Dear Parents and Guardians,

It is hard to believe, but summer is winding down and we are now in the planning stages of the 2020- 21 school year. We all hoped that the COVID-19 pandemic would be over, but unfortunately, it is still with us. We are now faced with the same challenges that we faced in the Spring of 2020. The Eads staff met on July 17 to discuss and brainstorm how to most effectively start the 2020-21 school year.

Just like in the Spring of 2020, our main focus remains on the health and well-being of our staff and students. We also know the importance of in-person learning and the challenges of any other approach. We have waited for the guidance from the Governor's office, the Colorado Department of Education (CDE}, and the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC}. As many of you have heard, the Governor mandated masks to be worn in all public places for everyone 11 years and older, beginning on July 17, 2020.

Our goal is to begin the 2020-21 school year as normal as possible with in-person instruction. There will be several challenges to this approach such as extensive cleaning and disinfecting, social distancing, encouraged hand sanitizing, and the use of masks where mandated. We are also at the mercy of the Governor's office and the CDC who can make mandates and guidelines that we must comply with and follow at any given time.

Several districts across the state of Colorado have made preliminary plans that include delayed starts, staggered class schedules, and online and remote learning options. As much as any districts have tried to predict the status of the pandemic for the start of the school year, most fail, as it is a moving target that continues to change.

Colorado school districts have been told that they will receive guidance in the coming week from the CDC and CDE to assist in the planning of the 2020-21 school year. We will await this information and make our final plans once we receive this guidance. At that point, we will finalize a plan that outlines the educational options that we will be able to safely deliver. It is our goal to send you information about our educational plan next week.  Please also look for information about the high school registration, scheduled for July 24, 2020, and elementary and middle school registration on July 28.

We thank you for your continued patience and support. If you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions, please contact me at glenn.smith@eadseagles.org , or Mr. Bohlander at brian.bohlander@eadseagles.org.

Glenn Smith, Superintendent