East Valley School District No.90

 

Dear East Valley School District Families,

As we rapidly approach the end of summer break and the start of our 2020-2021 school year, we are faced with the realities that this very unusual year has created for us.  As you may know from previous communications, we have been focused on preparing several options for our return to school. Although feedback from staff and families has been used  to help shape many aspects of these plans, East Valley School District is required to follow the guidelines set forth by the Yakima County Health District and the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) in reopening our schools.  

Like many things these days during this COVID-19 pandemic, our return to learning will be quite different this year than it has been in previous years. The health and safety of our students and staff remain our top priorities; however, we are equally committed to providing quality education for all of our students. With safety, security, and learning in mind, I’m pleased to share an update on our plans to deliver education this fall. 

While the Yakima County Health District has continued to be encouraged by the decline in confirmed cases in our county, they have informed us that we would need to have 63 confirmed cases over the course of two weeks to be considered a low-risk community. With our daily numbers drastically higher than this average, the Yakima County Health District is recommending that East Valley School District and our neighboring districts move forward with distance learning at this time.

Given the guidelines and recommendations by our local health authorities, we will begin the 2020-2021 school year 100% virtual with students engaging in an upgraded fully-remote/distance learning model. This approach to distance learning will be a significantly enhanced version of the approach that we used in the spring of 2020. The district’s vision for this enhanced model of virtual learning will be focused on ensuring higher expectations and accountability for student engagement, while at the same time providing increased supports for families and students. We are prepared to remain in this model until at least October 30th, but are also prepared to transition to traditional in-person instruction if there are significant improvements in the health status of Yakima County.

To allow adequate time for our educators and support staff to collaborate and prepare for this enhanced virtual learning model, we have made the decision to push back our start date. Our first day of school for 2020-2021 will be Tuesday, September 8, 2020. Due to this delayed start, we will also push back our graduation and release dates. Please see our most current academic calendar online at https://www.evsd90.org/apps/pages/DistrictCalendar

 

We will continue to communicate updates as we work to finalize our plans over the course of the next few weeks.
Community members are invited to join us for one of our upcoming virtual reopening chats on Wednesday, August 19th, to address our reopening plans and answer any questions that you may still have. We will offer two chat sessions; one chat will be held at 9:00 a.m. and the other will take place at 6:00 p.m. Space for each session is limited to 250 attendees. Both sessions will be recorded and available online on our website.

 

To join us online, click the link or use the phone number below to call in.
https://meet.google.com/eji-feht-bbh         Dial-in: (US) +1 619-784-8228      PIN: 602 205 725#

 

Please know that we miss our students and are doing our very best to plan with the goal of resuming face-to-face instruction as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we move forward in these unprecedented times.
Sincerely,

John Schieche, Superintendent
East Valley School District No.90

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Dear Certificated Staff,

As you know this week is National Teacher Appreciation Week. Along with our state and country, we are pleased to take this opportunity to celebrate all that you do for our students, schools and community throughout the year.

 

We know that this year has been challenging, that you have been pushed to limits we never could have imagined, and that you have been asked to get out of your comfort zones in so many ways. In every tough situation, there is a silver lining. For me, the silver lining in all of this is seeing the innovative practices that you, our certificated staff, have implemented to reach kids where they are. Your ability to maintain the strong connections with students and parents you have worked so hard to create is encouraging and inspirational. Your innovation and hard work fills me with gratitude each and every day. 

We asked our community to share one word with us to describe their teacher. They used words like amazing, caring, loving, kind, enthusiastic, challenging, helpful, funny, genuine and inspiring. As I read these words, I echo their sentiments. You are all of these and so much more. As you take on the last weeks of our school year, please remember who you are and how much you mean to our students and families. You are the glue that is holding our schools and community together through these tough times.

We want you to know that we recognize and appreciate all that you are doing to make a difference for our kids and families. Remember to take care of yourselves and your family during these unprecedented times and know that you are in my thoughts.

With my sincerest respect and admiration,
John Schieche

 

 

 

Next week, along with districts across the state and country, we have the honor of celebrating Classified Employee Appreciation Week. These dedicated and hardworking team members are recognized for their commitment to providing high quality education and positive experiences for our children, every day, in every school across our district.

 

We know that our schools would not run smoothly without the support of our classified employees. They manage our front offices, prepare and serve lunches, tend to sick kids, work in small groups with students, keep our school grounds, buildings and buses maintained and safe, transport our students to and from school, make sure computers and classroom technology continue to function and so much more. They are often the first people our students see when they enter our schools and the last before arriving safely at home. The connections they make with our students, families and our staff help support students development and success. 

 

We invite you to join us in celebrating our classified staff team members not only this week, but all year long for their important contributions to our schools and community.

 

Thank you classified staff for all you do to make every day a special day for our children!

 

 

With the release of the Washington State Report Card, it is time to reflect on the triumphs and challenges of the 2018-2019 school year. Over the last five years, we have invested heavily in the implementation of our Big Five. This improvement initiate focuses our instructional efforts on a collaborative approach to addressing Washington State Standards through the use of intentional learning targets, common assessments and rigorous core and differentiated instruction.

 

As I review our 2019 Smarter Balanced Assessment data, I am encouraged to see this work translate to significant improvements in both student growth and achievement data district-wide. In 16 of the 20 tested areas, our district made growth in comparison to scores reported on the 2018 assessments. In addition, not only are we surpassing the average scores of students in our local Educational Service District in nearly every content area and grade level, but in many of these areas, our students are also surpassing the state average.

 

While we are very proud to celebrate our growth, we also recognize that there is still room for improvement. Our building and district administrators are committed to continuing our upward trend by working hard to try new, innovative practices, in their buildings. From “Think Tanks” that encourage a collective approach to evaluating building processes amongst educators and administrators, to faculty gallery walks that spotlight student data and effective teaching strategies,  the progress we are making is shaping a culture of collaboration like nothing we have seen in years past.

 

We look forward to continuing on this journey with our team of highly skilled educators and support staff. We are thankful for the ongoing support of our East Valley Community and the engagement of our families to prioritize education. Together we do make a difference.

 

 

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As we prepare for winter break and the new year, I am reflective of the hard work of our employees and students. More than ever before, we are asking our students to rise to rigorous standards in education. More than ever before, we are asking our teachers to be reflective of their practice and collaborate with their peers to ensure they’re using the best instructional practices to teach our students. And, more than ever before, we are seeing this hard work translate to high levels of student growth and academic success in our schools.

 

We hope that our students and staff have a well-earned, restful winter break and come back reenergized as we move into 2020.

 

 

We are two months into the new school year and already reaping the benefits of the hard work of our employees to build strong relationships with our students and to promote academic excellence.

 

As a district, we have invested time and resources into our professional learning communities to ensure that our educators are collaboratively evaluating the needs of each student and addressing them with targeted interventions and enrichment opportunities. Preliminary data from our interim assessments shows substantial growth in grade levels across our district, in some cases grade levels doubling student growth from this same time last school year.

 

This year we have put a magnifying lens to the culture and climate of our district and placed emphasis on building positive relationships with students. We know that the success of our students and schools is a direct reflection of these relationships. We want to ensure that from the first hello our students receive on the bus to the time that they go home, they are being provided with educational environments that are both physically and emotionally safe. We are extremely pleased by the level of enthusiasm we have seen from our educators to build these lasting connections. We are encouraged by data that suggests that we are already seeing this effort translate to fewer discipline issues in our buildings. 

 

As we move into this new year, we are committed to ensuring that our classrooms and schools are inviting, engaging and empowering for our students and our staff. With a keen focus on providing quality services for our students, parents and community throughout the year, you will be asked to complete customer service surveys to tell us how we’re doing in meeting your needs and expectations. These quick surveys will help guide us in providing enriching environments for each and every student to succeed.

 

We look forward to continuing the growth we have seen in the last few school years and to working together to ensure the values and culture of our East Valley Schools reflect strong connections with students and only the best instructional practices to meet the needs of every child, in every classroom, every day.

 

 

Every May, we have the honor of recognizing our certificated staff for their commitment to the success of our East Valley students. Next week, along with districts across our state and country, we will have the opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate their hard work and dedication during National Teacher Appreciation Week (May 6-10, 2019).

 

The impact of our certificated staff is so important to the future of our students, our schools and our community. They come to work, in their various roles, every day to not only teach our kids academic content, but also to lead them to become the best versions of themselves through the connections they make with each and every one of them. It is the time that they invest in getting to know our students that shows how deeply they care. It is the high standards that they hold them to that empowers them to seek their highest aspirations and it is the passion that they show for their profession, that inspires our kids to follow their own passion and turn their dreams into productive and rewarding realities.

We ask that you join us in recognizing the impact they have on the lives of our students, the futures they build and their outstanding dedication to our community.

 

 

Spring is a busy time for our schools. State testing is just around the corner and the end of the school year is fast approaching. We want to remind families to make sure that students are coming to school on time, every day, so that they don’t miss key instructional time with their teachers right before the test. We also recommend that students get a good night’s rest the night before testing and a healthy breakfast the morning of. We want to make sure our students are ready and prepared for the rigorous tasks they will be asked to perform.

 

Spring is not just for testing, it is also a time for recognizing excellence. It is the time of year when we have the opportunity to put a spotlight on our employees for their dedication to our schools and students all year. Last month we had the honor of recognizing our classified employees who work diligently every day to support the education of our children in East Valley. During the week of May 6-10th, we will have the opportunity to thank our certificated staff for all that they do to impact the lives of our students.  We ask you to join us in celebrating our East Valley staff and all that they do for the future of our community.

 

After a very wintery return from break, it seems like the snow melted just in time for the first day of spring. To make up for lost instructional time due to our snow days, we will be extending the school year.  Our last day of the 2018-2019 academic year will now be June 13th. For more information about the changes made to our academic calendar, please reference our spring announcements on page 7.

 

 

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This week, along with districts across the state and country, we are honored to celebrate classified employee appreciation week in the East Valley School District .

 

Classified staff are our employees who support the education of our students by managing front offices, preparing and serving lunches, tending to sick kids, working in small groups with students to provide academic support, keeping school grounds, buildings and buses maintained and safe, transporting our students to and from school, keeping kids safe on our playgrounds and for making sure computers and classroom technology continue to function and so much more. It truly takes all employees working together to educate our students. The support our classified employees provide our district is critical to student success.

 

I encourage the entire community to join me in celebrating these dedicated and hardworking team members for their commitment to providing high quality education and positive experiences for our children, every day, in every school across our district. Classified employees deserve our gratitude and appreciation not only this week, but all year long for their important contributions to our community.

 

 

Although the groundhog predicted spring, all we saw was snow this February. We know that when bad weather hits the Yakima Valley, parents are anxiously waiting to hear whether our schools are going to be on-time, delayed or cancelled.

 

We simply don't know what our decision will be until the morning of. Weather forecasts/weather conditions can change, as can the roads. In the past when we have announced delays the night prior and then had to change to cancellation, we had confusion and frustrated families that had to, once again, change their plans. We have found that it is best to make our decisions and announcements when we have the most accurate information available.

 

We don't make our decisions based on what other districts are doing; we base them on the conditions in our district, on our roads. We wake up and begin driving roads at 3:30 in the morning. We assess road conditions to determine whether our buses can safely transport students to and from school. Once we are ready to make our decisions related to transportation and school operation, we try to send a notification out to the news media and our families no later than 6:00 AM. If weather conditions change significantly and our delay turns into a closure, we will try to send an update to our community by 7:30 a.m.

 

As soon as we can be sure that additional winter storms will not initiate further school closures, we will review our academic calendar and communicate potential changes to our families.

 

We thank our families and staff for your patience and understanding through this wintery weather. We always encourage families to prepare for inclement weather and make sure to have a care plan in place for children, should you need to report for employment. For more information about our weather notifications, visit https://www.evsd90.org/apps/pages/weather

 

Our doors and phones are always open. If you have questions, please don't hesitate to reach out.

 

Superintendent