Dear Hopkins K-6 Families:
As you know, we have been exploring a return to a five-day, in-person model. Last week we surveyed in-person families for feedback on this potential pivot. Of those who completed the survey, over 80 percent strongly supported a return to a full week model. If you completed the survey, thank you for your input! As a result of this feedback, we will return to a five day in-person model for elementary families starting the week of April 5th. If your child is currently enrolled in the Distance Learning Royal Academy, your child will continue in that model.
We know that some families are eager to get back to a five-day in-person week as soon as possible. However, planning for a post-spring break return will set us up for long-term success. As many of us know, quarantines are still possible. The pandemic is not yet behind us. Returning to a five-day week increases our contact days by 25 percent.
We have learned a lot about leveraging outdoor learning spaces, and will have a better opportunity to take advantage of those spaces this spring. These are important mitigation strategies to avoid potential two-week disruptions caused by quarentines. Additionally, waiting until the week of April 5th will give our staff more time to build immunity after their second vaccination doses.
What you can expect on Fridays
Hopkins Public Schools is working to accelerate Vision 2031 during the pandemic. When we return to in-person Fridays, we will begin to lab some exciting concepts to prepare for the 2021-22 school year. Many of you are taking part in our district spring task forces, which will end before spring break. We hope to implement and experiment with the ideas generated from the committees into our educational systems this spring. More on that soon!
Thank you, elementary families! Whether you have been learning in-person or are a part of our distance learning community, we appreciate your partnership. This has been a long year, and we have made it through the darkest days. We are finishing Hopkins Strong!
Sincerely,
Your Hopkins Elementary Schools Administrative Team,
Jim Hebeisen, Trenton Lawson, Eduardo Navidad, Melissa Ness, George Nolan, Jeff Radel, Natalie Sawatzky, and Sara Schmidt