December 29, 2020

PK-5 Students to Return to 100% Face-to-Face

PK-5 Students to Return to 100% Face-to-Face

This morning, the school board voted for PK-5 students who desire a building-based delivery model to return to 100% face-to-face starting on January 4, 2021. Below, we have outlined what this means for our students in the various delivery models and buildings. 

What does this mean for students currently in…

Hybrid – PK-5 students currently in the Hybrid delivery model will all return to their building on January 4, 2021. This includes students who are in both Hybrid cohorts. 

Remote Campus – This decision does not impact students who are currently in Remote Campus and wish to remain in that delivery model. Remote Campus will continue to be an option for students throughout the school year, but it should be noted that the flexibility to return to a building-based delivery model is limited. See key dates below. 

AMS / AHS – Students at Ames Middle School and Ames High School will remain in their current delivery model (either Hybrid or Remote Campus) to start the new year. The earliest that they would return to a 100% face-to-face delivery model is February 1, the start of the second semester. This would require school board action contingent upon local conditions. 

 

Delivery Model Change Request

Our ACSD Learning Delivery Model Change Request form for the start of the new year and second semester is currently open. 

The key dates below are for families who are currently in Remote Campus but wish to return to 100% face-to-face instruction. The form continues to be active for families who would like to transition to the 100% online Remote Campus model.  

The first deadline is only for students PK-5. The second date of January 17, 2021, is for all students PK-12. We will be exploring an additional opt-in date for the spring semester once we return from winter break and will communicate those specifics prior to the 17th deadline. 

Key Dates:

January 1, 2021 First date for PK-5 Remote Campus students to request building-based on-site instruction. Due to additional planning, this transition for Remote Campus students would take place on Wednesday, January 6 (not January 4). 

January 17, 2021 – Deadline for Remote Campus students PK-12 to request building-based on-site instruction. The transition date will be February 1, 2021, which is the start of the second semester.

Another Opt-in Date – We will be exploring an additional opt-in date after we return from winter break and will communicate those specifics prior to the January 17th deadline. 

Remote Campus – Families will continue to have the option to move to the 100% online Remote Campus option throughout the semester, but the ability to return to building-based instruction will be contingent upon the dates outlined above. In other words, students can move from building-based instruction to Remote Campus at any point but are limited to when they can return to building-based instruction. 

 

Continued Monitoring of Local Conditions

As a District, we are excited for our PK-5 students who desire a building-based model to return to our schools full-time starting January 4. We will continue to monitor local conditions throughout the school year, and all delivery model options remain available to us. If a change in the delivery model is needed at any of our buildings in the future, we will bring that recommendation to the school board. 

We hope you all have a great rest of your winter break and look forward to school resuming on January 4.