Baldwin-Whitehall School District: K-6 Materials And Device Distribution

Press release from the Baldwin-Whitehall School District:

Sept. 4, 2020

Dear Parents and Families of Students in Grades K-6:

Over the next few days each of your schools will be sending you information and schedules regarding when and where to pick up materials and devices. Please be on the lookout for those emails coming directly from your school and/or principal.

The purpose of this letter from me is to identify a couple problems we are encountering at the District level and how we are addressing them.

Kindergarten and Grades 1 and 2 -

At this time, the District is still awaiting delivery of approximately 1,200 Chromebook devices for our children in Kindergarten, First Grade and Second Grade. For these students, we will begin the school year implementing contingency planning which utilizes packets of materials. Those packets will be available starting on Friday, September 4, 2020 at each of your schools. Mrs. Wessel, Dr. Eckert and Mrs. Fusco will be sending out specific details regarding when and where to get those materials. This applies for all students regardless if the hybrid or the full remote learning option was selected.

The District will NOT be issuing Chromebooks to Kindergarten, Grade 1 and Grade 2 at this time. We will continue to monitor our delivery schedules of devices as well as work on alternative plans. Additional information will be coming to families early next week.

Grades 3, 4, 5 and 6

All children in grades 3, 4, 5, and 6, regardless of whether the hybrid or the full remote learning option was selected, will be able to retrieve materials and Chromebook devices from their school beginning Thursday, September 3, 2020. Mrs. Fusco and Dr. Eckert will be sending out specific details regarding when and where to get those materials.

In response to the recent survey sent out by me, nearly 400 families of children in grades 3, 4, 5 and 6 indicated that they do not need a Chromebook device to begin the year. Thank you to everyone that took the time to answer that survey. The District will delay the distribution of Chromebooks to those families at this time as we work through contingency planning related to the delayed shipments of devices. I have provided the schools the list of all survey results. Should your need for a device change, please work with the school office directly. Once the District receives a full supply of Chromebook devices, additional distribution dates will be set up to get devices to any family/student that did not get one at this time.

I realize that the beginning of school is confusing and frustrating this year. While we are trying to get as much information to families as soon as we can, we also know that there is much that you still need. Please reach out to the schools or my office directly with your questions.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we continue to organize for a very different learning and teaching experience.

Sincerely,

Randal A. Lutz, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

This press release was produced by the Baldwin-Whitehall School District. The views expressed here are the author’s own.