G S

Paul Freeman, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools
Jason J. Beaudin
Assistant Superintendent of Schools
Guilford
Annine D. Crystal, Ed.D.
Public Assistant Superintendent of Schools
Schools
Focused on Learning

August 5, 2020

Dear Parents and Guardians,

I write to you today to inform you of our plans for opening schools on September 10, 2020. As you are
already aware, much information related to our opening is contained within our reopening plan, within previ-
ous communications, an FAQ document, and archived public meetings, all available on our website.

But to be specific, this communication is intended to inform you of our plans for a phased reopening in order
to allow students, faculty, and staff to return to our schools in a thoughtful, controlled, and slow manner so
that we can all become acquainted with new expectations and protocols. This plan will provide time for all
involved to develop the confidence and the trust that they will need in our health and safety protocols in
order to feel safe and confident within our buildings.

To that end therefore, teaching faculty will return to schools on August 31 for seven (7) full days of profes-
sional learning and planning time during which we will review and practice new health and safety protocols,
will discuss the social and emotional needs of our students as they return to schools that will look and feel
different than those they left on March 10, and will begin planning for the blended learning environment in
which teachers will be supporting students both in their classrooms and at home.

Students will return to school on September 10 following the hybrid/cohort calendar explained in our re-
opening plan in which only half of every class will attend school on Mondays and Tuesdays while the
second half attends on Thursdays and Fridays. This model reduces the population of the schools, and
class sizes, to 50% of fully opened numbers. Three days of every week, all students will be supported in a
distance learning platform by their classroom teachers. This approach will allow students to return to a new
and very different school year with density in the buildings and in their classrooms reduced by half. This will
give all our students both the space and the time they need to transition successfully into an environment
with new expectations, new rules and new practices. It will give teachers the time they need to practice
modified classroom instructional strategies with smaller, in person, class sizes. September 10 to Septem-
ber 15 will be time for in-person transition and orientation activities only. On September 16 and 17 we will
begin adding the three days per week of blended, distance instruction to student expectations.

The plan, at this time, is that we will target a full return to school, five days per week, for all students on Oc-
tober 19. This time frame will not only allow for the phased transition explained above, but it will also allow
us additional time to monitor the key metrics of the coronavirus nationally and within Connecticut specifi-
cally before populating our schools to full capacity. Should there be a negative change in the Connecticut
metrics or in the guidance we receive from the State or from local health authorities, then the timeframe for
hybrid learning may be extended. Return to School Timeline

It is important to note that the plan to return to full in-person learning on October 19th continues to include
the following health and safety protocols:

P.O. Box 367 • Guilford, Connecticut 06437 • (203) 453-8200 • Fax (203) 453-8211
• Students with underlying medical conditions may consider distance learning.
• Buses will run at full capacity with face coverings/masks in place during transit and controlled loading/
unloading of riders.
• Face coverings/masks will be required for students and staff while inside school buildings.
• Sick students/staff will be isolated. Should there be a confirmed case of COVID-19 in a person who has
been present in our schools, the Guilford Health Department will assess the risk of further transmission
in our schools and take appropriate action ranging from contact tracing and cleaning to a potential short
term school closure.
• Cohorting of students will be maintained in grades K-8, and group activities will be restricted.
• Spacing of seating will be maximized as feasible.
• Increased cleaning and sanitization protocols will continue.

This plan allows for a slow, controlled and phased reopening that is both safe and supportive of the chil-
dren, families and staff members involved. We believe this plan meets the health, emotional and academic
needs of our children.

We assure you that we will continue to monitor the ground truth of COVID-19 in Connecticut, that we will
continue to communicate regularly with you at home, and that we will make any changes or adjustments to
our plan as needed in time.

Thank you.

Paul
Paul Freeman, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools