WSSD Families,

As we approach the first day of school for the 2020-21 school year, we wanted to provide information related to technology and accessing instructional material using our key platforms. Although starting remotely is different than a traditional start, we are excited and confident that we can make it a positive one. Your child’s individual school and teacher(s) will provide you more detail related to the start of the year. Since we know some families have children at both levels, we opted to link each newsletter in one email to make it easier. Some of the information is the same but there are differences between the two levels as it relates to technology.

WSSD Elementary Instructional Technology Newsletter

WSSD Secondary Instructional Technology Newsletter

We hope you find this helpful as you prepare your child/children for Monday morning.

Sincerely,

WSSD Technology Department

Breakfast
Free Student: $0
Reduced Student: $0.30
Paid Student: $1.50
 

Lunch
Free Student: $0
Reduced Student: $0.40
Paid Student K-5: $2.65
Paid Student 6-8: $2.75
Paid Student 7-12: $2.95

Applications for free and reduced breakfast and lunch are available on the District website under the Food Service Department.  If a paper copy of the application is needed, please contact Barb Downs at bdowns@wssd.org or by phone at 610-892-3470 ext 1305.

Prepayments on a student’s meal account can be made through MySchoolBucks, personal checks, or by cash.  Exact change is required if paying in cash; any change due will be deposited directly into your student’s meal account.

The food distribution schedule is as follows:

On Mondays, students will receive Monday lunch; Tuesday breakfast and lunch; Wednesday breakfast.

On Wednesdays, students will receive Wednesday lunch; Thursday breakfast and lunch; Friday breakfast and lunch; Monday breakfast.

To pick-up the meals, simply drive into the loop in the school’s parking lot.  Tell the food service staff the names of your children and/or their meal account pin numbers.  Pop the trunk of your car while remaining inside.  Our food service staff will place all meals in the trunk of the car to ensure we are limiting contact and practicing safe social distancing.

All three locations will offer meals for all students of any grade level. If you have multiple students in the district, you can pick up all meals in one location of your choosing.

If you have any additional questions please contact Kaitlin Howell, Food Service Director, at khowell@wssd.org or call 610-892-3470 ext 2151.

August 11, 2020 

Dear WSSD Community,

At the School Board meeting last evening, the Wallingford-Swarthmore Board of School Directors approved a revision to the WSSD Health and Safety Plan indicating that the District will begin the 2020-2021 school year with all-virtual instruction for students until at least October 2.  We will continue working with health officials and experts to monitor the situation within Delaware County and our District.  We are committed to opening our schools to in-person instruction, and we would look to move to blended instruction for cohorts of students as soon as we are safely able to do so. 

Education Plans for 2020-2021 School Year

At the July 20, 2020 School Board meeting, we presented our educational plan which outlined what instruction would look like under three different models:  1) Cohort Model; 2) WSSD Online Academy; and 3) Red Full Online.  Since we will be starting the year online for all students, we would like to clarify how it will look like at each level.

HIGH SCHOOL

All students will start their classes together and attend school virtually under the “Red High School: Fully Online Learning for All Students.”  When we move to blended instruction, students will attend school in cohorts under the “Green High School Cohort Model: Alternating Days for Attendance.”  Students who do not wish to attend school in person may attend school under the “WSSD Online Academy:  High School.” 

MIDDLE SCHOOL

All students will start their classes together and attend school virtually under the “Red Middle School: Fully Online Learning for All Students.”  When we move to blended instruction, students will attend school in cohorts under the “Green Middle School Cohort Model: Alternating Days for Attendance.”  Students who do not wish to attend school in person may attend school under the “WSSD Online Academy:  Middle School.” 

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Elementary students will attend school virtually under one of two models:  “Red Elementary School: Fully Online Learning for All Students” or “WSSD Online Academy: Elementary School.”  When we move to blended instruction, students who were attending the “Red” model, will attend school in cohorts under the “Green Elementary Cohort Model.”  Students who are attending the “WSSD Online Academy” will remain in the WSSD Online Academy and attend school virtually. 

VERY IMPORTANT:  Elementary scheduling is very different than Middle and High School scheduling.  We schedule our elementary students with a particular teacher rather than with a particular course.  Because we are adding elementary teachers to accommodate our WSSD Online Academy students, we are asking parents/guardians to re-enroll their child(ren) in the WSSD Online Academy at this time.  We know we just offered you the opportunity to enroll your child(ren) in the Online Academy, however, we learned that many parents would have selected a different option if they knew all elementary children would be starting virtually.  We are re-opening enrollment in the Online Academy through Friday, August 14, 6:00 PM, as follows:

• EVEN IF YOU ENROLLED PREVIOUSLY, YOU NEED TO ENROLL YOUR CHILD(REN) AGAIN.
• Parents must commit to having their child enrolled for ½ year (through January 29) or full year
  (This is different than previously communicated.  Because we are assigning staff to be with particular students in virtual classrooms, we cannot have students moving between classrooms.)
• Students from NPE, SRS and WES may be combined in virtual classrooms based on the total number of students who are enrolled.
• After January 29, space permitting, parents who wish to join the Online Academy or move to Cohort may do so.
• All teachers will be WSSD teachers.

To enroll your child, please log into the parent portal and complete the form entitled:  WSSD – Elementary Online Academy.  You can locate this in “forms” under the navigation bar in the parent portal. 

School Board Meeting

The Focus Topic of our Special Board Meeting was “Safely Reopening Schools & COVID-19 Data.”  Our guests were:  Dr. P. J. Brennan, Chief Medical Officer & Senior Vice President of the University of Pennsylvania Health Systems, Board Certified in Infectious Disease and Internal Medicine; and David Rubin, MD, MSCE, Director of PolicyLab and Director of Population Health Innovation at CHOP.  You may view the conversation between the doctors and our School Board from within BoardDocs at:  https://go.boarddocs.com/pa/wlsw/Board.nsf/vpublic?open# or on the School Reopening Page https://www.wssd.org/Domain/955. 

We understand this change in plans may not be what everyone hoped for, but we believe it is the safest plan for our students and staff.  We also understand there are many questions still to be answered, and we are working as quickly as possible to provide families with information.  In the meantime, should you have a specific question, please communicate with your school principal. 

Thank you (again) for your flexibility and understanding as we continue to plan for our safe reopening of schools.

Sincerely,

Lisa Palmer, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools

August 8, 2020

Dear WSSD Community,

I hope this message finds you well and enjoying some special family activities today.

The purpose of today’s message is to update you on some very important information regarding the opening of school.  Based on current health data projections and trends in Delaware County, I will recommend to the School Board that the District begin the 2020-2021 school year virtually.  We will remain in virtual learning throughout the month of September.  If health data stabilizes and health experts are comfortable with reopening schools, we would then implement our hybrid model and bring back cohorts of students beginning in October. 

When we adopted our School Reopening Health & Safety Plan on July 20, we advised that it was a fluid plan that would continue to develop over time and would be updated as needed.  Please let me share some of the reasoning behind the change in recommendation at this time. 

COVID-19 Trend Data in Delaware County

On Tuesday, I met with county superintendents, representatives from the Chester County Department of Health, Dr David Rubin, Director of PolicyLab and Director of Population Health Innovation at CHOP, and Dr. P. J. Brennan, Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President of the University of Pennsylvania Health Systems, Board Certified in Infectious Disease and Internal Medicine.  During the meeting, superintendents reviewed various data including daily positive case counts, cumulative cases, and counts over 7 and 14 days.  We also reviewed the need for more testing availability as well as the lag in obtaining test results.  Delaware County remains one of the areas with the highest positivity rates. 

Predicting the course of the pandemic is difficult, primarily because it relies on personal responsibility to follow masking and social distancing guidelines, and to obey travel restrictions.  These are the steps that can reduce COVID-19 in the community.  Recent national trends suggest a greater risk for spikes in cases after holiday weekends. Public health experts are concerned these trends may occur around the Labor Day holiday. 

It is our hope that shifting to all virtual education for one month will allow for any potential infections brought into our community from holiday travel to lessen before bringing large groups of students and educators into school.  The worst scenario would be opening schools only to close them a few days later because of an outbreak.  In the meantime, and in collaboration with health officials and experts, we will continue to review public health and medical recommendations for school reopening. 

Next Steps

We have scheduled a special School Board meeting for Monday, August 10, 7:00 PM, to discuss this recommendation.  Dr. P. J. Brennan, Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President of the University of Pennsylvania Health Systems, Board Certified in Infectious Disease and Internal Medicine, will attend the School Board meeting to discuss the COVID-19 data and its impact on safely reopening our schools. 

You can watch our School Board meeting on the District's YouTube Channel, which can be found at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjEEoQaYttQGa9Wl5oDd80Q.

Thank you to everyone who has written to us expressing their comments about the direction the District should take for reopening.  The recommendation that is being made is based on guidance from health officials and experts.  While the recommendation is to move from a hybrid model to an all-virtual model at this time, it is important to note that this is not the plan for the entire school year.  We remain committed to opening our schools to in-person instruction as soon as we are safely able to do so.  We thank you for your patience and flexibility as we plan for reopening.

Sincerely,

Lisa Palmer, Ed.D.

August 4, 2020

Dear WSSD families:

As I’m sure you are aware, the nation has experienced a surge in COVID-19 cases.  As we heard from Drs. Rubin and Matone from CHOP at our July 20th board meeting, that same surge is beginning to appear in our area as well.  Over the past two weeks, the rates in Delaware County have increased significantly.  

We are watching rates closely and the district is in frequent communication with the Chester County Health Department (currently serving as our county health department).  In addition to case rates, we are watching the case positivity rate closely (the percent of all people tested that are positive over the past 7 days).  These rates matter as well as whether they are increasing or decreasing. The most recent data shows case positivity increasing which is indicative of increasing community transmission.

The ability to reopen our buildings depends on appropriate suppression of COVID-19 in the community.  If rates in the community are too high, public health experts locally and nationally recommend that schools not reopen their buildings.  The risk is not just to students and staff but the entire community as children in schools could become sources of transmission into households and to other family members. 

We anticipate making a decision no later than August 17th about whether we can reopen our buildings to students on August 31st. 

In the meantime, please remember to:

• Stay socially distanced 
• Wear a mask
• Practice good hand hygiene 
• Avoid indoor gatherings

If we work together as a community to follow these steps, it gives us a much better chance at getting our students back in the buildings and keeping them in the buildings. We also need to make sure our children follow these same precautions. We hear examples of our district students congregating in groups without social distancing and without masks over the summer. Social distancing is one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of COVID.  Not following these recommendations puts all of our plans at risk.  

In the end, what happens in our community and what happens in school are interconnected and we need everyone to contribute to this community-wide effort to reopen our schools and make our schools safe.  

Wishing you good health.

David Grande, MD, School Board President
Kelly Wachtman, School Board Vice President

August 2, 2020

Good afternoon,

I hope you and your family are well and enjoying this beautiful day. 

The purpose of today’s communication is to remind you that you still have time to enroll in the WSSD Online Academy for the upcoming school year.  The deadline for enrolling is Monday, August 3, at 11:59 PM.  If you do not register for the Online Academy, your child(ren) will participate in the Blended A/B Cohort Model. 

You may sign up for the WSSD Online Academy via the following link: https://forms.gle/6hKgGo1HfnJGhMhB8.  Students who participate in the WSSD Online Academy will complete their education from home.  We recommend that once enrolled, students remain in the WSSD Online Academy until the end of a marking period or semester, whenever possible, for the best learning experience for the student and for logistical planning.

To help you with your decision, please visit the “School Reopening” tab on our website.  A Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) tab has been added to assist you.  If you have questions pertaining to our WSSD Online Academy or our Educational Plan, please contact your building principal.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Best regards,

Lisa Palmer, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools

July 26, 2020

Dear WSSD Community,

I hope this message finds you and your family well and enjoying your time together this summer. 

The purpose of today’s communication is to 1) update you on our Health & Safety Plans and our Return to Learning Education Plan, and 2) provide you with an opportunity to enroll in the WSSD Online Academy. 

WSSD Health & Safety Plans:

The WSSD Health & Safety Plan was approved by our School Board on Monday, July 20.  It includes a blended reopening that balances in-person learning and remote learning for all students.  This document is a fluid document based on local, state, and federal guidelines that will continue to develop over time, and it will be updated as needed.  We will continue to monitor and evaluate conditions in the WSSD community and in our schools to determine if we must change our plans to be more or less restrictive. 

The Athletic Health & Safety Plan was approved by our School Board on Monday, July 20, as well.  It pertains to voluntary athletic workouts only.  We have not received definitive guidance from PIAA as to competitive league play yet.  We understand they may have a meeting this week, and we hope to receive further information after the meeting.

WSSD Return to Learning Education Plan: 

In addition to approving the Health & Safety Plans, our School Board approved our return to learning Education Plan for the 2020-2021 school year.  Dr. Citarelli Jones, Director of Education, and our colleagues Dr. Greg Hilden, Principal, SHHS; Steve Krall, Assistant Principal, SHMS; and, Al Heinle, Principal, NPE, presented our educational plans for providing rigorous quality learning for all students that closely resembles a traditional school experience while providing flexibility to support state mandates, health recommendations, and best practices.  

The presentation previewed the following schedules:

• Blended A/B Cohort Model:  Students in Cohort A will attend in person on Mondays & Tuesdays; Students in Cohort B will attend in person on Thursdays & Fridays.
• Online Model: Should local conditions necessitate or should we be returned to the “red” phase under the Governor’s Plan, all students would learn remotely.
• SHHS, SHMS and Elementary Online Academy: Should parents/guardians not wish to send their children to school in person, students would have the opportunity to learn through our Online Academy taught by WSSD teachers.

A copy of the July 20 presentation can be found here.  To make it easier for our parents/guardians, we have expanded the July 20 presentation and organized it into a comprehensive document entitled Education Plan 2020-2021 School Year. 

As families begin to make decisions about the teaching and learning modality for their children, we believe it is important to understand the choices available.  We have prepared a chart which compares the components of the WSSD Online Academy with the Cohort Model.  We encourage families to consider the nuances of each before making a decision. 

Under the Blended A/B Cohort Model, students will be assigned to cohorts as follows:

Cohort A:  Students with last names A-K
Learning in person at school:  Mondays and Tuesdays

Learning at home:  Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays

Cohort B:  Students with last names L-Z

Learning in person at school:  Thursdays and Fridays

Learning at home:  Mondays, Tuesday, and Wednesdays

We will work with families who have children with differing last names to group siblings together. 

All students in grades K through 2 will be provided with an iPad to support their learning.  All students in grades 3 through 12 will be provided with a Chromebook to support their learning.  We will share more information regarding iPads and Chromebooks in a subsequent e-blast.

Enrolling in the WSSD Online Academy:

If you do not wish to send your child/children to school in person, you may now sign them up for the WSSD Online Academy via the following link:  https://forms.gle/6hKgGo1HfnJGhMhB8. Because of the amount of planning that is necessary, we ask that parents/guardians complete this form by midnight on Monday, August 3.  Students who participate in the WSSD Online Academy will complete their education from home.  We recommend that once enrolled, students remain in the WSSD Online Academy until the end of a marking period or semester, whenever possible, for the best learning experience for the student.  If you have questions pertaining to our WSSD Online Academy or our Educational Plan, please contact your building principal.   

You may view any of the presentations from the July 20 School Board meeting from within BoardDocs at https://go.boarddocs.com/pa/wlsw/board.nsf/Private?open&login# or on the School Reopening Page https://www.wssd.org/Domain/955.

Thank you for your continued patience and understanding as we respond to this ever-changing situation.

Very truly yours,

Lisa Palmer, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

July 19, 2020

Dear WSSD Community,

I hope this message finds you and your family well and staying cool in today’s sweltering heat. 

The purpose of today’s communication is to 1) update you on guidance from the Pennsylvania Department of Education, and 2) remind you that we have a School Board Meeting tomorrow evening.

Guidance from Pennsylvania Department of Education

In my July 3^rd e-blast, I mentioned our planning is guided by Governor Wolf, the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), Pennsylvania Department of Health, Chester County Department of Health, the CDC, the World Health Organization, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, American Academy of Pediatrics, Mid-Atlantic Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) “Considerations for Reopening Pennsylvania Schools,” and our service provider Environmental Control Systems.  On Thursday, we received significant guidance from PDE that is comprised of endorsed best practices for public health, and builds on prior iterations of school reopening guidance distributed by PDE.  The guidance is comprehensive and definitive regarding physical distancing of at least six feet among students and staff.  Based on the size of our classrooms, we cannot return all students to school at the same time and maintain six feet of distancing.  We will be recommending that children return to school in cohorts and that we balance in-person learning and remote learning for all students. 

School Board Meeting – Monday, 07/20/20

At tomorrow evening’s School Board Meeting, we will have three significant Focus Topics that we think you will find of interest.

1. Safely Reopening Schools & COVID-19 Modeling – CHOP PolicyLab:  Dr. David Rubin, MD, MSCE, from CHOP PolicyLab, will be with us to share the latest on COVID-19 Modeling and the impact on safely reopening schools.  You may recall that Dr. Rubin and his colleague Dr. Matone were with us at our May 26 Board meeting where they presented CHOP PolicyLab’s recommendations for safely reopening school buildings.  If you would like to see that presentation and/or read their report, both can be found on BoardDocs under the May 26 Board Meeting Focus Topics.

 

2. WSSD Health & Safety Plans:  In my last e-blast to you, I mentioned that each school district is required to submit a Health and Safety Plan to the Pennsylvania Department of Education prior to reopening for in-person instruction.  Our Pandemic Team will be presenting our District Health & Safety Plan and Athletic Health & Safety Plan.  They are both attached to the July 20 Board Meeting agenda for your review. 

Please note:

• Our Athletic Health & Safety Plan pertains to voluntary athletic workouts only.
• Our WSSD Health & Safety Plan recommends a blended reopening that balances in-person learning and remote learning for all students. 

Please know that our WSSD Health & Safety Plan is a fluid document based on local, state, and federal guidelines that will continue to develop over time, and it will be updated as needed.  We will continue to monitor and evaluate conditions in the WSSD community and in our schools to determine if we must change our plans to be more or less restrictive. 

3. WSSD Return to School Educational Plan:  Dr. Citarelli Jones, Director of Education, and our colleagues Dr. Greg Hilden, Principal, SHHS; Steve Krall, Assistant Principal, SHMS; and, Al Heinle, Principal, NPE, will be presenting our educational plans for providing rigorous quality learning for all students that closely resembles a traditional school experience while providing flexibility to support state mandates, health recommendations, and best practices.

Please note that they will be previewing the following schedules:

• Blended A/B Cohort Models:  Students in Cohort A attending in person on Monday & Tuesday; Students in Cohort B attending in person on Thursday & Friday.  Students from the same family would be assigned to attend on the same days. 
• Online Model:  Should local conditions necessitate or should we be returned to the “red” phase under the Governor’s Plan, all students would learn remotely.
• SHHS, SHMS, & Elementary Online Academy:  Should parents not wish to send their children to school in person, students would have the opportunity to learn through our Online Academies taught by WSSD teachers.  This is a change from my prior communication. 

Now that you have read this e-blast, we’re sure you have questions.  We ask that you please be patient and tune into the Board Meeting so we can share all of the details with you.  We will also share all information with you via e-blast this week.  Our Board Meeting will begin at 7:00 PM tomorrow, and you can watch it live on the District’s YouTube Channel.  It will also be available on demand within BoardDocs on Tuesday, July 21, by the end of the day. 

Should you have any questions, concerns, and/or suggestions regarding reopening, please contact us at 2020ReopeningComments@wssd.org. Thank you for your patience and your support. 

Very truly yours,

Lisa Palmer
Superintendent of Schools

July 3, 2020

Dear WSSD Community,

I hope this message finds you and your family well and perhaps enjoying some fun and safe outdoor activities this weekend.    

The purpose of today’s communication is to provide you with a comprehensive overview of our planning for the 2020-2021 school year.  Not a day goes by where our team of administrators, teachers, nurses, and behavioral health staff members are not working on some aspect of planning for our students’ safe return to school on Monday, August 31.

2020 Reopening Committees and Teams  

To facilitate all of the planning necessary for our 2020 reopening, we have organized ourselves into teams and committees.  The WSSD Pandemic Team is comprised of Lisa Palmer, Superintendent; Ferg Abbott, Director of Human Resources and Operations; Gina Ross, Director of Student Services; and Mary Figura, Assistant to the Superintendent.  We have three overarching committees to support out planning:  Education Committee led by Denise Citarelli Jones, Director of Education; Planning Committee led by Ferg Abbott; and Infection Prevention Committee led by Gina Ross.  These committees are comprised of administrators, teachers from all levels, nurses, behavioral health staff members, and local medical professionals.  Our planning is guided by Governor Wolf, the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), Pennsylvania Department of Health, Chester County Department of Health, the CDC, the World Health Organization, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, American Academy of Pediatrics, Mid-Atlantic Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) “Considerations for Reopening Pennsylvania Schools,” and our service provider Environmental Control Systems. 

In addition, I am fortunate to be included in various groups within Delaware County and the state, one of which is the Delaware County Reopening Committee.  The Committee includes leading medical officials, Tim Boyce – Director of Delaware County Emergency Services, members of Delaware County Council, and a few superintendents.  The work within the committee is timely and very informative to our overall planning. 

Guidelines for Reopening Schools for 2020-2021

The Wallingford-Swarthmore School District is planning to open schools for in-person instruction this fall.  We are very excited at the thought of seeing all of our students and staff again, however, we know school must look different in order to ensure everyone’s safety.  Based on recommendations from local health experts, we have focused our planning on four main components:  screening, distancing, hygiene, and masking. 

Screening:  Our ability to keep our schools open means we all have to work together to keep each other safe.  It is our plan for parents and staff to conduct daily symptom screening of children and themselves at home prior to arriving at the bus stop or school.  Students and staff who do not feel well must stay home.  Our teams are determining the best way to collect this information (e.g., app- or web-based), and we will communicate more information throughout the summer.  In addition, our teams are considering the merits of temperature screenings and may recommend that we include these screenings in our Health and Safety Plan.

Distancing:  Classroom configurations will be altered for maximum physical distancing as feasible.  Although six foot distancing is optimal, we will be able to meet the World Health Organization’s recommendation of three foot distancing in every classroom in the District.  In fact, we will be able to meet four foot distancing in the majority of our classrooms.  Per the approval of the Chester County Health Department, buses can operate with a maximum of two students per seat, with the understanding that masks will be required of those riding the bus.  Our teams are working on the logistics associated with arrival at school, lunches, recess, changing of classes, use of lockers, etc. 

Hygiene:  We have purchased signage and EPA-approved disinfectants and equipment to strengthen hygiene practices in our buildings.  We will embed time within the day for faculty, staff, and students to wash hands, and for our custodial staff to clean and disinfect high touch areas.  Fogging machines, plexiglass dividers, and a large supply of hand sanitizer have been purchased to promote hygienic conditions in all of our school buildings. 

Masking:  We understand that masking is a topic of discussion among members of our community.  Please know that we will follow the recommendations of our health and medical experts and/or a directive of our Governor.  As of Wednesday, Governor Wolf issued an Order for everyone over the age of two to wear a face mask when they leave their home.  This Order remains in effect until further notice.  Today’s guidance from PDE says:  “For the safety of students, staff and families, and to avoid community spread of COVID-19, students and staff are considered to be members of the public who are congregating in indoor locations. As such, they are required to adhere to this Order.  Schools may allow students to remove their face coverings when students are: 1) eating or drinking when spaced at least six feet apart; 2) seated at desks or assigned work spaces at least six feet apart; or, 3) engaged in any activity at least six feet apart (e.g., face covering breaks, recess, etc.).”  Our Health and Safety Plan is a document that must contemplate future changes in conditions so it will reflect masking requirements under this Order as well as requirements for students after the Order is lifted. 

Timeline for the Completion of Health and Safety Plans

Each school district is required to submit a Health and Safety Plan to the Pennsylvania Department of Education prior to reopening for in-person instruction.  This Plan will provide parents with a much clearer picture of what school will look like when we reopen.  We anticipate presenting our plan to the School Board at the July 20 School Board meeting.  We had hoped to share this information with everyone at the July 6 special School Board meeting, but it is not ready as our guidance keeps evolving.  Therefore, the July 6 School Board meeting is canceled. 

Preliminary Information on Instructional Options for 2020-2021

The Wallingford-Swarthmore School District is planning to open schools for in-person instruction this fall. 

We want all of our children back in our schools; however, we know that social distancing guidelines may not allow all students to be in classes at the same time.  To support that possibility, our teams are working on plans that would have half of our students attending in-person classes two days of the week (e.g., Monday/Tuesday or Monday/Wednesday) and the other half attending in-person classes two days a week (e.g., Wednesday/Thursday or Tuesday/Thursday).  Schools could undergo enhanced cleanings on Friday while remote learning could be provided to students at home.  Our teams are also considering whether a day other than Friday might be better, such as Wednesday.  Please know our teams are working on plans that will provide high quality synchronous and asynchronous instruction.

We are also working on plans to support a student who may be or become sick or needs to stay home because of a compromised family member.  We are developing a blended learning delivery option whereby students can stay home while still accessing their education. 

For those families that want or need a fully online experience, we are in the process of finalizing plans with VLN Partners to provide an online option to support your needs. 

We will provide a more detailed overview of our instructional options for next year in the weeks ahead. 

Survey Feedback

Thank you for taking the time to complete our WSSD School Reopening Survey.  Your responses provided us with important feedback.  As we finalize our plans, we will survey you again – particularly in the following areas:

• Intent to use transportation 
• Intent to send child/ren to school

We are continuing to develop our 2020 reopening plans and will continue to keep you informed throughout the summer.  In the meantime, should you have any questions, concerns, and/or suggestions regarding our reopening, please contact us at 2020ReopeningComments@wssd.org.  As always, thank you for your support. 

Very truly yours,

Lisa Palmer
Superintendent of Schools