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Central DeWitt Students, Parents, Staff and Community Members,
As I sit to write this, we are less than a day away from bringing all of our students back to our schools for the first time in the past six months, other than those that are choosing to do their education online. Please know I fully understand the wide range of thoughts and feelings this can bring, whether as a student, staff member, or parent. There is a full spectrum of thoughts on this, from those who are truly excited to get back to school with all of our students, to those that are anxious and concerned about being back in this environment.
As you know, we have been doing things differently in school this fall. We are all wearing masks any time we are at school. We’re all taking the time to wash our hands frequently and use hand sanitizer throughout the day. Our staff, especially our custodians, are doing an amazing job of keeping our school facilities clean, while also using sanitizing products that kill viruses for 72 hours on many of the surfaces we touch on a regular basis (door knobs and handles, desks, other work stations, etc.). They have been, and will continue to be, very thorough in making sure we have a clean environment in our schools.
Our staff has also done an exceptional job of preparing for all of our students to arrive tomorrow. Our students will be spread out as much as possible, utilizing the largest spaces we have available, and doing everything we can to distance our students and staff from one another while in our buildings. We will not be able to fully social distance within our buildings, but we are getting very creative with the space, as well as the staff, we have available to maximize the distancing that can occur.
Please understand our community has a wide range of opinions. Because of this, I ask that each of you be mindful of one other. There are people that are concerned about going fully in-person tomorrow…students, staff, and parents. I receive regular emails and phone calls from people that are concerned. There are also many students, staff and parents that are ready to get back to as much of a normal life as we can. Please know I appreciate knowing what our entire community is thinking and how they’re feeling about the decisions that are being made, and if you have specific thoughts or questions, they are best shared directly either with myself or a school staff member you feel comfortable sharing them with. Also know that those that prefer for their students not to be in school physically continue to have the option of online education.
As I’ve stated in past communications, we’re going to be following the guidance set out by the Iowa Department of Education, Iowa Department of Public Health, and Clinton County Public Health as we move forward. The data points they have suggested we use are the Clinton County Positivity Rates and our covid-related student absentee rate. Just in case you weren’t able to view the video I sent on Friday, explaining our current data, you can find that video here. I will also be attaching the spreadsheet where we are gathering the data at the bottom of this message.
As we continue to follow the guidance that has been given to us, we will also continue to do everything we can think of to keep our students and staff safe while we’re in school. If you have ideas for how we can improve our learning environment as we move forward, please don’t hesitate to share those with our staff.
As a school district, we are charged with providing the very best education we can for our students as safely as we can. We know that the best education our students can receive is while they are in our schools, with our stellar staff working with them on a daily basis. We will do everything in our power to keep our students and staff safe, including the cleaning and safety procedures I have mentioned and working collaboratively with Clinton County Public Health.
As always, please contact me at any time regarding this subject or any other you’d like to discuss. We are all in this together as the Saber Family.
Sincerely,
Dr. Dan Peterson, Superintendent
Positivity Rates & Student Absentee Rates |
