10/13/2020

​October 13, 2020
 
Aloha Parents/Guardians;  
 
The attachment to this eblast is a letter from the DOE regarding the Acellus program.  Middle and high schools will still be using it for credit recovery, but many elementary schools will either stop using it or curb its use.
 
At Nu‘uanu School, we barely used it before the controversy started.  We are using it even less now.  We felt that some of the components, like Math and Science, are nonjudgmental so could be used, but avoided using their Social Studies and Language Arts contents as that seemed to be the areas of contention.  We would stop using it altogether but, since we paid nearly $14,000 for it and the fact that the company will not refund our money, we will only use a few sections of their curriculum.
 
From the very onset, we have been using the programs - Stepping Stones, Wonders, IXL, iReady and will continue to do so.  We’ve since added Brain Pop and Brain Pop Jr., and more of IXL (math, language arts, social studies components) so our students have not been victim to any false or misleading information from Acellus.
 
On a happier note we will reopen for face-to-face instructions starting Monday, October 26, 2020.  Grade 1 will be the first group coming back.  Some heads up on how this works, not all of the grade 1 students will come back at one time, but will be coming back in cohorts.  On the first week, Cohort A will have face-to-face instructions on Monday and Thursday, and Cohort B on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday.  The following week Cohort A will be in school on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and Cohort B on Tuesday and Friday.   Wednesdays will be the alternating day every week.
 
School’s start and end times will be staggered for the remainder of the school year.  Grade 1 will start school at 8:00 a.m. and end at 2:15 p.m. every day except on Wednesday when they end at 1:30 p.m.  Please do not drop off or pick your child up from the classrooms.  Even if you are coming from the Dowsett Street side of campus in the morning, do not go to their classroom, but bring your child to the patio area in front of the cafe.
 
We will escort all of the grade 1 students up at one time starting at 7:50 a.m.  If you are late, report to the office. 
 
Be sure and check your child every morning before bringing him/her to school.  Check for fever, runny nose, body aches, coughing, and all 12 symptoms that might indicate COVID-19 illness.  See List at the end of this letter. (ref.: HIDOE Return to Learn: Health & Safety Handbook, Version 8, Oct. 9, 2020)  If your child has any of these symptoms while at school we will call you to pick him/her up immediately.
 
We will have adult supervisors stationed in front of the cafe from 7:30 a.m. to 8:10 a.m. in the morning and from when school ends to 2:25 p.m. daily (1:40 p.m. on Wednesdays).  All students will be sitting on chairs placed under/near the walkway.  Please do not forget to place those strips of paper with your child’s grade and name written on it and placed on your car’s dashboard so we can see it when you are driving up in the circle driveway.
 
If we all follow the above rules and protocol, we will have a safe and healthy reopening for everybody - students, families, and school staff.
 
Mahalo,
 
James Toyooka
Principal


DAILY WELLNESS CHECK AT HOME 
All HIDOE staff, contracted service providers, visitors and students must complete a wellness check each morning before going to the school/office. 


STEP 1: Check for Symptoms of Illness 
If you/your child has any symptoms of illness - do not go to the school/office. Check for the following: 


❏ Fever (a temperature of 100°F or higher) 
❏ Chills 
❏ Cough 
❏ Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing 
❏ Fatigue (tiredness, weakness) 
❏ Muscle or body aches 
❏ Headache 
❏ New loss of taste or smell  
❏ Sore throat 
❏ Congestion or runny nose 
❏ Nausea or vomiting (stomach ache) 
❏  Diarrhea 


STEP 2: Check for Recent COVID-19 Exposure 
If you/your child are in quarantine, live in the same household or have had close contact (within 6 feet for at least 15 minutes) with someone with COVID-19, or are waiting for COVID-19 test results - do not go to the school/office until quarantine is completed or you are cleared by a health care provider.