Dear Rangers,

Last week the Quilcene School Board heard about our draft reopening plan; many of the team of people who created the plan attended the meeting. The board provided some feedback on the plan, and with that input, as well as recent developments in the resurgence of the coronavirus in Washington, the reopening team will convene in early August to adjust our work so far.

Rest assured that we are planning to open school on September 2^nd, that we will have options for how students continue their learning, and that the safety of our students and staff is paramount in our planning efforts. Our decisions and what the reopening looks like will depend on the best information we have from the local and state Department of Health (DOH), along with guidance from the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) and Labor and Industries (L&I).

Our current plan is a draft; we are learning more about COVID-19 daily and the most up-to-date conditions in South county will inform the version that will be shown at the August 17^th Board meeting. Much of the existing draft will likely remain consistent in the final version – for instance:

• When on campus, students and staff (with a very few exceptions) will be required to wear cloth face masks and we will plan for students to be at least six feet apart most of the time. Please help your children get used to wearing masks before they come to school in the fall.
• Our drinking fountains will be converted to water bottle filling stations; each student should have a washable water bottle with them when they come to school.
• When in-person school starts, our buses will be running with open windows and spreading students apart as far apart as possible. Please make sure your children are dressed for changing temperatures and variable weather.
• If you can bring your students to school rather than using the bus, please do so to help reduce the number of students on the bus.
• Students will be spending a lot more time outside when they are at school – they should have layers of clothing to keep them warm and dry in all of the conditions that we know are part of Quilcene.

I know that for some of you the idea of returning to school and all of the unknowns about coronavirus might feel unsafe. Know that we are, and will do all we can to ensure the health and safety of children and staff based on everything we know about the virus and how it spreads. We are still learning about this new disease and will continue to adjust our plans and systems as best we can.

Keep watching our website and Facebook pages; they are the best source of up-to-date information about our plans for the upcoming school year. You are welcome to contact me through email, or call the office (360-765-2900, leave a message if Jami doesn’t answer). I am happy to set up a meeting, either remote or in socially-distanced and in-person if you prefer.

Thank you, have a great summer, and Go Rangers!

Frank Redmon