TO: Da Vinci Families and Staff
FROM: Dr. Matthew Wunder, CEO/Superintendent
March 16, 2021
I am writing to follow up on the Phase II Reopening Plan that was approved by the Da Vinci Schools Board of Trustees on March 10th. While the central office team and site leaders have received many emails of support and understanding, the Da Vinci Schools Board of Trustees and I have also received about 30 emails, social media posts, and a petition from individuals/families expressing concerns that we’re not doing enough to get students back onto our campuses.
First, I want to acknowledge the profound sense of disappointment that many of you are feeling. While I believe the decision to wait on bringing students back until all teachers and staff have the opportunity to be fully vaccinated, to feel safe, and to solve their own complex challenges at home is the correct one, this does not diminish the sense of loss and frustration that some of you may be feeling.
We ask that you be patient and wait until you have all of the information about the reopening plans at your child/ren’s Da Vinci school(s) which are being shared this week at site-specific information meetings (see links below). The information meetings are being recorded for future viewing and are being made available on our website.
Our goal is to maximize the number, frequency and value of on-campus experiences for all students, while prioritizing our highest need students for whom distance learning is not working in accordance with our state-mandated school site plans.
Each school’s plan will look different because each has its own staffing and unique needs. We believe that teachers and site administrators are best equipped to design their school-wide programs, with input and approval from senior leadership and the Board. When possible, on-campus activities will be coordinated and consistent across our schools. Families will be surveyed again this week after hearing the school-specific Phase II reopening plans, and this feedback will be brought to the Board on March 25, 2021 (time TBA). You can send additional questions and comments directly to school leaders, and send and/or make a public comment at the March 25th board meeting.
As I noted in my March 12th update, each site will be contacting the families of students over the next week to invite students to return for some on-campus activities as early as April 12, 2021. We anticipate this process will take a number of days based on individual student and family preference to return to campus. These services may include academic support, grade level connections, supervised work stations, individual meetings with counselors, and targeted interventions. Students/families who wish to stay remote may continue with full distance learning for the remainder of the school year.
COVID-19 has proven to be a formidable adversary with county, state and federal guidelines changing almost daily. The logistical challenges for grades 7-12 are especially challenging. Like our neighboring districts, Da Vinci is providing more details everyday in the hopes of bringing back as many students as possible for the remainder of the 2020-21 school year, based on available staffing and social distancing requirements.
We are making great progress! While our points of view may differ and are open to debate, I ask everyone to commit to the values of assuming positive intentions, and being kind, helpful and specific in your comments and correspondence. The Da Vinci trustees and I value all feedback.
As always, you can find the latest news and updates, FAQs, resources, recordings, and more on our COVID-19 planning webpage. To keep our students and staff safe on all of our campuses, our COVID-19 Compliance Team has been adding outdoor tents, plexiglass barriers, new signage, creating marked traffic patterns, developing protocols for reporting and tracking COVID-19, and much more. You can read more about our COVID-19 Prevention & Safety Plan here.
Thank you for your support, questions and concerns. I am deeply grateful to our school site leaders, staff and central office team who are working so hard to serve our students well.
Upcoming Information Meetings (all Wednesday, March 17)
Da Vinci Science @ 5:00PM / Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/94338838903
Da Vinci Communications @ 6:00PM / Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/96611753337
Da Vinci Design @ 7:00PM – NEW TIME / Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/93564700752
Recorded Information Meetings
Da Vinci Connect TK-8 (password is Dsk26W#!)
Da Vinci Connect High School (password is et!$9*Zr)