Steps for Grades 3-12
As we explained last week, with equity in mind, we have begun with the most impacted students – our youngest learners and those in special education intensive programs.

We are starting small and are continuing to work toward providing additional opportunities for in-person learning in grades 3 - 12.

As expected, the Working Advisory Group will be sharing their second round of recommendations at the next Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, September 22. Included are suggestions that would allow differentiated in-person instruction opportunities for grades 3-12, that would be implemented in a staggered approach. During the meeting on Tuesday, September 22, we will discuss the ideas and logistical challenges that may impact the plans.

Working Advisory Group Recommendations

Board of Education Meeting

Tuesday, September 22 at 6:00 p.m. (Note: the update will begin after the Public Comment period)

Tune in on Comcast Channel 22 or livestream at bvsd.org/bv22

As always, we will provide more information via email after this meeting.

Opting in or out of in-person learning
As we prepare for the transition to Phase 2+, we would like your help in ensuring that we have students properly assigned to the right mode of learning. If you have questions regarding the health precautions that will be in place for in-person learning, see our website here for more information about our layered approach to safety.

If you would like to opt your student out of in-person learning for any of the opportunities that we have mentioned thus far, you can change your student’s preferences now following these instructions. We would ask all those considering opting out of in-person learning to do so by next Tuesday, September 22. This designation will not impact a student’s ability to participate in outdoor learning opportunities.

We are asking that at this time parents who want to switch back to in-person learning work with us on timing for this. We may need a little time to find a placement for families wanting to switch back to in-person learning. Please be in touch with your school’s principal if you are seeking to opt back in to in-person learning.

Child Care
The School Aged Care programs have been updated for moving into Phase 2+. You can find all the details for programs for K-2 and Grades 3-8 on this flyer.

Attendance Notifications
As you may have noticed on Monday, we have relaunched notifications about attendance. It appears that we caught a number of people off guard, including our parents and educators. While it is important that we properly track students' engagement, because of requirements from the state, we will be pausing for a bit to ensure our notifications accurately reflect students’ attendance across all classes. As a reminder, if your student is unable to participate in a class for any reason, such as internet access, an urgent family need, technology concerns, etc; please reach out to your school as soon as possible, so they can provide you with the necessary information to complete assignments and remain engaged with the schoolwork for the day. 

We will provide updates in future communications, so that you know when to expect these messages again.

Pandemic-EBT Benefits- deadline is September 23
Families eligible for free or reduced-price school meals may get $279 per eligible child in benefits to buy food, regardless of immigration status. 

Some families who received SNAP in March, April, or May got these benefits on their EBT cards automatically. All other eligible families need to apply online by the September 23rd deadline.

Apply today for Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) at coloradopeak.secure.force.com/PEBT!

Questions?
Check out our Reintroduction FAQ Page here for more information.

You can also view our latest Let’s Talk Education episode in which our District Team answered questions related to health and safety, the Working Advisory Group and more.

Our Next Update
We will provide another update next week after the Board of Education meeting on Tuesday evening.