Auburn School District Superintendent Dr. Spicciati announced on Monday, August 9th, 2021, precautions that would be put in place ahead of the 2021-22 school year to protect students, teachers and staff against COVID-19.
Dear ASD Families:
I hope you have had a restful, fun summer with family and friends. As we prepare for the upcoming school year, I want to give you an update on our return to in-person learning. We are committed to educating all students in-person, full-time on a regular school calendar.
As we have done since the pandemic began in March of 2020, we will follow the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) and Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) guidelines.
The DOH released updated guidelines July 28th. Some of the key points are:
- The primary goals of the DOH guidelines are to minimize COVID-19 transmission and maximize in-person instruction
- All students and ASD staff who work with and around students will be required to wear a face covering, regardless of vaccination status when indoors.
- Face coverings are not required outdoors.
- Vaccinations are not required for staff or students but are widely encouraged by the medical community for those who are eligible.
- Physical distancing is encouraged when possible.
We are thrilled for students and staff to return this fall. We know some families prefer to keep their students home. For those families, we opened Auburn Online school for students in grades 1-12. There will not be a hybrid option.
The pandemic is not over. We are committed to student and staff safety. We will closely monitor any updated guidance from DOH and OSPI and communicate any impacts on our plans for the fall.
As we gear up for the 21-22 school year, there is a palpable excitement in the air. We are planning open houses, working on class lists and preparing our schools. A new Pioneer Elementary opens this fall and construction started on the new Chinook and Lea Hill Elementary schools.
The ASD community is resilient and supportive. Our students benefit from teh strength of our community. We look forward to seeing grades 1-12 September 8, kindergarten students September 13 and preschool students September 14. School-specific information will be sent in the near future.
Sincerely,
Alan Spicciati
Superintendent
CLICK HERE to view the original message from Dr. Spicciati on the Auburn School District website.
