- Watershed School
- Home
Press Release: Update for 2021-2022 School Year | June 2, 2021
Translations: Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Tagalog, Vietnamese
Date: June 2, 2021
Subject: 2021-2022 School year
At last night’s regular school board meeting, the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District Board of Education took action on the requirement of masks and heard updates regarding the 2021-2022 school year start times.
Masks: The Board of Education approved removing the requirement of masks by a vote of 4-3.
Amended Motion: “Move to remove the requirement of masks immediately.”
The decision allows for staff and students to wear a mask if they choose to do so.
School start times: The Board of Education received the school start time schedules for elementary, middle and high schools. The schedule shows the 2019-2020 (pre-COVID) start times and the adjusted times for the 2021-2022 school year. The schedule also shows whether or not a school will start earlier or later and by how long.
Families with students attending a school of choice should contact their school directly for their final bell schedule.
Learning options: The FNSBSD will be offering three options for the 2021-22 school year: In-person, eLearning, and BEST homeschool. These options are available for all students, K-12.
- In-Person Learning: FNSBSD will be returning to a more familiar pre-pandemic look and feel throughout our schools. Social distancing and cohorting will no longer be required with instruction taking place face to face in classrooms. Masks are not required, but may be worn by anyone wishing to do so.
- eLearning: Instruction will take place online led by a district teacher and students will learn at home.
- Elementary (K-6) level, the district is reopening the K-6 eLearning lottery to accommodate families interested in this learning option. Applications can be submitted through the Centralized Application Portal (CAP).
- Secondary (7-12) level, students can create a flexible schedule that works for them by taking one eLearning course or their entire course load online. Curriculum at the secondary level is a blend of teacher-created content using adopted district materials and vendor provided curriculum from Apex Learning. Contact your student’s counselor in August for schedule changes. Marie Laukhuf, eLearning coordinator, is available all summer with questions at 452-2000, ext 11236.
- eLearning could be a great fit for your family if you’re looking for the following:
- A flexible learning schedule for your student and your family with an educational experience from the comfort of your own home
- A district, certified teacher who oversees curriculum, instruction, and feedback for your student
- Access to the district content and materials your student knows and loves
- Maintaining a connection with your child’s home attendance area school of record in order to receive services or participate in extracurricular activities.
- A hybrid educational experience where your student can take classes at their high school as well as from the comfort of their own home
- A blend of asynchronous learning and real time, synchronous opportunities
- A more consistent learning environment after the Board’s decision to not require masks in Fall of 2021
- Elementary (K-6) level, the district is reopening the K-6 eLearning lottery to accommodate families interested in this learning option. Applications can be submitted through the Centralized Application Portal (CAP).
- BEST Homeschool: Fairbanks Building Educational Success Together (BEST) is a K-12 school without walls where parents bear the primary responsibility for the management of their children’s education. BEST is committed to a framework in which the home is supported by the community as a viable educational alternative. BEST is a partnership between students, parents, professional staff, and community members where families and staff work together to customize an education for their children. Learn more & enroll today! https://www.k12northstar.org/domain/4216
For more information contact: Yumi McCulloch, Director of Public Relations, (907) 452-2000 Ext.11438, yumi.mcculloch@k12northstar.org