Shelby Review

Huron Academy issued the following announcement on July 25.

Dear Huron Families,

I have been receiving emails and phone calls about school reopening in the fall and we are doing everything we can to be ready to safely operate face-to-face instruction in September. I’d like to simply address some of the most common questions:

Will there be school in the fall?

YES. Huron Academy is preparing to open the 2020-2021 academic year with full face-to-face instruction provided that we are in phase 4 or 5 of the State of Michigan action plan.

Will there be a split schedule?

NO. Students who come to school for face-to-face instruction will begin classes on Tuesday, September 8th and report to school every day following the school calendar.

How will my children be safe?

We are making extensive plans to emphasize all safety protocols. Socially distanced classroom environments, use of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), temperature screening, regular hand washing, cleaning and sanitizing schedules, self-contained classrooms, and extremely limited visitor contact are just a few of the measures we are putting into place.

Will there be an online option?

We are preparing a rigorous platform to accomplish the delivery of our curriculum utilizing a fully remote experience.

What will that look like?

We will utilize Google Classroom as our platform, as we did from March to June, but since we have more guidelines and have had time to prepare, it will look quite a bit different. Online interactions and video conference meetings will occur daily; instruction will be delivered in real-time whenever possible; attendance will be taken; behavioral and academic standards will be the same as with in-person instruction. In short, this will look as close to a normal school day as is possible, with a rigorous curriculum that will challenge and engage your student while also helping them grow academically and socially.

Will technology equipment be available?

YES. Huron Academy will provide tablets and Chromebooks if needed.

What will this cost me?

Both face-to-face instruction and virtual learning will have no cost for our students.

When do I have to decide how to send my child to school – face to face or online?

SOON. If you can’t wait for school to re-open, for face to face instruction to begin and you are fully registered you are all set. Parents and families electing virtual school (online learning) will need to sign a contract, which will be available some time next week. This contract will outline the responsibilities and expectations that need to be followed for successful outcomes of this kind of learning. Contracts will be due by August 15th so that we can finalize plans for proper staffing and preparation for the online program.

I was thinking of homeschooling this year – is that a good idea?

We know that these are scary times and that these decisions are not made lightly, but we are well aware of the unique situations many of our families find themselves in these days. This is why we have restructured online offerings to provide our students with all the tools needed for success. Please consider continuing in partnership with us as we navigate the education of your children.

We keep hearing of ongoing planning – when will these plans be available?

We are required to provide to our authorizer, Ferris State University, three separate plans for reopening the 2020-21 school year. Each takes into account the current health crisis and the level of COVID-19 outbreaks in the region. We are finalizing these plans and they will require school board approval so we expect that we will post them on our website by mid-August.

What else can we do to be sure that school opens in the fall?

Keep your family safe and do not become complacent to the serious nature of this health crisis. If we are in Phase 1, 2, or 3, we will be unable to open for classroom instruction; we will once again have online learning for all. To hopefully avoid this, we are once again reminding our families of how important it is to follow the CDC guidelines to remain safe during this pandemic.

These are difficult times with even more difficult decisions to be made by all of us. We want face-to-face instruction for our students in September, and we are committed to that if at all possible. We are here to support you as we have always been for more than two decades. We encourage our families to contact us with any thoughts or concerns so we may provide the care and guidance needed to do what is best for you and yours. Feel free to call our Utica campus at (586) 690-8180 or our Metro campus at (586) 446-9170. This is our school and we are here to serve you – Stay Safe!!!

Respectfully yours,

Mark S. Talbot – Principal

Original source can be found here.

Source: Huron Academy