Welcome Back to School!

Dear JK-12 Parents and Students,

Welcome to the 2020-21 school year!  We are all beginning the new school year with some apprehension and anxiety, not knowing how things will move forward and what will transpire for our learners, staff members, and schools throughout the year. 

While our plates have been full for some time and will continue to be full, one thing is for sure, it is a privilege to teach and work with the youth of our school district.  While not all of us may agree with the Return to Learning Plan and Protocols that were approved by our Board for 20-21, we have to do our best to follow the plan, maintain a positive attitude, build relationships, smile, and be thankful that we are able to have a positive impact on our children’s lives.  Many of us, including our students, staff members, and families, need the social and emotional connections as we have been away from each other for way too long.

Our custodial, maintenance, and grounds staff and contractors have been working very hard to prepare our facilities so that our schools are ready to receive students in a week.  We would like to thank them for their extra efforts in completing numerous projects this spring and summer. 

There will be no traditional Open House at either campus this year.  The Elementary School will host a Welcome Back Orientation with individual/small groups of students and parents throughout the day on Monday, August 17 (1:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.) and Wednesday, August 19 (11:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.) to review protocols, learning management systems, and educational delivery models.  Our JK-5 Principal Mr. James and our elementary teachers will be in contact with you to schedule a time for you and your child(ren).  Our 6-12 Principal Dr. Degen has emailed our students and parents regarding orientation plans for grades six and nine, as well as back to school plans for grades 6-12.  Additional details can be found in his newsletter on the webpage or in the email that was sent out to parents.

The “First Day of School” for our Middle School/High School students will be on Wednesday, August 19 and it will be a full day of school from 8:15 a.m. to 3:17 p.m.  The “First Day of School” for our Elementary School students will be on Thursday, August 20 and it will be a full day of school from 8:20 a.m. to 3:28 p.m.

As a District, it is our desire to communicate important and pertinent information that is timely and relevant to what is taking place in our schools.  This will be our third year with our mobile platform, Apptegy, which allows us to manage all of our communications from a single place to focus on the user experience.  Our District will be able to share a message once and it will automatically update to our website, iPhone app, Android app, Live Feed, Facebook, and Twitter.  It is our hope that our students, parents, and community members will continue to come to the app for meaningful information.  We will also continue to use our parent communication and email system as well to communicate information.

Based on the Board’s adoption of our District’s Return to Learning Plan last night and their decision to “highly recommend” face coverings/masks for all students and staff, all need to respect the personal choice that each student or staff member makes regarding the wearing or not wearing of a face covering/mask.  Bullying, teasing, and ridiculing based on someone’s personal choice will not be tolerated and will be dealt with appropriately by school officials.  We will work together to create a safe and healthy learning environment that balances respect for ourselves and for others

Following are four document links for your review.

1)      Welcome Back Letter, New Staff, and School Calendar for 20-21.  https://5il.co/jd9u

2)      Board Adopted Return to Learning Plan.  https://5il.co/jd9r

3)      Board “Highly Recommends” Facial Coverings/Masks.  https://5il.co/jd9y

4)      Daily Symptom Screening Checklist for Students and Staff.  https://5il.co/jd9z

To curb the spread of COVID-19 and minimize the potential risk of exposure, our District is requiring staff and students to complete a daily health check before coming to school.  We ask parents to assist students with the screening.  Staff and parents are not required to send the questionnaire to school.

Please feel free to contact your child’s school directly for additional details or call the district office at 763-4293 any time we can be of service.  I am confident that by working together in support of our students, we can have a productive 20-21 school year!

Sincerely,

Brian Field, Superintendent

Beresford School District