July 30, 2021

Dear Wayne Highlands Families,

I hope this finds you well.I am reaching out with important information to help you prepare for the upcoming school year.We were grateful to have been able to provide the best educational experience possible to our students throughout last school year and look forward to doing the same in 2021-2022. There were many challenges last year, just as we anticipate there may be moving forward.Regardless, we are confident that we will persevere and get through this, together, better than ever!

At last week’s Board of Education meeting, the proposed Health and Safety Plan was approved.The plan is available to review on our website at https://whsdk12.me.The plan outlines the safety measures and protocols that we will implement to ensure a safe return to school with a focus on health and safety as well as continuity of education and services.You will find that the plan maintains many of the mitigation efforts that were put into place last school year.One notable difference, however, is in regard to universal wearing of masks.As you are aware, the Pennsylvania Department of Health lifted the universal masking order on June 28.As a result, students and staff are encouraged, but not required to wear masks while inside or outside of the school building. Please note that at this time it is still required that individuals wear a mask on planes, buses, trains, and other forms of public transportation traveling into, within, or out of the United States, to include school buses.

Another noteworthy change as we enter the 2021-2022 school year is that the Wayne Highlands LIVE option referred to last school year as Option 2, will no longer be available.Instead, our focus will be on a successful full return to in-person instruction.Please note that the Wayne Highlands Virtual Campus will continue to be available, just as it was prior to the Pandemic.

As we enter the new school year it is important that we all continue to be cognizant of the most critical pillar of our plan…flexibility.As we have all learned, the Pandemic has the ability to change from day to day, sometimes even minute to minute.With that in mind, please understand that our plan will need to be flexible to accommodate mandates, changes, trends and events as they occur (i.e. if community transmission or school-wide transmission becomes substantial or high). Like last year, we intend to communicate clearly and as often as needed.

If you have any questions about any of the above, I encourage you to contact your building principal or me as soon as possible.In the meantime, I remain grateful and thankful for your continued cooperation, support, and understanding.

Sincerely,

Gregory Frigoletto
District Superintendent

ARP ESSER Health and Safety Plan Guidance