Family Engagement and Communications

Family Engagement and Communications

We understand that it is challenging for parents to digest a 20-page document. We will share the entire draft plan with all families to ensure that everyone has access to our full working draft. We will also assure families that principals will be following up regularly with school-specific communications that will be easier for parents to digest. The communication will be timely and targeted with the goal of being clear and succinct to assist parents in accessing the information they need to know.

Reopening Family Survey - July 2020

In preparation for the reopening of South Windsor Public Schools, opportunities for family input have been and will continue to be provided. We received a total of 3,357 individual responses to the Reopening Survey that went out to families in early July, representing approximately 75% of our student population. The survey centered on three themes: attendance, transportation and masks. Below is a summary of responses by percentages at each school level. (Responses represent the percentage of respondents; not all respondents answered all questions.)

Survey Results Chart

SWPS School Reopening Registration Form

While the initial anonymous parent survey provided us with overall trend data to shape our thinking, we need to hear from parents about their current intentions regarding each of their children so we can further hone our plans related to classroom set up, school schedules, and staffing decisions related to in-person and distance learning. In order to assist with our ongoing planning and continue to provide accurate information to families, on Monday, July 27, all families will receive instructions on how to submit their intentions regarding their child’s return to school through the SWPS School Reopening Registration Form available in PowerSchool. Communications will be sent by principals, and the information will be collected through our PowerSchool system. Responses will be due by Friday, August 7.

For safety and planning purposes, we are relying on the information provided to us by families through the Reopening Registration Form due on August 7 to be as accurate as possible. However, if a family requests a change to the mode of instruction selected in the Reopening Registration Form (i.e., due to a family’s health situation or a change in the trajectory of COVID-19 cases in Connecticut), such request will be accommodated. The change in status must be communicated in writing to the school no later than August 27. Additional instructions regarding this process will be communicated by building principals.

After school has started, families will be strongly urged not to make a change in instructional model until at least the end of the first marking period. Building administrators will be coordinating class sections based on the responses to the Reopening Registration Form, and fluctuating enrollment/attendance practices would undermine efforts to maximize social distancing as well as decisions previously made related to staffing. In order for the district to plan thoughtfully and ensure the safety of both staff and students, we require that any family who elects to change their preferred mode of instruction complete and submit a Re-Entry Form to the school’s main office, and allow five (5) business days to plan for the transition of the student to a different instructional model.