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August 21, 2020

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Dear Ridgefield Families,

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I am reaching out to you this Friday afternoon with a tremendous\r\namount of excitement! The 2020-2021 school year is nearly upon us. I know I am\r\nnot alone in this excitement. The Ridgefield School District staff is anxious\r\nand excited to get started on what is sure to be a memorable year. Many\r\nchallenges await us in the coming days, weeks, and months. What gives me\r\nstrength is the passion and resilience I have observed time and again since the\r\nbeginning of the pandemic from students, staff, and the greater Ridgefield\r\nCommunity. This passion and resiliency bind us towards a common goal, enabling\r\nus to achieve more together than we can alone.

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Earlier\r\nthis month I shared with you Ridgefield Remote, the District’s plan for remote\r\ninstruction when we begin school in September. Ridgefield Remote is a more\r\nrobust, predictable, and user-friendly distance-learning model which will allow\r\nrigorous learning to occur in the distance environment.

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While\r\nwe are beginning the year fully-remote, we remain committed to a return to\r\nin-person learning as conditions warrant. We are developing a graduated return\r\nto in-person learning. This starts while in remote learning, by bringing in\r\nsmall groups of students whose services cannot be effectively delivered in a\r\nremote environment. As we meet regional safety benchmarks, we will expand our\r\nin-person services, eventually reaching our hybrid learning model, and\r\nultimately a full return to in-person learning. For more information on the\r\nregional School Opening Decision Framework, I encourage you to take a moment to\r\nread the latest recommendations for schools from Clark County\r\nPublic Health and the corresponding news release from ESD 112.

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I\r\nencourage you to explore the various resources we have compiled to aid you and\r\nyour child(ren) in Ridgefield Remote. We recently updated our FAQ page, which seeks to answer the most\r\nfrequently asked questions.

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The\r\nDistrict has put forth significant effort and capital to implement local and\r\nstate safety guidelines. As I write this letter, ABM custodial staff are\r\nplacing signage through our buildings reminding staff (and eventually students)\r\nabout expectations, hall directions, handwashing requirements, face mask\r\ncoverings, etc. Click here to view our page outlining the safety\r\nprotocols staff, students, and visitors need to follow on our campuses

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Thank you for your continued support. Stay well and remain\r\n#RidgefieldResilient.

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Sincerely,

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Dr.\r\nNathan McCann

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Superintendent