As each of us longs to know exactly what the details of our upcoming school year will look like in detail, please see our COVID-19 Preparedness and Response Plan for Parents Phases 4-6 (in-person instruction for our seated buildings). The plan includes details about daily student life including lunch, recess, passing in hallways, etc. This document is for in-person instruction only. If Oakland County is moved back to phase 3 or below and/or it is in the best interest for the safety of our community and we must move to remote-learning from home please see our Remote/Distance Learning Plan for Phases 1-3.
As things are ever-changing and evolving, adjustments will continue to be made as we better understand current health conditions and concerns. For example, a change was announced requiring DK-5 students to wear masks in the classroom. The primary driver for this change was considering the health concerns of our staff. At this time, we felt in order to protect staff, we needed to begin the year by requiring masks. Please know that we fully understand that young children may find this challenging. Please be assured that we will work with our students to teach and practice the proper wearing of masks. We will be mindful of their ages and will work to provide frequent breaks outdoors to allow students to take their masks off. We will also be monitoring the effectiveness at the elementary level and will make adjustments as needed. If your child has a medical condition prohibiting them from wearing a mask, please have your doctor complete the Mask Exclusion Form.
We value the importance of in-person instruction, and we are confident in what it offers our students in our classrooms. We hope we can provide in-person instruction as long as possible. With that being said, we are also prepared to treat each day as having the possibility to move to remote/distance learning if local health conditions change. If you need day-to-day consistency as far as where and how your child will be taught, our virtual instruction option through Oxford Virtual Academy (OVA) will not be affected regardless of which MI Safe Start phase we are in. Keep in mind, your choice to transfer from seated instruction to virtual instruction must be made by Monday, August 17, 2020. To initiate the transfer process, please contact your building principal. Should you have any questions concerning OVA, please contact OVA at 248.969.5194.
Oxford Community Schools will continue to adapt as it is necessary taking guidance from our governor, the Michigan Department of Education, and the Health Department. If there is a question you have that this plan does not address, we welcome you to ask through this google form, and we will answer it publicly on our FAQ’s page on our website as timely as possible. Thank you for your partnership in educating our leaders of tomorrow!
We want nothing more than to have something set in stone that will not waiver; however, our current reality does not offer that assurance. This virus continues to present unpredictable threats that may cause unforeseen changes to our return to school plans. What is certain is our commitment to safety. Our goal is to offer a safe environment where our staff can provide a challenging and engaging education for our students.