Dear Fred C. Underhill School Parents/Guardians,
Looking ahead at the weather forecast, we are anticipating unseasonably warm weather early next week. First of all, the school district will be implementing an Early Release Schedule for Monday June 7th and Tuesday, June 8th.
As a result, Morning Kindergarten will be dismissed at 11:25am. There will be no Afternoon Kindergarten.
First and Second Grade students will be dismissed at approximately 12:50pm.
The Early Release Days also apply to Remote Learning students.
The school district will continue to provide transportation on the early release days. The New Morning School program at Underhill School will not operate after students are dismissed.
As such, the school district will be taking additional steps to ensure that students and staff remain as healthy and comfortable as possible. The shortened day will allow us to keep the buildings as cool as possible, while also using other measures. While the school is not air conditioned, we will take the following steps to reduce the impact of unseasonably warm days for our staff and students:
- Creation of ‘cooling stations’ for mask breaks in larger areas, shaded outdoor areas, and any areas of buildings that are air conditioned.
- Relocation or reorganization of existing spaces to allow for 6’ spacing and the removal of masks during instructional time.
- Air flow in HVAC systems adjusted to maximize turnover of cooler air early morning and evening.
- Deployment of fans around the buildings, specifically in a manner consistent with updated CDC guidance.
- Providing students and staff with additional cool water and breaks during which to access it. All are encouraged to bring individual containers that may be refilled at either bottle-filling stations or water containers provided in each school.
- Use of larger spaces in the building, as well as tents outside, for socially distanced instructional areas in which students can remove their masks during instructional time.
- Students and staff are encouraged to use lighter weight face masks, including those disposable masks provided by the District that, while still approved means of protection, meet applicable standards for safety.
As always, if parents have concerns about the impact of the heat on their individual children, they may opt to have their students remain at home during this time and make up work upon their return. Thank you for your flexibility.
Sincerely,
Benjamin Loi, M.Ed.
Principal
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