Forest Hills School District Return to Learn Plans 

Forest Hills School District is prepared to safely and responsibly deliver high-quality education to students during the upcoming academic year. The district’s Return to Learn plans were approved by the Forest Hills Board of Education during its July 10 meeting. 

This webpage will be updated with the most current information regarding the district's Return to Learn Plan. Please note that changes to the plan may still occur should FHSD receive new guidance from state or local officials. 

Review the district's FAQ page for more information on the FHSD Return to Learn plan and safety protocols. 

NEW UPDATES:

First Day of School Date Change

On July 27, the Forest Hills Board of Education voted to move the first day of class for students to Thursday, August 27. By postponing the start date by one week, staff members will have additional time to appropriately prepare for the changes and expectations related to the upcoming academic year. Please review the updated academic calendar here. 

Messages from Superintendent Prebles:

July 24 e-mail to parents

New Resources:

Tips for helping kids wear masks

OPTION 1

Forest Hills Virtual Academy:

• Parents can choose to opt-in to the Forest Hills Virtual Academy if their student is unable to return to the classroom. This full-time option will run independently of the district’s three learning plans. As such, students must commit to the virtual academy for the full semester. 

• Students will be assigned a Forest Hills teacher(s) and every effort will be made to allow students to follow their previously scheduled courses. Some elective courses, specials, or encores may not be offered in this setting.  

• Students will be assigned to their home school but may have a teacher from any of our schools. 

• Students will be required to attend virtual class sessions and complete assignments as outlined by the teacher. 

• Students will be held accountable for essential standards and skills and will demonstrate mastery of those skills.  

• Individual planning will be conducted to determine schedules for specially designed instruction, accommodations, and services for students with disabilities. Individual planning will also be necessary for English Language Learners. 

• Supplemental electronic resources and tools may be utilized that will provide students a comprehensive approach to learning.  

• All courses are aligned to Ohio standards. High school courses are for high school credit and count toward graduation.

OPTION 2

Traditional Learning Plan:

• In the traditional learning plan, students and staff will return to the classroom five days a week. 

• Transportation will be available to all students, with enhanced safety guidelines. 

• The district has established health and safety guidelines for each school and will implement safety protocols to the highest degree possible for students and staff. 

Should the district's COVID-19 risk levels increase, the district will transition its traditional learning plan into a blended or remote model. 

Blended Learning Plan:

• 50% of FHSD students will return to the classroom on either Tuesday and Thursday, and the other half on  Wednesday and Friday. Mondays will be remote for all students. 

• The blended learning model reduces the number of students who are attending school or riding the bus each day, allowing for increased social distancing. 

• Every effort will be made to allow students to follow their traditional schedules, however, some elective, encore, or elementary specials may be limited.

• Remote assignments will be designed to be completed independently or collaboratively via virtual means with other students.

Remote Learning Plan (Level 4):  

• The remote learning plan will go into effect for all students should the district reach a Level 4 COVID-19 risk. Please note that this is different from the district’s full-time, parent-selected virtual option. 

• All students will participate in remote learning provided by their current teachers.  

• Students will participate in virtual class sessions and complete assignments as outlined by the teachers. 

• Students will be held accountable for essential standards and skills and will demonstrate mastery of those skills. 

• Some expectations of scheduled, direct instruction and/or virtual collaboration may be required.

• Should the district transition into a complete remote learning model due to COVID-19, families enrolled in all-day kindergarten will receive tuition reimbursement for the days in which their child is not in the classroom. Remote educational opportunities aligned with the curriculum will be available to all-day kindergarten families. Children will maintain access to their classroom teachers; however, families will not pay tuition during this period. 

Applying the state's guidance to FHSD:

As the district has done since all school buildings closed in March, the district continues to closely follow guidance from Governor DeWine, the Ohio Department of Education, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and local health officials in crafting our plans for the fall. We are committed to taking every precaution possible to ensure the highest level of health and safety for our students, their families and our staff. As such, our plans will closely align with the state’s COVID-19 risk assessment guidelines. 

Changes to the learning plans will be guided by the risk assessment guidelines, but specific only to zip codes served by FHSD. In conjunction with the Hamilton County Health Department and local epidemiologists, FHSD will review risk levels in zip codes 45230, 45255 and 45244 daily to maintain the highest levels of health and safety and to determine if adjustments need to be made. 

• Traditional Learning Plan = Level 1 and Level 2 (Based on FHSD attendance area zip code COVID-19 confirmed cases in coordination with local medical and health official guidance.) 

• Blended Learning Plan = Level 3 (Based on FHSD attendance area zip code COVID-19 confirmed cases in coordination with local medical and health official guidance.) 

• Remote Learning Plan =  Level 4  (Based on FHSD attendance area zip code COVID-19 confirmed cases in coordination with local medical and health official guidance.)

   

   

For example, the data from July 8th, 2020 can be viewed here and would allow for the Traditional Learning Plan based on guidance from local health officials. 

First Day of School Date Change:

On July 27, the Forest Hills Board of Education voted to move the first day of class for students to Thursday, August 27. By postponing the start date by one week, staff members will have additional time to appropriately prepare for the changes and expectations related to the upcoming academic year. Please review the updated academic calendar here. 

Additional COVID-19 Information:

For more information regarding the Novel Coronavirus and how to stop the spread of illnesses, you can visit Hamilton County Public Health or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention online.