June 7, 2020

Dear Class of 2020 and D49 Families,

We are thrilled to share with you that new guidance from Governor Polis and our partners at El Paso County Public Health WILL allow us to welcome family members of the Class of 2020 to our outdoor graduation ceremonies for Vista Ridge, Sand Creek and Falcon High Schools June 25, 26, and 27. We do not have final approval for a specific number, but our preliminary indication is that each graduate would be able to invite at least two guests, with a real possibility of expanding that invitation if the county confirms our math and our preventative measures. 

This approval is based in part on encouraging progress in slowing the spread of COVID-19, resulting in the gradual safe return to regular activities and Governor Polis’ continued relaxation of in-person restrictions. From the start, we wanted our graduates to celebrate their accomplishments with their families at a largely traditional ceremony. We listened to your desires for an outdoor graduation on a delayed schedule to give us the best opportunity to bring families together for the event. We continued to work with our partners at the state and local level, never losing hope this could be possible. Thank you for your enduring patience and trust. 

We are also grateful to our partners at UCHealth Stadium, home of the Rocky Mountain Vibes. Their speedy response during our search for an outdoor venue and professionalism in hosting large events opened the door to the plans we’ve made so far. We will continue to listen to their expertise as we develop a plan to safely host a socially-distanced crowd of spectators for our graduation ceremonies. 

We will work with EPCPH and UCHealth Stadium staff to work out the best next steps. Although we will welcome family members, we anticipate having to set a per-graduate invitation limit to safely manage the available space we have while following physical distancing and cleaning protocols to minimize the potential for any further spread of infection. 

On behalf of the entire team in District 49, we thank you again for walking together with us through planning a ceremony to honor and celebrate the class of 2020. Please keep an eye on our regular channels of communication for updates as we finalize our plan. 

Sincerely,

Peter Hilts

Chief Education Officer

Dear D49 Families,

Although we gathered a significant number of the Chromebooks and hotspots we shared for this season of E-learning, at the conclusion of our scheduled collection events we quickly discovered hundreds of the district’s devices are still out there. Accordingly, we will reopen our collection process this week for families who were unable to drop off their devices during the previous scheduled return period. Please return those devices and charging cables (in a plastic bag, if possible) to the D49 Creekside Success Center (3850 Pony Tracks Dr., Colorado Springs). A map of the dropoff location is attached to this message.

The schedule for Chromebook and hotspot returns is as follows:

Tuesday, June 2, 9:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Thursday, June 4, 9:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Returning these devices will ensure our schools are equipped to properly meet the needs of our students for the upcoming school year. A member of the D49 team on site will greet you in the Creekside lobby to collect your devices and will ask for your student’s name and school to begin the return process. 

We thank you for your cooperation! If you have questions, please email them to cbreturn@d49.org.

Sincerely, 
School District 49 Technology Service Team

Thank you, District 49!

As the 2019-2020 school year comes to a close, we invite you to join Chief Education Officer Peter Hilts and Chief Business Officer Brett Ridgway in the video above for a few thoughts about our journey together through this unprecedented season for D49.

We’d like to take this opportunity to share a recap about bringing this season of E49 to a successful close, celebrating the class of 2020, and looking ahead to gearing up for our return to school in August.

When the world, our nation and our region learned about the potential impact of the COVID-19 health crisis, we knew we had to get to work, and we did that with confidence knowing D49 would rise to this challenge: preparing ourselves to transition into our E-work, E-learn, E-lead model that we called E49.

Do we have all of the answers as we look ahead? Not yet, but we assure you we are working quickly to develop our plans, and we will share more with you as they take shape.

Thank you, D49. Each and every one of you made E49 possible with care, trust, responsibility, respect, not to mention flexibility and a huge helping of grace. We hope you have a great summer!

Dear D49 Families,

We are drawing our large-scale Chromebook return process to a close. If you checked out one or more D49 Chromebooks and Hotspots 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. We are adding a late afternoon drop-off time for our families’ convenience during our final two-day push to collect the devices that have not been returned. The schedule for Chromebook and hotspot returns is as follows:

Tuesday, May 26, 3:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Wednesday, May 27, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

To ensure our schools are equipped properly for the upcoming school year, we’re asking families to return the devices they checked out for this season of E-learning. If you need a device for assignments that extend into the summer months, or when we return from summer break, please contact your school directly and they will provide further instructions about distributing devices to continue E-learning.  

Please see the attached map for device drop-off entrances at VRHS. 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.

We thank you for your hard work, and for your cooperation! For more information please visit https://www.d49.org/domain/2661

Sincerely, 

School District 49 Technology Service Team 

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