Superintendent Update

Dear Wayland Union Schools Students and Families,

It's an exciting week at Wayland Union Schools with Homecoming on Friday! Please see your student's building updates for information on the parade and I hope to see you at the game on Friday night.

This update has a focus on student safety. Please take time to review the Parent-Student-School Compact which outlines commitments we have to one another to achieve the best learning environment possible. Additionally, please review the behavioral expectations for any event occurring in our beautiful stadium. Our campus is an extension of the classroom and behavior should mirror what we see in our buildings. We want our students and staff to have a safe environment at all time. By working together, we can achieve this goal!

Thank you for sharing your child(ren) with us.

In partnership,

Dr. Christina Hinds

Last week, two incidents occurred at our high school. The first incident involved one student who was physically assaulted by three other students. A second unrelated incident occurred later in the afternoon, when one student was physically assaulted by another student. Both students are now safe at home. The High School Staff and the District Safety Officer took immediate action in both situations and are working closely with the Wayland City Police Department.

Additionally, we have experienced a series of other concerning behavioral incidents, specifically physical aggression and harassment. All are being addressed. I take these incidents seriously, and I ask your help in addressing the important issue of student safety. For Wayland Union High School to remain a safe haven for all students, we must all work together - parents, staff and community members - to provide the quality environment that our students deserve. Please take a moment to review our Wayland Union Schools Parent-Student-Staff Commitments with your student(s).

These incidents are not indicative of our students, nor our expectations. Despite these challenging times filled with uncertainty, we are Wayland UNION. We are here to support your students and each other. If you have any further questions, please feel free to call my office or email me at hindsc@waylandunion.org. Thank you for your support and assistance in keeping our campus safe for students and staff.

Parent/Guardian Commitment:

Because I want my child to succeed, I commit to doing all of the following to the best of my ability:

• Ensure that my child attends school each day on time and ready to learn.

• Support the school and its Code of Student Conduct.

• Review my child’s homework assignments and offer assistance when needed.

• Make reading part of my child’s life by reading to and listening to my child read daily.

• Participate in parent-teacher conferences, attend school meetings, open house and
  parent-teacher organization activities.

• Share information with school staff about unique family or child circumstances that may
  affect my child at school.

• Read newsletters, notes, and other communications from school.

Student Commitment:
Because I want to succeed, I commit to doing all of the following:

• Attend school regularly, on time, and prepared to learn.

• Respect the rights and property of others, including not acting hostile or creating fear in others.

• Obey all classroom rules and the Code of Student Conduct.

• Put forth my best effort by paying attention in class, asking questions when I don’t
  understand, and participate in class discussions.

• Complete all classroom lessons and homework on time as accurately and neatly as I can.

• Cooperate with others and accept responsibility and consequences for all my actions.

• Read (or be read to) each day outside of normal school hours.

• Take home all newsletters, notes, and other communications from school.
  
  

School Staff Commitment:
Because I want my students to succeed, I commit to the following:

• Provide a safe, positive learning environment that helps each child become responsible for his/her own learning.

• Set high instructional standards and deliver a quality curriculum.

• Communicate academic progress and attendance concerns through report cards, notes,
  phone calls, newsletters, and conferences.

• Help parents to support learning and positive behavior at home.

We are clarifying behavioral expectations for our students and spectators attending events at our athletic stadium.

All events are an extension of the classroom; therefore, appropriate behavior should be displayed at all times. Please review these expectations with your child(ren):

• Student tickets are $2. Adult tickets are $5. Children 5 and under are free.
  
• Please bring cash in the exact amount to reduce lines at the ticket booths.
  
• There are no discounts for parents of players or for parents of band members.
• Students and adults will be unable to enter without a ticket.
• Once in the stadium, everyone must remain in the stadium. No re-entry.
• Please walk throughout the stadium. No running, horseplay, and/or tossing footballs or other objects.
• Keep language school-appropriate at all times.
• Engage in behavior that doesn’t cause a disruption to others.
• Flying objects may harm others. Do not throw items onto the track, at cheerleaders, or in the stands.
• Only individuals with permission may access the track.
• Please keep our spaces clean by throwing away trash.
• Please keep food as a consumable rather than a toy.
• Please keep political objects at home. This is a school-sponsored, school spirit event.
• Follow all school rules according to our handbook.

• HAVE FUN! BE NICE!

If any of the above guidelines are not followed and individuals cause a disruption, they may be asked to leave the event without a refund. We are at the event to have fun and to show our Wayland Union spirit, while keeping our community safe!

Go Wildcats!

What do I do if my child is identified as a close contact?

• Monitor for symptoms.

1. If your child is symptom-free, they may continue to attend school until you hear from your resident health department.

2. If your child has symptoms, do not send them to school and call your school office.

• Wait to hear from your resident health department regarding the need to quarantine or isolate.Students who have been quarantined by the health department may not attend school.

• Contact your school office to share what the health department advised.

My child attends the Tech Center and has been identified as a close contact. What do I do?

• Due to AAESA/Tech Center rules, High School Students attending Tech Center are not allowed to attend when identified as a close contact.

• Wait to hear from your resident health department regarding the need to quarantine or isolate.

• Contact your school office and Tech Center to share what the health department advised.

My child has been quarantined. How will they access missed instruction?

• All teachers are utilizing Google Classroom to upload daily assignments. Please check Google Classroom for additional details.

• Coming soon! Students will be able to access daily lessons through uploaded videos or live stream following the bell schedule. Please contact your child’s teacher for additional information.

The introduction of Swivls, a recording/streaming device, are intended to increase access to instruction for our students who are quarantined in addition to Google Classroom. We are experiencing staff concerns regarding Swivls and are extending the implementation date to Monday, September 27, 2021. Please continue to monitor Google Classroom for daily assignments if your child(ren) are quarantined due to COVID-19.

Wayland Union Schools does not endorse or support a specific political party. Our job is to teach critical thinking skills which will allow our students to form their own values and opinions regarding local, state, national, and global issues. If you see political propaganda on our campus, please report it to the building office. Thank you!

When providing my monthly Superintendent Report at the Board of Education Meeting last week, I mentioned student behavior and an incident with a political flag. I reported that we were “investigating” the incident. The school did not pre-approve the political flag carried on our track during the September 10 home football game. In fact, the event made us realize that we needed to clarify our behavioral expectations at stadium events (which are presented above). The investigation was not disciplinary in nature; however, it led to a reflective discussion with our building leadership.

A Strategic Planning Committee gathered for a full-day retreat on Saturday, September 11, 2021. We had twenty-nine (29) participants who reviewed our mission, vision and belief statements and who developed a rough draft of our district goals for the next three-to-five years. Jack Temsey, MASB Consultant, facilitated our workday. Participants consisted of students, parents, teachers, administrators, and Board Members. Thank you to all who participated in our Strategic Planning Retreat!

Our next step is to gather as a District Leadership Team to create objectives to meet our goals. The final step will be presenting the plan to the Board of Education for approval and adoption.

Email: hindsc@waylandunion.org
Website: www.waylandunion.org
Phone: 269-792-2181