BEARDEN

District Parent/Community Return-to-School Letter

Dear Bearden Parents and Community:

The coronavirus crisis has made it necessary to think, act, and work differently in the world around us. The strategies in our Ready for Learning plan are based on guidance from the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) and Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). Our goal has been to maximize educational opportunities while keeping the safety of our students, staff, and community as our first priority. Currently, the ultimate goal is to return all students to face-to-face instruction.
Over the past three months, our Ready for Learning committee has gathered input from parents, teachers, and community members focused on returning our students to school for the 2020 - 2021 school year. In addition, the committee researched and analyzed information from multiple state, governmental, and public health agencies to develop the Ready for Learning plan.
August 24th, 2020 will be the first day of school for the Bearden School District. For the first week of school we will divide our students into two groups, Group A and Group B. Group A students will attend school on August 24th and 25th. Group B students will attend school on August 26th and 27th. We will utilize the first week of school as an orientation week to prepare our students for the school year. A and B Groups will only be used for the first week of school; or if an outbreak of COVID-19 requires us to reduce the number of students on campus each day.
Due to the coronavirus, families have two options for instruction for their students.
● Option 1, Traditional Learning - students will go to school buildings five days per week. Students will learn through face-to-face instruction.
● Option 2, Distance--Remote (Virtual) Learning - all learning will be online. Teachers will provide instruction and use a variety of learning platforms depending on the grade, course, and content area.
Parents, the deadline to select Option 2, Virtual Learning, is Tuesday, August 18th at 4:00 p.m. Please contact Mr. Wright & Mrs. McWhorter at the elementary school or Mrs. McKelvin & Mrs. Finley at the high school if you want to select Option 2, Virtual Learning. Students are required to commit for 9 weeks if they select the Virtual Learning option. Students may petition the principal to return early on a case-by-case basis. We will also plan on dismissing early each Friday at 12:50 pm to help facilitate Distance-Remote learning. We will determine if this is necessary after the first 9 weeks.
Please understand that we are counting on all of our staff, students, and families to be adaptable in the process. Prior to August 24th, the plan is subject to change and may be modified in order to provide the best and safest education possible for the Bearden students. Also, we must follow any updated guidance from the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) and Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).
Thank you for your support,
Denny Rozenberg, Superintendent