Dear Pattonville families and staff,

On Oct. 5, county officials announced recommendations in favor of the return of in-person learning for high school students, as the spread of COVID-19 has dropped to favorable levels in St. Louis County and among children of all ages. For this reason, we have determined that we will bring Pattonville High School students back for phase 2 of in-person learning beginning Thursday, Oct. 29. 

What this means for your family

For Pattonville High School families who selected in-person instruction this fall, this means:

• Students with the last names beginning A-K will attend in-person classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

• Students with the last names beginning L-Z will attend in-person classes on Wednesdays and Fridays. 

• Families who have students with different last names are grouped by the last name of the oldest child. 

• All students participate in virtual instruction on Mondays.  

• Transportation will be provided. 

• The A-K group of high school students will start back to in-person learning on Thursday, Oct. 29, and the L-Z group will begin on Friday, Oct. 30. 

For families with high school students who selected the Villemade Virtual Academy: 

There is no change. Students continue to participate in 100% virtual instruction through the end of the first semester (Dec. 22). 

For students in kindergarten through eighth grade:

There is no change. Students will continue to attend in-person in phase 2 of in-person learning. 

What we need families to do

Pattonville has been working for months on health and safety precautions to prepare for the return of students to in-person learning. You can review these precautions on our Pattonville Returns website. For families of students participating in in-person learning, we need your help with the following:

• All students must wear a mask while on the bus and at school. Mask breaks will be allowed when appropriate and it is safe to do so. Per county health guidance, neck gaiters and face shields are not appropriate substitutes for a cloth mask or disposable surgical mask.

• All families must review the COVID-19 symptom list each day. If your child exhibits any of the following symptoms, please keep them home and notify your child’s school office: Fever of 100 or more/chills; cough; shortness of breath or difficulty breathing; fatigue; muscle or body aches; headache; new loss of taste or smell; sore throat; congestion or runny nose; nausea or vomiting; and diarrhea.

• If your child has been tested for COVID-19 but has not received a test result yet or has been asked by their doctor or county health department to isolate or quarantine at home, please keep them home from school and contact your child’s school office. 

Look for an important email on Oct. 30

On Friday, Oct. 30, we will email all families information about selecting their learning option for the second semester of the 2020-2021 school year. Families will have the same two options for learning: in-person (which could change between three phases dependent on the spread of COVID in the community) or the Villemade Virtual Academy, which will be 100% virtual instruction for the entire second semester of the school year.

Communication on COVID-19 cases

Pattonville will communicate with families and staff regarding positive COVID-19 cases if they are personally impacted or determined to be at risk as per CDC guidelines. Federal privacy laws protect student and staff confidentiality; therefore personally identifiable information on individuals testing positive or being asked to isolate or quarantine will not be shared. You can view an overview and history of cases using the district’s COVID-19 dashboard, housed on our Pattonville Returns website at https://bit.ly/PSDReturns2020web. 

The weeks since the end of September as our younger students returned to school have been incredible. We have enjoyed seeing our students’ joy and excitement about finally being back in the classroom, and we look forward to welcoming back our older students soon. As always, I thank you for your ongoing support and patience as we work together to meet our students' needs.

Sincerely,

Tim Pecoraro, Ed.D.

Superintendent