Turner Elementary School – Urgent message on virtual learning for all students

This message was sent to Turner Elementary families on December 19, 2021.

Dear Turner Elementary School Families,

Due to the impact of these several reported cases of COVID-19 on school operations, we will transition to virtual instruction for all Turner students from December 20 through December 22.

The decision to shift the entire school to virtual instruction for the next week did not come lightly. However, with many students required to quarantine and limited staffing availability, virtual learning will allow all students to end the calendar year strong.

To date, we have notified the Turner community of 3 reported cases at school since December 13. As we previously shared, unless you received instructions to quarantine directly, your student has not been identified as a close contact of a positive individual concerning one of these cases

Here are three important things to know as your student transitions to a temporary virtual learning plan:

• If your student needs a technology device to learn at home, please call the school at (202) 645-3470. Devices will be available for pickup tomorrow, December 20 from 9:00 am to 11:00 am. Visit https://dcpsstrong.com/resources/technology/ for any troubleshooting assistance.
  
• To allow teachers to prepare for virtual instruction, students who will just be starting virtual learning will be asynchronous on Monday, December 20. This means that those students should log into Canvas and access their self-guided lessons for the day. Teachers will be reaching out to families tomorrow to follow up and ensure students can access asynchronous and synchronous learning.
  
• Students who have already been learning virtually this week due to quarantine protocols will follow their normal school schedule tomorrow. Please log into Canvas to access your classes.

Getting yourself and your child vaccinated is the best way to protect your family against COVID-19, and I urge our families to take this important step for all students 5 years or older. Visit vaccinate.dc.gov for free vaccine clinics across the city, including walk-up sites this week at schools.

If you need a COVID-19 test and your health care provider is unable to give one, you should utilize one of the free testing sites in DC, including a home testing kit option. Visit https://coronavirus.dc.gov/testing for more information.

I know that this is disappointing news as we approach winter break and the holiday season, but the well-being of our community is our top priority. I will continue to provide updates as they are available in the coming days. If you have any question in the meantime, please reach out to me via email at marian.horton@k12.dc.gov.

Thank you for your patience and support as we work with our public health partners to swiftly address this situation and have a safe and restful holiday season.

Sincerely,

Marian Horton
Assistant Principal, Turner Elementary School