EMSD Families,
Since last spring, we’ve all had to navigate our way through a pandemic. I am a firm believer that it’s not the adversity that defines you, it’s how you react to that adversity. I am incredibly proud of the way our families, students, employees and community have reacted to the conditions that have largely been out of our control. It’s remarkable to think where we started and how far we’ve come in the last year as partners to serve our students from school and home. Thank you for all you’ve done and continue to do.Recently, we emailed a survey to get your thoughts on returning for the 4th quarter. The survey told us that we want to get back to some semblance of normalcy. But it also told us that many still have concerns with public health. That was important to gauge because our primary guiding principle since our first day of planning last spring was the “health and safety of our students, employees and the community.” We’ve remained steadfast in our planning around that principle.
For that reason and because of the disruption a change would have on families and children, the East Moline School District will remain in a 2-day blended hybrid learning environment for the remainder of our school year.
The health and safety of our students, employees and the community is our first priority.
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) latest recommendation (2/14/21) is that school districts with our county transmission rates maintain 6 feet of social distancing in classrooms and remain in a blended hybrid learning environment.
- The Illinois Department of Public Health has not altered the requirements around symptoms, close contacts and potential quarantine.
- Doubling the number of children in the classroom and on busses would lead to more children being sent home due to being a close contact.
A change at this time would cause further disruptions to families.
- 19-30% of our students would need to change teachers for the last quarter of our school year. In a year of so much change and transition, we did not think it was appropriate to move as many as 30% of our elementary students to a different teacher.
- Families know the schedules, the teachers, how we navigate in-person and remote, and that we can keep your children safe.
- Last September, we made the commitment to our families to try and remain in the blended hybrid model for the entire school year to allow families to plan.
For the above reasons, we believe the best course of action for our school district is to remain in a 2-day blended hybrid learning environment for the remainder of our school year. This does not impact Early Childhood, those families will remain on the same schedule. If you have specific concerns about your child's progress, please reach out to your building principal. We are currently working on a three year comprehensive plan to provide more support both during and after the school day.
The East Moline School District is planning for five full days of in-person instruction starting in August of 2021.
Please watch for another email from the East Moline School District this evening to indicate if you plan to keep your child in 2-day blended hybrid learning or full-time remote learning. We appreciate your support as we navigate this last quarter of the school year. Serving our students and families safely is and will remain our top priority.
Yours for kids,
Dr. Kristin Humphries, Superintendent