Superintendent’s Update: Hybrid Learning
SPS Families,
Last night at the School Committee meeting, I was able to share elements of the SPS draft plan for reopening schools in the hybrid mode when the academic year begins in September.
Based upon the recommendation of the Teaching and Learning Working Group of the Superintendent’s Reopening Task Force, SPS will tentatively plan to open in the fall using a hybrid model that will combine both in-person and remote instruction for students. Under the draft plan, students at all Sudbury schools will be assigned to one of two cohorts, the first of which will attend school in-person on Mondays and Thursdays and learn remotely on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. The second group will attend in-person classes on Tuesdays and Fridays and attend remotely on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.
Feedback from parents and teachers were considered as we adjusted the hybrid plans that were previously presented to:
- Provided consistent days of the week for students to attend school
- Limit the number of days between in-person learning
- Incorporating a day for remote learning (Wednesday) to help all students adjust to the remote structure with their entire class in the event that a transition to fully remote learning is necessary
- Limits class size to maximize social distancing
All in-person instruction will be provided in accordance with six-foot CDC guidelines for schools related to social distancing, an emphasis on preventing the spread of COVID-19 through cleaning, and requiring adults and students to wear face coverings.
The district is currently in the process of collecting feedback from teachers to help shape the final version of the plan. To help ease the transition to this new model, individual schools will host community forums for students’ families in order to answer questions and provide further insight into how school days will be structured. Meeting links will be shared by building principals on Monday. In preparation for these forums, families are invited to submit questions using this linked form. The form can also be accessed on the SPS website.
| Nixon | Tuesday, July 28, 5-6 pm |
| Haynes | Wednesday, July 29, 8:30-9:30 am |
| Noyes | Wednesday, July 29, 4-5 pm |
| Loring | Wednesday, July 29, 5-6 pm |
| ECMS – 6th | Thursday, July 30, 4-5 pm |
| ECMS- 7th | Thursday, July 30, 5-6 pm |
| METCO | Thursday, July 30, 6-7 pm |
| ECMS-8th | Monday, August 3, 5-6 pm |
I want to thank the many, many staff and community members who have been working tirelessly to develop a learning plan for our students that aligns with our values as a school system as well as the health and safety requirements being issued by state and local agencies. I would also like to thank the Sudbury Education Resource Fund (SERF) for its continued support. Just yesterday, SERF awarded over $25 thousand dollars to the district to establish 12 remote learning studios which will be used to support the hybrid and remote learning models. This generous grant will enable us to invest in higher quality video and audio equipment and more user-friendly platforms to produce online content.
Sincerely,
Brad Crozier, Superintendent of Schools