8 minute read
When you have a reverse mortgage, you don’t have the option to sell your home. This is
from 5-21-20 edition
by The Villager
Safer-at-Home began on May 9th
The Tri-County Health Department will lift the COVID-19 Stayat- Home order on May 9 allowing Arapahoe and Adams Counties to initiate their COVID-19 Phase II recovery plans as part of the Safer-at-Home public health order. This will allow the counties to gradually open their governing functions, non-essential businesses with restrictions, and begin working on the plans to recover from the economic disaster caused by the coronavirus health emergency.
While this action does not suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic threat is over, hospitalizations of coronavirus patients are slowing and deaths from the virus are going down. Currently, Arapahoe County has 170 coronavirus patients hospitalized and 211 citizens have died from the virus.
The Stay-at-Home order will follow the governor’s statewide declaration that limits the number of customers who can enter a business, and stresses that employees observe social distancing, practice hand washing and wear masks when dealing with customers.
Restaurants, movie theaters, sporting events and other large events continue to be prohibited from opening to the public. Restaurants are encouraged to provide curb side services.
While Arapahoe County moves into the next phase of slowly reducing the health restrictions caused by the Coronavirus, it is extremely important that we all continue to follow personal safe health practices: wearing protective masks, following safe distancing practices, avoiding large crowds and practicing personal hygiene, to protect ourselves and help prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
On May 15, Cherry Creek School District (CCSD) Superintendent Scott Siegfried released a six-minute video on the district website updating students, parents, teachers, and all other district employees, along with community members, on the status of plans for the 2020-2021 school year which begins in August. That afternoon Siegfried spoke to The Villager exclusively and gave us some additional details.
“We did not collect the 7,000 computers we passed out in the spring and we’ve purchased 10,000 more for our students.” – Superintendent Scott Siegfried
Siegfried reminded all graduating seniors and their families that CCSD “continues to develop plans for in-person live-streamed graduation ceremonies for students later this summer,” and is just “waiting for final guidance from health officials prior to finalizing and communicating our plans.” He previously announced that they hope to hold in-person livestreamed graduation ceremonies during the last week of July.
Cherry Creek Schools superintendent explains contingency plan in Villager exclusive
BY FREDA MIKLIN GOVERNMENTAL REPORTER
As plans continue to be refined to accomplish the high standard of learning that is the hallmark of CCSD, Siegfried and his team will always consider the health and safety of “our 55,000 students, our 9,000 employees, and ultimately, the homes they each return to every day.”
If the emergency surrounding the coronavirus pandemic is somehow miraculously resolved by August, CCSD will happily return to its normal operating method and schedule. If that doesn’t happen, Siegfried’s team has developed a plan to provide an education based on excellence for CCSD’s 55,000 students. “Regardless of the approach, we must be prepared to provide a robust, meaningful education where students are accountable for new learning,” he said.
It would necessitate a dramatically different schedule, one in which not all students are in their school buildings every day. Each student would spend two full days on either Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday every week in their classrooms with their teachers and classmates in a safe, clean, well-planned environment that includes every available precaution, including physical distancing, to prevent infection. Desks would be spread out. Extra furniture would be removed.
Another half day every Friday would be reserved for one-on-one meetings at school with teachers,
The Coronavirus is still infecting our citizens and we must continue to be vigilant in all our activities or a second, more vicious virus could spread across this nation again.
Your home remodeling dreams are our business!
Does your home need a makeover?
$1000 OFF First Project Restrictions Apply Call Today!
If you are thinking of renovating your home—allow RW Design and Build to bring your vision to life with quality expertise that centers around your family and lifestyle!
Our exceptional remodeling services include: • Complete home remodels/additions • Kitchens • Bathrooms • Basement finishing • Custom carpentry • Decks
Each student would spend two full days on either Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday every week in their classrooms with their teachers and classmates in a safe, clean, well-planned environment that includes every available precaution, including physical distancing, to prevent infection. Desks would be spread out. Extra furniture would be removed.
counselors, and other school staff members, based on each student’s individual needs. On the two days of the week that students are not in their school buildings, “Teachers would lead lessons online that engage the whole class at the same time. Students would be accountable for attending and for their work. This plan (would require) giving teachers, parents, and students all the tools and support necessary to master online learning platforms prior to the start of the school year.”
So as to minimize complications for families, the entire school district would be divided alphabetically by last name for scheduling which students have in-person learning on Mondays and Wednesdays and which students have it on Tuesdays and Thursdays. That way, every child in a family would attend their school in person on the same days and learn remotely on the same days, regardless of what grade they are in. Each student would attend their regular school. School beginning and ending times and bus schedules would remain the same as they were before schools closed in March.
CCSD would determine which platforms teachers use for online learning to maintain consistency throughout the district. All students, parents, and teachers would
receive sufficient training on their designated platform during the summer so everyone is comfortable with it and fully ready to begin learning when school starts in August.
“We must also be prepared to switch to fully remote learning at any time during the school year,” while retaining its top quality, the superintendent said, noting that a return of the pandemic later in the year is a possibility. On a more optimistic note, if circumstances allow a return to traditional learning at any time, CCSD will assuredly be prepared to switch to that immediately.
The superintendent added, “We did not collect the 7,000 computers we passed out in the spring and we’ve purchased 10,000 more for our students. We used 2016 bond money to buy the new computers, so the cost has no impact on our current budget. We have spent millions of dollars. We need private industry internet service providers to step up for the community now to make sure that every student has access to high-speed internet so there is no impediment to their learning.”
Siegfried wanted to remind students, parents, and all district employees that, “so much depends on the progression of the pandemic over the summer. No matter what happens, we will be prepared to implement a meaningful approach.”
We asked him what parents can do over the summer to help their children prepare for the coming school year. He recommended that parents tell their students exactly what to expect as soon as decisions are made, which he hopes will be no later than mid-July. If masks are going to be required, which is not known at this time, parents can practice using them with children. “Try to normalize the situation, explaining that this it is temporary and will resolve in time, then things will be normal again. Use history and sociology to describe what is happening. The social emotional impact for everyone is huge,” he said.
“The first week of school,” Siegfried told us, “we will be talking about grieving what was lost, seeing this as a period of time that we will get through, renormalizing being together this way.”
For parents who prefer not to deal with the rotating schedule or uncertainty, or who are not comfortable having their children in school buildings with other students and staff, another option is to withdraw their children from their current school and enroll them in Cherry Creek Elevation, a separate and distinct school within CCSD.
Cherry Creek Elevation (Elevation) is a completely online school
in CCSD that was designed for those students for whom online learning works better than traditional school. It was opened in August 2019. Elevation students were largely unaffected by the closure of traditional schools in March. Elevation uses the same well-tested platform for learning as is used by traditional colleges and universities for their students who take some classes online. During its first year, Elevation was only open to high school students. Starting in August 2020, it will also be open to all middle-schoolers. Siegfried told The Villager that if it is needed, CCSD will make Cherry Creek Elevation available to elementary-aged students
“What about sports?” we asked. Siegfried said, “If we are required to physically distance in the classroom, how can we have six girls on the volleyball court or wrestlers practicing and competing in a gym? We probably won’t have middle school sports to begin with. As much as we understand the importance of high school sports to many of our student-athletes, it is difficult to imagine right now how they could work. The final decision will be made by area school superintendents, hopefully as a group, along with CHSAA (Colorado High School Activities Association).”
As we ended our interview, Siegfried asked us to tell parents that the potential announced state budget deficit of $3.3 billion “could result in a budget cut of $30 million to CCSD. If that were to happen, it would have a direct impact on our ability to retain all our staff, pay them a meaningful wage, and deliver the high-quality programs you expect.”
Fmiklin.villager@gmail.com
