Our Board of Trustees met last night to review the updated internal COVID-19 data for students and staff members at Rising Tide as well as the public health data released by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Since October, the Board of Trustees has been meeting weekly on Thursday evenings to discuss the public health data and its impact on school operations.
The Board of Trustees voted last night to shift to a Fully Remote Model from Monday, December 14 through Wednesday, December 23, the start of the Winter Recess. The level of community spread of COVID-19 for the towns in our region has spiked since the Thanksgiving Recess, and this community spread has greatly challenged our in-person operations in the current Hybrid Model. Additionally, providing synchronous remote learning for this time before the Winter Recess will further reduce risk for students, staff members, and families as we continue through the holiday season.
Below you can review documents that share information about the public health data for the towns in our designated region and the internal data for students and staff members at Rising Tide.
Weekly COVID-19 Report with Rising Tide Towns/Cities: November 5 – December 10
Weekly Internal COVID-19 Report for Rising Tide Charter Public School
As we shared in the Return to School Plan in August, Rising Tide has planned for a consistent structure, staffing model, technology platform, and approach to teaching and learning that will provide a continuity for learning for each student, regardless of any shifts between a Hybrid Model and Remote Learning Model. This structure enables us to maintain the current synchronous learning schedules for all students in grades 5-12 from December 14 through December 23.
To support the best possible teaching and learning experience for students over these next 8 school days, we ask for families to help our teachers with expectations for students shared in the Return to School Plan: “Students will be required to attend live classes through Google Meet, to have the camera on through the duration of each class, and to sit up in a chair and wear clothing that is appropriate for the work of school.” It is critical for students to stay engaged with their teachers and one another by meeting these expectations.
Thank you for your continued support.
Sincerely,
Michael O’Keefe
Head of School
