Good afternoon HUUSD Staff, Parents, and Board-
We are approaching the end of the school year in a way none of us could have imagined. The great news is as of today I am not aware of any student or staff member ill from COVID. Vermont has done such a great job with its measured, careful approach. I wanted to update you on a few items today.
- Here is the first guidance we have received from the AOE about reopening schools. I won't repeat the details. Please know the admin team and staff are hard at work trying to get all the requirements in place to safely reopen our buildings in the fall. We need decisions to be made by other agencies before we can report those details to you. Re Opening in the Fall
- Since March, it feels like our world has been turned upside down and inside out - Stay At Home Orders and all the challenges it has brought, COVID and the fear it has brought, a troubled economy and the anxiety it has brought, and now civil unrest and racism in the forefront with the challenges, fear, anxiety, frustration and disbelief it has brought. Administrators around the state need to make equity, equality, basic human rights, civility, and solidarity with our neighbors, friends, strangers, and people of color a real priority in our curriculum and each and every classroom. We have a duty to raise our students to be educated about racism and to think and do differently. Please read here the recent work of VSA, VPA, and VSBA Statement on Racism
- As we bring our first time ever, developed under fire, remote learning model to a close for the school year, our staff will be working with their building principals for seven days of planning for the fall before leaving for the summer - reflecting on what worked really well and what should be changed and improved. During the closure period, the admin team sent out two surveys, each to students, staff and parents. I cannot tell you how valuable your feedback is to improving our model as it evolved, and now to plan for next year. As you can see from the AOE letter above, we are planning to open with in person instruction and also need to be prepared to move back and forth to a remote model.
- As far as summer, students will keep their devices and will be able to access most learning platforms. Our learning HUBS will be updated with teacher suggestions to keep learning alive. For specifics pertaining to your student please contact teachers directly.
- Last spring our district administered a national climate survey. We needed to use a standardized tool as part of the new AOE requirements. Our admin team planned on sharing the results and engaging the board and community about this work at a May HUUSD Board meeting. Since COVID made that impossible, I thought I would share a brief summary with you. Climate Survey
- Our school principals, along with their staff and students are planning the best end of year celebrations and graduations as possible. With guidance changing almost daily, this has not been easy. Schools districts cannot successfully and quickly pivot sometimes. We ask our larger community to please be aware of and support the restrictions these events must have in place so that we can support everyone to the best of our ability. This Friday WCAX will be honoring our Harwood seniors. I hope you can tune in.
WCAX will be recognizing the graduates from local high schools across Vermont. Harwood is scheduled to run in the last 15 minutes (or so depending on timing) of the 6pm news on Friday, June 5th. It will also be up on https://www.wcax.com/graduates for you to watch again starting the next day.
With warm regards,
Superintendent Nease
"Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world."
Nelson Mandela
"In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."
Martin Luther King, Jr.