UPDATE: After the posting of the information below, Leyden High School District 212 has revised their information and posted the following:

UPDATE ON SCHOOL REOPENING PLANS

July 2, 2020 

Dear Leyden Families,

In an effort to engage in effective and ongoing communication during this critical time, we are writing to provide you with an update on our plans to reopen our school district for the upcoming school year. 

Our Fall 2020-21 reopening working groups have been hard at work preparing for several scenarios when it comes to what teaching and learning will look like in the 2020-21 school year based on the latest guidelines provided by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH). The following scenarios prioritize the health and safety of our students, staff, and community while maintaining a dynamic learning environment. 

The current guidelines present many challenges for large comprehensive high schools.  For example, we cannot allow more than 50 students in a given space.  That includes cafeterias, gyms, fieldhouses, etc.  We need to maintain 6 feet of social distancing as much as possible and all students and staff will need to wear masks while at school.  We will be providing every student with two 3-ply cotton masks so that they can wear one to school and wash the other one nightly.  Temperature checks will be conducted daily both at our entrances and before students board our school buses.  Any student with a temperature above 100.4 degrees will not be allowed to enter the building or board a school bus.

We want to prioritize the safety and wellbeing of the entire Leyden community while also maximizing the academic experience.  With that in mind, we are currently planning for a hybrid learning experience when we start in the Fall.

• Hybrid Learning: Teaching and learning with students experiencing both at-home and on-campus learning. 
  • Students will be split in half alphabetically and will attend school for half days (alternating between morning and afternoon sessions) every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday)  We will disinfect common touch points in the building daily between the morning and afternoon sessions.
  • The schools will be closed on Wednesdays for deep cleaning and disinfection.  This will also happen every weekend.
  • Students will receive three virtual lessons per week on Schoology and will have two in-person lessons per course per week.
  • If necessary, we will adjust our approach to a 25% model where only one-fourth of our students are in the building at a time.
• Remote Learning 2.0: In the event that our region of Illinois regresses to Phase 3 or due to public health concerns, students and staff will engage in all-remote E-learning, similar to the final few months of the previous school year.

*For details on our reopening plan, see a video message from Superintendent Nick Polyak here. 

As part of our work in developing a reopening plan, we will be sending a survey to parents in the next few weeks to learn about your views regarding reopening. Feedback is an important part of our process as it helps us ensure that we meet the needs of our school community. 

We have established a web page where you can find updates related to the reopening of our schools. This includes communications, messages from the superintendent, potential school schedule changes, and meal service procedures. 

Please note that our plan is flexible and that we will need to adapt as the situation surrounding COVID-19 evolves and we receive further guidance from the ISBE and IDPH.

To that end, we will regularly update you as our plans continue to take shape.  Thank you for your continuous support. 

With #leydenpride,

Dr. Nick Polyak

Superintendent

ORIGINAL POSTING BELOW

Sources at Leyden High School are circulating that it has been decided that for the Fall, 2020 opening of East and West Leyden High Schools the district will be using a “Hybrid Learning Model”.

Which means that the teaching and learning for students will both at-home and on-campus learning.

Yet that’s contrary to the You Tube statement of Dr Polyak on June 30, 2020. https://royfmc.com/2020/07/01/fall-2020-planning-for-reopening-of-leyden-high-schools-as-of-june-30-2020/

Credible sources are telling parents and students it has been decided that Leyden students will be split in half alphabetically and will attend school for half days (alternating between morning and afternoon sessions) every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday).

SD 212 building staff will disinfect common touch points in the buildings daily between the morning and afternoon sessions.

The schools will be closed on Wednesdays for deep cleaning and disinfection. This will also happen every weekend.

Students will receive three virtual lessons per week on Schoology and will have two in-person lessons per course per week.

If necessary, SD 212 will adjust their approach to a 25% model where only one-fourth of our students are in the building at a time.

Remote Learning 2.0:

In the event that our region of Illinois regresses to Phase 3 or due to public health concerns, students and staff will engage in all-remote E-learning, similar to the final few months of the previous school year.

Clearly the SD 212 administration has decided on a plan but have failed to clearly convey it to the students and families. Instead this information is being “leaked” out to the community increasing concerns and anxiety among all. The You Tube release by Dr Polyak in June 30, 2020 indicated that they were still deciding. See my previous Blog Post : https://royfmc.com/2020/07/01/fall-2020-planning-for-reopening-of-leyden-high-schools-as-of-june-30-2020/

So who is telling the truth ?

Dr Polyak, or numerous staff and faculty members indicating the decisions and the plans already have been reached.

Honesty by the administration is needed at this time to allay the concerns of the students and parents! This mixed message only increases distrust of the system and heightens frustration. Let’s get it right.

What is the true plan ?

The community needs clarification