Superintendent Update

Dear Wayland Union Schools Families and District Staff:

As our November 2020 Extended Continuity of Learning (ECOL) Plan has been approved, this newsletter is designed to provide an update on our current plan and our plan moving forward.

Wayland Union Schools, grades K-8, continues the Enhanced Hybrid Schedule: Group A Mondays/Thursdays; Group B Tuesdays/Fridays; and All remote Wednesdays.

High School Schedule?

Due to a Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) epidemic order announced November 15, Wayland Union High School transitioned to remote learning on November 18 through Wednesday, December 8, 2020. We are planning to welcome Wayland Union High School students back to school next week (Group A on Thursday and Group B on Friday). If any new or revised MDHHS school-related epidemic orders are issued, district staff and families will be notified via Infinite Campus message and email.

Are we going to be 100% Virtual?

With the increase in countywide and statewide cases, some have asked if we will close the district. At this time, we do not have plans to transition to remote learning. With many thanks to our students, staff and families, our mitigation procedures (face masks, physical distancing, hand washing, etc.) are working! We work collaboratively with the Allegan County Health Department, who has not identified epidemic-linked spread in our buildings. As a reminder, each Wednesday our local district risk category is updated on our district website under COVID-19 information.

When will we change from an Enhanced Hybrid to Super Hybrid schedule?

We will continue following the Enhanced Hybrid Model until the Allegan County Health Department moves Wayland Union Schools into Risk Category C for three consecutive weeks. At the beginning of the fourth week (at Risk Category C), we will transition into the "Super Hybrid Model," which is a full return four days per week: Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Wednesdays will remain a virtual day.

If you have any questions about our instructional model, please do not hesitate to contact me via email at hindsc@waylandunion.org.

In summary...

Thank you for your continued partnership as we stand together through these times. With personal responsibility, we can protect ourselves, our students, and our community. I know many are tired. We would like life to go back as it was. We continue to grieve for what we have lost. Yet, please do not forget, we are still here standing together as Wayland UNION Schools. Continue to see the good all around you. Please take care of yourselves and of others.

In partnership,

Dr. Christina Hinds

The Allegan County Health Department provides weekly guidance to local school districts based on their individual risk levels. Risk categories are not simply about cases per day per million. Several sources of data are reviewed when determining a school district's risk category. When developing the school district guidance, the Allegan County Health Department considers the following:

1. Cases per day per million
2. Percent positivity
3. Percent in the County with known source of exposure
4. The number of deaths in Allegan County
5. Proportion of ED Visits with COVID-like symptoms
6. Cases in that school building and surrounding school buildings
7. Ages of cases
8. Is there any ongoing spread in the building?

As cases in Allegan County continue to increase, the ACHD is closely monitoring the source of exposure of cases and determining whether this poses a risk for schools staying open. The ACHD prioritizes in-person learning as long as social distancing, proper mask use, other mitigation strategies are being utilized, and no ongoing virus spread in buildings are maintained.

While new cases within Allegan County are at risk level E (daily cases per million above 150), the Allegan County Health Department places Wayland Union School District at a Risk Category "D." This category is based on the consideration of all factors mentioned above.

For additional countywide data, please see the Allegan County COVID-19 Dashboard at:

https://alleganco.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/c05e1ec6222944748968f351273b3d41 or the MI Start Map at https://www.mistartmap.info

In December, the Board of Education will reconfirm our Extended COVID-19 Learning (ECOL) Plan on Monday, December 14. The process will review public comment(s); our instructional model; and student attendance/participation.

Wayland Union Schools Superintendent

Website: waylandunion.org
Location: 850 East Superior Street, Wayland, MI, USA
Phone: (269) 792-2181