For the Tomahawk Leader
TOMAHAWK – School District of Tomahawk Administrator Terry Reynolds on Friday, Aug. 7 provided information on the district’s reopening procedures as the start of the school year approaches.
The letter from Reynolds, called September Opening Update, provides “several important updates regarding adjusted dates and learning model for the start of the school year.”
“We are committed to keeping students and families informed and engaged as much as possible as we work to reopen our school in the fall,” Reynolds said in the letter. “Throughout this process, we have shared that reopening will require a flexible and fluid approach as the information we need to make informed decisions becomes available knowing the information may change between now and September, or even after the school year has started.”
According to the letter, all students and staff will be required to wear face coverings at the start of the school year on buses and in schools.
“If a medical provider has indicated your student should not wear a facecovering, please contact our School nurse Trina Armstrong,” the letter states. “Face-coverings must be appropriate and meet school dress code requirements. Face coverings will follow all state mandates, and will be evaluated each quarter.”
PK through 5th grade students attending in-person classes will begin the school year in a traditional learning model with five days per week in-person instruction/attendance.
Students in grades 6 through 12 attending in-person classes will begin the year in a hybrid learning model, attending school with their assigned cohort.
“Students assigned to Cohort A will attend in-person classes on Monday and Wednesday, remote learning classes (completing coursework remotely) on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday; Students assigned to Cohort B will attend in-person classes on Tuesday and Thursday and remote classes (completing coursework remotely) on Monday, Wednesday, Friday,” the letter says, noting all students in grades 6 through 12 are required to attend remote learning classes on Fridays.
Building Principals will send out assigned cohorts to parents, according to the letter. Cohorts will be assigned so students in the same household will attend classes on the same days.
The letter says the district will “implement a gradual start to school to allow for staff preparations and training, student transition time to new building areas, and additional opportunities to provide social and emotional support.”
Families that wish to opt-in to full-time virtual learning due to health concerns must complete and return a form to the district by Aug. 17. The form is available on the district’s website.
“I share this information with you without having all the answers, knowing it will cause questions and possibly concerns,” Reynolds stated. “Please know, we will continue to provide timely, comprehensive, and factual information to our students, families, and staff. While it is clear that my 39th first day of school as an educator will be unlike any I’ve experienced before, I am confident that our team of exceptional educators and staff will continue to provide your student with exceptional learning opportunities.”