HLC Returning to Four Day Schedule

HLC Families: Please read the following letter
February 23, 2021
 
Dear Harold Lewis Center Families,

The Union County Board of Developmental Disabilities voted at its regularly scheduled Board meeting last night to return the Harold Lewis Center to its' four-day-a-week school schedule on Tuesday, March 16, 2021. It is important to keep in mind that we will need your help and cooperation as we make this shift to keep students and staff as safe as possible. Nothing has changed for us: our teachers are not eligible for the vaccine with the K-12 staff; our students cannot social distance; and mask wearing for students is minimal.
 
The decision to return to our regular schedule kept the safety and education of students at the forefront. It is difficult to balance the safety of our students and staff with the educational needs of our students. We know that preschoolers learn best with a consistent schedule and when they are with their peers. Also, based on our data, we had no evidence of COVID-19 spread within the school building.
 
Transportation will continue to be available for students with an IEP or for those peer students who already ride the bus with a sibling with an IEP. Based on your comfort level, you may continue to send your student on an IEP or your peer student on their hybrid school days only. If your child is on an IEP and you would like to add transportation, please call the school office.
 
We will NEED YOUR HELP to keep students in the classroom as much as possible. If classes end up in quarantine, the extra days at school will be much less. We are asking for your help to keep everyone safe by following the guidelines below:
 
  • We STRONGLY encourage you to send your student(s) to school with a mask on. The Centers for Disease Control now states that mask wearing for children two years of age and older is appropriate.
 
  • It is IMPORTANT to keep your child home with ANY symptoms. The risk of quarantining is increased because each class will have all students together. Please see the attached list of symptoms.
 
  • If your student exhibits ANY symptoms, you will be asked to contact your physician for clearance to return to school.
 
  • It will take ALL of us working together to make this work through the end of the school year.
 
We will be communicating more details prior to the week of March 16 so you have as much time as possible to plan for this change. As always, we respect your right to make the best decision for your student and your family. Let us know if you want to continue to send your student two days a week.
 
If you have individual concerns, please reach out to us. We understand the decision to send your student four-days-a­ week is one that each family must make for themselves. Our goal is to make this transition as seamless as possible and finish the 2020-21 school year safely.
 
The Harold Lewis Center
 
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