Wednesday, January 13, 2021 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
needs to hear from fami-
lies as soon as possible so
proper teacher preparation
and building-use planning
can be accomplished. Both
the middle school and high
school have the capacity to
have students enroll in Sisters
Educational Options (SEO)
as an alternative to the hybrid
model.
Sisters High School stu-
dents will largely continue
in the same class schedule
that has been implemented
since the start of the school
year, but now with the long-
awaited chance to be in the
building with their teachers
and classmates.
Students will continue
taking classes over six-week
terms that include two core
classes during the middle por-
tion of the day, with the poten-
tial of other classes early and
late in the day, depending on
students9 needs and choices. In
general, ninth and 10th grades
will attend school Mondays
and Wednesdays, while 11th
and 12th grades will be in-per-
son Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Details of how to manage
elective courses that have all
grade levels within them, such
as art, are being worked out,
according to Hosang.
Haney summed up what
most school staff are likely
feeling when she said, <To
say that the task before us is
immense is an understate-
ment, but we are more than up
for the challenge as we can9t
wait to have our students back
in the building to finish the
year 8Sisters Strong.9=
Students and families are urged to read
all email messages and mailings from the
school for complete information about bus
schedules, drop-off times and procedures,
and comprehensive information about
returning to in-school instruction in Sisters.
SCHOOL CONTACT:
Middle School phone:
541-549-2099
High School phone:
541-549-4045
Website: www.ssd6.org
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Safety concerns arise as
students set to return
By Charlie Kanzig
Correspondent
Even as they welcome
the chance to have stu-
dents back in the classroom
at Sisters Middle School
and Sisters High School,
staff has concerns about
safety in conditions where
COVID-19 cases continue
to threaten and a vaccine is
not yet widely available.
At both schools, staff
has been working diligently
to get safety protocols in
place so that everyone can
remain as safe as possible.
Sisters High School
staff met for two hours on
Friday, January 8, to con-
tinue preparations and,
according to Principal Joe
Hosang, the staff is work-
ing together well to give
students a good learning
environment and experi-
ence. The staff is excited to
have the kids back, accord-
ing to Hosang, but naturally
there is some apprehension
about health and safety.
Hosang acknowledged
the health concerns for his
staff who still await the
chance to be vaccinated.
<As the building leader,
I take staff concerns to
heart,= he said. <We are
cautiously excited to have
the students back and meet
them where they are after
being away so long.=
Speaking as the local
teacher union president,
SMS teacher Michele
Hammer said, <Of course
there is concern regarding
the spread of the virus to
staff and what can happen
if multiple staff are exposed
and forced to quarantine
or become ill. Right now
teachers have control over
their bubble and exposure
risk; once students are back
that control is taken away.=
She continued, <We are
concerned that the same
thing that happened in
Crook County could hap-
pen here, when they had
so many staff quarantined
they could not operate
school and were forced to
close.=
Sisters School District
teachers are awaiting news
on when they can be vac-
cinated and the Oregon
Education Association is
pushing to have teachers
prioritized further given the
return to in-person learn-
ing, according to Hammer.
There are some indica-
tions that staff may get the
first dose before the end
of the month, according
to Sisters Schools District
Superintendent Curt
Scholl.
IMPORTANT DATES:
Monday, January 25: Grades 5 and 6 begin at Sisters Middle School
Monday, January 25: Grades 9 and 10 begin at Sisters High School
Monday, February 1: Grades 7 and 8 begin at Sisters Middle School
Monday, February 2: Grades 11 and 12 begin at Sisters High School
HIT A POTHOLE?
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Sis
is referred to as the <hybrid
model= since early in the
school year. Students attend
Monday through Thursday
full-time and work from
home on Fridays. The middle
school and high school have
been conducting school under
Comprehensive Distance
Learning (CDL) since last
April, but will soon have
the opportunity to attend in-
person classes on a part-time
basis using the hybrid model.
Scholl and building admin-
istrators will send out further
information in the days ahead,
making sure families have
a clear understanding now
of how the middle and high
schools will operate under the
new plans.
The opening of schools in
Sisters comes after Governor
Kate Brown announced the
move to making school-open-
ing guidelines <advisory=
rather than mandatory earlier
this month.
In his January 6 letter,
Scholl explained that under
the new advisory model,
fifth and sixth grades at the
middle school and ninth
and 10th grades at the high
school will begin in-person
hybrid instruction on January
25, while seventh and eighth
grades and 11th and 12th will
begin the following week on
February 1.
Details are being distrib-
uted by principals Alison
Haney and Joe Hosang via
emails and physical letters in
the days ahead, explaining
what the daily schedule will
look like, how students will
enter and move through the
school, and what is expected
of students and families. Both
principals urge families to
contact their school if they
have not received updates by
January 14.
Due to the need to manage
social distancing, only half of
the student population will be
on site at any given time at
both schools.
At Sisters Middle School
.o rg
Continued from page 1
(SMS) students are split
up alphabetically with half
attending Monday and
Wednesday and half attend-
ing Tuesday and Thursday for
full days and all six periods,
according to Haney. The bal-
ance of the week students will
continue with CDL.
Haney explained that she
and her staff will be using
the first week or two back to
identify those students who
need additional support or
remediation and make neces-
sary adjustments that allow
some smaller cohorts to
attend school Monday through
Thursday.
An informational video
will be delivered to middle
school students and families
via email on the afternoon of
Thursday, January 14, to help
everyone understand sched-
ules, protocols, cohorts and
more.
<We want all parents to be
well-informed,= Haney said.
She urges parents who are
not receiving updates from
SMS to call the school (541-
549-2099) and verify email
addresses and contact infor-
mation. The school will pro-
vide printed copies of infor-
mation for families that prefer
it over email if it is requested.
In addition, Haney will
conduct a question-and-
answer meeting via Zoom
on January 19 to cover any
remaining questions before
the start up.
Haney, understanding that
some families may not feel
ready to have their children
start in-person instruction,
on
SCHOOL: Half of SMS
and SHS students will
be on site at a time
ti
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