Monday, February 8, 2021
Thanks to the efforts of the Woodland and Ariel communities to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 novel coronavirus, Woodland Public Schools announces that Woodland Middle School students will return to in-school learning on a hybrid learning schedule beginning on Tuesday, February 23.
Additionally, the district is working toward the hopeful goal of bringing back elementary full-time to attend in-person school five-days-a-week in the coming weeks.
The return of more of Woodland’s students to school comes following the Cowlitz County Health Department’s recent release of numbers on Covid-19 cases showing a trend in case numbers in Woodland and Ariel that is significantly lower than the rest of the county. While Cowlitz County currently has a case rate of 433 per 100,000, the number of cases in zip codes 98674 (Woodland) and 98603 (up-river) is 268 per 100,000, lower than guidance provided by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for in-person learning for students in elementary and middle school.
At this time, there is no firm date for the return of high school students to a hybrid schedule, however, Woodland Public Schools’ hopes that the community’s ongoing efforts to reduce the spread of Covid-19 will continue the downward trend in case rates. Should the trend continue, Woodland High School could reopen potentially sometime in March.
Ongoing vigilance from students’ families and the community at-large is needed for in-person schooling to expand and persist. The staff of Woodland Public Schools wants to reopen for full-time in-person learning as soon as possible and knows the community wants the same goal.
Remember to follow the recommended guidelines for preventing the spread of coronavirus including:
- Wear masks whenever not at home or around members outside your immediate household.
- Maintain social distancing of six feet when in public spaces.
- Do not throw parties or hold social gatherings.
- Wash your hands frequently for a minimum of 20 seconds.
- Do not send students to school if they exhibit any symptoms that could be Covid-19, families have traveled, or families have visited others.
We thank all of our families, neighbors, and community members for your concerted and ongoing efforts in helping to prevent new cases of coronavirus!
We can do this together – we can continue reducing the spread of Covid-19 so we can reopen Woodland Public Schools!
Learn more about how Woodland Public Schools educates our students and serves the community, by visiting our dedicated news webpage at www.woodlandschools.org/news/wsd
Stay informed with the latest updates about the eventual transition from remote learning to in-person learning and more about COVID-19 at Woodland Public Schools’ dedicated website: www.woodlandschools.org/covid-hq