Dear Parents and Guardians:

I hope you and your families are continuing to stay healthy while enjoying the summer. Over the last several months, Rocky River City School District (RRCSD) administrators and staff have been coordinating with parents/guardians, students, Board of Education members, medical and security professionals, and local health officials working to develop a plan to reopen the district. The health, safety and well-being of students, staff and the community continues to be at the forefront of all decisions.

This letter will provide a general overview for how we will approach schools reopening given the information we have at this point.

Rr 20/20 Vision Document

• The overall framework of our plan can be viewed in the most recent draft of the Rr 20/20 Vision document (linked here).
• There are still many details being addressed and we will share additional communications as new information becomes available.

Instructional Models

• The reopening plan includes three potential instructional models; Open (green), Hybrid (yellow), and Online (red) described in the chart below.
• A remote learning option will be available for families who choose not to send their children back to school for health or safety reasons in the Open or Hybrid models.

In-Person or Remote Online Learning Option

• If you prefer that your child(ren) participate in the Remote Online Learning Option due to health and safety reasons, it will be necessary to make the commitment for the entire first semester (August 31, 2020 through January 22, 2021).
• Registration for the Remote Online Learning option will be available beginning July 30.

School Calendar

• The 2020-2021 school calendar has been adjusted to reflect the following.
• August 25-28: Teachers and staff report to engage in professional development, planning and the review of safety protocols.
• August 31: First day of school for students in Hybrid (yellow).
• Discussions and considerations for remaining in the Hybrid model for the first quarter/semester are ongoing.
• We will continue to review county risk level data and Rocky River City data when making decisions to transition to a different instructional model.

Beach Preschool

• The RRCSD will deliver services to all preschool students identified as having needs and being serviced under an IEP. 
• Students will follow the same calendar as the rest of the district and students will simply attend their assigned AM or PM class. 
• The RRCSD will follow the same cleaning and distancing protocol for preschool students as we are for the rest of the district.
• If you are the parent/guardian of a child on an IEP in preschool and you do NOT plan on sending your child to school at this time, please notify Tara Zbin.
• The RRCSD intends on inviting peer models back to the program if/when governor restrictions are lifted, but at this time we continue to be unable to serve peers in our center-based program.

Face Masks

• All students and staff are required to wear a face mask at all times while in district school buildings and on buses.
• Cuyahoga County Board of Health guidance indicates that a cloth face mask is the preferred choice.
• If circumstances do not allow for a cloth face mask, then a face shield is permitted as long as it covers the mouth, nose, and chin.
• If a face shield is needed for your child that covers the nose, mouth and chin, please contact your building principal.

Q&A Page

• We understand that you are likely to have questions regarding the upcoming school year.
• Please use the Q&A form linked here to submit your question and visit our Q&A site that will be updated weekly with questions we are receiving.
• This will be a fluid document as the year progresses.

As we prepare to enter the 2020-2021 school year, flexibility will be essential as circumstances can change very quickly. I know this is not an ideal situation, but we will continue to strive for safety, while providing high-quality educational, social and emotional support for all students. This year will look different, but I am confident we can overcome these challenges by continuing to work together.

Thank you for your continued support of the Rocky River City School District.

Sincerely,

Dr. Michael G. Shoaf
Superintendent