School Department Logo

Good day –

The April break is wrapping up and, although it is unlikely that any of you enjoyed the vacation plans you had originally scheduled, I am hopeful that a few days away from Google Chats, video lectures, and on-line lessons gave students and staff (and parents) a chance to relax, recharge, and prepare for the final dash to the end of the school year. As we venture back into the world of remote learning, it may become more and more challenging to engage students in learning – which is pretty typical of the fourth quarter in any school year, but may be more noticeable in this environment.  I encourage each of you to continue the enthusiastic effort displayed during the first five weeks of this unusual challenge.  The commitment to learning demonstrated by students, families, and staff has been impressive to date, and a similar push will be required as we challenge ourselves to “finish strong” in the 2019-2020 school year.  Please reach out to your child’s teacher, counselor, advisor, or school principal if you find your child struggling to re-engage when we return to lessons – or at any point this spring – so we may work with you to ensure the learning continues.

While our focus remains first and foremost on the health of our students and community members – and on the academic progression of our students – we are also carrying on with business as usual in other aspects of our organization.  Most notably, the budget process for the coming 2020-2021 school year is well underway and the construction projects at all four school facilities are rapidly taking shape.  Please access budget information on our Finance and Budgeting webpage, and stay apprised of our construction projects on our Facilities Committee site.  The timeline for both budgeting and construction is likely to change during the coronavirus pandemic, and updates will be posted to our webpages as frequently as possible.

Please note that we remain in regular contact with governmental and health policy leaders across the state, and we are committed to making informed decisions regarding the scheduling of important celebrations such as Yarmouth High School Graduation.  We know many of you are anxious about those decisions, and we will be considering a wide variety of options in the coming weeks.  We will keep you posted as plans are finalized at each school.

Finally, please be reminded that our school playgrounds and athletic fields remain closed, with the sole exception of the High School track, which remains open for those wishing to exercise while practicing proper social distancing.  Please do your part to stay safe and promote community well-being.

Thank you for your continued partnership as we strive to meet the needs of our students.

Sincerely,

Andrew Dolloff, Ph.D.

Superintendent of Schools