Superintendent's Corner

Photo of Superintendent Craig Olson

Superintendent's Corner

Dear Hayward Community School District friends and families,

First and foremost, I hope this letter finds you and your family safe and healthy.  I hope everyone took advantage of a fun-filled summer by enjoying the great northwoods. I write this letter to you with great enthusiasm and hope regarding the start of the 2020-2021 school year.  The entire staff is excited to see all the students and hopefully get back to some sort of normalcy.

 

On August 3rd the Hayward Community School District Board of Education voted for all students PK-12 to attend school physically four days a week, Monday-Thursday.  Students will be utilizing our virtual option on Fridays until further notice. Please note that the Hayward Community School District will also be offering a full-time virtual educational program for those families who choose not to send their child to school physically.  As we look to return this fall, COVID-19 will provide us all with significant challenges.  As we all know, this whole experience since March has seemed overwhelming, yet somehow, we all embraced the adversity together and are prepared for whatever this year may bring.  Our staff has worked tirelessly to ensure we are doing everything that we practically and reasonably can to mitigate risks for our students, staff, and community.  I certainly do not want to give false promises or misleading guarantees of a COVID-19 free or risk-free environment in our schools.  We cannot stop the spread of COVID-19!  With that said, I do feel strongly that the Hayward Community School District has established a reopening plan with a variety of educational options.  We will be prepared to fluidly move between these models if the need arises.  This plan has mitigated the risk of exposure in the school setting with the approach and understanding that our student’s and staff’s health and safety must be our top priority in getting students back in school physically.

 

Please note that this situation seems to change on a daily basis.  This plan cannot possibly address every scenario that COVID-19 may present.  We will continue to assess real-time issues and analyze factual data as we move forward in collaboration with state and local health officials in our decision-making process.  I appreciate your flexibility and understanding as we work through COVID-19 with the goal of getting our students back to school as safe as possible.

 

In summary, I do not have a crystal ball to predict what will take place during the 2020-2021 school year, there are many unknowns.  One certainty is that COVID-19 is not going away, and all of us are worried about the health and safety of our children and family members. Our educational goal is to find a healthy balance during this health crisis.  We need to approach this situation with practicality and common-sense to provide all of our students the best opportunity to ACHIEVE!  We need your help and cooperation with risk mitigation efforts outside of school, to not only get our children back in school, but to keep them there.  It is essential that we continue to educate our students in the Hayward Community School District.  It is our duty to provide essential services that our students desperately need.  I feel confident that the staff is ready to implement this plan and help mitigate the risk of exposure in the school setting while still providing a quality educational experience for all students.  Ultimately, the final decision to send your child to school is a parental decision, and whatever you decide will be respected.  I feel we have a quality in-person educational plan along with a quality virtual option for you to choose from depending upon your individual family situation.

 

As always, I look forward to working together for the well-being of our students, staff, and community.  We look forward to embracing this adversity and continuing the strong and prideful tradition of the Hayward Community School District.  We all miss the students and look forward to seeing their smiling faces on September 1st.  If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to give me a call, and I will be happy to assist.

 

Win the Day

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