RETURN TO SCHOOL (Feb-March 2021)

Cohort A Schedule Cohorte A

Cohort B Schedule Cohorte B

At-home learning scheduleDistancia
The at-home learning schedule is for all students from both Cohort A and Cohort B that will be learning from home and attending classes virtually.

Monday, 2/8, 3:00-4:00 pm:  (LINKS WILL BE ADDED PRIOR TO THE Q&A SESSIONS)
2/8 Meeting link

Tuesday, 2/9, 6:30-7:30 pm:
2/9 meeting link

ANSWERS FROM PARENT/STUDENT QUESTIONS: (updated every day or two prior to our return to school)

How do we get our child on the bus route?
In November we asked families to respond and let us know if your child would be riding the bus or not when we returned to school.  Any positive responses to that were put on a list that we gave this week to each school district.  The districts will be creating routes and we will send out information from each transportation department once their plans are finalized.  If you are not sure what you put on the survey you can contact Corina Schirmer at corina.schirmer@thedeltahighschool.com.

Since we have no classes on our off days other than advisory, should we expect more or less homework?
I would imagine the overall workload would be similar to what it is at this time, only the distribution during the week might be different. This will vary by class.

Are there any policies on the type of mask worn? 
Currently we have no specific guidance on the type of mask, other than the mouth and nose must remain covered at all times. Gas mask type masks with filters filtering the air going in must not expel unfiltered air straight out...but I don't imagine this is a common concern. :) Any updated guidance we will pass along.

My student is in 11th grade (not freshman) and is scheduled to begin blended learning on March 1st, or in the case of Cohort B, March 4th. With the end of Trimester 2 on February 11th (3 in person days), can we choose to finish out this Trimester in remote learning, and return for in person blended learning when Trimester 3 begins, the week of 3/15? How would we indicate this would be our choice on the survey form you have created for planning for blended learning?
Yes, this will work.  Please mark down that you would like your student to return in-person for T3, which will lead you to fill out the health attestation form.  Then send an email to deltahsattendance@thedeltahighschool.com to let them know of your plans for T2.  

What is the process of notifying the school that a student wishes to change their choice of blended learning vs remote learning as we move further into the trimester? How much notice is needed for such changes?
Please contact the school office if you intend to make a change.  Generally trying to plan for the next week is helpful--so if you contact us on a at some point during the week we will likely be able to accommodate for the next week.  It is important that we monitor closely the number of students per class so that we can plan for socially-distanced seating in each classroom.

Are Running Start students expected to be on the Delta campus at 8:00 to 8:15, or may they report to Delta closer to 9:00? What time and how would you like them to check in when they arrive? Enter through the office?
RS students should come to campus maybe 5-10 minutes prior to the start of their first class.  Check-in after 8:35 am will occur through the front doors.

What time will we go to school in the morning? What time will school be over?
8:30 am start time and finished at 11:45 am.  Students will not be allowed in the building prior to 8:00 am, so please don't show up earlier than that.  If you drive or get a ride please try to get here after 8:10 am.

Am I able to skateboard to the school and back because I live down the street?
Yes, but do not ride the skateboard once you arrive on campus.  Pick it up once you arrive at Delta and you will need to check with your 1st block teacher or the front office about a place to leave your board during classes.

For the daily Covid screening questions, I see a selection for Delta students on the PSD website/app on the green covid screening form. Can I use this or do I have to go through Power School?
On the school choice form (where you decide if you are blended or distance), if your parent/guardian chooses "blended" then it takes them to a health attestation agreement.  This only needs to be filled out once for the remainder of the year. The agreement states that you will NOT come to school if you exhibit any of the listed symptoms and that you will report the symptoms and any positive COVID diagnosis to the school.

What happens if a student tests positive for COVID?  Will they stay on the same schedule for the 10 days or will they move to the asynchronous schedule for the duration?
Any student testing positive or exhibiting symptoms (even without a test) should report this to the school nurse.  The nurse will work with the student and family to determine the length of any potential quarantine and the student will remain in classes in the afternoon virtual learning sessions until the quarantine period ends.  At this time the student may resume in-person learning but must be first cleared by our school nurse.

What will learning look like in the classroom compared to remote learning? 
We would expect learning to be very similar online and in-person, following the same curriculum.  And this may vary some by class, as well.  Group projects are possible, but students would have to continue to follow safety protocols in any potential group project.

Is the T3s Attestation form AFTER the choice of which program we are choosing?
Yes!  If you select “Blended, in-person learning” it will take you to another question where you complete the health attestation agreement.  If you select “Distance, at-home learning” you will not get this agreement. 

If my student stays virtual will it be the same as it is now?  Will lectures be pre-recorded or will he have a “live” teacher?
Same teacher, same type of lessons, and lessons will be “live.”  Classes are the same length whether in-person or virtual with the same teacher.

If my daughter stays virtual will the study hall session she goes to on Tuesdays be eliminated?
Yes.  Study hall/tutoring sessions currently being held on campus will be done by Thursday, February 18^th, as teachers will begin in-person
classes after this point.

When is in-person learning going to begin?
9^th Grade Cohort A: Monday, 2/22
9^th Grade Cohort B: Thursday, 2/25
10^th-12^th Grade Cohort A: Monday, 3/1
10^th-12^th Grade Cohort B: Thursday, 3/4
Note: During the week of 2/22 all 10^th-12^th grade students will continue virtual learning (but using the new times)

If earlier in the year we chose bus transportation, but now we will be providing our own transportation, do we need to alert Delta or our home district?
Please email Corina.Schirmer@thedeltahighschool.com to let her know. Thank you!

What happens if you do not choose to send your child to school and have them stay online, do we not have to do anything?
Please fill out the “Choice” form to let us know so we can plan accordingly.

How many people will be in for the in-person per classroom?
This will vary by grade, as we have more students at the lower grade levels. Based on the feedback we have received so far I think we could expect anywhere from 8-15 students per class at a time (most in the 10-13 range).

How does the lunch pick up work? Does my student continue to get lunches?
ALL students can pick up a free lunch (and breakfast for the following day!) when they leave school.  They will be available in their last class of the day.  If your student continues to learn from home they can still access free lunches at your neighborhood school.

Is there any talk about extending the school year?
No.

I have heard that some teachers are not going back into the building and will be Zooming into the classroom.  What would that look like in the class for the in-person students?
If any teachers cannot return immediately for health reasons we will host their classes in the cafeteria and the students will continue virtual learning for that class—just the students will be at school and the teacher will be at home!  There will be a substitute to supervise.  We expect most of the teachers to be back for T3 once they are fully vaccinated. 

Why is the schedule trying to fit all classes each day? This might be the Pasco guidance for high schools but considering that Delta has a normal schedule that is different from the other Pasco high schools, the same guidelines should not apply.
Good question!  Because Delta is located in Pasco we are tied to the guidance provided by the Pasco School Board for decisions on what our school schedule will look like.  It does not have to be exactly the same as PHS/CHS, but basic guidance like not eating lunch on campus, ensuring students have the opportunity to participate in classes whether they are online or in-person, etc. needs to be consistent with Pasco decisions.  We developed and reviewed MANY different schedule options, including having only three classes each day in-person for longer periods of time.  This would lead to only seeing students one time per week and also would shorten available class time (we would have had three classes one day and two classes plus advisory the second day).  By pushing Advisory into the virtual schedule we cleared up a little more time for classes.  It is certainly not a perfect solution but we are hopeful we will be getting back to a more normal (which, for Delta, is "weird") schedule next year.

If a student isn’t feeling well, should we keep them home and they can attend the virtual sessions?
Yes!  But please notify the school of the reason for the in-person absence and the plan to attend virtual.  We will need to monitor the situation as well and notify our nurse so she can work with you on a return date for your student once they are feeling better.

Will tests be done at home? Due to lack of time and students coming in despite not feeling well to get test done?
Most likely, yes.

How will bus transportation work or how do we find out about pick up time and location?
Information will be sent out once district transportation departments have routes/times set. 

Has the air system been enhanced to increase air flow?
Yes!  The system now runs 24-7 instead of being slowed down after hours and on weekends.  There are 6 exchanges per day and one full exchange per day with outside air.

Are those office hours set for all teachers, or will some be at different times or only certain days? 
Office hours are set for all teachers and are published on the schedule.

Where do we do the daily check?
There is no daily check to be submitted, but by choosing “Blended, in-person Learning” on the choice form, you complete an agreement that says you will check your child each day before they leave.  We will also do temperature scans when students arrive each day.

Does the air system have HEPA filters?
No.

Is there a list of school supplies?
There is a suggested list on our Delta Prep page at: https://www.thedeltahighschool.com/school/delta-2020-2021-prep.  Generally, students should bring notebook with paper, a binder, pens/pencils, and their charged laptop each day.  Any additional supplies needed will be noted by teachers.

Does the school need donations of school supplies?
Nothing specific at this time, but we do keep a supply cupboard and whenever students have a need we will take items from this donation cupboard.  If you would like to donate you can have your student drop items at the front desk.  Thank you!

In the event that there is a positive test student, what will the communications protocol be?
A notification will be sent through Remind.  If there are any close contacts then personal contact with families will be made; however, we do not expect this since close contacts are defined as 15 minutes or more within 6 feet, and our school protocols should eliminate this as a possibility.

About how many students are going to the school?
We have 75% of the families that have returned their survey as of this writing and approximately 20% report they will stay at home and 80% return to school.

What will class sizes look like?
Based on the current 20% of students that expect to be at home, our best guess is classes in 9^th-10^th grade would generally be in the 13-15 range, with courses at the upper grades more in the 10-13 range.

How many students are allowed per room?
It varies per room, but generally 14-17 at a time.

Is there any expectation that we will be back to “normal” by the end of the year?
No.  We expect the current schedule through the end of the school year.

Are the staff eligible for vaccination yet?
Only those with multigenerational households and that are over 65.  As of this writing (2/10/21) the State is in Phase 1B Tier 1, while teachers are included in the next tier, Phase 1B Tier 2.

Any talk about a socially distance prom?
Not yet. But who knows…it’s still early!

When are school pictures?  Will online learners get pictures those same days?
March 30^th for Cohort A students and April 1^st for Cohort B students.  At-home learners should go on the day they have their scheduled cohort.  Details will come out later in March.

Is there a Delta HS yearbook?
Yes! It is a work in progress and will be a lot of work at the end of the year with the late school pictures, but it is going to happen!

Should we send candid photos of students studying at home?
Contact annie.see@thedeltahighschool.com for any yearbook questions. Thank you!

Will there be on-site counseling options for kids struggling with the transition (and this whole last year)?
Yes!  Mrs. Muir will be available to students at school and will also be able to take virtual appointments when students are at home.