July 29 Update
Parents/Guardians,
I hope this letter finds you and your family doing well. It’s hard to believe summer is quickly coming to an end and the start of the 2020-2021 school year is right around the corner. Today, I am sharing the comprehensive Mariemont City School District RESTART plan with you. The plan has three main parts: (1) Academic recovery strategies; (2) Health safety protocols; and (3) Instructional models. Each page of the RESTART plan is full of detailed information about how we will operate our schools for the foreseeable future as we continue to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic.
I encourage you to first watch this short video where I overview the plan and then spend some time reading the complete RESTART document. My hope is that, as you read the plan, you will see the thought, time and research that went into developing it and understand the complexity and difficulty of the situation we face this school year. This plan is our best effort to take all of the information and guidance we have received from medical professionals and local and state officials to create a roadmap for us to follow as a school community.
I want to be very honest and transparent with you. This is really difficult. Some of you will read this plan and disagree with parts or even all of it; some of you will think we’re doing too much; others will think we’re not doing enough – and I understand this. But please know that, after months of work, we believe this plan is the best approach to satisfy two very important goals: (1) Keep students and staff safe and (2) Provide our students with the critical learning they need.
One thing you will note when you read the plan is how we start the school year has not yet been decided and this is intentional. Our RESTART plan is designed to be responsive to the data and current COVID-19 conditions and the latest health guidance; therefore, we will wait until we get closer to the start of the school year to announce which instructional model we will begin with.
What you will see in the plan, though, are schedules and other important information about each instructional model to help you with your planning knowing that the chances of us operating within all three models at some time during this school year are real.
As I previously communicated, we are offering a completely virtual alternative for students who are unable or choose not to return to the school building. Important information about Online Warriors, including the deadline to register, is included in the RESTART plan.
We will be communicating with you regularly as we get closer to the start of the school year with important dates and reminders along with updates and new information. In the meantime, please visit our RESTART webpage for the latest news and other important information. This is also where you will find answers to frequently asked questions and can submit your own questions about the school district’s RESTART.
Thank you for your continued support. I know the uncertainties of the situation we are in aren’t ideal. But, together, we will get through this and together, we will make the 2020-2021 school year as successful as possible for the children of our community.
Sincerely,
Steven Estepp, Superintendent
Mariemont City Schools
Posted: Wednesday, July 29, 2020