August 3, 2021
Hello SJISD Families!
I hope your summer has been great. At the district office, we, too, have enjoyed our breaks but are now getting ready for the upcoming school year.
The 20-21 school year seemed to last forever as we all navigated the uncertainties of COVID 19. As educators, the part of last year that was the hardest was missing out on the interaction with students. As a lifelong educator, I can assure you, there is nothing more energizing than a building full of kids.
Last year, through online, remote, and hybrid instruction, San Juan Island School District provided the best education possible, but as the year unfolded it became very clear how valuable in-person learning is.
The fact is that most students learn more, grow more, and participate more when in the classroom. Therefore, on Thursday, September 2, we will be opening our doors to in-person learning and students will return to a five day a week schedule. For those families who need their children to be in a remote setting, Griffin Bay School will offer off site and remote learning. We have added additional social-emotional supports for students across the district and have increased counseling services to meet their needs. Academic after-school programs will be available for tutoring.
The Delta variant does cause alarm, and we realize that this battle with an invisible enemy will continue. Throughout the past year we have learned how to mitigate the risks. Schools will continue to do everything possible to ensure that students are safe.
1. All students and adults who enter the building will wear masks, vaccinated or not.
a. Wearing a mask in public school is a direct order from the Governor and the State Department of Education.
b. The Superintendent of Public Instruction has informed all districts statewide that schools who fail to comply to this order will not be funded.
2. COVID testing clinics will be available on campus once a week on a volunteer basis for our students and employees. We are now certified to administer rapid testing as needed.
3. Staff will continue with disinfection protocols. Our staff will ensure that cleaning is done consistently and thoroughly.
4. The air filtration system will be open completely to maintain good air flow.
5. Classroom and lunch time structures will encourage social distancing.
As students return to school, they will notice some other changes. In the elementary school, Holly Wehner will greet students as their new principal. Holly has taught at the elementary school since 2014. She has prepared rigorously for a principalship, and we are proud to have her step into this leadership role.
On the secondary campus, construction is underway on a new tennis facility. Of the four courts, two of them will have pickleball lines. Our goal is to create a facility to be used by our tennis teams, the PE department, and the greater community.
All of this begins in one month. As we continue to learn how to live life with a virus that continues to disrupt, we want you to know that San Juan Island School District is doing all it can to give students the opportunity to grow, achieve, and be prepared for the next step.
Enjoy the rest of the summer, We'll see you soon.
Fred Woods
Superintendent
