Dear North Penn Families,
Since the hybrid model of instruction was implemented this past fall, NPSD has been monitoring the attendance of students in each instructional delivery model. A consistent pattern we have seen is that some of our hybrid students are not attending on their in-person days and potentially those seats could be available to students in need of in-person instruction five days per week. Presently, bus loads are light and some classrooms are not at capacity even with social distancing guidelines in place. As I walk the halls of our schools, I observe that the number of students in classrooms varies from building to building and grade level to grade level.
Because of this, we would like to explore the possibility of offering hybrid students the opportunity to attend school in person five days per week and 100 percent virtual students the opportunity to switch their selection to be eligible to attend in person to some extent (all five days or hybrid). This opportunity would be available for all students in grades kindergarten through post-12. North Montco Technical Career Center (NMTCC) at this time cannot offer in-person five days a week. North Penn students enrolled at NMTCC would have the opportunity to attend their home school five days a week and NMTCC on a hybrid schedule. More information would be available regarding this if we do move forward with five days a week in-person instruction.
We are in the initial stages of developing such an opportunity and need more information before we can determine its viability. We know that if implemented, it will be important to monitor attendance and capacity on a daily basis to ensure social distancing is occuring.
Our hope is that those students who truly need or want in person instruction five days a week would have the opportunity to do so and those who find that the hybrid schedule or learning from home best meets their needs would continue with their present model of instruction.
In order for us to even consider the possibility of allowing some students to learn in-person five days a week and allowing virtual students to return to in-person schooling, parents are asked to complete the form by Tuesday, January 26 at noon. A link to the form can be found in the original email sent by NPSD on Friday, January 22, 2021.
A form must be completed for each student. Your selection is not binding however it will be very helpful to us as we consider possibilities. Please make your selection according to your intention and if you do not plan to send your child to in person, please do not take a seat which could be available to someone who truly needs that seat.
Please remember that this communication and the forms are exploratory as we consider moving to five days a week of in-person instruction. We must first gauge interest to determine if such an opportunity is possible.
Thank you for your attention to this important matter.
Sincerely,
Curtis R. Dietrich, Ed.D.
Superintendent