Emergency Distance Learning Plan

I am reaching out this afternoon to share an Emergency Distance Learning Plan that will serve as a resource for you in the event we need to pivot to distance learning for a short period. This is designed to provide specific information and point people to the correct place for questions they may have if we had to move to a remote learning option because of an emergency or bad weather.

It is important to keep in mind any move to distance learning should be temporary. It is not a long-term solution. It is to continue learning until we can return to our buildings. And, we hope we don’t need it.

• If there were to be a COVID outbreak in a building or across the district, we would have direction from the Whatcom County Health Department to guide us in any such closing. An emergency may also warrant such a move – and we would receive similar guidance if that were the case.
• We will also determine whether we should move to a distance learning model for poor weather. We will gauge the circumstances and outlook. There may be times where distance learning isn’t possible, either because of timing or large-scale power outages. Moving forward, when there is a weather-related closure we will communicate clearly whether we are closed for operations or will be operating remotely.

For these reasons, please encourage your students to take their devices home and back to school each day. There is no telling when conditions may change quickly or we find ourselves needing to work remotely due to a COVID outbreak. We want to continue learning so we can minimize any impacts a closure may cause and also protect from adding many days to the end of the school year.

This is meant to provide clarity and help all of us should we need to close a building or the district for a short time. The plan is has been prepared in English and in Spanish.

• MSD Emergency Distance Learning Plan_English
• MSD Emergency Distance Learning Plan_Spanish

I hope you have a tremendous weekend!

James