January 27, 2021
Dear Parents, Students and the Roxbury School Community;
Welcome Back. It is strange to say this mid-year; however, we are excited to have our students return to our building. Our in-person instruction will begin on Monday, February 1st.
During the remote instruction time of the past few weeks, we clearly saw the difference between the in-person instruction and remote instruction. Our in-person instruction allows our students to be more engaged with each other and their teachers, and provides the structure necessary to ensure effective learning.
From September to December we were fortunate to continue an uninterrupted period of in-person instruction for our students. Unlike other schools in our area we were able to provide a consistent format for learning. We did not have in-person learning one week then shift to remote instruction then back to in-person then to remote…you get the idea. We thank our students and you, the parents, for following our protocols to allow consistency.
Linked to this letter is our updated protocol list that will be in effect upon our return on the 1st (changes in red). We have made some adjustments to ensure that we can continue to maintain in-person learning. One of the changes we have made is to have students wear masks all day with breaks in the classrooms. Our elementary classrooms will provide breaks at least every hour for the students. Our students in grades 7-12 will have breaks each period in the classrooms. We have also rearranged some of our lunch locations to again provide better distancing for our students.
We have purchased a new water bottle and mask for each student, which we will distribute upon our return. It is important that each day your student comes to school with a clean mask and water bottle. As you know we changed all the water fountains in the building to bottle-fill only.
We have also adjusted our instructional schedule. We will now have in-person instruction Monday through Thursday, with remote instruction on Friday instead of Wednesday. We believe the consistency of four days of in-person instruction in a row will provide a better learning environment for our students.
We will provide meals to go home with our in-person students on Thursday afternoon, as Friday is a school day with remote instruction for everyone (as Wednesdays were prior to break). Those students still choosing full-time remote learning will have their meals and academics delivered Friday morning.
Every Friday CROP will be available for childcare. This program will run from 8:00am to 3:00pm. Parents will need to provide transportation for their student, as there will be no transportation to and from the school. Please call Kristi Hadden at extension 2249 to ensure there will be a spot for your student.
Our CROP after-school program and Homework Help program will begin on Monday February 8, 2021. These after-school programs will run from 3:00-4:30pm. Transportation will be provided for both after-school programs.
As of the writing of this letter, we are working closely with our local Department of Health, Delaware League and the Section 4 office to determine the best course of action for the return of sports. Discussions will be taking place between all entities this week and no decisions have been made at this point
To continue to offer in-person learning, we need everyone to continue to do their part by following all safety protocols outside of school — this includes avoiding gatherings with anyone outside of your household.
We look forward to seeing everyone safe and healthy Monday, February 1, 2021.
Stay Safe and Healthy,
Jeffrey J. Bennett
Superintendent