Dear Parents/Guardians:

I hope today’s message finds you and your family well and adjusting to the restart of our 2019-2020 school year.  WSSD online, flexible instruction began today, and I hope your children enjoyed reconnecting with their teachers as much as their teachers enjoyed reconnecting with them.  

I have three important items to share with you today. 

SCHOOL CLOSURES

During today’s press conference, Governor Wolf extended his stay-at-home order through April 30^th.  Further, he stated that all Pennsylvania schools will remain closed until further notice.  This means that our schools, playgrounds, and King Field will be closed until further notice.

PA CHILDREN’S HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM (CHIP)

The CHIP Community Outreach Coordinator asked us to remind everyone that the CHIP program is available should families need health insurance coverage for their children.  The CHIP program does not have a contract period.  It can be used as stop gap coverage between employment.

Here is the link to CHIP information:

CHIP information flyer 

CHIP coverage 

CHIP income requirements 

WSSD FOOD SERVICE PROGRAM

Yesterday, the Pennsylvania Department of Education received approval from the USDA for a waiver to grant flexibility to the eligibility requirements to qualify as a food service open site – where all children 18 and under in the community receive free meals.  Under this waiver, WSSD now will be eligible to participate in this program. 

Starting on Thursday, April 2nd, breakfast and lunch meals will be available for all children.  Meals will be prepackaged and available for pick up at Strath Haven Middle School (200 S. Providence Rd., Wallingford), between 10 AM to 12 Noon on Mondays and Thursdays.  Children will be able to receive 14 meals per week.

Here is how the program will work:

On Mondays, children will receive:

Monday lunch; Tuesday breakfast and lunch; Wednesday breakfast and lunch; Thursday breakfast

On Thursdays, children will receive:

Thursday lunch; Friday breakfast and lunch; Saturday breakfast and lunch; Sunday breakfast and lunch; Monday breakfast

Drive into the loop in the SHMS upper parking lot, identify the number of children you are picking up for, and 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.

In an effort to more accurately assess the number of meals that the Food Service Department will need to prepare, please pre-register by clicking the link here   https://forms.gle/7kC43UuKgx7M6qss8

Thank you for you cooperation and flexibility as we work to minimize contact and maintain the health of our staff and community members.

We’ll continue to be in touch as we have more information to share. 

Very truly yours,

Lisa A. Palmer, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools    

 

                 

This is a reminder that in addition to our schools being closed, our outdoor areas where close physical contact may occur are closed as well. It is very important that we practice the social distancing necessary, and, therefore, please remember that basketball courts and playgrounds are closed. This closure is in close coordination with the Nether Providence Township that has very similar restrictions as well.

Food Donations

Attention community members wishing to make donations to support families facing food insecurity during school closures:

 

Giant and Acme gift cards in any denomination can be dropped off at the secure Tax Drop Box located outside of the WSSD administrative offices located at 200 S. Providence Road, Wallingford. Gift cards will be provided directly to families in need 

 

We ask that you clearly write the amount of the gift card on each card and put in a sealed Ziploc bag.

 

Also, please consider making a food or monetary donations to the Foundry Church or Media Food Center. 

 

The Foundry Church

Address: 25 Cedar Rd, Wallingford, PA 19086

Phone: (484) 326-5362

 

Donations accepted Fridays 3:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. and Tuesdays 5:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. 

(currently in need of canned fruit, vegetables and meat, and breakfast foods)

 

Media Food Bank - First United Methodist Church

350 W. State St, Media, PA 19063

Phone: 610-566-3172

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Media.Food.Bank/

 

Donations accepted Thursdays 9:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. at the back door on Baker Street.

(currently in need of canned fruit, vegetables and meat, feminine products, pet food, breakfast foods, and empty boxes)

 

Thank you for your generosity during this challenging and unprecedented time.

Last evening, I sent a video message to you regarding our extended school closure. 

Some key points to remember:

• The Governor has closed schools to students through at least April 9th.  That closure order may be extended by the Governor beyond April 9th, if necessary. 
  WSSD will be closed through Friday, April 10th.
   
• We will begin online, flexible instruction on Monday, March 30th.  A copy of the WSSD Flexible Instruction Plan is attached so you can readily locate it. 
   
• We will continue flexible instruction through the previously planned spring break except for Friday, April 10th. 
   
• Elementary parent conferences previously planned for next week will be postponed.

As we learn more about duration of school closures, we will keep you updated.

Very truly yours,

Lisa A. Palmer, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools

WSSD Flexible Instruction Plan 

Good evening,

I hope you and your family are well and adjusting to what appears to be our new normal – which, I hope, is just for the short term.

On Monday afternoon, Governor Wolf issued a stay-at-home order for 7 counties including Delaware County. He also announced that schools in Pennsylvania will be closed to students through at least April 9th. That closure order could be extended beyond April 9th, if necessary. Given the extraordinary nature of the past two weeks and this new information, we are reconsidering our 2019-2020 school calendar.

I’d like to take a moment to share some details pertaining to elementary parent conferences and spring break. To refresh your memory, under our existing school calendar, elementary parent conferences are scheduled to be held next week and spring break is scheduled for the following week.

The point of my message today is to inform you that we are going to change our school calendar. We will begin online, flexible instruction on Monday, March 30th, and continue flexible instruction through Thursday, April 9th. This means that we will postpone elementary parent conferences and shorten spring break to one day only on Friday, April 10th.

Our reasons for making these change are two-fold. First, the transition for face to face instruction to a completely online platform is a heavy lift for everyone. All of our teachers have been working tirelessly, and we don’t want to impact their progress. We believe holding elementary conferences at this time would do that. Secondly, our students will be starting online instruction on Monday and beginning a new routine. We believe this will allow for the smoothest transition to their online learning.

I am sure I and my colleagues will have more information to share in the coming days, but in the meantime, please know that everyone is preparing for the virtual return of your children to our classrooms. We miss them.

March 23, 2020

Dear Parents/Guardians:

We hope you and your family are well and safe and beginning to adjust to the ever-changing developments we are all experiencing each day.  While the situation is unprecedented and the times are difficult, they have brought out much kindness and generosity toward those in our educational community.  We thank you for your patience, understanding, and support as we are working to shift to flexible, online learning. 

In an effort to prepare for a possible extension of the mandated school closure beyond the 10 working days initially announced by Governor Wolf, the WSSD District administrators have been working to develop, through research and collaboration, a Flexible Instruction Plan for distance education in the Wallingford-Swarthmore School District. Our Flexible Instruction Plan does not fully replicate on-site learning; however, we are confident that our teachers can deliver appropriate teaching and learning opportunities that allow students to grow academically in an online environment.

For the week of March 23rd, teachers will work in online teams for collaborative planning sessions along with faculty meetings with administration to determine the ways in which we can enter the next phase of distance learning – regular, online, teacher-to-student engagement. Collaboration teams will involve regular and special education teachers as well as specialists and administration where appropriate. In addition to the team and faculty meetings this week, teachers will work individually to set up Google Classrooms, Seesaw, and other Learning Management Systems to prepare for the technology aspects of distance learning. This professional development and practice is essential for the successful launch of our Flexible Instruction days.

On March 30th, our Flexible Instruction days will commence, and teachers will connect with students directly as indicated in the Flexible Instruction Plan (attached). The intention is for the Flexible Instruction Plan to strike a balance between providing grade-level appropriate activities/assignments so that our students can make progress on learning outcomes, while at the same time, keeping the learning expectations reasonable so that students have a high chance for success.

The WSSD Flexible Instruction Plan will continue to be a work in progress over time and as we learn more about the duration of the school closure. Additionally, as teachers and students gain more expertise with online learning, and questions evolve from our WSSD family, we intend to have ongoing conversations around distance education with a mindset of continuous improvement. We are aware that no plan is foolproof, especially as we move our educational approach to a fully online model – the first of its kind for many districts – during the period of school closure.

WSSD Flexible Instruction Plan

We are committed to ongoing communication, dedicated and progressive thinking, and an unwavering resolve to come together as an educational community for our students.

Very truly yours,

Lisa A. Palmer, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools

Dear District Families -

We hope you are well and safe during these unprecedented times.  The COVID pandemic has upended our lives in many ways.  

First and foremost, we hope that you and your entire family are safe.  Many of you have family members that you are worried about.  Our hope is that all of these difficult actions we are taking now will make a difference to protect the health and safety of many in our community.  

We know you are worried about what comes next for the education of our students.  Our own families and kids are asking the same questions. 

If school is closed beyond this initial two-week period - we will start remote flexible instruction on March 30th.  We are not a District that previously used online platforms and digital technology to teach at all grade levels, and our teachers, administrators, and staff are and will be working hard to transform how we teach.  School will be back one way or another - it just may be a different way.  We will need to be patient as we begin remote flexible instruction as there will undoubtedly be hiccups.  We have not done this before, but we will do it and improve as we go.  You can expect to hear more specific plans from the Administration tomorrow (Monday). 

Lastly, the District has been reaching out to families who receive benefits under the free and reduced price school lunch program to support those with needs.  If you have a need that is not being met, please reach out to Megan McCullough – Director of Student Services for Behavioral Health at mmccullough@wssd.org or 484-645-1268.  The District can help. 

As a community, we are all in this together.  We have never faced a situation like this but we’ve also seen an outpouring of support in our community to help those in need.  In a time like this, it is heartening to see so many offer their help and support. 

The District has a special COVID-related page that is being updated as more information becomes available.  You will see a link to it from the home page.

All the best and stay safe,

David Grande, Board President
Kelly Wachtman, Board Vice President

Good afternoon,

I hope this message finds you and your family well and safe, and enjoying this beautiful day. 

I’m writing to you to share something that has come to my attention.  I have just learned one of my messages to you has been altered and is circulating in our community.  I sent everyone a message on March 16th and provided resources for families who may be concerned with food insecurity.  My message did not contain any information regarding junior or senior prom, graduation, or any other activities.  We are focused on our most immediate issues/concerns at this time.  No decisions have been made about any end of the year activities. 

The message that is circulating looks official, like I sent it to you.  I did not.  Please know that I send messages to you via school messenger.  Further, these messages are on the WSSD webpage, under Coronavirus Information, “Latest Information.” 

Please know that I take my communications responsibilities as Superintendent very seriously.  I don't find this to be funny or helpful at a time when we are all dealing with a significant community health issue.  I need everyone to have confidence in the communications that the District is sending to you.

We will continue to provide you with updates, and you know how to verify what you may be reading on social media.  

Sincerely,

Lisa A. Palmer, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools

Please click the following link for an important video message from Dr. Palmer, Superintendent of Schools, regarding WSSD flexible learning.  

Hello everyone,

Since we have all been practicing social distancing, I thought I would do something different, a bit more personal, and send a video update to you. 

As you know, our schools and our facilities have been closed by the Governor for two weeks in an effort to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus.  You also know we closed schools on March 13^th for our staff to begin to plan for flexible learning opportunities should we be faced with an extended closure. 

When we consider our readiness to educate our children in a flexible manner, we must consider the needs of all of our children:

          Our children in general education

          Our children with special needs

          Our English learners

          And our children who do not have access to technology

That one day of planning did not immediately make us ready to flexibly educate our students when the governor issued his order. 

So, what we did was to look at an extended closure over two phases.  The first phase was to have our teachers, administrators, and staff focus their efforts on identifying resources for learning activities for families that could be used during this two week closure to practice previously learned concepts. Those resources were shared with our families this morning.  Now our teams are building on the work they started on March 13^th and are preparing for the potential extension of the closure and exploring ways in which we can actually provide that flexible instruction to our children on March 30^th should we not be in our schools. 

This is truly an unprecedented situation.  Everyone is doing the very best they can.  I’m very proud of our teachers, administrators, and staff for being so dedicated and focused on the needs of our students while they, themselves, have their own personal needs to attend to.  I’m also very proud to be part of a community that is so caring toward each other.  Thank you for all of your offers of support and your patience as we continue to navigate a situation that changes by the moment. 

We’ll continue to update you as we learn more, and we hope you and your family are well and safe.

Dear Parents/Guardians,

We hope that you are doing well and taking precautions to ensure the well being of you and your family. We are proud of the way our educational community is coming together in the best interest of our students by demonstrating patience, asking questions, offering suggestions, and showing positive support. We believe these hard times will continue to bring out the best in us as community members.  

Please know that Wallingford-Swarthmore School District is continuously working to develop ways in which to continue learning opportunities for our students during these unprecedented and rapidly changing times. We are asking for parent patience and support as we move through the changing landscape of this pandemic and its impact on our tradition of excellence in WSSD. 

Teams of administrators, teachers and staff continue our efforts to foster student learning despite the distance that this pandemic has forced on our communities. Although teachers will not be assigning specific work or introducing new material during the next two weeks of the school year, they are engaged in important work, the first of which is to explore resources for parents and students to use in this first phase of distance education. 

In an effort to expand on the recommended learning activities previously communicated to parents, additional online resources will be made available to families for optional use starting on Thursday, March 19th. The purpose of this is to offer resources for your children to utilize through March 27th. It is not intended to provide instruction and as such, no work will be assigned, graded or ungraded. Again, the intention of these learning activities is for students to practice previously learned concepts and skills and to enhance student knowledge in subject areas. Principals will be communicating with families on Wednesday, March 18th at 8:00 am with directions on how to access these resources.

While the governor has identified our status as a school closure for two weeks, teachers will be using the next two weeks to prepare for a potential extension of the closure, exploring more specific learning that allows students to make progress on learning goals and state standards. An extended closure takes thoughtful planning so all students have opportunities to access instruction and that distance learning can be done without significant frustration on the part of students at every level.

Please continue to check email as we will send updates as they become available.

 

Denise Citarelli Jones, Ed.D.

Director of Education
Wallingford-Swarthmore School District

Dear Parents/Guardians,

As you know, on Friday, the Governor announced that he was closing all schools in the Commonwealth for two weeks in an effort to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus in Pennsylvania.  All Wallingford-Swarthmore Schools are closed as of Monday, March 16th.  The current plan is to re-open Monday, March 30th. 

Things are changing rapidly, and we are trying our best to navigate all areas of concern as quickly as we can.  We know food insecurity is a concern for a number of our families.  The following documents highlight resources that are located within the WSSD community or nearby communities:

• Delaware County Interfaith Food Assistance 
• Delaware County Food Resource Pocket Guide 
• Local Food Banks 

Anyone with an immediate food insecurity need that cannot be met by one of the resources mentioned, please reach out to Megan McCullough – Director of Student Services for Behavioral Health at mmccullough@wssd.org or 484-645-1268. She will be able to connect you with one of the WSSD Social Workers and Home & School Visitor.

We have been asked what community members can do to help others who are impacted by food insecurity.  Please spread the word about the resources provided in this e-blast, and please consider making a donation to any of the resources that are assisting our community.  Of the resources shared, please know we most frequently partner with the following:

Media Food Center
First United Methodist Church, Media
350 W. State St, Media, PA 19063
Phone: 610-566-3172

Foundry Church, Wallingford
25 Cedar Rd., Wallingford, PA 19086
Phone: 484-326-5362

Before I close, I would like to remind everyone that even though our schools may be closed, it is still very important for everyone to practice social distancing and healthy hygiene practices outside of school.  The CDC discourages staff, students, and families from gathering or socializing anywhere.  Further, we remind parents that children should not be playing on school/public playground equipment.  This is hard for everyone, including me, but we all need to do our part to try to mitigate the spread of this virus. 

Members of the Administrative Team and I will have additional information to share in the days ahead, but I wanted to get this information to you right now.

Sincerely,

Lisa A. Palmer
Superintendent of Schools

Due to the state-imposed school closure that suspends direct teacher-to-student instruction, WSSD recommends that students and parents consider various ways to practice previously learned concepts and skills and to enrich students' minds during the school closure. We have provided some guidance below. Continued communication will take place as developments unfold. 

Reading:  Students are encouraged to read daily during the school closure. Books, news and magazine articles, passages, and journals are all ways to stimulate learning and to practice reading skills. This is a good way to read about Science and Social Studies topics as well. Materials should be selected based on student interest, rather than the rigor of the grade level. The goal of continuous reading is to improve fluency, stamina, vocabulary, and comprehension; however, challenge books can be frustrating for students to read without teacher support.

Writing: Students are encouraged to write daily. This can be done through reflection journals, reaction to reading materials, creative writing, including poetry or journalistic writing. Writing is an excellent way for students to process their emotions, put ideas into words, practice writing skills, and demonstrate comprehension. 

Math: Students benefit greatly from the regular practice of math skills. Students are encouraged to practice math facts daily specific to their level of learning. Many online resources are available for math skills practice. *The Delaware County Intermediate Unit has compiled some Math resources that can be found here: http://bit.ly/2RlecUQ

*The selection of online materials is at the discretion of the parent.

Music, Art, Family-Consumer Science, World Language and/or Electives: These areas of learning are all important for student expression, skills, and interests. Students are encouraged to continue to explore their interests in these and other areas. Listening to music, drawing/painting, practicing an instrument, computer programming, interior design, cooking, wood working, etc. are excellent ways for students to express themselves, to spend time in relaxing pursuits, to increase their feelings of well-being, and to increase their knowledge and skills in these areas. 

Physical Education: Students are encouraged to maintain their health and well-being through physical activity. Both indoor and outdoor activities, where safe to do so, are encouraged. Keep in mind the recommendation for Social Distancing during this time period. There are a great many apps, videos, and online resources for these pursuits. Students can keep a food and/or activity log, using goals to keep track of personal progress toward goals.

Sincerely,

Denise Citarelli Jones, Ed.D.

Director of Education

Wallingford-Swarthmore School District

March 12, 2020

Parents/Guardians:

The purpose of this communication is to provide you with another update regarding our work to be as well prepared as possible for any impact due to the coronavirus. 

A short while ago, the Delaware County Intermediate Unit, county Superintendents, and members of WSSD safety team met to coordinate efforts across the county and plan our next steps in keeping everyone safe.  In my last communication, I shared that we had developed a Pandemic Action Plan and indicated that were in the first stage, Monitoring.  I am now reporting that we believe we are in the third stage, Postponing.  To us that means, we are focusing on our core academic program and practicing social distancing. 

Our Immediate Action Plan calls for:

• Canceling all extracurricular and athletic competitions with districts outside of the Wallingford-Swarthmore School District through March 22nd.  Games and scrimmages are canceled through March 22nd.  Students may continue to participate in clubs and attend practices.
• Canceling all field trips/travel/large group gatherings/Home and School events through April 12th.
• Closing the buildings to outside groups through April 12th.
• Canceling any visitations to our buildings from outside groups through April 12th.

Please note tonight’s 8th grade parent orientation has been canceled.  We will record the presentation and provide parents with a link to the recording. 

We have briefings with the Pennsylvania Department of Education, PEMA, and the Department of Health scheduled for tomorrow.  We appreciate your patience and understanding during this time as this is an ever-changing situation.  Our District team is meeting frequently to monitor the situation, and we will continue to communicate all relevant information.

Sincerely,

Lisa A. Palmer, Ed.D.
Superintendent

March 10, 2020

Dear Parents and Guardians, 

The purpose of this communication is to provide you with another update regarding our work to be as well prepared as possible for any impact due to the coronavirus.

Yesterday, I attended another meeting of local Superintendents, the Delaware County Intermediate Unit, Delaware County Council, Delaware County Intercommunity Health, Delaware County Emergency Services, and PA Department of Health to receive an update from officials and to begin collaborative planning with agencies in attendance as well as my colleague Superintendents.

The first outcome of the meeting is a Pandemic Action Plan (attached) developed with the input of all in attendance. Four stages are identified in the action plan. At this time our District is in the first stage, Monitoring.  Should the need arise to move into the Limiting phase, communication will be provided and information will be posted on our website.

In order to be proactive and plan for the possibility of an extended closure of schools, Delaware County Districts plan to hold an in-service (March 13 or March 16) for staff to discuss, learn more about, and plan flexible learning opportunities. Flexible learning means that the students do not need to be present in the classroom to engage in learning activities.  Our District will hold this day on Friday, March 13, 2020. Students will not report to school on Friday, March 13, 2020.  Busing will be provided for all non-WSSD Schools. 

In the event of a prolonged school closure, the District will combine the use of inclement weather days and flexible learning opportunities to keep students engaged.

We appreciate your patience and understanding during this time. Our District team will continue to meet daily, monitor the situation, and communicate all relevant information.

Sincerely,

Lisa A. Palmer, Ed.D.
Superintendent

Delaware County Pandemic Action Plan