Dear D49 Families,

Our commitment to serving students never ends: As we continue to operate under state and local public health guidelines that go beyond our campuses, and our regular school year calendar, we will continue our daily meal distributions through Tuesday, June 30.

Dear D49 Families, 

School District 49 will officially recognize Friday, May 15, 2020, as the last day of new instruction for the 2019-2020 school year. Please watch for communication from your schools for information on typical end-of-year academic requirements like final exam schedules (if they haven’t already taken the finals) and end-of-year assignments. We will reserve the week of May 18-22 to complete all remaining tasks and engagements.

As we come closer to the last day of instruction under E49, we are making arrangements to collect D49 devices on loan to families for this season of E-learning. Our plan is to collect all Chromebooks beginning Monday, May 18. If you checked out one or more D49 Chromebooks for E-learning, please return those devices and charging cables (in a plastic bag, if possible) to our only collection point at Vista Ridge High School.

The collection schedule is as follows: 

Vista Ridge High School

• Monday, May 18, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
• Tuesday, May 19, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
• Wednesday, May 20, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. 

You may use any of two available VRHS entrances (map attached):

• The front door drop-off loop on Black Forest Road
• The student parking lot entrance on Black Forest Road

A member of the D49 team on site will greet you at your vehicle to collect your devices and will ask for your student’s name and school to begin the return process. If you have questions, please email them to cbreturn@d49.org. 

**Note** If you received a device other than a Chromebook for E-learning, please do not return those devices to the collection site at VRHS. Please continue to monitor your in-boxes for updated information.

Thank you for participating in E-learning! We look forward to seeing you, and as always, we appreciate your trust and understanding. 

Sincerely, 

School District 49 Technology Service Team 

Dear D49 Family, 

We thank you for working so hard in this season of E-learning. We are seeing a great deal of success and collaboration as we work together as a community to engage with learning while addressing the challenges that come along with this season of transition. As we move closer to our end-of-the-year tasks and engagements, including our last day of new instruction and final exams, we want to check in to learn more about your experience as we continue E49 for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year.  

We invite you to take a few minutes to share what you think about the effectiveness of E49 as we conclude week six in the E-work, E-learn and E-lead model. 

Click here to take the survey

We get better when we learn, so your feedback directly supports and leads to performance improvement. Thank you in advance for taking time to complete this short survey.

Sincerely, 

David Nancarrow

Director of Communications

Dear D49 Families,

Thank you for participating in two community forums about graduation planning. More than 2,700 of you have engaged with our plans, contributing more than 30,000 thoughts and ratings. Thank you! Your main priorities were to hold a traditional (vs. virtual or drive-in) ceremony, in an outdoor venue, with family members attending. We are eager to meet the first two priorities, and grieved that we will almost certainly not be able to support an audience of family members or other in-person guests at the ceremony.

Today we will submit our general graduation plan to El Paso County Public Health. The county will approve plans based on guidelines that have been cleared by the health department, local hospitals, the county commissioners, and finally, the state. As a district we are doing our best to uphold our community’s preferences while complying with state and county guidelines. Although the desire for family attendance at graduation is clear, we cannot, as a public entity, defy the governor’s order, or put our commencements at risk of disapproval or disruption.

Based on the county’s guidance, we are moving forward to host student only graduation ceremonies for our large, comprehensive high schools on June 25, 26, and 27. The principals have agreed to celebrate Vista Ridge graduates on Thursday, June 25, Sand Creek graduates on Friday, June 26, and Falcon graduates on Saturday, June 27—all ceremonies begin at 9:00 a.m., with detailed instructions for seniors to follow.

GRADUATON INFORMATION PAGE   

By scheduling in late June, we are preserving the very slight possibility that Governor Polis will amend his order to permit guests at graduations. No leader in any official capacity has even hinted that he will do so, and many officials have stated explicitly that he will not. But we have a plan for safe guest participation should that guidance change.

A team from all D49 high schools is finalizing detailed plans for graduation ceremonies. We are pleased that our local partners at UCHealth Stadium and the Vibes Baseball Club will host our ceremonies at their complex, which has capacity to host all graduates while still practicing safe social distancing. The venue also has excellent audio-visual equipment, a massive jumbotron to feature senior pictures, and excellent capacity for high-quality, live-streaming video.

Thank you for engaging with us on this difficult decision. We understand that many will be disappointed by our plans, and we empathize especially with the class of 2020. For graduates who choose not to attend, for any reason, we will still honor and recognize you in the presence of your classmates and the online audience. We will do our best to preserve the moments that matter by ensuring that every graduate has an opportunity to cross a stage and receive a diploma, with cheers and respect from us all.

For the D49 Team, with respect and regards,

Peter Hilts
Chief Education Officer

Dear D49 Family, 

We continue to learn, work and lead by carrying on operations as E49! We are settling into our routines, and we thank you for working so hard in this season of E-learning. We know we will continue E-learning through the remainder of the school year. As we move forward with that clarity, we want to check in to learn more about your experience in E49.  

We invite you to take a few minutes to share what you think about the effectiveness of E49 as we conclude our fourth week in the E-work, E-learn and E-lead model. 

We get better when we learn, so your feedback directly supports and leads to performance improvement. Thank you in advance for taking time to complete this short survey.

Dear D49 Family,

Dear D49 Family,

Today we learned the Colorado High School Athletic Association (CHSAA) officially cancelled co-curricular athletics and activities for the remainder of the 2019-20 school year. 

CHSAA officials cited “the inability to ensure operations under the protective guidelines, statewide accountability and public safety through all high school events,” in its decision to cancel all performances, festivals, competitions, regular season and culminating CHSAA-sanctioned spring activities and athletics for the remainder of the 2020 season, ending on June 1. Please see the official statement in its entirety on the CHSAA website.

We understand this is more disheartening news during an already difficult time. We share your disappointment, yet we are confident the decision best supports the safety of our students and staff during the COVID-19 public health emergency. We continue to evaluate next appropriate steps with school leaders and athletic directors to determine if summer activities can proceed after June 1. As soon as decisions are made, we will let the D49 community know.

We eagerly look forward to the day we can safely return to our normal school routines and restore all activities that complement the pursuit of excellence at D49. Thank you for your trust and understanding. 

Sincerely, 

David Nancarrow

Director of Communications

Dear D49 Families,

The district’s decision to extend E-learning through the end of the school year has created ripple effects for other programs and events, including spring season sports. Colorado High School Athletic Association has not officially cancelled the spring season yet, but could easily extend its current suspension of co-curricular athletics and activities in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency.

We continue to evaluate next appropriate steps with school leaders and athletic directors to decide what best supports safety for our students and staff. Considering guidance from the governor that in-person learning is “highly unlikely,” as well as uncertainty about health agency guidance in El Paso County, we cannot say for sure that we will offer in-person operations of any kind for the remainder of this school year, including sports.

The current guidance from CHSAA is in alignment with the governor’s standing suspension of in-person learning through the month of April. We know leaders at CHSAA are working closely with the governor’s office to determine if it will be possible to restore co-curricular/extracurricular athletics and activities for the 2019-20 school year. We will move forward under current guidance and continue to seek additional clarification from the governor’s office and CHSAA.

As soon as decisions are made, we will let the D49 community know.

Thank you for your trust and understanding.

Sincerely,

David Nancarrow
Director of Communications

Hello D49 Families,

After reviewing guidance and projections from health and government agencies, we have decided to extend E49, our E-learning system, for the remainder of our normal calendar, ending on May 22. Considering guidance from the governor that in-person learning is “highly unlikely” as well as uncertainty about health agency guidance in El Paso County, we cannot say for sure that we will offer any in-person operations this school year. Rather than prolong that uncertainty, we have decided to continue providing remote learning through the end of this school year. We will continue teaching, learning, and assessing for the remainder of the year because students are still getting valuable learning, and they need that foundation as we prepare for next year.

This decision does not mean there is a permanent ban on in-person interaction at our schools—that still may be possible on a limited basis—but we can’t depend on in-person methods to complete the school year. As we restore our community from social separation and stay-at-home orders, we do not know what the guidelines and directives will require, so we can’t build firm plans on uncertain foundations. We recognize that families will make their own decisions about when it is safe to re-engage with community activity. Therefore, if we can safely offer the option of some limited, in-person learning this year, it will be voluntary, not mandatory, and dependent on teacher availability. Since E-learning will continue, that will be the main mode of schooling for teachers and students. If any in-person learning is allowed or offered, it would be supplemental only. Because in-person learning is an unknown possibility, we will wait to develop specific plans when we have additional community guidance.

The most critical implication of this decision is that we no longer plan to host full-crowd, arena-style graduation ceremonies in May. As schools around the world grapple with adjusting graduations, some of the proposals include virtual graduations, delaying traditional ceremonies, moving to larger, outdoor venues, “rolling” or parade-style ceremonies, and combinations of all those options. Since all these ideas have advantages and drawbacks, we want to respect the preferences of the D49 family. Today, we are launching a community decision-making process hosted on a platform called Thought Exchange. For one week we will solicit and validate ideas for celebrating our graduates. Following that process, we will announce our plans for senior celebrations in 2020. Because our schools are different sizes and may have differing priorities, the celebrations we host may reflect the unique character of our school communities.

In addition to the major impacts on learning and graduations, there are many other practical matters we need to coordinate. We are developing plans to give staff and students a way to retrieve belongings and materials from our schools before the end of the year. For students with specialized plans, our teachers and specialists will continue to reach out to parents to discuss support and services for the rest of the year. We will communicate plans for these and other key topics as soon as they are developed. This decision only applies to the suspension of in-person learning and district activities through May 22. We have not made any decisions or announcements about summer break programs such as Extended School Year (ESY), gifted education camps, or READ camps that normally run through June and July. Like other plans that far out, we don’t yet know what will be safe and permissible.

It is discouraging to think about finishing the year without returning to school, but we are also encouraged by the way school communities are staying strong and connected even during this crisis. Let’s finish the year with care and pride so that when we finally can gather again we’ll have something memorable to celebrate and share.

For the D49 Team, respectfully,

Peter Hilts
Chief Education Officer

Dear D49 Families,

We are committed to supporting you through E-learning and will continue to offer Chromebooks to families who could not reserve a device during the open registration periods. 

Please contact your school, or student’s teacher to reserve a device. You will find contact information on your school’s web page by clicking E-Learning under Classes and Activities, or by clicking on School Info and then Staff Directory. Your teacher will submit a ticket and provide you the ticket number, which you will need to pick up your D49 Chromebook. 

Please have your ticket number ready when you pick up a Chromebook. Beginning Monday, April 13, pickups will take place on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. at the following locations:

• Odyssey Elementary School 
• Falcon Elementary School of Technology

D49 Chromebook Exchange 

Your teachers can also help you if you need to exchange or return a device. Please reach out and request a ticket number for:

• Chromebook device replacements
• Power cord replacements
• Chromebook returns

Exchanges can be made at either location for convenience. Our tech support team asks for devices to be returned in a plastic bag.  

Thank you for your patience and understanding. 

Sincerely, 
School District 49 

Dear D49 Families,

We have our next round of Chromebooks ready for pick up Thursday, April 9. Reservation slots are now available to reserve your devices for pick up at Horizon Middle School. 

This will be our last open call for reservations. 

If you did not successfully make a reservation during any previous reservation phase, please register using the Eventbrite link below prior to pick up on Thursday to secure a device and to provide information for each student needing support. 

Use password 3E49 to register. 

Chromebook Checkout @ HMS - Horizon Middle School

When you have reserved a device, please bring your confirmation email to the pickup location. 

We are committed to meeting the needs of D49 families and will continue to provide Chromebooks throughout E-learning. 

If you have not reserved a Chromebook during any of the reservation times, including for this week, we will have an opportunity for you to pick one up. We will share more information soon about checking out a device if you missed this last invitation.

We thank you for your trust and understanding as we walk together into this season of E-learning. 

Sincerely, 

School District 49 

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/horizon-middle-school-loaner-chromebook-handout-2-tickets-102195359070 

Hey all you crafters, sewers, and resourceful folks around District 49!

As we continue serving meals, managing tech, and taking care of other essential duties, we want to help our workforce follow the Governor’s guidance to mask up while travelling or interacting with the community. But, we don’t want to use masks that could be going to first responders and health care workers.

So, we are inviting our community to pitch in by making and sharing your craziest, coolest, and most Colorado masks around—to outfit our workforce for the duration of E49. You never know, your mask could be featured for Fantastic 49 and you could be named and E49 Hero!

El Paso County Public Health shared this link to a video with instructions on how to make a mask. 

Mask-Making for All
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=how+to+make+a+mask&docid=607991481223284481&mid=A2952D06887FEA4D65D4A2952D06887FEA4D65D4&view=detail&FORM=VIREHT 

We’ll be accepting the masks you made at the same locations where we’re providing school meals: Evans Elementary, Odyssey Elementary, and Falcon Elementary, from 11 to 11:45 a.m., Monday through Friday. We will begin taking donations on Tuesday, April 6, and will continue for the duration of the social distancing orders. 

Let’s Mask Up!

Dear D49 Family, 

Just a few days ago our district officially entered a new season of fulfilling our vision and mission of being the Best Choice to Learn, Work and Lead. The arrival to our community of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) set into action plans we've developed to balance a commitment to actively prevent the spread of illness while continuing to provide excellent education to all learners in the face of this global health emergency. 

We remain committed to our promise to act with purpose and composure—not panic and chaos. Your voice will support us in fulfilling that commitment. We invite you to take a few minutes to help us learn about the effectiveness of our response so far.

Take the Survey: bit.ly/E49_TransitionSurvey 

We get better when we learn, so your feedback directly supports and leads to performance improvement. Thank you in advance for taking time to complete this short survey.

Sincerely, 

David Nancarrow

Director of Communications

April 3, 2020

Dear D49 Families,

We have our next round of Chromebooks ready for pick up Saturday, April 4. Reservation slots are now available to reserve your devices. We are committed to meeting the needs of D49 families, and we thank you for your continued patience and grace. Our team is working hard every day to prepare technology to distribute for E-learning.  

This round of Chromebooks will be available for pick up at Vista Ridge High School and Falcon High School. If you did not successfully make a reservation during any reservation phase, including the distribution at Sand Creek High School for April 3, please register using the Eventbrite links below prior to pick up to secure a device and to provide information for each student needing support. 

Use password 2E49 to register. 

Chromebook Checkout @ VRHS - Vista Ridge High School Pickup
Chromebook Checkout @ FHS - Falcon High School Pickup

When you have reserved a device, please bring your confirmation email to the pickup location. 

We will keep assessing our tech inventory from school to school to meet the needs of D49 families. We are confident we have enough technology to support all students. Our educators are aware of the demand for devices and will be more than happy to work with you as we continue E-learning in E49. 

Please monitor our regular channels of communication for updates as we set up additional pickup locations as needed. We thank you for your trust and understanding as we walk together into this season of E-learning. 

Sincerely, 

School District 49

Dear D49 Family,

District 49 is nearly through our first week of E-learning under E49! As we learn from our shared experiences, we are updating our protocols for learners, educators and families along the way. These updates build upon the approved plans we developed in preparation for E49. 

How We are Supporting This Season of E-learning:

• After piloting Zoom™ video conferencing with students at specific locations, we are opening Zoom for use with students to all teachers. We are using Zoom routinely for adult-to-adult engagement, and we expect to continue using that resource for more purposes. However, to ensure that our security and classroom control settings are correct, we are requiring that teachers secure explicit principal approval before using Zoom for student interaction.

• We are tracking to provide school-owned devices to all families that need one or more. Our ed tech and facilities teams, along with our IT support partner, Sentinel Technologies, have made major progress providing more than 3,000 devices already, and we are hoping to meet existing demand by early next week.

• We hope to receive additional hot spots to support E-learning by mid-April. In the meantime, please go to (or direct families to) D49.org/E49 and see Home Access Assistance to discover more options available for families such as free access through XFinity.

• If a student does not have access to wifi and cannot complete the work, teachers will remain flexible with attendance keeping until the student obtains reliable access to the internet. Our teachers are resourceful and creative, so we trust them to be fair and help students stay engaged.

• We are aware of system slowdowns and crashes across platforms like Schoology, Google Classrooms, Canvas, and many other systems not used in D49. This is a global problem because none of those systems were built for simultaneous access by tens of millions of students. Those providers are working diligently to increase system capacity on the server (cloud) side of the platform.

E49 Teacher/Student Engagements and Interactions

• We have asked all adults (especially teachers and other providers) to avoid the reality or appearance of secret interactions with students, which are undisclosed private messages or meetings. To avoid secrecy, our protocol is to interact with students in semi-public settings (like virtual classrooms). It is also acceptable to copy a parent, a colleague, or a counselor on the message to preserve transparency and follow district protocols. 

• Public meetings can be virtual meetings with video, phone calls, or texts that include at least 3 people, in any combination of students, staff and parents. We encourage this type of meeting because it provides the most assurance of transparency and keeps staff and the students safe from possible harm. 

• Private meetings are staff/student meetings pre-arranged for a specific time, date and purpose with consent from the parent. These meetings may be necessary for a student to have private conversations and be open about how things are going, or to provide student-specific tutoring, intervention or other assistance.  

• D49 is adhering strictly to the recommendations of state and regional health professionals in the best interests of safety for our community by practicing social distancing during the COVID-19 crisis. We are firmly discouraging home visits by staff to parents or students under any circumstances.

In District 49, we are not going to give up on 2020. We will continue teaching, learning, assessing, and reporting until the final day of the school year—whether that happens online or on a physical campus. We will pursue excellence as E49 at least through the end of April, which aligns with the extended suspension of in-person learning announcement by Governor Polis. We are celebrating a tremendous response from our staff who are prepared and eager to connect with students, not to mention our students and families who are adjusting to learning from home. 

We thank you for your hard work, your trust and understanding as we walk together through this season of E49.

Sincerely,

David Nancarrow
Director of Communications