We welcomed our first cohort of students back on campus this week! As we monitor this first phase, we are actively planning for the return of our second cohort, currently scheduled to come back on Oct. 5th. As we continue this phased approach, we anticipate all students who opted in for in-school learning to be on campus in some capacity by December 1. We want to reassure those families that opt to continue with BRIDGE that we are committed to continuing to provide robust experiences. Please review CUSD reopening plan with Cohort timelines for Phase 2.
Parents/guardians are asked to please complete our survey that explains the structure and schedule you can expect in the next phase. This survey requests your direct feedback in an effort to assist our staff in refining the plan. With the dynamic environment we live in and the rapid pace of change, families may have shifted their position and this targeted survey will account for that. I have linked COVID-19 Symptom Decision Tree charts below that will help you understand our plan to respond to various scenarios. Rest assured, we are collaborating with neighboring school districts as we develop our response plans and learn from other schools’ experiences.
Until we are able to return fully to the classroom, BRIDGE will provide live, daily interactions, educational value, and standards-aligned content and assessments. We can never duplicate the magic our staff create on a daily basis in the classroom, but our goal is to provide instruction comparable to in-person experiences. With the uncertainty the future holds it is important for our families to understand that BRIDGE will play a role in learning all year. Our teachers have focused on making learning engaging and accessible within this environment.
The first weeks back have been a time for learning, adjustment, and adaptation as we work together to best utilize Distance Learning (BRIDGE) to engage our learners. I am extremely proud of the faculty for their incredible work developing a robust online learning platform, and equally proud of our students who are working hard to adapt to this new environment. Guided by hopeful and responsible decision-making, it remains our desire to have students return to campus as quickly and safely as possible without compromising continuity of instruction. Given the uncertainties surrounding public health guidelines, I have been hesitant to share the specifics of our reopening plans and phases as there are so many variables that will force us to deviate. I do not want to remove our commitment to a continuity of instruction which includes planning for robust units of study, creative lesson design, content delivery, and assessments until we can return to school. Conditions for a safe return are, relatively, beyond our control. Publishing timelines which we believe are going to change (frequently) potentially sets our staff, parents, or students up for failure or disappointment. Without a measured approach to our safe return we risk a back and forth of on/off campus instruction that can be incredibly disruptive to our primary objective: teaching and learning. Most importantly, the responsibility of ensuring our staff and students are safe by adhering to guidance from public health officials is our top priority.
We thank you for your continued support. I am committed to providing transparent and timely updates to our families, faculty and staff. As state mandates are released, and we anticipate changes throughout the Fall, we will provide community updates to our plan.
Have a safe and restful weekend.
Karl Mueller
