Wicomico County Public Schools Update

Good evening, families and staff of Wicomico County Public Schools. This is Superintendent of Schools Donna Hanlin with this week’s message. In case this phone call is cut off, you’ll find the full message in your emailbox and on our website, www.wcboe.org.

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan has announced a transition from his stay-at-home order to a safer-at-home advisory starting at 5 p.m. Friday. He emphasizes that while we are taking a positive step forward toward recovery as a state, it does not mean that we are safe or that this crisis is over. He also reminds us that each and every one of us has an obligation to continue to exercise responsibility for ourselves, for our families, for our coworkers, and for our fellow citizens, so that as a community, together we can begin to safely get back to work and get back to our daily lives. Let’s all continue to practice the recommendations of experts with frequent hand washing, sanitizing of surfaces, and wearing masks when visiting somewhere outside the home to protect ourselves, our family members and others.

As previously announced, schools are not part of this Stage 1 reopening, and school buildings will remain closed through the end of the school year. Thank you for continuing to support your student in learning either online or with non-digital learning materials. Our fifth and final round of learning will start the day after Memorial Day on Tuesday, May 26th, with learning modules posted online that morning and available at schools May 26th and 27th.

This week the Board approved an updated calendar, with the last day of school on Friday, June 12th, pending State Board approval. If you’ll recall, students missed 9 days of school back in March due to the state-ordered closure. By adding 2 days to the end of the calendar, and turning April 3rd and April 28th into instructional days, we were able to ask the state to waive the remaining 5 days of closure. We anticipate an answer on our waiver request soon. For teachers, the last day would now be Tuesday, June 16th. Report cards would be mailed June 19th.

While students and teachers continue with instruction, our schools and our school system are intensely focused on planning for online summer activities as well as adjustments that might be needed in order for classes to resume in our schools at the end of the summer. We are close to finalizing plans for enrolling new students in Kindergarten and Prekindergarten for next year.

We are working on various ways to celebrate the Class of 2020 even beyond commencement. Next week, each senior will have the chance to walk in cap and gown for photos, with up to four family members present. This will be carefully scheduled to minimize the number of people on site, and will be done with social distancing and recommended cleaning procedures. Seniors will be celebrated in their school’s virtual commencement ceremony, airing May 28th to 30th. Seniors and parents: This Saturday from 8-9 p.m. you can watch “Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020” on all of the major networks, with the commencement speech by former President Barack Obama. Students can participate before, during and after the air date at graduatetogether2020.com.

The ways in which our school community and Wicomico as a whole have been united in the face of this crisis have been amazing and inspiring. Thank you for everything you have done, and will continue to do, to support the health and safety of students, families, staff and community.