September 18, 2020 – The following information was sent to all parents via email and phone dialer.
Dear Parents/Guardians,
The latest update from Maricopa County shows our district’s percent positivity numbers have remained below 7% for two consecutive weeks.
COVID-19 PERCENT POSITIVITY
Most recent data posted on September 17, 2020 for the weeks of August 23 & August 30.
Must be below 7% for two consecutive weeks
Week of August 23 Week of August 30
Maricopa County 5.1% 4.0%
GUHSD 6.3% 5.0%
Sources: School Reopening Dashboard & Guidance & AZDHS
Not only has Maricopa County met the benchmarks to transition to a hybrid learning model, which would allow only half the student body on campus at once, but the geographic area of GUHSD has met the benchmarks as well. According to national, state, and local health agencies, we now meet the criteria to begin a transition to our hybrid learning model.
Due to the current data, we are announcing today that the GUHSD will begin the hybrid learning model starting Monday, October 19, 2020. Please note that this plan is subject to change if the COVID-19 numbers increase and our district no longer meets the criteria to transition to a hybrid learning model.
Although October 19 is one month from the beginning of our transition period, Monday, September 21, it is only three school weeks followed by fall break.
We have chosen a three-week transition period instead of two for a few reasons. The third week is final exam week and we want our staff and students to focus on finishing the end of the academic term successfully, without having to implement the health and safety protocols that must be adhered to during the hybrid learning model. Additionally, we want staff, students, and families to have ample time to plan for students returning to campus.
In-depth training for faculty and staff on health/safety protocols and procedures will begin next week. This training is necessary to prepare everyone to safely welcome back our students and families to our schools. Training topics will be shared with parents/guardians in future communications.
In addition to communication on the health/safety protocols and procedures, information regarding whether your teen will be in group A or group B, as well as your teen’s class schedule, will be provided by your school prior to fall break.
In closing, we indicated last week that we would be surveying parents/guardians again this week; however, we have decided to postpone the survey until next week. Your choice of either continuing to have your teen learn remotely from home or begin hybrid learning on October 19 will provide us the information we need for a smooth transition. A link to the survey will be sent to you.
We appreciate your continued support.
Reopening FAQ’s can be found here.
September 11, 2020 – The following information was sent to all parents via email and phone dialer.
Dear GUHSD Parents/Guardians,
We are happy to report that the latest update from Maricopa County shows our district’s data is still trending in the right direction.
COVID-19 PERCENT POSITIVITY
Most recent data posted on September 10, 2020 for the weeks of August 16 & August 23.
Must be below 7% for two consecutive weeks
Week of August 16 Week of August 23
Maricopa County 5.2% 5.0%
GUHSD 8.1% 6.3%
Sources: School Reopening Dashboard & Guidance & AZDHS
Although our data is still trending in a positive direction, it is important to note that we must meet the recommended threshold for percent positivity of less than 7% for two consecutive weeks before we can begin transitioning to our hybrid learning model. Once this occurs, we will communicate with you outlining the date of when we will begin welcoming back students to the classroom.
For staffing and safety/capacity reasons, we will be surveying again so that you can make a choice of either remote learning from home or hybrid learning through the end of the second nine weeks in December. You can expect another email with an update and the survey link next Friday, September 18, 2020.
In closing, we have added more information to our Frequently Asked Questions page on our website. Please visit the following link to learn more about our hybrid learning model, safety protocols and our other plans to successfully and safely welcome back students to our campuses.
September 4, 2020 – The following information was sent to all parents via email and phone dialer.
Dear GUHSD Parents/Guardians:
The latest COVID-19 benchmark updates were released yesterday and continue to show the numbers are trending in a positive direction within our school district boundaries. The newest data for GUHSD includes a decline in all three categories of benchmarks:
- Cases per 100k people
- Percent positivity
- Covid-like illness
Although this is encouraging news, it is important to note that all three benchmarks need to be met to transition to the hybrid learning/modified in-person learning model. In addition, the benchmarks need to stay consistent for two weeks before we can transition to a hybrid model safely. As of yesterday, GUHSD has met 2 of the 3 benchmarks to be able to transition to the hybrid model - Cases per 100k people and Covid-like illness. The benchmark still not met is the COVID-19 Percent Positivity.
COVID-19 PERCENT POSITIVITY
Most recent data posted on September 3, 2020 for the weeks of August 9 & August 16.
Must be below 7% for two consecutive weeks
Week of August 9 Week of August 16
Maricopa County 6.1% 5.2%
GUHSD 11.1% (not met) 8.1% (not met)
Sources: School Reopening Dashboard & Guidance & AZDHS
Although all three benchmarks within GUHSD have not yet been met, it is important for our families to know that as soon as it is safe to do so, we will be ready to transition to the hybrid model. As a reminder, the hybrid model will alternate students on campus - resulting in only half the number of students on campus at any one time.
As the safety of our students, faculty and staff is a top priority, GUHSD will continue to monitor the benchmarks each day and provide weekly updates. We encourage you to complete the survey we sent last week, if you have not already done so. It will remain open until the end of the day on Monday, September 7, 2020.
As always, we thank you for your ongoing support.
August 31, 2020 – The following information was sent to all parents via email and phone dialer.
The district is actively planning to reopen schools with a modified in-person hybrid learning model as soon as public health metrics are met for our district. We know families want to understand when and how the district will determine it is safe to return to school, what safety measures will be in place to protect everyone, and what options you have for your teen.
Please visit the link below to learn more about our plan to reopen schools and to complete a short survey by Monday, September 7, 2020.
August 28, 2020 – The following information was sent to all parents via email and phone dialer.
Dear GUHSD Parents/Guardians,
We wanted to provide you with an update regarding our progress toward reopening our schools.
As many of you are aware, our district must meet certain health benchmarks to be able to transition from remote learning to a hybrid model. The benchmark that has not yet been met by Maricopa County or GUHSD is the COVID-19 percent positive.
The Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) and the Maricopa County Department of Public Health (MCDPH) guideline for the COVID-19 percent positive benchmark is a number below 7% for two consecutive weeks before transitioning from remote learning to a hybrid model.
Although we are tracking the numbers daily, the information that contains two weeks of data is released every Thursday. The information can be found on the ADHS and MCDPH websites. Here are the numbers that were released yesterday, August 27:
COVID-19 Percent Positive
(Must be below 7% for two consecutive weeks)
Week of August 2 Week of August 9
Maricopa County 8.6% 6.1%
GUHSD 12.1% 11.1%
The two weeks of data that will be posted next Thursday, September 3, will be for the weeks of August 9 and August 16. The current numbers indicate that Maricopa County could meet the benchmark by next week. If the downward trend continues in our district boundaries, GUHSD could meet the benchmark a few weeks later.
There are too many variables to say at this time exactly when GUHSD will have two consecutive weeks of a percent positive number below 7%. Therefore, we are unable to announce today a specific date for when we will transition from a remote to a hybrid learning model.
We will continue tracking the data and preparing for the transition to the hybrid model. We will provide another update next Friday, September 4.
August 25, 2020 – The following information was sent to all parents via email and phone dialer.
Dear GUHSD Parents/Guardians,
We are writing to provide you with a brief update.
Our current remote learning plan was authorized to continue until “at least September 4,” and the GUHSD Governing Board voted to allow the Superintendent to extend our current remote learning plan, if necessary.
As you are aware, we are less than two weeks away from September 4. Although the COVID-19 percent-positive number has been decreasing, we do not anticipate our district meeting the criteria to transition to a hybrid model by that date.
We continue monitoring the COVID-19 data daily. The Arizona Department of Health Services will update the dashboard to show weekly averages for another two weeks of data this Thursday, August 27. After we analyze the new data, we will be sending another update to you by the end of Friday, August 28. Included in the update will be more details about the extension of our current online learning plan.
Additional updates can be found at:
https://www.facebook.com/GUHSDAZ/
https://twitter.com/GlendaleUnionAZ
August 13, 2020 – The following information was sent to all parents via email and phone dialer.
Dear GUHSD Parents/Guardians,
We are nearing the end of our first week of school. We appreciate you, parents and guardians, for the support you are offering to our faculty, staff, and especially our students while they learn from home.
We are excited to begin our second week of school. We have compiled several resources to help make the remote learning experience as seamless as possible. Please check our website links for the following:
Check out your school’s homepage for a list of additional resources under the Back to School Information link. Please keep the teachers, counselors and administrators informed about any other supports that you may need.
Per Governor Ducey’s Executive Order (2020-51), an onsite online learning option will be available to meet the needs of students who receive Special Education Services, students who are English Language Learners (ELL), students in the care of the Department of Child Safety, and students who qualify for Free and Reduced Lunch. While the onsite online learning option is intended to meet the needs of the students listed above, the Executive Order requires that this accommodation be available to every student. Keeping in compliance with guidance from the Maricopa County Public Health Department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, all district safety measures will be followed. All students will be required to answer health-check screening questions, wear a mask and physically distance. If your teen meets one of the special populations listed above, click here for more information.
In closing, we will continue our remote learning plan through at least September 4, 2020. We will daily monitor the new COVID-19 metrics provided by the AZ Department of Health Services and our Reopening Task Force guidelines as we make decisions associated with reopening our schools. We will provide you with updates as new information becomes available.
Additional updates can be found at:
https://www.facebook.com/GUHSDAZ/
https://twitter.com/GlendaleUnionAZ
August 11, 2020 – The following information was sent to all parents via email and phone dialer.
Dear GUHSD Parents/Guardians,
Welcome back to a new school year. Here at GUHSD, we were excited to welcome back over 16,000 students remotely on Monday.
For current students who have yet to begin the new school year, we encourage them to contact their school immediately. There they will receive their schedule and additional instructions on how they can join their classmates and teachers for the 2020-2021 school year.
It's not too late for students and families who have yet to enroll in one of our top-performing schools. Although a few of our schools have reached capacity, most of them still have room to welcome new students. Please feel free to share this information with your family and friends looking for an excellent education for their high school-aged student(s). Enrollment forms can now be completed online by clicking here.
We look forward to another great school year together.
Additional updates can be found at:
https://www.facebook.com/GUHSDAZ/
https://twitter.com/GlendaleUnionAZ
August 8, 2020 – The following information was sent to all parents via email and phone dialer.
Dear GUHSD Parents/Guardians,
Welcome to another exciting school year. We are looking forward to Monday, August 10, 2020, when students will begin school - remotely.
We are happy to provide you with the GUHSD Learning Plan and our Remote Learning Attendance Requirements. Additionally, you can access other important information like a bell schedule, our block schedule, technology information, social/emotional supports, and more on your school’s website.
Our administrators, teachers, and staff are excited for another successful school year to achieve and maintain the very best for students. We are confident that GUHSD schools will provide excellent experiences for all our students to achieve and develop during the 2020-2021 school year.
More information can be found at:
https://www.facebook.com/GUHSDAZ/
https://twitter.com/GlendaleUnionAZ
July 23, 2020 – The following information was sent to all parents via email and phone dialer.
Dear GUHSD Parents/Guardians,
This update is to inform you that our remote learning plan for all GUHSD schools will begin Monday, August 10 and will remain in place until at least Friday, September 4. This decision is based on the data indicating that we will not meet the GUHSD Reopening Task Force criteria to transition to the hybrid in-person model anytime soon.
The GUHSD Reopening Task Force recommendations, which include a consistent downward trend in COVID-19 cases and up-to-date advice from national, state, and local health agencies, will continue to be used as a guide when making future decisions. As we approach the September 4 date, we will reassess the situation and announce whether remote learning will be extended again or whether we will start the transition to the hybrid in-person model. Again, our future decisions will be based on the aforementioned criteria.
In order to begin a successful school year, our schools are holding modified walk-through registrations. They will be distributing Chromebooks and other essential materials needed to begin school on August 10. All schools are following strict social distancing guidelines and will be requiring those in attendance to wear masks/face coverings. Information on walk-through registration is being sent directly from the schools.
We will continue to provide regular updates. Our schools will continue to inform you of updates as well.
We look forward to working with you as we prepare for the upcoming school year.
Additional updates can be found at:
https://www.facebook.com/GUHSDAZ/
https://twitter.com/GlendaleUnionAZ
July 9, 2020 – The following information was sent to all parents via email and phone dialer.
Dear Parents/Guardians:
We are grateful for the work of the GUHSD Reopening Task Force, GUHSD Scheduling Committee, and for all the parents/guardians, students, and faculty/staff who participated in our reopening survey, which helped guide the development of a plan to reopen our schools.
On Monday, June 29, Governor Ducey announced that all schools shall delay the start for in-person instruction until August 17, 2020 (remote learning will remain in place until at least Friday, Sept. 4). However, the Executive Order permits schools to begin the school year on their previously scheduled start date by using remote learning. In order to have students begin their classes without a delay, GUHSD has decided to begin the 2020-2021 school year remotely from home on our scheduled start date of Monday, August 10, 2020.
Our plan for the safe reopening of schools has been guided by the latest recommendations from the Arizona Department of Health Services, Maricopa County Department of Public Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Arizona Department of Education, the GUHSD Reopening Task Force, the GUHSD Scheduling Committee and your input. Based on this guidance and recommendations, we will implement the following approved plan as we begin the 2020-2021 school year, which includes three possible approaches to learning:
REMOTE LEARNING
Beginning August 10, 2020, students will begin the 2020-2021 school year learning remotely from home.
HYBRID LEARNING
The hybrid learning approach would involve students being assigned to an A or B group. Half the students (Group A) would be at school and the other half (Group B) would be learning remotely from home.
This model would allow students to be in classrooms while still adhering to current social distancing guidelines. Mondays are scheduled for remote learning from home for all students. The shortened class periods on Monday would be focused on support for students as well as enrichment activities/assignments.
The A and B groups would alternate being on campus and learning from home Tuesday through Friday. Group A would be on campus Tuesdays and Thursdays as Group B learns remotely from home. Group B would be on campus Wednesdays and Fridays as Group A learns remotely from home.
FULL-TIME, IN-PERSON LEARNING
All students are back on campus learning in classrooms.
TRANSITIONING FROM ONE LEARNING APPROACH TO ANOTHER
Various factors will be considered to make a decision to move from one learning approach to another. The health of our students and our staff is of primary importance in the decision-making process, and any decision will be made with up-to-date information and guidance from the following agencies:
- Arizona Department of Health Services
- Maricopa County Department of Public Health
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Arizona Department of Education
- Regional Information or Zip Code Data
In addition to up-to-date information and guidance by these agencies, moving from Remote Learning to the Hybrid Learning would involve the following criteria:
- Moderate community spread of COVID-19 - steady, consistent downward trend in new cases
OR
- Communication from the Arizona Department of Health Services that schools can safely reopen
Up-to-date guidance from the aforementioned agencies and the following criteria would be used to make a decision to move to full-time, in-person learning:
- Minimal community spread of COVID-19 - steady consistent downward trend in new cases
OR
- Communication from the Arizona Department of Health Services that schools can safely reopen
BLOCK SCHEDULE
For any of the possible learning approaches planned for the 2020-2021 school year, a block schedule will be utilized. In a block schedule, the length of classes are extended to allow a year-long course to be completed in a semester. The six classes that students are scheduled to take in the 2020-2021 school year will be divided so that they are taking three classes in the fall semester and three new classes in the spring semester, allowing students to earn the six credits they would earn in our traditional schedule.
Due to the difficulties some students experience when learning remotely, the block schedule will provide the opportunity for them to focus on half the number of classes at once. Additionally, this model will allow teachers to provide additional support to students.
WEEKLY SCHEDULE 2020-2021 beginning August 10, 2020 (Updated August 10, 2020)
GUHSD ONLINE OPTION
For families and students who choose to learn remotely for the semester, or even the entire school year, a full online option is available. More information on how to enroll in the GUHSD online learning option is forthcoming.
SPECIAL PROGRAMS and ELL
Students with disabilities will have their accommodations and modifications in place and/or an adjusted schedule based on individual needs. Additional information is forthcoming.
ELL students will be provided with additional support, and there is a possibility that there could be some adjusted schedules in order to accommodate the needs of all our students.
SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL SUPPORT
Whether in person or remotely, the social worker on each of our campuses will be available to provide social-emotional support to students.
SAFETY PROTOCOLS
There are numerous health and safety protocols GUHSD schools will be following once students are allowed to return to campus. These protocols will include:
- regular announcements and messaging about hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette
- stay at home when feeling ill or exposure to COVID-19 announcements
- consistent, district-wide requirement for all faculty, staff, students and visitors to wear face masks/face shields while on campus
- that all faculty, staff, students and visitors use appropriate social distancing while on campus
- a district-wide commitment to high standards of cleaning, disinfecting and sanitizing
- procedures to limit the sharing of items between students
- a plan for student safety while on buses
IN CLOSING
We recognize you may have questions regarding our school reopening plan. We will be developing a
Frequently Asked Questions document that should answer many of your questions. Be on the lookout for this information, which will be posted on our website within the next few weeks.
We appreciate your continued patience as we prepare additional communication regarding Chromebook checkout, registration, student schedules, athletics, extracurricular activities, transportation, food service, and other important information associated with the start of school.
We will continue providing regular updates. As well, our schools will be sending out school-specific information by the end of next week. In the meantime, if you have an urgent question, please email us at prdept@guhsdaz.org.
We look forward to continuing to serve our GUHSD students/families as we prepare for another new school year.
Additional updates can be found at:
https://www.facebook.com/GUHSDAZ/
https://twitter.com/GlendaleUnionAZ
July 1, 2020 – The following information was sent to all parents via email and phone dialer.
Dear GUHSD Parents/Guardians,
Our Reopening Task Force concluded its work last night. We are currently reviewing the recommendations and we anticipate sharing our final plans with you by the end of next week. Today’s update focuses on the date classes will begin for the 2020-2021 school year.
On Monday, June 29, Governor Ducey announced that all schools shall delay the start for in-person instruction until August 17, 2020. However, the
Executive Order permits schools to begin the school year on their previously scheduled start date by using remote learning.
In order to have students begin their classes without a delay, GUHSD has decided to begin the 2020-2021 school year
remotely on our scheduled
start date of Monday, August 10, 2020. Details such as Chromebook checkout and other aspects of registration are forthcoming from your teen’s school.
Per the Executive Order, we will begin classes remotely, but our reopening plans will still consider how to safely return to school in various scenarios due to the changing nature of COVID-19 cases and health advice.
GUHSD’s plans will include an online learning option.
As always, thank you for your patience and understanding as we work diligently to prepare for the upcoming school year.
We wish everyone a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend.
Additional updates can be found here:
https://www.facebook.com/GUHSDAZ/
https://twitter.com/GlendaleUnionAZ
To read prior COVID-19 messages from the 2019-2020 school year,
click here.