School news and events for the week of {date}

Aloha to the good people in the Alaka’i O Kaua’i Charter School learning community and hope this message finds you in good health and happiness.

Mahalo for your incredible flexibility and patience with the announced changes that came forth last Tuesday from the Hawai’i Department of Education. Although we have been the only Hawai’i Department of Education school and Hawai’i Charter school to welcome learners back on campus, we will follow the outline in the HIDOE announcement.

This is a difficult and painful decision at Alaka’i O Kaua’i Charter School, and there was certainly no shortage of sincere tears from our staff, as we want to have our learners back on campus for face-to-face education daily without a hybrid or blended model of education.

We also recognize the importance of our social responsibility to everyone in our learning community and the good citizens on the island of Kaua’i. As the educational leader of our school, I realize it would be morally incorrect to open our school when COVID cases are on the rise on our beautiful island. Just one positive case at Alaka’i O Kaua’i Charter School could potentially impact hundreds of people on our island and place our vulnerable population at greater risk.

As a project-based learning school, this is also part of the learning around our driving question to start the 2020-2021 school year: “How can Alaka’i O Kaua’i Charter School safely welcome back our  learners for the 2020-2021 school year?” It is important to teach the valuable lifelong lesson of looking after each other as well as your neighbor as a component of social-emotional learning.

We look forward to being able to have all our learners back on campus for daily face-to-face education as early as mid-September. We will closely monitor the COVID cases on Kaua’i and continue to consult with health and government officials about opening on campus again.

Here is the schedule for this week (and a little beyond):

Monday, August 17, 8:45 AM to Noon

• All learners in grades 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 with last names starting with the letters A-M
• All learners in grade 5 with last names starting with the letters A-L
• All kindergarteners in Group Yellow*

Tuesday, August 18, 8:45 AM to Noon

• All learners in grades 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 with last names starting with the letters N-Z
• All learners in grade 5 with last names starting with the letters M-Z
• All kindergarteners in Group Orange*

Wednesday, August 19, 8:45 AM to Noon

• All learners in grades 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 with last names starting with the letters A-M
• All learners in grade 5 with last names starting with the letters A-L
• All kindergarteners in Group Blue*

Thursday, August 20, 8:45 AM to Noon

• All learners in grades 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 with last names starting with the letters N-Z
• All learners in grade 5 with last names starting with the letters M-Z
• *All kindergarteners in Group Green*

*These kindergarten groups will be shared directly with the kindergarten parents.

Friday, August 21

• No school due to Statehood Day.

Monday, August 24

• Start of mandatory Distance Learning Program.

Tuesday, September 8

• Safety evaluation day for return to on-campus face-to-face education. If we are all successful in flattening the curve of COVID infections, then we would move toward welcoming our learners back on campus.

Monday, September 14

• Learners at Alaka’i O Kaua’i Charter School are projected to return to on-campus face-to-face education at our school. Busing will resume for our learners.

Alaka’i O Kaua’i Charter School will be providing busing for our learners August 17-21.

Drop-off area in the mornings will always be in the main traffic circle in the front of the campus, as we do our health safety checks in this area for every learner and staff member daily. Please do remain in your cars, and mahalo (in advance) for your patience, as this process does take some time.

Pick-up areas at noon will be as follows: