August 13, 2020
Dear Hiawatha Elementary Families,
I wanted to reach out with an update from Hiawatha Elementary School. Wednesday was our teacher’s first day back in the building. They were greeted with a thermometer, caught up with each other six feet apart, and participated in conversation from behind facemasks. Despite all the oddities, the icebreaker games and PowerPoint presentations were familiar. Now, for the remaining days before we engage with students, our entire staff will embark on a fast-paced, intense series of planning conversations.
Many parents have reached out, asking what our new model will look like. Our district’s Return to Learn plan holds some framework. Much of what is specific to HES will be planned in the upcoming days. My goal is to maintain as many of the effective, familiar elements of the on-campus experience as possible. Those who have selected our remote learning option, I hope to have learned from the impressive efforts of our staff during our Continuing Learning model we utilized at the onset of the COVID crisis. We are planning on how to ensure that we have a strong model that works for students at home. This may include videoed lessons, parts of the day where students attend via digital means, and workbook-style resources.
For parents who have indicated a preference to do our online style learning, I will be reaching out to you beginning on Monday so we can have a conversation about details surrounding that model. It’s my goal to work together to process all the necessary information from technology to parent logs so that you are well informed about online learning.
For parents who have elected to send their children to campus, things that typically change little, may in fact undergo more alterations. New procedures for pick up and drop off, class list changes as we balance classes, visitor policies, and more things that we often take for granted as static may continue to evolve. Those changes are not thought of or made lightly and without a great deal of thought.
It is my goal to continue to update you about the decisions being made and potential changes that will occur. While I am not able to be as quick as I’d like about answering emails and phone calls, I do want to continue to be available to you. I continue to feel blessed to live in a great community like Hiawatha. I’m thankful for our parents and community who surround us with support, positive messages, prayer, and patience.
Sincerely,
Paul Carver
Hiawatha Elementary School Principal