Dear WSD Families,

We are excited to announce that we will begin expanding our hybrid program for grades K-5 as a four-day per week in-person model, starting on Monday, April 12, 2021. We are working with teachers, staff, and public health officials to plan this change, focusing on the capacity of classrooms with our younger learners, and are arranging classrooms to ensure social distancing when students are seated as required by health metrics.

Our small average class sizes in grades K-5 make this possible, along with some creative thinking and flexibility on the part of our staff and building leadership, who are making a number of changes to safely accommodate the larger groups of students who would be in-person at a time.

While we are happy to now offer in-person learning for all of our secondary students, we know we must continue to work on expanding in-person learning for the future. As we study grades 6-12, we are still trying to figure out how to accommodate the number of students (up to 28 or 29) that are in class together, while ensuring space for social distancing. We will continue to monitor any changing guidance from the Department of Health, but for now, the hybrid two-day per week program will continue to serve students in grades 6-12.

These opportunities to expand our in-person educational offering are the result of all of us doing our part to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our community. The rate per 100,000 over 14 days has dropped to the lowest level since October. To keep students in school, all of us must wear masks, watch our distance, and wash our hands. Health officials studying the spread of COVID emphasize these simple, but critical steps in our daily lives to be able to take next steps in our reopening.

Timeline

  • April 12: Students in grades K-5 will begin hybrid four-days per week, with the same late start schedule they have now.
  • Students with special needs who are attending in-person on a special schedule will be contacted by the student’s case manager if there are schedule changes.

Safety
School staff continue the safety routines and protocols that are keeping students and staff safe.  These include daily health screening, mandatory face coverings, social distancing, hand washing, and additional cleaning, signage and training. More information about our safety protocols are available in our COVID-19 FAQ.

Reopening Feedback Survey Open Now
Now that all of our students in grades pre-K through twelve have the opportunity to be on campus each week in our two day per week hybrid learning model, we want to gather information about how this option is working for you and your student.

We are making great progress on reopening, but know that we must be well-equipped and prepared to support the social/emotional and academic wellness of our students as they are returning to our buildings.  We would appreciate your candid feedback on our efforts so far. This helps guide our decisions on programs and support we offer to our students and their families as we look to a full return to school in the future.  You can find a link to our survey here.

Free Meals for All Students
Free, scratch-made delicious meals are available at no cost for all students in our hybrid learning program each day through the end of the year.  More information about our culinary program, and the menu, can be found on our website.

Travel Advisory and Spring Break
If you have plans to travel outside of Washington or Oregon during Spring Break, we encourage you to adhere to the advisory and the recommended 14 day quarantine when returning to help ensure safety for students, staff and our families. We are hopeful that everyone be really thoughtful about planning travel out of state over Spring Break.
Students who are participating in in-person learning as part of our hybrid learning model who have traveled out of state will be advised to participate remotely during the remainder of their 14 day self-quarantine.

You can find more information about the travel advisory on the state website here:
https://coronavirus.wa.gov/resource-topics/transportation-and-travel
Note that the recommended quarantine might not apply to individuals who have been able to get fully immunized against COVID-19, but the recommendation has not been updated as of 3-11-2021.

FAQ 

  • Where can I learn more about the safety protocols and routines used to keep students and staff safe? 
    • Our safety measures, including daily wellness screening, increased sanitization, facial coverings, social distancing, and hand washing will ensure student and staff safety.  More information about all of our safety protocols are available in our COVID-19 FAQ.
  • Where can I learn more about the reopening plans? 
  • Where can I find the rate per 100,000?  
    • Clark County Public Health posts the rate per 100,000, over 14 days, to their website each Tuesday.  The number as of March 9 is 103.4, and has been trending downward.
  • What does this mean for full in-person learning?
    • The need for physical distancing of 6’ between students is one of the logistical barriers to all students being able to be back on campus at the same time.  We are continuing to work with local and state health officials around guidance, to see whether there are ways we can return students to class more days per week.
    • The health metrics for full in-person learning, per the Department of Health toolkit, need to be below 50 cases per 100,000 people over 14 days to resume in-person learning for all students.  The space limitations above still apply, though, and may be a barrier to full in-person learning as long as physical distancing of 6’ is required.
  • Where can I get help with meeting basic needs if my family needs support?
    • The Washougal School District Family Resource Centers are an amazing resource, and can help connect you with support from a variety of resources to help if you are struggling during the pandemic.  You can find resources they offer, and information on how to let them know you need support on their website here:  https://sites.google.com/washougalsd.org/frc/home
  • Where can I get help if my student is struggling with mental health?
    • If your student is having a life threatening or mental health emergency, call 911.
    • If your student is having a mental health crisis, you can reach the Youth Mobile Crisis Intervention team by calling 800-626-8137.
    • If you have concerns about their mental health, or are worried about their general well being due to the pandemic, please reach out to your school counselor.  Each counselor can provide direct support and referrals to providers who can assist students with coping with feelings and emotions that may arise.  Visit our school counseling page to find contact information for your child’s counselor.
  • Where can I find the guidelines that were updated on 12-16-2020 from the state Department of Health?