RETURN TO HYBRID MODEL – PLANS FOR JANUARY 2021

  • AMHS

Steve Schmutz

For the remainder of December we are confident in our safety protocols for the transition to the Hybrid Model and continuation of outdoor after school activities. Our plan is to have students return to campus following the Christmas break in the 50% Hybrid Model starting the week of January 4th — allowing two weeks of in-person learning experiences leading up to semester exams. We will welcome students in the Hybrid Model by alphabet as described in the template at the end of this message. Students will be able to attend classes with teachers or in some cases, they will be supervised by administrators or other staff, while we continue to monitor SnoCo health guidelines and protocols. 

Dear AMHS Families,

Since mid-September, we have successfully welcomed students on campus following our safety and health protocols, starting with students served in the Academic Resource Center, followed by a gradual transition of 9th and 10th graders and then 11th and 12th. In early November we then invited all students to sign up for one of four cohort groups as part of our transition to a Hybrid Model. Throughout this transition, we have made arrangements to accommodate up to 115 students per day on campus with faculty and staff supervision. While some families have opted to keep their students at home, we have enjoyed seeing those students who have attended on-campus support and instruction.

We are encouraged by the success we have had thus far with both in-person and virtual learning. Although many local high schools are seeing alarming rates of failure and truancy, AMHS is seeing high levels of student academic success. AMHS administrators and counselors routinely monitor a number of data points, including grades and attendance. When these data points are compared to similar timeframes, AMHS students are consistently performing as well or better than previous school years. We know that this is not easy and we are so proud of our students for all of their hard work. We are also appreciative of our faculty, staff, and parent/guardian community for giving our kids so much support through these challenging times.   

Over the past few weeks as case count numbers have increased we have followed the guidance and recommendations from Snohomish County Health officials. We have also paid heed to the recommendations from the Department of Health (DOH) and CDC regarding the importance of on-campus instruction for the mental and emotional health of our students.

For the remainder of December we are confident in our safety protocols for the transition to the Hybrid Model and continuation of outdoor after school activities. Our plan is to have students return to campus following the Christmas break in the 50% Hybrid Model starting the week of January 4th — allowing two weeks of in-person learning experiences leading up to semester exams. We will welcome students in the Hybrid Model by alphabet as described in the template at the end of this message. Students will be able to attend classes with teachers or in some cases, they will be supervised by administrators or other staff, while we continue to monitor SnoCo health guidelines and protocols.

Health officials have recommended guidelines for quarantine following travel during the holiday season. AMHS has also consulted with the Archdiocese of Seattle regarding recommendations for re-acclimation to campus following the holiday vacation schedules. If you plan to travel during the Christmas break please consider the recommendations from the CDC and DOH.

Washington State Department of Health is adopting the new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines to reduce quarantine for people who have been exposed to COVID-19.

Although both the Washington State Department of Health and CDC currently recommend a quarantine period of 14 days, there are circumstances that allow for a shortened quarantine. These include:

  • If a person who is in quarantine has no symptoms, quarantine can end after Day 10.
  • If a person who is in quarantine receives a negative COVID-19 test and has no symptoms, quarantine can end after Day 7. Get tested within 48 hours before ending quarantine.

We understand you may have questions or concerns as we continue to navigate through this pandemic. Please feel free to email Steve Schmutz (sschmutz@am-hs.org) or Alicia Mitchell (amitchell@am-hs.org) to schedule time for a conversation. Thank you for blessing our community with your students—stay safe and healthy.

Hybrid Model — Starting January 4th: 

Given our success with the transition to the Hybrid Model thus far, we will be increasing the frequency and number of students on campus: 

  • Cohort Group 1 last names A-K
  • Cohort Group 2 last names L-Z

In the Hybrid Model, we are planning for up to 50% of our student body to be on-campus at a time for in-person learning (about 230 students daily). There will be a rotation of students attending two days of on-campus instruction, followed by two days off-campus. Students who are off-campus will participate in class sessions virtually and learning will take place concurrently with students attending in-person instruction. 

While we encourage all students to participate in on-campus learning, we realize that every family situation is different. Families have the option of continuing to attend 100% remotely, should they prefer to do so. 

Sincerely, 

AMHS Administration