Vail Christian High School Announces 2020-21 School Year Reopening Plan

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  • Vail Christian High School Announces 2020-21 School Year Reopening Plan

On campus approach seeks to balance physical health with social needs and mental/spiritual well-being

EDWARDS, Colo.-June 29, 2020- Leadership at Vail Christian High School, located on Highway 6 in Edwards, announced Friday plans to reopen the school for the 2020-2021 school year. Capitalizing on a successful transition into online learning for the conclusion of the 2019-20 academic year, VCHS plans to offer students and faculty the opportunity to return to campus on August 17, 2020.  An expanded online learning component will connect on campus participants with students or teachers who need to participate remotely. 

“While we don’t have all the answers about what the future holds in terms of public health, we are confident that we have enough information to balance the needs of our students, their families and our staff in a thoughtful and safe manner,” said Steve O’Neil, Head of School at VCHS. “We believe our comprehensive reopening plan coupled with the intimate size and nature of Vail Christian High School make this blend of on or off campus learning safe, effective and honors the important role that social interaction plays in students’ learning and overall happiness.”

O’Neil said that for the 2020-21 school year the VCHS Board of Directors has approved spending to enhance existing online learning capabilities, hire substitute teachers, increase internet bandwidth and provide IT support for students and faculty to further ensure seamless remote learning for students or teachers who can’t or choose not to be in class. 

“Our goal is ‘anyone, anytime, anywhere’, which to us means regular ‘synchronous’ class schedules and seamless interactions between on and off campus participants. Anyone can be quarantined, or learning remotely, from anywhere at any given time and the curriculum is designed so that nothing is missed by ‘joining class’ remotely. Beyond the current pandemic, it’s our belief that this type of interaction will characterize the way business is done in the future and better prepare our students for college and their professional lives.”

Synchronous class schedules will be 8:00am-3:12pm Monday-Thursday and 8:00am-12:12pm on Fridays. Whether in person or remote, students will be expected to attend and participate in all classes in which they are enrolled and class curricula are designed for in person and remote interaction and participation alike.

Some things will be noticeably different on campus. Students and faculty will wear face coverings in common areas inside the building, but not be required to do so once in class and seated. Hand sanitizer stations will be at each classroom door and students and faculty will be asked to utilize them upon entry and exit of the classroom. Self temperature checks will be encouraged. 

“In short, the reopening plan is extensive, dynamic and encompasses everything from facility cleaning to quarantine and social distancing protocol. We will continue to follow and in some cases exceed CDC and state/local public health guidelines as we further develop and adapt our plans,” added O’Neil. “We take the safety of our students, parents, faculty, staff and overall community very seriously and are confident that we have the resources and space to move forward with reopening for classes on August 17th. Our goal is to provide our students with the high quality education they deserve in a safe environment that honors the tradition of, ‘back to school’. Financial aid for the coming school year is also available through July 17, 2020. We encourage all students and families interested in learning more to inquire.”

A complete version of the Vail Christian High School 2020-21 school year reopening plan can be found on the school’s website, www.vchs.org.

For more information about Vail Christian High School contact Director of Admissions Heather Downey at hdowney@vchsweb.org or 970-926-3015. General information can also be found at www.vchs.org.