Please note that we are using Google Translate to translate these documents. They are not official or verified translations. It is recommended to always verify translations.
Dear North Penn High School Families,
9/15/21
Our staff and students are off to a great start to the 2021-2022 school year and I look forward to celebrating many successes in the months ahead of us! Unfortunately, however, in our district and county-wide, the rate of COVID-19 transmission continues to increase. As of today, Wednesday, September 15th, we have been in a state of high transmission (>100 cases per 100,000 or >10% positivity) for two consecutive weeks.
There are rumors circulating that are untrue stating all students will move to virtual learning due to high levels of transmission. This is simply false. All schools are open to all students for in person instruction.
Per the approved NPSD Health and Safety Plan, during a level of high transmission, students concerned about their health may choose to learn from home and stream instruction from their classroom. While this option is similar to the online learning option offered in the 20-21 school year, we did struggle with the inconsistency of students being in school one day and choosing to remain home the next. Therefore, this year if a family is no longer comfortable with a child coming into our schools due to the community moving to high transmission rates, we are asking that you commit to attending classes online until the transmission levels drop below the high level. Families who are comfortable sending their students to school will remain in school for in person instruction.
We appreciate the flexibility that our staff and families showed last year during the hybrid model but we believe consistency of instruction is important as we move forward. Families of North Penn High School students who would like their student to stay home and stream instruction are asked to contact Amy Linn via email at
[email protected] prior to Friday, September 17. Students choosing to learn online must begin doing so by Monday, September 20. Students will be expected to have their camera turned on and actively participate for the duration of the school day. Failing to follow these expectations will result in the student being marked absent.
Please note, NPSD will communicate when the transmission levels have dropped and students who elected to stay home during higfh transition will transition back to in-person instruction.
Also outlined in the Health and Safety Plan is that masks are required outside during high levels of transmission. Beginning this Thursday, students will also be expected to wear masks outside when not engaged in physical activity. This expectation also applies to visitors to our campuses.
This communication is surely not what we wanted to send to our families just a couple of weeks into the school year. Our hopes just a few short months ago was a return to school that looked much more like 2019. Thus, it is extremely important that we continue to be vigilant in our efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19, keep our staff, students and community safe, and keep our students in school.
Thank you for your attention to this important matter.
Sincerely,
Curtis R. Dietrich, Ed. D.
Superintendent