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Good Evening Wayne-Westland Community School Students, Staff, and Families,

What a great first week of school! This was one of the smoothest starts of the year that I can remember. Our students were able to open lockers, find their classrooms, navigate the technology, and acclimate themselves to what is going to be a great year. I want to thank all of you for your support and guidance.

Also, I want to inform you that we received reports of positive COVID-19 cases involving individuals connected with some of our schools. Those students who were in direct contact with any individuals were notified by our staff and are in quarantine. The purpose of this note is to ensure transparency with our entire school community by sharing information about a COVID-19 case involving an individual who was recently in one of our buildings.

We continue to work closely with the Wayne County Health Department, which will follow its protocols and communicate directly with those who may have been impacted. To protect the confidentiality, we do not release names in any COVID-19-related case. I appreciate your understanding and ask that you respect the privacy of those impacted. Wayne-Westland Community Schools’ response procedures for cleaning and disinfecting are being followed.

We all must continue to partner for the health and safety of students, families, and staff. Please take all steps to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. These activities include self-screening and keeping your child at home if they do not feel well, using personal protective equipment, distancing where practicable, and frequent hand washing.

Have a wonderful week.

Sincerely,

John Dignan, Ed.D.
Superintendent

Good Evening Wayne-Westland Community School Students, Staff, and Families,

It was a great day as we welcomed our students and staff back for the 2021-22 school year. Thank you to all of you who worked so hard to prepare our students to come back to the classroom. I had the honor and privilege of visiting many of our schools and the excitement was contagious as our students and staff entered their classrooms. Our entire staff is doing such an amazing job helping our students transition back to in-person learning. Although we are returning with the hope of normalcy, we are continuing with many safety and security protocols. 

So, today, I come to you to ask you to continue to help us. Remember the three W’s: 

• Wash your hands
• Wear that mask, and
• When sick, stay home.

We still need to remain informed about household illnesses, positive COVID-19 cases, and exposures. Please contact your school's main office to report any information. Immediate communication will allow us to maintain a safe and healthy environment. As always, please keep your child home if they are sick AND keep them home if someone else in your household is sick. The safety of our students and staff remains our number one priority.

Once again, thank you for all of your hard work and dedication. You are truly appreciated. Let’s continue our partnership to make the 2021-22 school year the best it can be! For more information, visit the Welcome Back to School section of our website. We hope everyone has a wonderful week.

Sincerely,

John Dignan, Ed.D.
Superintendent

Good Evening Wayne-Westland Community School Students, Staff, and Families,

The beginning of a new school year is always exciting. Tomorrow is going to be a great day! To see our students back in class, learning, participating, and interacting with their peers and teachers will be very exciting. We know there will be some challenges as everyone adjusts to their school schedule, different classrooms, or different schools, but we are one team in Wayne-Westland Community Schools and we will rise to the challenge together. Here is some information that can help our students and staff prepare for the new school year.

Warm Weather

It is always warm at the beginning of the school year and many of our buildings do not have air conditioning. We realize that an additional factor is that students and staff will also wear masks this year. The weather is supposed to cool down this week but we could have warm days during the fall. Our schools and maintenance and operations staff have plans in place that they use every year, to help students and staff combat the heat. This includes;

• Limiting outdoor activities and making sure shade is available when outdoors.
• Limiting the use of heat generating equipment in classrooms.
• Running univents overnight to help pre-cool the rooms naturally.
• Encouraging students and staff to wear lightweight clothing.
• Bring water to drink during the day. Proper hydration can help to reduce core body temperature.

NOTE: When the five year Bond construction is complete, all schools will have air conditioning.

Bond Construction Schedule

New this year is the Bond construction that is underway at John Glenn and Wayne Memorial High Schools. These projects are part of a five year construction program and the projects are proceeding as planned. Wayne Memorial High School construction is scheduled to be completed by June 2022 and John Glenn High School construction is scheduled to be completed by September 2022. Construction zones have been separated from student areas and our maintenance and operations staff have worked diligently to prepare the classrooms and common areas for the return of students and staff.

Having our students back in the school full time will be an adjustment for all so let’s continue our partnership to make the 2021-22 school year the best it can be for our students! We must always be one Wayne-Westland Community Schools because Great Futures Start Right Here. For more information, visit the Welcome Back to School section of our website.

Sincerely,

John Dignan, Ed.D.
Superintendent

Dear Wayne-Westland School Community,

The 2021-22 school year is right around the corner. We can’t wait to welcome our students back on Monday, August 30. All school offices are open and our team is busy preparing a welcoming and engaging environment at your school. Our high school bands and athletic teams are back on the practice field and secondary parents have received informational packets. You will also receive emails from your child/ren’s principal with school information.

Mask Mandate

Today, August 27, 2021, the Wayne County Health Department announced they are implementing a K-12 mask mandate for all schools in Wayne County. Effective immediately, all PreK-12 students, staff, and visitors, both vaccinated and unvaccinated, are required by law to wear masks while inside any District school or building. This is a mandate for all Wayne County school districts. Masks are not required outdoors for staff, students or visitors.

In addition to the mask mandate, the District will continue protocols that have proven effective, including self-screening, regular hand washing, use of disinfectant, distancing to the extent practicable, and contact tracing in combination with quarantine. While vaccines remain a personal choice, we join the health department and the many individuals impacted by COVID-19 to encourage you to learn more about their availability.

Please engage in daily screening and keep your children home if they do not feel well or run a fever.

For Families Who Use Transportation

Consistent with the federal mandate and the CDC's Requirement for Face Masks on Public Transportation, which includes school buses, face masks will continue to be required for students, staff, and drivers while using WWCS transportation services.

Sports

All athletic and activities programs will continue to follow MHSAA guidelines and Wayne County Health Department mandates. Until further notice, all indoor activities including practice, competitions, weight room, team meetings, locker room use, team dinners, etc., require all personnel, student-athletes, and spectators to wear a mask.

Information on the latest school protocols is on our District website and is included in our WWCS Parent Handbook. I also encourage you to reach out to your school principal should you have additional questions regarding building protocols or other back-to-school-related questions.

Our skilled WWCS educators foster excellence and growth in our students is about to begin! Thank you for your partnership as we launch another exciting school year. As we look to the coming year, I am excited about the traditions and positive experiences that are characteristic of every school year. We develop champions in the classroom, in competition, and in life here at Wayne-Westland CommUNITY Schools. Thanks for your continued support and assistance as we start a great new school year!

Sincerely,

John Dignan, Ed.D.
Superintendent