April 2, 2020

Dear D49 Families,

More reservation slots are now available to check out D49 technology to support E-learning. We are committed to meeting the needs of D49 families, and we understand the frustration caused by the demand we have for available devices. 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 may be requested for pick-up at Sand Creek High School on Friday, April 3. If you did not successfully make a reservation during any reservation phase, please register using the Eventbrite link below prior to pick up to secure a device and to provide information for each student needing support. 

Use password 3E49! to register. 

Chromebook Checkout @ SCHS - Sand Creek High School Pickup 

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

Thank you for your patience as we prepare more technology to distribute for E-learning. 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 as we transition to E-learning. Our educators are aware of what’s happening 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 another pickup location. We thank you for your trust, your patience and understanding as we walk together into this season of E-learning. 

Sincerely, 

School District 49

April 1, 2020

Dear D49 Families

We are opening more reservations today to check out D49 technology to support E-learning. As we receive reservations today, we are cleaning and preparing these devices for pick up on Thursday and Friday of this week. 

Chromebooks may be requested for pick-up at the current active locations: Horizon Middle School, Falcon Middle School and Vista Ridge High School. If you did not successfully make a reservation during any reservation phase, 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 @ HMS - Horizon Middle School Pickup

Chromebook Checkout @ FMS - Falcon Middle School pickup

Chromebook Checkout @ VRHS - Vista Ridge High School pickup

There is a limited number of Chromebooks at each location, and devices will not be moved from one place to another. If you attempt to reserve devices at one location, and they are unavailable, please try another pick up location. When you have reserved a device please bring your confirmation email to the pickup location. 

Thank you for your patience as we prepare more technology to distribute for E-learning. 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 D49 families as we transition to E-learning. Don’t worry about missing the first day or two of E-learning because of a lack of technology. Our educators are aware of what’s happening and will be more than happy to work with you. 

Please monitor our regular channels of communication for updates as we are setting up another pickup location. We thank you for your trust, your patience and understanding as we walk together into this season of E-learning. 

Sincerely, 

School District 49

Dear D49 Family,

School District 49 will remain on our E-learning schedule through April 30, 2020. We anticipated Governor Polis would extend his executive order suspending in-person learning, and he followed through on those expectations during a news conference this afternoon. His announcement aligns with President Trump’s stay-at-home guidance issued last weekend.

Although this official announcement will extend E49 on the calendar, we will meet this challenge with the same composure, clarity and shared concern that the D49 family has displayed so far in our transition to E-learning.

At this time, we are uncertain if we will return to in-person instruction after April 30, or if the suspension will continue. In this rapidly evolving landscape, updates come quickly and we will reassess our protocols based on the latest information from the governor’s office. The governor has said repeatedly and emphatically that he considers it “highly unlikely” that school will return to in-person status this school year. He has not made an official proclamation to that effect, so we are seeking more clarity and decisiveness in that direction.

We will continue to provide excellent E-learning as we seek additional clarity, while maintaining strict adherence to the recommendations of state and regional health professionals in the best interests of safety for our community. As we learn more, we commit to provide clear and direct guidance for students, parents, educators, and our community.

Thank you for your trust and understanding,

David Nancarrow
Director of Communications

Many of our classes are using Schoology. Parents and students have noticed some issues. Here is a messsage from Schoology.

Scaling Schoology for Increased Demand

Dear D49 Families,

We are working quickly to assist our families and students by sharing D49 technology to support E-learning in our transition to E49. We are experiencing a large demand, but we are confident we have enough tech to meet the needs of all D49 families. Please fill out this survey (one per household), if you still need a device, or devices, to support E-learning in your home.

The results of this survey will help us understand how we can best serve you with D49 technology. It will only take a few moments to complete. We appreciate your trust, understanding and feedback.

https://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/5528020/E49-Tech-Support-for-E-learning?fbclid=IwAR2HaZijpU3fNQGq2YrDCvvxlVYETyt1df1UxKKneeYkhyPOaaKwPJnDVpc

Dear D49 Families,

We are opening more reservations today to check out D49 technology to support E-learning. As we receive reservations today, we are cleaning and preparing these devices for pick up on Thursday and Friday of this week.  

Chromebooks may be requested for pick-up at three different locations to begin the next round of the reservation process: Horizon Middle School, Falcon Middle School and Vista Ridge High School. If you did not successfully make a reservation during the initial reservation phase, please register using the Eventbrite links below in this second phase prior to pick up to secure a device and to provide information for each student needing support. Charter school families need to contact their individual schools for guidance and technology support.

There is a limited number of Chromebooks at each location, and devices will not be moved from one place to another. If you attempt to reserve devices at one location, and they are unavailable, please try another pick up location. When you have reserved a device please bring your confirmation email to the pickup location. 

Select the link below that corresponds with your choice of pickup location. 

Use password 2E49 to register. 

Chromebook Checkout @ HMS - Horizon Middle School Pickup

Chromebook Checkout @ FMS - Falcon Middle School pickup

Chromebook Checkout @ VRHS - Vista Ridge High School pickup

Thank you for your patience as we prepare more technology to distribute for E-learning. 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 D49 families as we transition to E-learning. Don’t worry about missing the first day or two of E-learning because of a lack of technology. 

We encourage families with special circumstances to contact your student’s principal to share your family’s needs. Our educators are aware of what’s happening and will be more than happy to work with you. 

Please monitor our regular channels of communication for updates. We thank you for your trust, your patience and understanding as we walk together into this season of E-learning. 

Sincerely, 

School District 49

The Peak Vista Health Clinic at Falcon Elementary School of Technology will continue seeing patients through TeleHealth(™) video conferencing medical service during the COVID-19 health emergency. 

Patients who need attention can call 719.344.6247 to initiate a TeleHealth(™) appointment, or over-the-phone consultation with Peak Vista. Staff will answer calls and monitor all voicemail messages to reply to these requests.  

Please visit a local Peak Vista Health Clinic for in-person appointments. Although the FESoT clinic does not require a copay, the local Peak Vista clinics may ask for a copay at the time of the appointment. 

For detailed appointment information, including locations offering COVID-19 testing, please call 719.344.6247.

Dear D49 Families,

We have more Chromebooks for D49 students. Right now district staff are gathering and cleaning more technology to share for E-learning while we also update our reservation procedures. We are confident we have enough technology to meet the needs of D49 families as we transition to E-learning. 

Thank you for your patience as we experienced a very high demand when we opened up the reservation process Thursday afternoon. Nearly 600 laptops were requested in the initial phase, and we will distribute those next week at the specified pickup locations. We will share more information early next week as we finalize the reservation process for the devices we are currently preparing for distribution. 

Don’t worry about missing the first day or two of E-learning because of a lack of technology. We encourage families to contact your student’s teacher to let them know your family’s situation. Our educators are aware of what’s happening and will be more than happy to work with you. 

Please monitor our regular channels of communication for updates. We thank you for your trust, your patience and understanding as we walk together into this season of E-learning. 

Sincerely, 

School District 49

UPDATE:

Good afternoon D49 Families,

We began the reservation process for D49 Chromebooks today, but available space filled up faster than expected. We are assessing the reservation system and inventory we have on hand, and we will determine if we have more resources to share. 

We are tracking the great demand for technology to support our families through our season of E-learning, and we are working quickly to meet the needs. 

As soon as we have more reservation spots open, we will share an update immediately. Please continue to monitor our standard communication channels for more information.

Thank you for your patience, I’d also reaffirm that this is for families in need and if you have technology at home, please consider those in our community who do not.

Original Message:

As District 49 re-opens for learning next week under our new model of E-working and E-learning, we are committed to ensuring all learners have access to reliable technology. We invite families that do not have technology devices available for student use (computers, laptops, iPads or tablets) to check out D49-owned devices on a temporary basis to support E-learning.

Chromebooks will be available to any learner who attends a D49 operated school. Many of our students already have a school-provided device and should not need an additional device at this time. 

Charter school families need to contact their individual schools for guidance and technology support. 

Because we have a limited number of Chromebooks, we must prioritize for families that do not have a device at home. We also understand many homes only have one computer, and there is a good chance a parent is using it while working from home.  If that is the case, please request a computer for each of your students who needs one to participate in E-learning, and we will do our best to accommodate families to reduce the strain of limited device access. 

Chromebooks may be requested for pick-up at three different locations: Evans International Elementary, Odyssey Elementary and Falcon Elementary. Families must register prior to pick up on the Eventbrite links below to secure a device and to provide information for each student needing support. Families may choose whichever location is most convenient for pick-up.

There is a limited number of Chromebooks at each location, and devices will not be moved from one place to another. If you attempt to reserve devices at one location, and they are unavailable, please try another pick up location.

Select the link below that corresponds with your choice of pickup location. 

Use password E49 to register. 

Chromebook Check-out @ EIES for Evans International pickup

Chromebook Check-out @ OES for Odyssey pickup

Chromebook Check-out @ FESoT for Falcon Elementary pickup

Distribution times are planned for 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Monday, March 30 to Wednesday, April 1, at all three locations. If a parent is unable to pick up a device during this time, you may send a friend or family member to retrieve it for your student.

We understand that E-learning begins on Tuesday. Don’t let that cause any extra anxiety if you can’t pick up the computer until Wednesday. Teachers are taking a gentle approach the first couple days, and if you let your teacher know, they will be more than happy to work with you. 

For the health and safety of everyone, we ask that families stay within their vehicle during pick up, and the E49 team will deliver the cleaned and disinfected laptops upon arrival.

Thank you for your patience and trust as we navigate a new landscape and transition to E-learning.

Dear D49 Family,

As we return from spring break and move into a new season of E-learning, we’re going to respect the public guidance for social distancing and limited mobility, as well as the governor’s order that cancels all events and large gatherings for all Colorado entities (including D49 schools) through April 30.

There is no question the current public health crisis created by the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) is disrupting the way we work, the way we learn and certainly all of the plans we made well in advance of this time of shared concern. We understand the disappointment of having to miss out on many of our favorite activities, like sporting events, concerts, and school trips.

We recognize that there is a discrepancy in state-level guidance because the governor has suspended in-person instruction until April 20, but has banned events and large groups until April 30. We cannot reconcile that discrepancy, so we are lobbying the state agencies to clarify and give us additional guidance.

Additionally, the governor has said repeatedly and emphatically that he considers it “highly unlikely” that school will return to in-person status this school year. He has not made an official proclamation to that effect, so we are seeking more clarity and decisiveness in that direction. For now, we will hold off on issuing final cancellations for May events until we have additional clarity.

We are following this guidance to ensure the safety of every student, staff member and guest of D49. Please continue to monitor our regular channels of communication. If the governor’s order is revised or extended, we’ll adjust and let you know promptly.

Thank you for your trust and understanding,

David Nancarrow
Director of Communications

Dear District 49 Families,

One of the many items that has come up during this new and rapid transition to E-learning is the use of prepayment options to pay for student meals at school.

With E-learning set to begin Monday, March 30 and students not in our buildings, meals will not be served inside our schools. If you have auto payments set up in PaySchools for your student’s meals, you will need to log in and turn off that option. We want to make sure families are not putting money in their student’s account at a time they are not eating at school.

Please take a moment to log into your PaySchools account and turn off auto payments, if you would rather not have your bank account charged at this time. https://payschools.com/

District 49 will continue to offer free meal pickups for students during the suspension of in-school learning and programs. Students get a lunch for the current day, and a breakfast for the following morning. These meals are provided free of charge to all children age 1-18.

Dear D49 Families

On March 30, District 49 will re-open for learning under the new conditions of operations required by the coronavirus health emergency. For the time being, D49 will pursue excellence as E49, which acknowledges our move as a district to an E-learning and E-working model! Thank you for walking with us as we navigate our new landscape and season of learning created by this epidemic. We are already seeing significant impacts as we transition into distance learning, or E-learning. 

WHAT WE ARE DOING:

• All schools have plans in place to facilitate E-learning. Many of our curriculum partners and vendors are making resources available to our teachers in an online platform so that educators and students will be able to continue to access teaching and learning while we operate as E49. 
• We are finalizing a plan to support families who may need assistance with computers and internet access. Watch for email and other communications regarding this process in the upcoming week.
• We encourage our families to support their students as they complete their assignments, although we want to reinforce it is our responsibility as educators to continue to facilitate learning during this period.
• E-learning will roll out district-wide on Tuesday, March 31, to allow our educators time to finalize their preparations with a day of work on March 30. 
• Your schools will reach out directly to explain their procedures and expectations. Please watch for these communications at the end of this week and beginning of the week of March 30 as we return from spring break. 
• We are preparing a resource page on each of our school websites, where you will find useful information to support the E-learning process. We will provide an update on where to find and how to access these pages when they are finalized. 

HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT E-LEARNING

• Please provide a quiet learning environment as free from digital and personal distractions as possible.
• Check-in with your child about student learning/assignments daily.
• Establish routines to structure the day-with expectations for time “in school”
• Allow access to technology.
• Reach out to teachers or your principal when you need help. 
• Communicate about your students' attendance and if they will be absent due to illness or other emergencies. 
• Be aware of deadlines, expectations, and norms.
• Look for school/district communications and respond when appropriate.

Our primary concern is creating productive learning time while respecting the needs of families and students during this challenging time. We will work with our families as needed, and will continue our posture of serving the larger D49 Family while we diligently prepare our campuses for a safe return when we resume normal operations. Please stay alert for messaging through all our channels—the D49 App, our social media feeds, and our district website, where you will find updates and reliable information about coronavirus. Thank you for your attentiveness, partnership, trust and understanding.

Dear District 49 Families and Staff,

Thank you for your ongoing attentiveness through this rapidly developing situation. We are tracking the latest information and applying it to our planning and communications. Although these updates may not have complete information that will answer all questions, the info we have is current and intended to keep the D49 Family informed in this time of shared concern. 

We are continuing to follow the guidance of public health experts to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). There are currently no confirmed cases in School District 49. We support the Governor’s executive order to suspend in-person learning until April 17, and will plan to return to our schools on April 20. Next week we will publish information about our deployment of E-learning, along with specific instructions for teachers, students, and families. In the meantime, we are adjusting district operations to follow the public health guidance by limiting large gatherings and promoting social distancing in response to the current health emergency.

Please review the following updates:

• We will expand our meal program to two additional campuses next week. Our plan is to begin a meal pick up service at Odyssey Elementary School and Falcon Elementary School of Technology. We are finalizing the details and will share more information about start date and pickup times soon. All children ages 1-18 will receive breakfast and lunch. We ask that students be present to get the meal. Click the following link to see a map of all locations providing meals - free "grab and go" breakfast and lunch is available to all children under 18 years old Please monitor email and d49.org for updated information.
• We are ramping up our preparations at all of our schools to begin E-learning that will allow students to continue to access education. 
• We are finalizing a plan to provide equipment to families who need support to participate in e-learning and will have more information on pickup times and locations coming soon. 
• We are developing a process for building visitation to allow staff and families to retrieve important belongings such as instructional technology and prescription medications in an organized fashion to prevent potential contamination of disinfected areas.
• We are disinfecting our schools during and beyond spring break to ensure thorough cleaning of surfaces and equipment throughout the district. 
• We are maintaining district offices and operations through e-work and e-meetings to assist in practicing social distancing by limiting group meetings and other close-contact appointments. Many of our staff will work remotely, while others engage in cleaning and mission-critical tasks that require physical presence.
• D49 offices that are open normally during spring break and under normal circumstances, will remain open while schools and programs are suspended. We are refining our protocols to ensure work can continue as we move to a fully remote-working model. 

Please watch for messaging through all our channels—the D49 App, our social media feeds, and our district website, where you will find updates and reliable information about coronavirus. Thank you for your attentiveness, partnership, trust and understanding as we navigate in this rapidly changing environment.

Sincerely, 

Peter Hilts 
Chief Education Officer

Dear D49 Families and Staff, 

D49 and the Pikes Peak Area Superintendents Support Governor’s Order to Extend School Closures.

To help mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 virus in Colorado, on Wednesday, March 18, 2020, Colorado Governor Jared Polis ordered that all public and private schools across the state suspend in-person learning from March 23 to April 17.

The executive order directs Colorado school districts and the Charter School Institute to make every effort to provide alternative learning opportunities during this time while taking into account the needs of local communities. This order also directs the Commissioner of Education to issue guidance to support P-12 school systems in developing and implementing plans to assist families and students in accessing alternative learning, providing free and reduced lunch and breakfast, and offering waivers for instructional time as appropriate.

The Governor made this order via press release this evening. Read it online here: https://www.colorado.gov/governor/news/colorado-takes-further-action-address-public-health-threat-covid-19  

School districts in the Pikes Peak Region had already decided to close school buildings through March 27. This order will extend that timeframe. At this time, and per this order, students will return to school on Monday, April 20.

Leaders from local districts will meet Thursday, March 19 and in the coming days and will provide more specific information as we move forward.

Educators and leadership in the Pikes Peak Region have already started working on how to provide educational resources for students and families, and school districts are planning for how to ensure that students can continue to receive breakfast and lunch while schools are closed.

Pikes Peak Area Superintendents emphasize that this is a new reality for all and it will require all of us working together in support of children in the Pikes Peak Region. We know that this information brings both certainty and uncertainty for the weeks ahead. We’d ask that we allow each other a measure of grace, as we develop plans for what school looks like in the weeks ahead. Now, more than ever, we must work together for the benefit of our children and our community.

We thank you for your trust and understanding as we navigate this new reality.