Sallie Zetterower Elementary School

Updated July 1, 2020

Superintendent seeks feedback regarding back-to-school plan
District has plan for student learning to resume

Due to the Department of Public Health’s designation of Bulloch County as a Substantial Spread COVID-19 area on June 25, and Governor Brian Kemp's extension of a Public Health Emergency through August 11, Bulloch County Schools will adjust and take an approach that allows the school district to move forward with student learning while the community also faces the uncertainty of spread levels. This gives students the opportunity to resume learning as soon as possible.

The plan is for all students to resume school using the school district's virtual learning program.  It is possible that school will experience a delayed start (potentially August 17) to allow administrators time to prepare for this delivery method, especially for elementary grades, a change asked for by the Board at its June 25 meeting.  When Bulloch County is reclassified to a lower spread category, the school district will allow students (those who choose to do so) to return to a traditional, face-to-face school setting. Superintendent Charles Wilson presented a proposed plan to the Board of Education on June 11 and June 25, that would allow parents to choose between traditional face-to-face instruction and an all virtual learning program for grades 6-12. 

Bulloch County Schools wants community feedback about the return-to-school plan. If you or anyone you know has questions or comments about the school district’s draft return-to-school plans, please share this information with them.

Superintendent of Schools Charles Wilson will livestream two different sessions where he will address concerns from stakeholders and answer questions. These will be aired online on our website to the first 1000 viewers on the following days. Thereafter, the videos of each livestream will be posted to the website as well. This will allow the community to watch the sessions at anytime.

• Thursday, July 2, at 9:00 a.m.; and 
• Monday, July 6, at 3:00 p.m. 

There are two ways to submit questions and concerns for these sessions:

• Submit questions via this online form which is available in English and Spanish; or Call 912.212.8512 to submit questions, if you do not have access to the Internet, Language Line translation services are available for any language.

Submit questions prior to noon on Wednesday, July 1, to be addressed in the superintendent’s session on Thursday, July 2, at 9:00 a.m., or submit questions prior to midnight on Sunday, July 5, to be addressed in the superintendent’s session on Monday, July 6, at 3:00 p.m.

Afterwards questions will be added to the school district’s COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions website.

     The Bulloch County Board of Education will host its scheduled work session on Thursday, June 25, at 6:30 p.m., in the cafetorium of the school district's Central Office, located at 150 Williams Road in Statesboro. The entrance to this area is located on the left side (southeast side) of the building under the portico. The meeting space is open to the public. All guests are asked to maintain a social distance in the interest of public health.
     Key topics for the meeting include the following: (1) A vote by the Board on the proposed Fiscal Year 2021 Budget; (2) A presentation of the school district's final draft strategy to reopen schools on August 3. The school district will communicate the final strategy to parents June 26 - July 1; and (3) the Student Code of Conduct for School Year 2020-2021.

     The full agenda and Board packet are attached below and available online. For your convenience any presentations will be uploaded to the website prior to the meeting and displayed within the livestream for your reference.
      Watch meetings live via livestream or later via the archived video on our website. For all news media inquiries, contact the school district's Public Relations Department  for assistance or call 912.212.8512 or 912.536.2827.  If you experience technical difficulties during the meeting email for help or text 912.536.2827.

A draft of the two-page key points for the Bulloch Goes Back plan is attached below.

Key points for the instructional portion of the final draft return-to-school plan include the following:

• Bulloch County Schools will begin school on August 3.
• In July parents will choose the instructional delivery method for their child (Traditional face-to-face or our fully online Virtual Program). The school district will distribute information to parents the second week of July for them to make the choice for their child.

Traditional Face-to-Face Model

• We will offer a traditional face-to-face instruction model for grades PreK - 12 with specific health protocols in place for the different levels of COVID-19 spread. 
• An online Distance Learning Plan will be activated for our traditional face-to-face students in grades PreK-12 if the virus spread becomes substantial. 
• The school district has a plan in place to accommodate the technology and Internet needs of students if the Distance Learning Plan is activated.

Virtual Program Model

• Virtual Program vs. Distance Learning Plan - There is a difference between the Virtual Program and the Distance Learning Plan we will offer.
• We will offer a Virtual Program model for grades 6-12.
• We will not offer a Virtual Program for grades PK-5. In the Low/No and Mild/Moderate spread levels, face-to-face instruction is the only option we will offer for grades PK-5. If a substantial spread of the virus leads to school closures, all students in grades PreK-12 who are enrolled in our face-to-face model will transition to our Distance Learning Plan with required, graded online instructional activities.  
• We will offer a fully-online Virtual Program option for grades 6-8 through our Edgenuity platform. These are pre-recorded lessons, not taught by our teachers, but progress will be monitored frequently by our faculty to ensure mastery of academic standards. If a substantial spread of the virus leads to school closures, students who enroll in our Virtual Program for grades 6-12 will continue in their scheduled Virtual Program courses as normal.
• We will offer a fully-online Virtual Program option for grades 9-12 through our Edgenuity platform. These are pre-recorded lessons, not taught by our teachers, but progress will be monitored frequently by our faculty to ensure mastery of academic standards. We will also offer access to options through Georgia Virtual School, dual enrollment, and work-based learning. If a substantial spread of the virus leads to school closures, students who enroll in our Virtual Program for grades 6-12 will continue in their scheduled Virtual Program courses as normal. 

On Thursday, June 11, Superintendent of Schools Charles Wilson presented a draft return-to-school plan to the Board of Education. A copy of this draft plan is attached, and you can watch the video of the Board meeting on our website. The purpose of the presentation was to be transparent and allow the Board of Education and community to provide additional comments and questions about the plan. 

The plan is based on Georgia's Path to Recovery Plan for K-12 Schools (a copy is attached), guidelines from the Georgia Department of Community Health, and results from the Parent Survey and Employee Survey the school district distributed in May.

Principals lead the work

The school district has multiple, principal-led committees staffed with teachers and other key faculty members who are finalizing localized solutions. This collaboration along with the vital survey feedback parents and employee provided are helping finalize the plan.

Monitor Communications

Parents and the public can continue to use the school district's COVID-19 website's frequently asked questions area to help monitor back-to-school information as well as monitor telephone and email communications from the school district and area news media.

Bulloch County Schools established a dedicated Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) website on March 5. Please visit it here. It serves as an online resource for the following: 

• Answers to your frequently asked questions about district and school operations during the closure and how to post your additional questions.
• Safety alert news
• Trusted national, state, and local public health resources and tips to help keep you healthy
• Information about print and digital resources to keep kids engaged
• An up-to-date list of our free meal sites for children ages 0-18
• Information about how the school district is keeping essential functions operating.

Updated May 21, 2020 - Bulloch County Schools will continue to serve free meals to any children ages 0-18 on weekdays through Friday, July 17, at our established sites. A current list of our sites is listed and attached below. 

Bulloch County Schools will deliver bags of free meals to 69 public pick up locations on weekdays (Monday – Friday) through July 17. Begun on March 17, due to school closures during the international Novel Coronavirus pandemic, the local program will provide free grab and go breakfast and lunch meals to any child ages 0 to 18. No registration, sign-in, or identification is required, and the children do not have to be enrolled in one of our schools. It is not based on income. Any child is welcome, even children who may be staying here temporarily with family. Children must be present to receive meals. Look for a Bulloch County Schools’ bus at each delivery location to receive meals. 

In the interest of public health and social distancing recommendations, the meals are for pick up only. No meals can be eaten at the sites. Families should also observe social distancing practices while waiting and receiving meals.

The meal delivery sites were selected based on input from the district’s school social workers, family engagement specialists, school nutrition personnel, and transportation personnel to serve areas with the most need.  Each meal sack will include food for breakfast and lunch. The funding for the program is made possible through the school district’s School Nutrition Department as part of the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National School Breakfast and Lunch Programs.

USDA guidelines prevent the school district from being able to provide evening meals or meals on weekends. There are multiple community organizations and food pantries that are also offering food assistance for anyone experiencing food insecurity. These are listed on the Bulloch Volunteer Organizations Mobilized in Disasters (VOAD) website..

Bulloch County Schools and its School Nutrition Program do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, disability, age or gender. For additional information about this remote feeding program, contact Bulloch County Schools.