Dear Students, Parents and Guardians,
Welcome back! On Monday, March 21, the Oregon Health Authority aligned Oregon's rules with CDC guidelines allowing students to be seated 3 feet apart in classrooms.
In light of the new "3-foot rule," starting on Tuesday, April 6, we are inviting all students to come to campus for classes for four days per week, using the same Bell Schedule that we have been using thus far in Semester 2. Starting next Tuesday, students may attend JHS in one of two modes: on-campus for four days per week, or fully-remote (i.e., students cannot choose to be on campus for two days/week only).
If a student will be fully-remote, parents and student must complete this survey by Friday, April 2 at 9 am for each student in your family who will be fully-remote: https://forms.gle/koUsbLJmpdkMiEy88.
In preparing for this exciting development, we are making certain adjustments to keep students safe and campus orderly. That starts with parking and arrival to campus.
Changes below commence the week of April 6 and will last through the end of the school year, barring unforeseen circumstances.
Arrival and CapScann Health Screen Freshmen will enter campus and pass the CapScann Health Screen in the Knight Lobby, along with seniors. Sophomores and Juniors will enter on the west side of campus, by the Flagpole, and pass the CapScann screen in Gedrose Student Center (see info below regarding Gedrose remodel project!).
Parking Parking permits are required for students to park on campus during the school day on a first-come, first-served basis. Seniors with permits may continue to park in Cronin lot. Juniors with permits may park in the Valley Plaza lot. Sophomores with permits may park in the tennis court lot.
Health Practices and Lunch We will continue to enforce guidelines regarding distancing, hand-washing, mask-wearing, and other health measures. Students must maintain six feet of distance during lunch, as they may have masks off while eating, and will be required to meet in designated lunch zones. With twice as many students on campus, we encourage students to eat with the same group of friends in the same location each day. Students are not to wander campus during lunch. The Clark Library is not open to students during lunch.
Seniors Seniors whose parents sign the indemnity form will be allowed to walk (not drive!) off campus for lunch. Seniors cannot leave campus during 2nd, 3rd, or 6th period Prep Periods.
Before and After School Students who arrive early or need to stay after the last class of the day may continue to check into the Clark Library, which will be open from 7 to 8 am and from 3 to 5 pm.
Gedrose Center Refresh We are thrilled to announce that we are launching a major remodel of the Gedrose Student Center, beginning in mid-April. The Gedrose Center will not be available after construction starts. At that time, juniors will check in via the Elorriaga Center, and sophomores will check in at the Commons (east of Gedrose Center).
Frequently Asked Questions You may have more questions as we adapt to this latest guidance. We try to anticipate some of them below. Please let us know if you have other questions:
Q: Does this mean all students can be on campus four days/week?
A: Yes. Starting April 6, on days when classes are held on campus, all students may come to school for classes We will continue to use our Spring Weekly Schedule; students will be on campus during block schedule days (Periods 1-4 and Periods 5-7). Monday All-Period schedules will continue to be digital.
Q: Why are students not on campus for classes five days/week?
A: Our April and May calendars support important events, including on-campus SAT tests, AP tests, grade-level activities, and Professional Development for our faculty. Many of these require extra space or that classes not meet. We have scheduled larger AP exams on digital Mondays to ensure safe spacing and to reduce the impact on class time. In addition, faculty have planned curriculum for the remainder of the year. Many teachers use digital Mondays for writing/language conferences, exam prep, and other key academic activities. Making significant changes to the schedule at this time would have a detrimental impact on academics.
Q: Can students choose to stay in their current Cohort and be on campus two days/week only?
A: No. In light of the updated rules re Cohort sizes and distancing, we no longer have to divide students into Cohorts. From April 6 through the end of the 2020-21 school year, students will attend JHS in one of two modes: on-campus or fully-remote. We expect the 2021-22 school year to be 100% on campus.
Q: Does this mean that students will now have Lunch and Homeroom on campus twice a week?
A: Yes. On-campus students will need to bring lunch from home two days/week.
Q: Do students and staff still have to pass through the CapScann each day?
A: Yes. We will continue to encourage students to arrive early in order to prevent lines at the CapScann machines. Please see information above re parking and arrival location changes.
Q: If we have a positive case on campus, will students sitting three feet from a positive student have to quarantine?
A: Yes. That is the current guidance of OHA/ODE. We will continue to work with our local public health authority in such cases.
After long months of remote and cohort learning models, we are so excited to welcome students back for four days per week. Thanks for continuing to work with us and to practice good hygiene and follow all CDC guidelines as we navigate evolving health directives.
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