Dear Harwood families -
As the number of positive COVID cases rises exponentially in Vermont and given the news of our first confirmed COVID case at Harwood - we want to encourage our community to reflect on these realities and identify how you and your family will be even more vigilant in the choices you make each day to maintain your safety and well being.
At Harwood we continue to be committed to our COVID Community norms and will reinforce and reiterate them as we return to onsite learning Monday, November 16th.
We ask you to please work in partnership at home to reiterate the importance of being vigilant in maintaining these norms at school.
Assume the best - be gentle with each other - one never knows what others are dealing with
Take care of yourself and those around you -
Maintain a safe distance of 6 ft. from each other
Wear masks while in the building except for eating and when outside
If you feel ill ask to see the nurse
If you feel upset or concerned about how things are ask to see your counselor
Remember to wash/clean hands often - use hand sanitizer every time you leave or enter a classroom
Exit the classroom following the one way and directionals in our hallways
Friends are important, however we ask that do not hang out with each other in the hallways or in classrooms
Remain seated in your assigned seat
Outside of school we also need to remember the importance of following Prevention steps as detailed by the Vermont Health Department as well - specifically: Keeping our social circle small Why – Limiting the number of people you are in close contact with lowers your risk of being exposed to COVID-19. It also helps contain the virus more quickly if someone in your social circle gets sick. Close contact means being within six feet for a total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period. Keep your social circle small and choose other trusted households that are also taking health and safety precautions. How – Before you invite people into your social circle, have an open and honest conversation about what you are doing to stay healthy day-to-day. Focus on what you are comfortable with and why. Try not to judge – your comfort level and reasons may be different than others. This is an ongoing conversation since situations may change over time. Vermonters are advised that social gatherings, whether indoors or outdoors, be limited to 10 people. Be sure to share about:
Other people you are in close contact with.
Whether you have traveled recently, or if you plan to be traveling soon.
What your work, school, home and recreational settings are like. For example, if you have a job where you are around a lot of other people or if you play team sports
In gratitude for your continued partnership, Meg, Laurie and Duane
Curious
What are you planning for the holidays this year? It’s hard to imagine breaking with tradition and celebrating at home, but that is what a lot of Vermont families are deciding to do in 2020. Travel does increase your chance of getting and spreading COVID-19, and the way you celebrate this year will have an impact on your family, community, and Vermont. Consider the level of risk you are willing to take and make plans to safely gather with loved ones or think creatively about how to connect remotely. Don’t make plans to travel or gather until you take these steps:
Decide if the risk is worth it for your family,
Plan to have a safe trip or gathering, remain flexible and get your flu shot and
Quarantine when you return.
More information can be found on the Health Department website or by calling 802-863-7240.
Connected
CALENDAR reminders:
11/12 - 3-6 p.m. Conferences
11/13 - end of Q1
11/16 - start of Q2
11/17 - 3-6 p.m. Conferences
IMPORTANT - CALENDAR changes: in order to balance days of instruction please note that the week of Thanksgiving will have a different schedule:
11/23 - Black cohort day
11/24 - Gold cohort day
Schedule updates - as this week reflected, we need to be ready to pivot to different schedules due to both COVID and the upcoming winter weather. Please find our snow day schedule and short term online schedule and our Wednesday Extended Learning Opportunities schedule below:
Weather Days (new term for Snow Days) Weather Days (snow days) are synchronous for the cohort that would have been onsite. The other cohort will remain asynchronous. Attendance will be taken for each block. The purpose of these short blocks is to support students in being able to complete the rest of their asynchronous work for the day. TA’s will send out wellness check for daily attendance
8:00 - 8:20 Block 1
8:30 - 8:50 Block 2
9:00 - 9:20 Block 3
9:30 - 9:50 Block 4 Short Term Online learning Schedule Wednesday Schedule As of November 16 (Quarter 2)
Short term = Student cohort scheduled for asynchronous learning will remain asynchronous. Student cohort scheduled for synchronous learning will follow the schedule below. Reminder - Black cohort = M/T & Gold cohort = Th/F
Extended Learning Opportunities (ELO) is intended to provide opportunities that meet the needs of all students. To that end it’s specifically intended to provide:
targeted support for current work - either skills review or completion oversight
time to complete or revise work from the previous week
extended or enrichment opportunities to deepen understanding and demonstrate advanced skills
Student expectations for ELO:
In advance of students signing up - teachers will assign students to ELO or they may be assigned for additional intervention support by administrators.
Based on teacher’s assignments students will book themselves to ensure they have no fewer than 1-2 ELO blocks for each Wednesday.
Students ARE required to attend when they are booked or sign up for an ELO. Attendance will be taken and tracked.
Students will demonstrate their engagement as they would during in-person class. That is, they will be visibly present and contribute to the work of the day.
Expectations for students when absent
Students are responsible for:
sending an email to all their teachers when they are absent.
communicating if they know they will be out multiple days they will let the teacher know and update as needed
checking google classroom to see what they need to complete
completing asynchronous assignments signing up for an ELO to work with their teacher
communicating with teachers if absent for more than three days to discuss what they need to complete to keep up with classroom expectations.
November conference details
Harwood Union will be hosting student led conferences for all parents and students in grades 7-12. Conferences will be held on November 17th. Parents will have the option to select one 20-minute meeting time per student on either of these two dates.
Your student’s TA teacher will be sending out a parent letter and a sign up doc.
Picture day is being rescheduled for our Gold Cohort due to our unexpected remote learning these past 2 days - Please stay tuned for more details.
Please enjoy our most recent virtual assembly ON THIS PLAYLIST during TA on Wednesday, 11/18
Every new assembly will be added to this playlist each month and will remain private until just before the viewing time
Follow us on FACEBOOK
MRTV will also start broadcasting our virtual assemblies so our entire community can enjoy and participate in the fun.
Caring
A mental health crisis can happen at any time for anyone. Then add the additional impact of COVID, shorter daylight hours and changing weather. If you, a family member or a friend is experiencing mental health challenges; you can always reach out to Washington County Mental Health Screeners at 802-229-0591 or call 911.
Hannah's House is hosting an online event with psychologist Kevin Gallagher on November 13 at 4pm via Zoom. "Settling Into This New Normal" will bring an uplifting perspective along with hope and helpful ideas to get better acclimated to this new normal of living in the time of a pandemic. He is a trusted source of guidance for families and his sense of humor is very engaging! He will be live on Zoom and will take your questions in the Zoom platform or you can email your questions in advance to: chrissy@hannahshousevt.org or call them in in advance to: 802-496-9715. RSVP to this free event by emailing chrissy@hannahshousevt.org or by calling 802-496-9715 and the Zoom link will be sent to you. Kevin Gallagher is a psychotherapist in private practice in Burlington. He primarily works with adolescents, couples and families. *This event will be recorded by MRVTV and available online afterward.
Everyone Eats! Everyone Eats is a program that engages local restaurants to make to-go meals for anyone who has been impacted by COVID 19. Pick up is at Sugar Fish VT (not Sugarbush) on Saturdays from 11-1:00, 168 Fiddlers Green by the laundromat. You will receive one individually packaged frozen dinner for each person in your household. Also, Farmers to Families Boxes are available first-come, first serve. Sign up using the following link: https://tinyurl.com/vee-enrollment You will only need to enroll once. Please come each week to pick up meals. If you have questions, call Jess Tompkins at 802-793-1116 or email ShareMRV@gmail.com