DRRSD Update to Families October 16, 2020

October 16, 2020

Dear Families,

Our hybrid learning program began for our first cohort of students in grades K, 1, 5, 6, 9, and 12 on Tuesday, 10/13 and our second cohort of students on Thursday, 10/15. It was exciting to see students back in our buildings. Both students and staff were smiling (behind masks) clearly happy to be learning together in-person. The commitment from staff to make hybrid learning work was evident. We would like to thank all building staff including teachers, nurses, paraprofessionals, secretaries, custodians, IT specialists, and administrators for making the opening of hybrid learning positive for our school communities. We would also like to thank our parents, families, and students for their patience, understanding, and support as we engage in new learning experiences at DightonRehoboth Regional schools.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created additional challenges for the overall operation of school. No doubt, classrooms, lunchrooms, hallways, and most spaces in school buildings look different to ensure physical distancing and safety precautions to promote the wellness of our students and staff. An additional challenge is the procurement of substitute teachers to cover staff absences due to COVID-19 precautions. Throughout the Commonwealth, school districts are struggling to staff school buildings due to a shortage of substitute teachers, and an increase in staff absences.

At DRRSD, we are working with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and local universities and colleges to prepare to staff buildings in the event of increased absences. District and building administrators will continue to monitor the amount of staff absences. If the amount of absences becomes unmanageable and cannot be covered by substitutes or building staff leading to supervision shortages in a specific school building, that school may be closed for in-person learning; instead, remote learning will be offered for all students. In the event of school closure due to supervision shortages, parents and families will be notified via email as well as the One Call system as soon as possible.

Understanding that closing a school building is a major inconvenience to families and an interruption in learning, the district will only close schools if student and staff safety is at risk.

We are hopeful that our schools can continue to provide our students with in-person learning experiences going forward. DRRSD is working extremely hard to creatively problem solve to address the challenges presented by the pandemic. We appreciate your continued support. If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a substitute for DRRSD, please contact Celeste Sullivan in our district office: csullivan@drregional.org; 508-252-5000.

Thank you,
Dr. Anthony Azar