Heber Valley Life

Tag: reopening

  • Wasatch School District Opens its Doors

    Wasatch School District Opens its Doors

    Wasatch School District welcomed students back to school on August 17, 2020. The district opened on its original start date, a feat which was unattainable for many other districts across the country. Even in Utah, only four districts plan to be open by the 17th. Several have planned openings later this week. And many others will begin even later.

    Some states are still keeping schools closed. In fact, 8 states, plus the District of Columbia, do not have in-person instruction at all right now. Some are planning for delayed openings, while others are requiring hybrid or remote-only instruction. A majority of states have handed the reopening decision over to the individual school districts.

    In a video message sent to district patrons, Wasatch Superintendent Paul Sweat said, “It is now time to get back to school and to help our students with the learning process that they deserve. . . . We’re excited to start the year. We’re going to work very hard to keep our schools open and functioning.”

    Wasatch School District offered four options to parents, including full-time school, a hybrid day, an online academy, and homeschool. Wasatch also plans additional cleaning and hygiene procedures at school. Utah Governor Herbert later added a state mandate that masks would be required for all students and faculty in the school buildings.

    Garrick Peterson, Wasatch Director of Academics, added that keeping schools open will be a community effort. The district has three goals for the 2020-2021 school year. The first goal is that no teachers will contract the Covid virus while at work. Secondly, all classrooms and schools will remain open. And lastly, all students will show mastery on all essential standards for each grade level or course.

    “We know that there are some risks that we are taking, but we feel like the benefit far outweighs those risks,” said Superintendent Sweat. He emphasized that the district feels a great responsibility for the students. “We will do everything we can to help protect them and, most importantly, educate them,” he said.

    For more information on reopening plans, click here: https://www.wasatch.edu/domain/2283

  • Wasatch School District Approves Plan for Reopening

    Wasatch School District Approves Plan for Reopening

    Wasatch School District approved their plan for reopening schools at a meeting on July 21, 2020. District plans have been evolving since last March, when kids were sent home unexpectedly due to the coronavirus pandemic.

    “We have worked very closely with [the County Health Department] to put things in place,” Garrick Peterson, Director of Academics, explained. “We’ve put measures in place that make it safe to come back to school for our teachers, our staff, and our students.”

    Parent survey results showed 50% of parents desire full-day, traditional school. About 30% of parents chose a hybrid schedule. The remainder preferred online or home-schooling. In addition to parent surveys, the district also met with the district PTA, school PTA boards, teacher’s union representatives, principals, and a working group of teachers, administrators, and parents.

    Wasatch County’s school reopening plan gives parents three full-time options.

    1. Full-Day Traditional – This option will include a traditional schedule, increased cleaning, increased hygiene, and masks.
    2. Half-Day/Hybrid – There will be am/pm schedules, increased cleaning & hygiene, and social distancing. Students will continue to work at home for half of the time. High school and middle school students will attend core classes for 2 days a week. They will then watch an online stream from home for 2 days. This will allow for social distancing in those classrooms.
    3. Online – Wasatch Learning Academy (Harmony Educational Services) will provide online learning for K-8, and Edgenuity will be the district partner for Wasatch High School.

    Peterson said that the different options, “allow families to assess where they are and how they are prioritizing academics, physical safety, and social/emotional well-being, and make decisions for their families.”

    Face coverings are a necessity because of the Governor’s executive order and will be required in classes and on buses. According to Director of Operations Shawn Kelley, the schools will have plenty of masks available. Face shields will be provided for preschool and kindergarten children. Older students will receive “Utah” face masks with adjustable ear straps, custom “Wasatch High School” masks, or “Wasatch” masks. The district has plenty of hand sanitizer, and they even have N95 masks if a child requires one. Students could also choose to alternate masks and face shields if desired.

    Students riding on the bus will sanitize their hands upon entrance and exit and wear face coverings. They will also have assigned seating. This will allow for easier contact tracing.

    New cleaning and hygiene protocols request that students bring their own water bottles. Students and faculty will also need to stay home if sick, and they must be symptom-free for 24 hours before returning to school. If someone in a class tests positive, he or she must quarantine for 72 hours after symptoms are gone.

    Currently, if a person has been within 6 feet of someone with Covid for more than 15 minutes, that person should quarantine for two weeks. However, the health departments statewide believe that wearing face coverings will mitigate the risk of exposure, and so the 2-week quarantine won’t be required for students with a positive-testing classmate. In this situation, parents will be informed and instructed to watch their students for any symptoms.

    Blaik Baird, Wasatch School Board President, thanked everyone for their hard work. He also stated, “I think it will be a learning curve in all aspects of this school year. I’m confident we’ll do it to the best of our ability.”

    The full plan can be found here: https://www.wasatch.edu/Page/16346.

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