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Posts Tagged ‘Coupeville School District’

Coupeville Schools plan return to classroom

Posted in coronavirus updates, tagged , , , , on January 11, 2021| 1 Comment »

Coupeville Schools Superintendent Steve King

They’re going back inside.

At least that’s the hope, as the Coupeville School Board approved a plan Monday for local students to return to in-person education.

The board voted 4-1 in favor of the plan presented by Coupeville Schools Superintendent Steve King.

Board members Kathleen Anderson, Christi Sears, Venessa Matros, and Glenda Merwine voted in favor, while Sherry Phay voted against the plan.

While the hope is to have all students back in classrooms by mid-March, much will be dictated by whether Coupeville and Island County can lower COVID-19 cases and hospitalization numbers.

Also huge is local schools being able to demonstrate an “ability to limit transmission in the school environment.”

Under the plan, in-person learning is targeted to start back up January 19 for students who were being served in-person before the last closure.

This includes special services students, kindergarteners, and others identified as “furthest from educational justice.”

The next level is targeted to begin Feb. 1, with a K-2 AM/PM hybrid being offered.

Families who choose to participate will send their students to school four days a week, Monday through Thursday.

 

The schedule:

8:45 to 9:00 — CES doors open to students for health screening and entry
9:00 to 11:30 — In-Person classes for Group A
11:30 to 12:45 — Teacher lunch and planning; room sanitization
12:45 to 1:00 — CES doors open to students for health screening and entry
1:00 to 3:30 — In-Person classes for Group B

 

If things are working as hoped, grades 3-5 would be added to the AM/PM hybrid Feb. 22.

Even if in-person education is restarted on those dates, elementary school students may choose to remain in remote learning.

At least one teacher at each grade level will be a remote learning teacher and will serve those students and families.

Targeted dates for a return to in-person learning at Coupeville Middle School (grades 6-8) and High School (9-12) are currently Mar. 8 and 15, respectively.

Other details are still being worked out on the district’s plans for its secondary schools.

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Big need, big support

Posted in Not sports? Tough!, tagged , , , , on December 2, 2020| Leave a Comment »

Working to keep local schools strong. (Photo property KA Bloomquist)

With the ongoing pandemic making every part of teaching harder, the Community Foundation for Coupeville Public Schools has stepped up big time to support remote learning.

The foundation, which normally issues grants to teachers and scholarships to students, has donated $45,000 to assist the school district.

A $30,000 check was given to the district to “supplement remote learning software and hardware purchases.”

Of that money, $10,000 will be used to help fund the iReady curriculum, with $10,000 going for the Character Strong curriculum.

The purchase of classroom technology (lapel microphones and cameras for teachers) nets $6,000, with the remaining $4,000 going to create 20 additional hot spots for students and their families.

The foundation then added an additional $15,000 donation for “Covid relief support.”

Fundraisers such as Dine Out/Shop Out, and the annual Circumnavigate Whidbey event helped raise funds.

 

For more info on the donations, pop over to:

https://www.4coupevilleschools.org/2020-covid-support.html

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Coupeville Schools return to distance learning

Posted in Not sports? Tough!, tagged , , , , on November 25, 2020| Leave a Comment »

Coupeville Schools Superintendent Steve King

Local classrooms are shutting down again.

With a substantial county-wide spike in COVID-19 cases, the Coupeville School District announced Wednesday that it is returning to full remote or distance learning.

This will go into effect immediately after the Thanksgiving holiday, and is scheduled to last from Monday, November 30, through Friday, January 8.

Coupeville Schools Superintendent Steve King issued the following statement:

 

Over the past few weeks we have been closely monitoring the rising COVID-19 rates in our state and county.

Up until recently our county was considered either moderate or low-risk when it comes to in-person instruction.

Over the past couple of weeks we have become a high-risk county for in-person school according to the chart on page five of the Washington State Decision Tree.

In fact, we have now more than doubled the high-risk threshold of 75 per 100,000 with the most recent time period (11/08/20 – 11/21/20) showing 152.09 new cases per 100,000.

We were provided with this most recent data in the past 24 hours and this morning we consulted with Island County Public Health, area superintendents, school board members, and our District Leadership Team, and the clear consensus was that we need to prioritize the safety of our staff, students, and community and go to 100% distance or remote learning.

For those students and families who have been able to have in-person services this fall I am sorry that we are having to make this change.

Your teacher(s) will be in contact with you in regards to what your fully remote learning program will look like.

Please know that our teachers have done an outstanding job of improving and implementing a very improved remote learning program for our students since last spring.

This was a complex decision for us as we know that for many families this will be extremely difficult to lose the in-person services.

Families who are having their schooling impacted by this decision should contact their teacher(s) or school office if they have any specific questions or concerns.

Our current food service program will continue for our families with weekly ordering and pick-up on Wednesdays and Thursday mornings.

We are thankful for our food service team providing this very important service during these difficult times for our families.

Staff who continue to work onsite will still be able to purchase daily lunches as well.

I am encouraging all staff members to work from home during this period of time if they are able to do so.

Having fewer staff members in the building on a regular basis will help reduce the risk of spreading COVID.

If you do work onsite please make sure you sign in as you enter the building and also on your classroom door if you are a teacher.

This will help us with contact tracing if needed and also with our efforts to efficiently sanitize our schools on a daily basis.

I know this has been a very difficult time for all of us but as we go into the Thanksgiving holiday I want you all to know that I am truly thankful for you.

I appreciate our students, staff, and families navigating these difficult and complex times with us.

I hope you can join me in being optimistic and hopeful in regards to our future.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Thank you,

Steve King

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Choose your (educational) adventure

Posted in Not sports? Tough!, tagged , , , , on July 29, 2020| Leave a Comment »

Coupeville Schools Superintendent Steve King

Coupeville schools, in whatever form they operate this fall, will open six days later than originally planned.

The first day was set for September 8, but has been moved to Sept. 14 to allow staff members and teachers extra time to prepare for a return to education in the age of coronavirus.

“This will give our district almost two weeks of formal training and preparation so that we can be successful in launching the school year,” Coupeville Schools Superintendent Steve King said in an email sent to parents.

Oak Harbor schools, which were set to start Sept. 3, are also moving to a Sept. 14 start.

While most large school districts across Washington state have publicly announced a move to 100% online learning to start the fall, King has previously said Coupeville will announce a decision Aug. 7.

In his email to parents, the superintendent included a survey, seeking input on four education models.

“I will start by saying that this is all very complex and is a very difficult decision,” King said. “I can tell you that all four models I am giving you and our community members can all be delivered in compliance with the state guidelines for opening.

“If we have students in person we can sanitize and disinfect our schools on a daily basis, we can do health screening, and we can set up classrooms with students six feet apart.

“We also are committed to providing training for whatever model we reopen with.”

King also noted feedback may influence future decisions on how Coupeville phases back into school, if there is a complete online start, either by local decision or state mandate.

So far, Governor Jay Inslee and Superintendent of Public Education Chris Reykdal have left the decision in the hands of local superintendents, but, with COVID-19 cases surging, the decision may come down from the head office.

For now, Coupeville is broaching four plans:

 

Everyday Reopening Model:

Modified schedule (Middle School/High School 8:00 AM-1:30 PM, Elementary 9:30-3:00)

Teacher planning periods will take place outside student school day to maximize teaching force/reduce class size.

Students will lose specialist time at elementary and some electives at secondary, allowing a few elective and specialist teachers to operate as school substitutes to ensure subs are available for sick teachers.

Lunches will be delivered to classrooms, with no school assemblies in order to avoid large gatherings.

Large spaces such as gyms and the CHS Performing Arts Center will be utilized as additional classroom space.

Outdoor learning will be emphasized for classes, with PE taking place outdoors on a daily basis.

 

K-3 Everyday & Hybrid Model:

K-3 will be in class Monday-Friday.

There will be two options for grades 4-12 — in school Monday-Tuesday, online Wednesday-Friday, or online Monday-Tuesday, in school Wednesday-Thursday, online Friday.

Students in 4-12 will be assigned additional work for remote learning days, with teachers available each Friday for virtual check-ins with students and/or family.

 

K-12 All Hybrid Model:

Two options – in school Monday-Tuesday, online Wednesday-Friday, or online Monday-Tuesday, in school Wednesday-Thursday, online Friday.

 

Remote or Distance Model:

Online Monday-Friday.

All students will start school year with remote or distance learning, then be able to transition back to in-person education when it is decided it is safe to hold school.

Likely that schools would transition from this to a hybrid model first, before returning to traditional full in-person school day.

In this model, Coupeville will provide more distance learning training for teachers and parents, and will work with local organizations to assist families with essential workers with childcare.

 

For families who don’t want to return their students to in-person school, the district is also working with Spokane Virtual Learning to create a version of its program which would be provided by Coupeville teachers.

If that option is chosen, a student is locked-in, and can’t return to in-person learning during the 2020-21 school year.

For more info on the program, pop over to:

https://www.spokaneschools.org/svl

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Aug. 7 likely D-Day for Coupeville Schools

Posted in Not sports? Tough!, tagged , , , , on July 25, 2020| 1 Comment »

Coupeville Schools Superintendent Steve King

The Coupeville School District is targeting August 7 for an announcement on how it will reopen for the 2020-2021 school year.

The first day of school is currently set for Sept. 8.

“I know that this is a top priority for everyone and I will start by saying that we are committed to educating our students with health and safety as a top priority,” Superintendent Steve King said in an email.

“We also need to make sure that we address issues of equity, giving each and every student in our district the opportunity to be successful.”

Coupeville schools, like all others in Washington state, have been shut down since March as the world deals with the COVID-19 pandemic.

A decision will need to be made as to whether to return to full-time in-person teaching, full-time online learning, or a hybrid of the two.

Many larger school districts in the state, from Seattle to Tahoma, have chosen the 100% online option this week.

Coupeville is in a unique situation, though, as Island County is in Phase 3 of Governor Jay Inslee’s four-phase reopening plan, while all surrounding counties are still in Phase 2.

In his email, King said the district is sending out a second survey to staff and families to gauge where everyone stands on the different educational options.

The Superintendent will also consult with school board members, union group leaders, Island County Public Health officials, and his peers from the Oak Harbor and South Whidbey school districts.

King and his staff are reviewing regional and state health data, and also working closely with the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Northwest Educational Service District.

Whatever decision King comes to will need to be approved by the Island County Health Department.

After all that, it is entirely possible the decision will be taken out of his hands, he admitted.

“Over the past several months I have learned that trying to predict things can be dangerous and we can certainly never count on anyone’s predictions during these unprecedented times,” King said.

“Having said that, I want you to know that I do think that there is at least some possibility that the state may only allow remote or distance learning as the school year approaches.”

The Washington Education Association has asked Inslee to mandate all state schools use the 100% online option when schools open, but, for now, the choice remains in the hands of the superintendents.

“At this point opening schools is still a local decision,” King said. “So we will proceed with our decision-making plan as I have outlined.

“I hope that each and every one of you enjoy the rest of your summer and I encourage everyone to enjoy the many positives that continue to exist in our lives even during difficult times like these.”

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