October 23, 2020

Hello families,

We are pleased to report that our Mason County numbers have dropped to a range that affords us the opportunity to bring more students on campus in a hybrid model. Southside K-2 students will be invited to attend school for 5 ½ hours 2 days per week and work remote 3 days per week. More information will be sent next week to our K-2 families. Please note that we have clear guidelines within which we must operate and Southside must be able to flip to a complete remote model if the situation warrants such action.

Families may still choose to operate in a remote fashion 5 days per week, if preferred. In this option, remote learners will only be able to receive direct instruction via zoom on Wednesdays once the hybrid model is started for your grade level.

As it stands, we expect that the schedule will be broken out in the following way to balance the number of students being served:

Kindergarten/Koehler:Students with the last name that begins with O-Z attend Thursday and Fridays beginning November 5 and 6

Students with the last name that begins with A-N attend Monday and Tuesdays beginning November 9 and 10

Kindergarten/Tiller 

Students with the last name that begins with O-Z attend Thursday and Fridays beginning November 5 and 6

Students with the last name that begins with A-N attend Monday and Tuesdays beginning November 9 and 10

1^st Grade/Hack:

Students with the last name that begins with M-Z attend Thursday and Fridays beginning November 5 and 6

Students with the last name that begins with A-L attend Monday and Tuesdays beginning November 9 and 10

2^nd Grade/Malpica:

Students with the last name that begins with L-Z attend Thursday and Fridays beginning November 5 and 6

Students with the last name that begins with A-K attend Monday and Tuesdays beginning November 9 and 10

We will consider shifts in days if there is a corresponding family that chooses to switch. There may also be one or two students who must shift due to sibling schedules. Requests for changes in days must be sent to Ms. Spaulding.

With a successful start, we will look at bringing in 3^rd and 4^th graders in a few weeks after K-2, and finish our hybrid model by bringing in middle school students.

You will be sent a survey that confirms your plans for participation in the hybrid as well as a commitment to transportation, if within Southside District, and meals. This will be our first window of opportunity to begin classes on campus. There will be additional dates for future entrances. We will notify families of these other dates as they occur. Designated entrance dates are being set so that we can establish safety training events for new students entering campus without stopping the routines of students already on campus.

We have been cautious in our steps and are excited to invite students to classrooms.

Feel free to contact Ms. Spaulding or Ms. Bolender via phone or email if you should have questions.

We appreciate all of the efforts of our students and families during this pandemic situation and hope that we can continue working together in the best interest of our students.

Sincerely,

Doris Bolender

Principal/Superintendent

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