Back to School 2020-21 - Frequently-Asked Questions

We will employ all of the following, as well as other behaviors: 

• Face coverings
• Physical distancing,
• Temperature checks
• Health attestations
• Contract tracing
• Increased handwashing
• Contact tracing
• Increased handwashing
• Appropriate building cleaning

You can see a slideshow presentation about our behaviors and protocols here or view a video presentation on YouTube here.

We closely follow updates from the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) and Public Health - Seattle & King County (PHSKC). In particular, we use these resources:

• The COVID-19 Data Dashboard from PHSKC provides frequently updated data on the current status of infections in King County.  
• The King County Schools COVID-19 Response Toolkit provides evidence-based strategies and protocols to reduce the risk of COVID-19 as much as possible in schools and guidance to respond when cases arise.
• DOH's Decision Tree for Provision of in Person Learning gives guidance on whether schools should provide in-person learning and for which students.  

To mitigate possible spread of the virus, appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) has been distributed to each school. PPE includes masks for teachers and masks for students who may not have one on a given day.

Facilities and classrooms will be cleaned and disinfected on a regular basis. Classrooms will be disinfected between morning and afternoon sessions. Frequently touched surfaces such as doorknobs and railings will receive continuous cleaning throughout the day. Students will be expected to wear masks and practice physical distancing of at least six feet while at school.

Currently our Facilities and Maintenance Department is in the process of removing furniture in our K-1 classrooms to ensure they will be set up for physical distancing based on guidance of Public Health of Seattle - King County and the CDC. This team will be on-site in each building to assist with this process and they are working directly with principals and staff to set up classroom desks to provide six feet of spacing student-to-student and student-to-teacher desk.

Each elementary school has a designated COVID supervisor, who is responsible for making sure correct protocols are carried out and attestation and temperature checks are completed for each student and staff member on a daily basis. All COVID supervisors have received training on responsibilities and COVID mitigation protocols. They are also the point of contact with the district level COVID coordinator. Should it be necessary, the district coordinator will provide building level COVID supervisors guidance on appropriate COVID exposure protocols referencing the King County Schools COVID -19 Response Toolkit.

In order to plan for staffing for in-person learning to occur, we are currently gathering information from teachers and staff. Once all information is gathered, staffing for full remote and in-person learning will be determined. Our hope is to keep all classes intact, including Dual Language, Science Tech and MERLIN. However, class lists may have to be adjusted, and keeping the same teacher is not guaranteed.

Although individual teachers may communicate specific expectations with their students, the following guidelines apply to all students as a starting point.

• Be Safe: Follow teacher directions on how to use the tools safely and keep class codes/links and login information private.
• Be Responsible: Participate in your learning! Follow class expectations for asking questions and taking breaks. Post your work to the correct place.
• Be Respectful: Mute your microphone until asked to unmute; use school-appropriate language when speaking or typing; give the speaker your attention.

Although it can be tempting to guide your student during a class session or to ask the teacher questions, please respect student voices by allowing your child to speak. If needed, schedule a time with the teacher to discuss your own questions or to hold a parent-teacher conference.

1. Ensure your child has easy access to the class’s daily schedule by bookmarking it or printing it out. If your child seems distracted ask, “What are you supposed to be doing right now?” and refer him or her to the schedule. A digital clock can also be helpful.
2. Encourage your child to take frequent movement and brain breaks —even adults struggle sitting for more than an hour! Changing the learning position (e.g., from sitting to standing or lying down), doing a few jumping jacks or a quick dance, cuddling the family pet, or getting a snack may help your child refocus.
3. Allow your child to build stamina Start with small, realistic goals that are appropriate for your child. This may mean starting with 10 minutes engaged in nonstop learning! Increase the time a little bit each day so your child can be successful. 
4. Help your child feel empowered for their own learning by making sure they know how to independently use the technology tools chosen by their teacher: Clever, Seesaw, Microsoft Teams, and others. Practice what to do when technology challenges arise, like getting “booted off” a Zoom/Teams meeting, or if the teacher gets disconnected. You can also access the ISD Family Tech Help Line at (425) 837-6371 (open 8:00am-3:00pm, Monday through Friday). 

A productive learning space can set your child up for successful at-home learning. A quiet, well-lit space at a desk or table is best for video meetings and online work. Make sure school materials are near at hand, along with a list of any necessary login/QR codes. If you can, post visual reminders and learning tools, such as a daily schedule, alphabet chart, vocabulary word list, and a personalized to-do list. To help your student take ownership of their learning, let them decorate the learning space with motivational signs, fun pictures or other personalized touches.

In addition to a formal workspace, it can also be helpful to have a more casual, comfortable space for independent reading and other offline tasks. Finally, having an adult close by can help our youngest students feel supported.

The District will not be offering a fee-based preschool program for the 2020-21 school year. ECE and ECEAP preschool programs will be conducted remotely until conditions allow for in-person instruction.

In order to access District curriculum and materials the student must be enrolled. Last year Lexia provided free licenses to all students, including home schooled students. However, this is no longer the case. The District has purchased Lexia licenses for enrolled ISD students, and it would be a breach of contract to distribute them outside of the District. This is also the case with other programs, like Raz Kids. Parents who choose to homeschool have the option of purchasing their own licenses not associated with the District for these programs.

Teachers put much care into creating balanced classes that benefit the learners and that contain a wide range and variety of students. Parent input about class placement is accepted in the spring and is considered in the placement process. While some movement to the class lists may occur during this unique time, it is not possible to honor requests for pod groupings as they could cause an imbalance in classrooms and equity concerns.

Depending on when the family decides to rejoin, adjustments to class lists may have occurred, so keeping the same teacher is not guaranteed. We will work with families, but it is possible that by changing your mind at a later time will likely cause your student’s schedule or teacher to change. It is even possible that the student could be assigned an ISD teacher that is not a part of their neighborhood school.

No, but the elementary schedules allow for independent student work time and flexible time during the mid-day. Families can adjust lunch time for when it works best for the family.

Yes, teachers will send information at a standard time each week.

Yes, lists of standard materials will be shared by the teacher. If special materials are needed for lessons then families will be notified in advance.

Yes, schools will develop material distribution plans and will communicate them to families.

It will vary, but students will have multiple opportunities to engage live with their teacher daily. While whole-class learning opportunities will occur every day, small group instruction opportunities with the teacher may vary over the course of a week.

The first day of school for kindergarten students is Friday, September 4. On September 1, 2 and 3, kindergarten teachers will conduct WaKIDS Family Connection meetings. All kindergarten families will have the opportunity to meet with the teacher virtually prior to the start of school.

We have a process whereby students may request to change a course, but we cannot, in any given year, guarantee a course change will be possible. Why? We build the master schedules in each high school based on the course requests students make and then hire and staff our buildings based on that student demand as well. Only a limited number of change requests can be accommodated after student course requests have been made, the master schedule has been built and staff are hired.

We first strive to address any academic misplacements (for example, a student chose French II but has not yet completed French 1, or a student accidentally signed up for Pre-calculus but has not completed Algebra II).

We will continue this year with our usual process for evaluating course change requests and address academic misplacements first and foremost.

This summer, groups of teacher leaders have met to review what they were able to accomplish last spring and to adjust scopes and sequences for this coming fall as needed. They will share this work with all their teacher colleagues so that there is a broad understanding of adjustments that need to be made to serve our students.

Additionally, we will continue to convene a teacher workgroup that will discuss how our grading principles will look in remote learning. Many of our students appreciated the teacher flexibility around deadlines through the spring. That group will discuss how to continue that good work in general and specifically how to foster sensitivity to deadlines on the days when all seven or all eight classes meet.

Since 2012, Online Learning has served students in grades 7-12 who reside in Issaquah School District. We provide students with an opportunity to take high school level courses online. The flexibility of the Online Learning program empowers students to take control of their learning in an asynchronous (self-directed) environment. To help facilitate the learning process and provide support, students are assigned to a Washington state certified teacher and an ISD mentor, while also having access to online tutors and their ISD counselor. Students can take one or two semester-long online learning courses each semester, with a maximum of four total online learning courses (eight credits) during their high school career, and not more than 50 percent of any one content area.

Remote learning is the regular program all students will start the 2020-21 school year with full-time. Students can take an ISD Online Learning course(s) within or in addition to their Remote Learning High School/Middle School schedule. Please visit ISD Online Learning website to learn more.

While the fine details are still being worked out, the Washington Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) has made it clear that we will honor students’ “live” attendance and their asynchronous attendance on a school day. For example, students could view a module or resources created by their teacher and then submit work for that class in the evening, and that would count as attendance for that school day in that class.

This is a very different definition of attendance than what we have previously used, and we need a little more time to work out how we will implement this new rule. We will keep you posted through our usual channels: school E news, email to the address in Skyward, robocalls, and school and district websites.

One of the foundational elements of Career and Technical Education (CTE) and STEM programming is the concept of hands-on, engaged learning. As you can imagine, our teachers of these classes have been adjusting and planning for the upcoming year in order to provide the best learning opportunities available. Several of our courses were already in the district’s Learning Management System (LMS), Canvas, and the remaining courses were added this summer, as teachers worked to refine what their program’s Essential New Learnings would be in the coming year.

In addition to providing access to the curriculum in a central LMS, we have also curated student access to software on high functioning technology that is required for many of our courses. For such courses, we have prepared for them to use district equipment on which the software they need is already installed and ready to use. Examples of some of these courses are our Computer Science offerings as well as our media and visual communications offerings, such as Graphic Design, Video Production, Photography and Journalism.

While many of our technical courses can meet many of their learning standards through proper technology, or, in the case of our Business Education courses, an online virtual simulator, many still need opportunities for students to use their hands in a more interactive way. Teachers of these programs have developed CTE L.I.V.E. Kits that will equip students in Robotics and Engineering to build, equip students in Culinary to cook, and equip students in our Woods Technology, Metals and Makerspace courses to develop skills such as manufacturing through CNC engineering processes and constructing components of their designs. Your school’s administrator team will let you know about when and how to pick up a kit for a class for which you may be registered.

You can see sample schedules for Issaquah and Skyline, for Liberty, and for Gibson Ek on our website. Individual students’ schedules will be communicated by the school.

The Secondary Scheduling Workgroup that met this summer had representatives from all parts of the district and included students, staff and parents. While that group’s proposed hybrid models were ultimately not adopted by the School Board, their input was critical to the formation of the high school L.I.V.E. schedules. In addition, our high school students were surveyed by all three comprehensive high school principals last spring about remote learning, and our Secondary Scheduling Work Group reviewed data from the community survey as well.

Ultimately, we heard students say long blocks of time in remote learning were not their top choice. While those were intermittently useful, they and their families wanted more frequent interaction with teachers. Teachers and other instructional staff concurred, but for two additional reasons:

• They really wanted to see students more often to ensure that they were not so isolated from peer and adult contact
• They wanted to be able to intervene and assist students who were stuck with a concept or task more quickly.

Longer time between “meets” seemed to decrease student motivation. All of this input led us to the current full remote schedule with three “meets” per week, two shorter duration and one longer duration.

Running Start enrollment remains an option to ISD students entering the 11th and 12th grades. The usual enrollment deadlines have not changed. Please see your school guidance counselor for more information.

The ISD Music Program will continue to provide high quality learning opportunities for our students in online learning. We are excited to incorporate new ways to collaborate. Students will create, perform, respond and connect through Canvas, Smartmusic, and MusicFirst.

Smartmusic is a browser-based music education platform that facilitates focused practice, assessment, and immediate feedback. Students will have access to the largest music library in the industry. It has a vast selection of ensemble and solo titles. Using Smartmusic, students will engage in sight reading, composition, professional-referenced recordings and be able to share their performances.

MusicFirst provides students with a collaborative platform and online music studio where students can record and perform ensembles. These 21st Century music skills will broaden our students’ knowledge and continue to be part of our program when we are all able to be back together in person again.

Yes, we are offering all our lab science courses. These courses will be modified as many labs cannot be performed at home during remote learning. The high school science curriculum in the Issaquah School District is aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).

This summer, teachers identified the Essential Learnings for each course from those standards. As part of the NGSS and identified Essential Learnings, students learn the scientific process and investigative practices. The scientific process and practices include

• Problem solving and critical thinking
• Analyzing and interpreting data
• Developing and using model
• Constructing explanations and designing solutions
• Engaging in arguments from evidence
• Researching, evaluating and communicating findings

During remote learning, students will be engaged in these activities through various means, including synchronous demonstrations and lab experiences, as well as virtual labs and simulations. The ISD’s adopted science curriculum has multiple resources for teachers to use to ensure that students are engaged in the scientific process during remote learning.

Yes. Please see your school for school supply lists.

Throughout the summer, support staff and teachers have been planning, training and preparing to open school in a whole new way. Our teams have been applying their expertise in teaching and learning to modify learning goals and translate our existing curriculum into a virtual learning environment.

We are building from our existing curriculum and professional practices. School will feel more familiar than the emergency learning of the spring. Though the way we deliver the instruction will change, we will continue to blend high expectations, differentiation, and social-emotional and academic supports to engage students in learning. We will have a routine schedule with all the hallmarks of a quality education, from direct instruction to guided practice and independent application. We will encourage a learning community where there is authentic opportunity to engage student-to-teacher and student-to-student.

As we enter this school year, watch for communications from your students' teachers about how they are structuring and supporting learning.

You may email or call the Tech Department with your request at isdstudenttechhelp@issaquah.wednet.edu or 425-837-6371.

Your school will be communicating to you about how to get started with school. Please watch for your school communications including information such as elementary meet-the-teacher events and instructions on how to start your first day of school.

Secondary students (grade 6-12) will attend their classes following our published school schedules by logging into Canvas. The portal is linked at every school website on the left-hand side just under Family and Student Access.

In Canvas, students can visit their courses (found on the left side once logged in). For example, they will attend the class scheduled as their first period at the time corresponding to first period by clicking on the tile with that course name. Once there, students should follow the teacher's instruction.

Please see our Canvas tutorials to learn more about how to do this. Students may also attend outside regular school hours by accessing their Canvas courses the same way and viewing or participating in recorded modules, submitting assignments and following any directions left by the teacher.

During the first several days of school, teachers will be walking students through how online learning will work. Students don't need to be experts from the start — and neither do parents. This is new to everyone. Just as we teach students the routines and expectations to students during in-person instruction, we will teach students the routines and expectations of school in remote learning. This will include how to use the learning management system (LMS), digital tools, how to join live-streamed classes and access learning resources. We will teach them how to do their independent work, so they can have a sense of ownership of their learning and build strong learning habits.

We will continue to build our resources for helping parents learn how school will work as well. Through online guides and videos and live events such as curriculum nights, parents will be able to learn how remote learning works.

You can also learn more about our Learning Management Systems tools for Elementary students and Secondary students.

The amount of time students spend in live instruction through Zoom and/or Teams will vary. Students at all levels will engage in live learning multiple times daily in small or whole-class groups.

At the elementary level there will be daily reading, writing and math lessons supported by live whole-class or small group learning as well as a daily live class meeting. Students will also have either live social studies or science lessons most days and live specialists classes scheduled throughout the week.

At the middle and high school levels, each class session will include live instruction for each scheduled period.

Though some live sessions may be for longer whole-class activities, often live sessions will be shorter (often 5-20 minutes at a time), focused, and interspersed with independent learning activities, instructional videos and use of interactive software.

Students should plan on spending a full day of learning. Per state guidance, we are planning 1,665 minutes of virtual class each week. Virtual class includes live instruction, structured independent learning activities, collaborative learning and pre-recorded video lessons.

Short answer

ISD will provide a modified version of our regular school program using our Learning Management Systems (LMS) to create a virtual classroom. Teachers will provide daily, direct instruction adapting the instructional practices used in the classroom to promote a learning community, inquiry, discourse and practice. Students will experience whole class, small group and individual learning activities. Some learning will be live, synchronous learning while other activities will happen asynchronously. Teachers will be available to answer questions at various time during the school week.

Long answer

ISD will provide a modified version of our regular school program including:

• Using a modified ISD curriculum including the full range of academic content and services
• Developing a classroom community
• Continuing counseling services, positive and proactive behavior supports and social-emotional learning

 Teachers will use the following tools to run a virtual classroom:

• Our Learning Management System (LMS): Canvas for middle and high school and the use of Seesaw, Teams and Clever in the elementary
• Use of Teams and Zoom to provide live teacher-to-student and student-to-student interaction
• Distributing our textbooks, workbooks, novels and other curricular materials so students have access to our full ISD curriculum
• Use of digital learning tools to supplement our curriculum and allow for more interactive learning online

 Teachers will teach using a combination of the following instructional strategies:

• Live online instruction to provide direct, engaging instruction aligned our best practices, including whole class, small group instruction
• Recorded instructional videos
• Use of digital learning tools and offline learning activities
• Opportunities through live-streaming to ask questions and engage in discussion
• Use of live online learning for students to collaborate and engage with their peers

Teachers will communicate with parents using their learning management system and email.

This year we have had time to plan for remote learning. Improvements include:

• Established common expectations for direct and engaging teaching. All staff are committed to translating our curriculum and instructional practices to the remote learning environment.
• We are providing teachers a modified scope and sequence for each course.
• We have identified essential learnings that maintain high expectations.
• Teachers will facilitate learning through our learning management system (LMS).
• Staff have engaged in professional development for remote learning and remote  instructional practice throughout the spring and summer. Professional development will be provided throughout the school year in support of continuous learning.
• We have selected additional digital tools to supplement our curriculum.
• We have added new assessment tools to help monitor learning.

When a teacher conducts a live class, the new learning portion of the lesson will be recorded and posted for students to view.

We fully expect there will be technical glitches and challenges. We know that some will thrive in this new environment, and some will find remote learning to be difficult. We will be monitoring student engagement. As needed, we will make adjustments and support students and families who have difficulty engaging in remote learning.

If you find that you are having difficulty accessing remote learning your teachers, school counselors and admin staff are available to help.

Please join your teacher in communication. Watch for communications from the teacher, and reach out to the teacher if something isn't working in your student's class.

For technical issues with District technology, students and families can call our tech support line at 425-837-6371.

We will be adding directions for support with our learning management system on our Digital Resources for Students page soon.

Students and families may access their teacher in the following ways:

• Via email (every student is issued an ISD student email and Office 365 account)
• Via the LMS. Our Learning Management Systems have built-in ways to contact the teacher
• Phone/voice message: Teachers will have either their ISD phone or will provide another phone contact in their course information
• Office Hours: Teachers will be available at times during the week for phone or video conferencing
• By appointment: Teachers will be available for phone or video appointments

Sample schedules for all schools are posted on our Sample Schedules page. Teachers will maintain a calendar within the learning management system of synchronous activities and due dates that will be updated at least weekly, providing time in advance for families to plan.

Issaquah School District, like others nationwide, is grappling with many recent events in our community as we plan for the 2020-1 school year. We know that we must consider these realities in our re-engagement plans: the layered impact of school closures; COVID-19; economic crisis, and significant racial inequities exacerbated by the pandemic and amplified by the nationwide mobilization for racial justice reflected in the Black Lives Matter movement.

We acknowledge that many members of our community have been greatly impacted by one or more of these factors. Possibly every person is dealing with some level of loss, grief, or trauma. Our District has long been committed to social emotional learning (SEL) because it increases student engagement, academic achievement, and wellness for all students. The importance of social emotional learning for students as part of our planning for this fall has been a consistent message we’ve received from the summer work groups, community surveys, our certificated and classified staff, and the school board.

As we embark on remote learning and ask students to engage in new learning this school year, we must build trust, create safe and equitable environments that honor the lived experiences of all members of the school community, nurture authentic student-teacher relationships, and provide opportunities for skill building to increase emotional resilience and tools for self-management. We must also intentionally build and maintain connections between students and their peers.

The prominent placement of SEL lessons in each of the L.I.V.E. schedules reflects our current practices, the importance of SEL to a variety of stakeholders, and allows us to address any additional supports needed as a result of the remote format and other current events.

SEL lessons will be prominently featured in online learning schedules for all students. They will be based on the Washington State K-12 SEL Standards adopted by the State Legislature in January 2020. More information about how the lessons will look at each level and building will come from your students’ school.

Yes, we are developing a regular schedule for distributing textbooks, workbooks, novels and readers, materials, and equipment essential for delivering our curriculum.

Yes. Art supplies will be distributed as part of our curriculum.

Remote learning is designed to be accessed on a school-ready computer. Though some activities can be accessed on a tablet, iPad or phone, there are times when a student will need to use a computer. A school-ready computer is one that meets all of the following:

1. Runs a current operating system such as Windows 10 or Mac Catalina.
2. Runs a current web browser. Chrome seems to have the best record so far, but Firefox, Safari and Edge may also be used.
3. Has a camera.
4. Includes a speaker and microphone (external or via headset).
5. Has the capacity to join live stream events (has internet access and sufficient processing speed).

If your student does not have access to a school-ready computer, please contact your school office and they will help you get a district school-ready computer.

• Try resetting your router or Wi-Fi access point.
• Use a smart phone app to check your email or LMS for directions from the teacher. If many people are affected by an outage, the teacher will likely use normal means of communication to direct students.
• Check every few minutes to see if/when the internet resumes service
• Check by phone with your internet service provider (ISP) for outage info.
• Work on the assigned independent work in the LMS.

• Try restarting the computer.
• Call the tech line at 425-837-6371
• If available, use a smart phone app to check in on email or the LMS for directions from the teacher.

• Get to know your internet service provider (ISP):
• Find out how to learn of local or regional outages – ISP's have sites and phone numbers for learning of and reporting outages.
• Learn how to reset your router / wi-fi access point at home.
• Get phone apps. Most of our tools, such as Zoom, Office, Teams, Seesaw, Canvas and more have smart-phone apps.These apps could help you look for updates from your teacher if an internet outage occurs.
• Know the plan. Know the assigned work any outage plans your teacher(s) may have communicated. Know how your teacher generally communicates — that is probably how they will communicate during a broader disruption.

• Check your email for updates from the teacher. If email is not working, check the LMS for a message. Use a smart phone app if available and necessary.
• Check every few minutes to see if service has resumed.
• Work on the assigned independent work in the LMS.

• Try to rejoin several times over a 5 to 10 minute period using the original link provided by the teacher.
• If you miss a significant portion of the lesson, watch the posted video recording.
• Work on the assigned independent work in the LMS.

• Wait patiently. Behave appropriately. If the teacher does not return in 5-10 minutes, check your email or LMS for a communication from the teacher with new instructions.
• Work on the assigned independent work in the LMS.

Watch for instructions on using Teams as a backup live streaming platform. Teams and Zoom can act as a back-up to each other.

Occupational therapy will be provided remotely through live video conferences for the start of school. Students should expect to have a regularly scheduled therapy session and to receive SDI as described on the IEP. If some goals are not possible during remote learning, other goals may be addressed.

Students will follow the ISD L.I.V.E. schedule for classes. All services on the IEP will be delivered via the live/remote model. Students should expect to see their special education teacher(s) live on zoom on the same schedule and frequency as if we were in school in the building. Students in co-taught classes will remain in those classes with both teachers (general education teacher and special education teacher) being present each class session. Paraprofessionals may be leading small group instruction or participating in classes to support students. Students in the ECE, LRC II or ACT programs will follow the schedule presented by the teacher. This will include direct lessons with the teacher(s) and paraprofessionals, activities and breaks from the screen.

If the testing needed for IEPs and evaluations can be done remotely, we will continue to do those pieces remotely. Assessments that need to be done in person will be completed in-person in the building with a special education staff member. Necessary personal protective equipment (PPE) has been provided to the buildings so that CDC recommendations are met for in-person activities (6 feet social distancing, mask/face shield wearing, cleaning of equipment). Individual appointments will be made with families and transportation will be provided.

Last year the College Board and the IBO altered their delivery of services to students as a result of COVID 19. Thus far, the College Board has said that they have exams planned for May 2021 and a plan in place to provide additional options if social distancing is still required. The IBO has a page on which they will post updates.

We will keep you posted through our usual channels—school E news, email to the address in Skyward, robo-calls, the school and district websites.

The District will be returning to all of our typical grading practices for the 2020-21 school year. Last spring, per guidance from the state, there were a number of our common grading practices that school districts could not use in assessing students (such as P/F and S/U grading in situations that would have merited it). The return to typical grading practices will allow teachers to have a myriad of options in grading students that were not available to them in the spring.

Chris Reykdal, Washington’s Superintendent of Public Instruction, has told us to expect to administer state tests two times this year. We do not have more information than that yet, but will keep you posted through our usual channels: E-news, email to the address in Skyward, robocalls, and school and district websites. Please remember that, as of last year, students have eight different pathways by which to meet the graduation pathway requirement, which used to be met only through the state test.

Talk with your school guidance counselor if you have questions about which pathway is best for you.

Update, October 21: At this time, high schools are in the optional out-of-season period we typically experience during our summer months. Our case counts have risen to the low 90s-per-100,000 residents in recent weeks, and the guidance from the Washington State Department of Health strongly encourages us not to conduct in-person extra-curricular activities with case rates at this level. For now, we are still on hold for middle and high school athletics. We remain hopeful that our case counts will decline again and stay there. In the meantime, our athletic directors are constructing site-specific safety plans that we can submit to the Department of Health for an eventual resumption of some in-person conditioning in small groups if our case numbers go down and if we are be able to bring more students for in-person educational services. We will also continue to monitor updates from the WIAA. Our ASB/activity coordinators are hard at work adjusting their practices to the virtual environment, and we want to encourage kids to join one of our many interest clubs that are meeting virtually. 

August: Together with our fellow King Co member schools and districts we have made the decision to offer athletics beginning in season 2 and continuing in Season 3 and 4 this year provided that the conditions are safe enough to do so. There will be no athletics offered in season 1. Instead, season 1 sports have been moved into other seasons per the current guidance from the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA). The WIAA has made its alternative calendars publicly available and you can read them at www.wiaa.com. The start date for season 2 is December 28. This decision will largely depend on the input and guidance we receive from our local department of health as well as the infection rates and phasing provided by our Governor.

Middle school season 1 sports have been cancelled. While ISD middle school sports are not officially part of WIAA, we look to WIAA for guidance in best practices. Fall sports at the high school level have been moved to later in the school year according to an alternative calendar created by WIAA. We will review the possibility of offering cross country, volleyball and co-ed softball later in the school year if and when conditions allow.

Clubs will resume their activities virtually this fall. HS Activity/ASB Coordinators are planning now how to introduce you to your school’s clubs. For more information, visit your school’s website, email your school’s Activity/ASB Coordinator or the advisor of the club in which you are interested in.

Currently all ISD buildings and facilities are closed to the public with the exception of providing access for essential business. Since most volunteer opportunities involve working directly with students and staff, volunteer opportunities will be limited with our current remote learning model.

• The VOICE mentor program will continue to operate under limited and modified conditions during the closure. VOICE mentors should work directly with the ISD VOICE Coordinators. For more information please see the VOICE page on the ISD website.
• All volunteers in the Issaquah School District must follow the District regulations about volunteers.
• All staff, students, parents, or visitors who access an ISD building for essential business will be required to follow ISD protocol, which includes wearing an appropriate face covering, taking their temperature, maintaining physical distancing and completing an attestation.
• No visitors or volunteers may have unauthorized access to ISD buildings at this time.

Sign up for building e-news at www.issaquah.wednet.edu/news/ENews.

You can get information from the district website or your students school website in your preferred language. Use the “select language” tab at the top right hand side of the district website. Select the language you speak and the district website will be translated into your preferred language.

You can also translate District E-news into other languages by clicking on the message and then selecting “Translate Newsletter” in the top right part of the page.

Please reach out to your student’s teacher and/or the school office and they can share these dates with you. Buildings will also send out this information in their e-news. You can sign up for building e-news at www.issaquah.wednet.edu/news/ENews. You can also reach out to a Family Partnership Liaison. They help families new to the American school system or linguistically diverse families navigate the American school system. They can be reached at: (425) 837-7122.

We follow the guidance provided by Public Health of Seattle-King County (PHSKC), the Washington State Department of Health (DOH), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Current staff members are asked to inform their supervisor as soon as they have confirmation. All individuals accessing the building, are asked the same attestation questions upon entering, which includes the question “Have you had a positive COVID-19 test for active virus in the past 10 days?” An affirmative answer means the person may not continue to access the building on that day.

Upon learning of a confirmed case, the District begins an interactive process with the individual as soon as they are aware of the result. In the interactive process we ask questions such as:

• Has the person experienced any symptoms?
• When were they last in the building?
• With whom did they interact while at work?

We use this information to determine which other staff members or people we need to contact to let them know they have been exposed to a confirmed case of COVID-19 and share the next steps that are recommended on the PHKC website. We also use the information to determine what our next steps are regarding the necessity to contact PHSKC, the procedures to follow of ventilating, cleaning, and disinfecting any affected spaces or particular surfaces, or ultimately, the need to close a classroom, wing, area, or facility in the District.

Communication regarding a confirmed case of COVID-19 is determined by the answers the affected person provides and the guidance offered by PHSKC and DOH. The reach of the communication is determined by the situation and intended to provide information to targeted individuals, staff, leaders, and families.

Information is shared so that individuals may make decisions knowledgably given the nature of the social pandemic we are experiencing. As a result, there may be a broad notice required, such as when we need to shut down a facility, or a narrow notice, such as when there is limited traffic in a building during a summer term. We will provide notice via our traditional vehicles, depending on the situation: By email or eNews or by the a recorded robocall. It is important that that your contact information is current and accurate in our system and that families sign up for the District and school eNews. We intend to communicate as broadly as necessary to contribute to slow or prevent any spread of the novel coronavirus.

The Issaquah School District will be providing childcare for K-5 students on a limited basis during remote learning. Childcare will take place at elementary schools and be limited to 40 participants per site.

• Due to the limited number of students and staff, social distancing and heath protocols can be adhered to by students and staff. This is significantly different than providing educational services to hundreds of students at a time as would be the case in a normal school day.
• While the ISD will start the year with a fully remote teaching and learning model, the district wants to serve those families who need childcare and are comfortable with their students attending our program.
• The School Aged Care Program has been operating under COVID-19 conditions for 6 months and staff have been able to learn and adapt to the ever changing health guidelines and conditions.
• The School aged Care program will not provide teaching or tutoring, but will provide access to technology so students can access their classes throughout the day.

For more information, please visit www.bascisd.com

We have implemented a cleaning and disinfecting procedure in our facilities and buses that follows DOH, CDC, and ISSA best practices along with the Cleaning for Healthier Schools - Infection Control Handbook.

• Our Indoor Environmental Quality team has distributed a “Share the Air” poster reminding building occupants that only District approved cleaning supplies should be used in schools and District buildings and no scented products such as air fresheners should be used.
• Physical barriers may be installed, or other areas used, where physical distancing is not possible.
• Additional hand sanitizing stations are available throughout schools and District buildings.
• All schools and District buildings’ HVAC control systems have been updated to allow for more fresh air and ventilation to occur.
• HVAC system filters are being updated from MERV-8 filters to MERV-13 filters where possible. This will allow for smaller airborne particles to be captured before entering an occupied space.

Beginning Monday, September 14, the Issaquah School District began offering free lunches to all students 18 and under. Beginning the week of September 28, the District will also begin providing breakfast and will add additional meal pickup days and locations. Meals can be picked up at several schools around the District.

See all pickup times and locations here. 

Beginning Monday, September 14, the Issaquah School District began offering free lunches to all students 18 and under. Beginning the week of September 28, the District will also begin providing breakfast and will add additional meal pickup days and locations. Students may pick up a meal package for themselves, or parents/guardians may pick up for each student in their household.

During the weeks of September 14 and 21

On September 14 and September 21 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., students or parents may pick up student lunches for five days at these schools:

• Issaquah High - 700 2nd Avenue SE, Issaquah, WA 98027
• Skyline High - 1122 228th Avenue SE, Sammamish, WA 98075
• Liberty High - 16655 SE 136th Street, Renton, WA 98059

These lunches will now be provided at no cost to families.

Beginning Monday, September 28

Beginning Monday, September 28, the district will begin providing breakfast and lunch, will add one pickup day per week, and will add four more pickup sites. These meals will be provided at no cost to families.

When:

• Mondays and Thursdays from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Pick up breakfast and lunch for three days on Mondays and pick up breakfast and lunch for two days on Thursdays.
• This schedule will continue until at least December, or until federal funding runs out.

Where:

• Issaquah High - 700 2nd Avenue SE, Issaquah, WA 98027
• Skyline High - 1122 228th Avenue SE, Sammamish, WA 98075
• Liberty High - 16655 SE 136th Street, Renton, WA 98059
• Endeavour Elementary: 26205 SE Issaquah-Fall City Rd, Issaquah, WA 98029
• Grand Ridge Elementary: 1739 NE Park Dr, Issaquah, WA 98029
• Issaquah Valley Elementary: 555 NW Holly St., Issaquah, WA 98027
• Sunset Elementary: 4229 W Lake Sammamish Pkwy SE, Bellevue, WA 98008

Students may pick up a meal package for themselves, or parents/guardians may pick up for each student in their household.

Food service staff at all locations follow all CDC and Health Department recommendations for safety, including social distancing and wearing face coverings.

Each component of the meals will be packaged separately to maintain food quality. For example, the bread, meat, cheese and condiments of a sandwich will be packaged separately and need to be assembled at home. Students will be able to select between meat or meatless entrées. Refrigeration of some items will be required and some minimal cooking may be required. Cooking instructions will be provided as needed.

Information about community food resources can be found at our Food and Clothing Services page.