From the Desk of Dr. Davis, Superintendent of HPS | Plans for "Going Remote"

I apologize in advance for the length of this letter. There is a lot of information that we need to communicate with you.

Had you asked me in August if Holland Public Schools would still be meeting for face-to-face instruction in November, I would have likely told you that I doubted our chances of making it this far. 53 instruction days later, I consider each day students are able to meet in person with teachers and classmates to be a blessing. 

To be honest, there have been moments in the last few weeks when we have been very close to shifting district-wide to remote learning. Monday was one of those moments. While the number of our students and teachers testing positive for COVID-19 is well below the county average, we continue to struggle with the number of staff who are in quarantine as a result of exposure to positive cases. Finding substitute teachers to support all classrooms has been difficult. This is a challenge that we are facing regionally throughout the Holland/Zeeland area. 

The effort to keep all of our classrooms open will require a few changes to the way we respond to positive test cases and associated quarantine orders. We will be looking at moving into remote learning on a classroom or building level basis vs. a whole district transition. As school leaders, in collaboration with health officials, we believe that one of the safest places for our children is at school. They are controlled environments where safety protocols are consistently followed. In fact, we have had only two related cases that have occurred with students attending school. Our procedures are working.

It is our priority to keep students in K-8 in face-face instruction. We understand the unique challenges of learning online for elementary students, the level of independence and support needed, and impact on child care needs. We also recognize the unique supports needed for middle school students and maturity to self-monitor and pace themselves in learning. 

Beginning this week, if a K-5 teacher is required to quarantine due to a close-contact with someone who tests positive for COVID-19, that teacher’s entire classroom will ‘go remote” for the length of the quarantine order.  This could be up to 10 school days depending on when the contact was made. 

• Learning devices will be sent home with students. (Mobile hotspots will be provided where necessary.)
• Teachers will provide assignments and learning materials for students.
• Students will be encouraged to attend virtual Google Classroom meetings at designated times. (Learn more about Google Classroom on our Return to Learn page) Where possible, lessons will also be recorded for viewing at later times.
• Attendance and grading will continue during the teacher’s quarantine period.
• Meals will be available to families who request them.

It is our goal to keep learning moving forward in the best way possible and to keep students engaged on a daily basis.   

For the time being, we will continue to find substitute teachers for our Middle School and learning will continue face-face. We will do our best to fill High School teachers absences who are ordered to quarantine due to close contacts with positive test cases. Holland High School has had the most impact to date, in part due to the size of the staff and number of students. If we need to shift to remote learning, the high school will be the first to do so, followed by the middle school so that we can transition available substitute teachers to the K-8 grades. 

County health officials are concerned about the growing number of cases, the high infection and hospitalization rates, and the impacts Halloween and Thanksgiving will have on the spread of the virus. We are also very concerned college students, soon returning from campus, could bring COVID-19 back to our community. 

We want you to be ready for the possibility that your student’s class (or entire school) could shift to remote learning very soon. This shift could last a few days or a few weeks. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• If classrooms or schools shift to remote learning, an announcement will be made on our website, through email, on parent portal, social media, local television and radio, and mobile text alerts. If your K-5 classroom shifts, your building principal/office will be calling you. Sign up for Mobile Text Alerts by texting HPS to 48421.
• If classrooms or schools are closed, and if you anticipate needing childcare, please start making those plans now. We know that this may create some challenges so we encourage individuals to start planning now. Think about the how this could be multiple snow days in a row. 
• Have a plan for learning at home. Where will your child spend their time in learning activities? How will you check in with them throughout the day? Who can be with them to join in remote instruction live with the teacher? How can you maintain similar times as if students were in school? Please check in regularly in Google Classroom and Parent Portal to ensure that your child is completing all assignments. Check in regularly with your child’s teacher.
• If classrooms or schools are closed, attendance in Google Classroom activities will be taken and grading will continue for your student K-12.
• If we shift to remote learning in grades 6-12, there will be specific times throughout the school day for students to log-in for direct instruction and interaction with their teacher. The goal is to follow a schedule as much as possible as if they were in school physically in attendance to learn and complete assignments. 

HPS Nutrition Services will continue to provide breakfast and lunch for all children under 18 years-old in the district. During any closure of a classroom or school, our teams will prepare packages of food with 7 breakfasts and 7 lunches and make them available to your family on a weekly basis. PLEASE FILL OUT THIS FORM IF YOU WANT/NEED THIS MEAL SERVICE from the district (see below). Specific details about distribution/delivery will be announced when information is released about any closure. It is important that you sign up for this service before you anticipate needing the food provided.

Thanksgiving Holiday Update: As previously communicated, the District will be closed the full week of Thanksgiving. Learning activities will be sent home on Friday with elementary students, and learning activities will be posted in Google Classroom for students in grades 6-12. We will be making a decision and communicating that decision next Tuesday, November 17, if there will be a need to shift to remote learning following the Thanksgiving Holiday. This will be made in consultation with our local health officials. It is important that again, you start thinking and planning ahead for the possibility of a two week or more shift to remote learning. 

Dr. Brian Davis
Superintendent, Holland Public Schools

P.S. Please stay connected and informed. The HPS website is updated almost daily with new information about COVID-19 and about what is happening in our schools. Check the site frequently. Also, feel free to ask questions and let us know your concerns. Email us at CovidQA@hollandpublicschools.org.

We are working very hard to keep Holland Public Schools open as long as possible. Thank you for your continued support and understanding during these very difficult times.