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News Details

Principal's Message: 1/11/21

Dear OHS Families,

We have come to the last week of our current hybrid model.  The model has served us well for this year and we have been able to maintain being in school for this entire time, which I have to say, far exceeded my guess for how long we would be able to stay in school.  I want to thank our students, staff, and families for working so hard to keep our community safe and allowing us to all stay in school. 

On January 19th, we will be starting with the new extended day schedule.  This model will have all students in school from 8:45 to 1:00, with specials and other classroom activities from 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm.  This model allows for great flexibility in shifting the school to different capacity levels and allows for more in-school instruction.

As we shift to the new model, our highest priority is safety.  Our students have done a fantastic job at wearing face masks this year and this will continue. We have a tri-fold divider with transparent windows for each student to provide an extra layer of protection in the classroom.  As of January 19th, the minimum distance between students in classrooms will shift from six feet to three feet to allow for the greater occupancy.  If the occupancy levels change at any time, the distance between students will increase.

Snack and Recess

Part of the new plan is the requirement of a snack and recess for e+-ach class throughout the day.  The snack can take place outside, in the APR, or in the classroom behind the dividers.  We have developed a snack schedule for classes to use the APR, either because of inclement weather or out of preference.  The snack will be 15 minutes or less and students will sanitize hands prior to and after the snack.

Masked recesses will also be added in the new model.  We have broken the playground into zones so that multiple classes can be out at the same time without mixing classrooms of students.  We will be able to use the playscape equipment as well.  Classes will take turns with the recess zones on a rotating schedule to be sure all students get a chance to use the playscape or fields over the course of a few days.  Students will sanitize hands before and after recess.  If students want to use some of the time as a mask break, we will have locations available for them to be appropriately socially distanced to allow for the mask break. 

In the event of snow on the grass or equipment, classes will be assigned blacktop space.  In the event of rain or if it is too cold, teachers will allow the students a little time in the classroom to relax or play.

Arrival/Dismissal Times

Our arrival and dismissal times in the current model have been very smooth this year overall.  We have the system down to each cohort taking less than ten minutes to dismiss fully, including all cars, busses, and walkers. 

Of course in the new model, with double the students and busses, we are anticipating a longer dismissal duration, though we are hoping to limit it to 15 minutes if at all possible.  In the first days of the new model, you can expect the dismissal time to take a bit longer.  We will do our best to keep it as smooth as possible.  Here is a link to more specifics about arrival and dismissal.

 

Morning Arrival

Afternoon Dismissal

Car Dropoff/Pickups

8:45-9:00: in either drop off loop.

12:55-1:10: in either pickup loop using Pickup numbers displayed in wi+ndshield.

Walkers/Pickups

8:45-9:00: through classroom exterior door or main entrance (depending on class).

12:55: Gr 1-5 from exterior doors or main entrance (depending on class)

12:50: Kindergarten from exterior doors.

Busses

8:45-8:55: Arrival at school in the bus loop.

First round of busses to depart at 1:00.  Second round at 1:05.

Here are a few things you can do to help our arrival and dismissal run as smoothly/quickly as possible:

  • Pull your car as far up as you can for unloading/loading: We will be extending the dropoff locations in the upper loop to allow for a greater number of cars to unload and help get more cars off of Stillson Road.
  • Limit having adults get out of the car: Anything you can do to help your child(ren) be more independent in getting out or in (buckled/unbuckled, etc) will help the car loops move along.
  • For the Lower Wing Loop, if there is a buildup on Pansy Road, refrain from turning left off of Pansy into the loop: If you are approaching the lower wing loop from the direction of the Stillson intersection and there is a buildup waiting to turn into the loop, please go down Pansy and turn around to approach the loop with a right turn. 
  • Use the full 15 minutes: Rather than all cars showing up at the same time for pickup, it will be important for cars to arrive throughout the dropoff and pickup times.  In our current model, people who wait to come until the last few minutes are able to pull right in without a wait.  I am hopeful that many will wait to arrive until the last five minutes of the time to cut back on our lines right at the start of the time.
  • Please communicate any changes to dismissal in a note to the classroom teacher: This is really important in making sure students know what they are doing, in keeping students safe, and in limiting interruptions to the class with loudspeaker calls.

Thank you for your help in making the arrival and dismissal times go as smoothly as possible.  There will likely be adjustments we need to make based on what we see in the first days of the new model.  In the first days, our process will likely take longer than any of us want.  I thank you in advance for your patience as we work out the issues.  

Classroom and Student Schedules

Classroom teachers, specials teachers, and service providers are working on creating the specific schedule and as things are finalized, they will send them to families.  We intend to have schedules out to families by the end of this week.

Thanks again for all you are doing to keep our community safe. 

With regards,

David