May 22, 2020
Greetings to Pine-Richland Students, Staff, Parents and the Community,
As we head into the final week for students, we wanted to send a brief update to the community. We are so proud of the collaboration and cooperation of students, staff and parents over the past two months. There are thousands of stories that highlight commitment to our mission and the values that drive our district. It is hard to imagine a situation that could better reflect each and every PRIDE value:
● Personal Growth
● Resiliency
● Innovation
● Diverse Opportunities
● Engagement
Over the past month, students in the
Class of 2020 have been recognized through a wide range of activities. This
letter to senior students and parents outlines many of those special events. “Light Up Pine-Richland Night” will be held on
Friday, May 29th. There will be a
parade through the community led by the Northern Regional Police Department beginning at
5:00 p.m. This should be a wonderful community experience with green and white displays everywhere. We would love to have participation across the entire community.
During the first week of June, our staff will finalize optional summer learning opportunities for all students. We will share more information about these opportunities in the next couple of weeks. The lessons are designed to engage students with high-interest topics and activities. By keeping “brains engaged” in a different way this summer, we can help to reduce the impact of the past couple of months and jump-start the fall. We are also designing some specific programs to support early literacy skills for some of our youngest learners, as well as programming to support the learning of students in special education and/or tiered supports.
We are also starting to get some questions about the fall. We will share a return-to-school podcast on June 5th with students, staff, parents and community. This conceptual overview will highlight our need to be prepared with a continuum of options. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Pennsylvania Department of Health, Allegheny County Health Department and other public health agencies continue to revise guidance for schools. We will need to balance patience with hard work to prepare for the fall. We are also forming a PRSD Healthcare Leadership Council to gain insight from experts in our own community, a representative group of staff and key partners.
Thank you again for your commitment to the students and families of the Pine-Richland School District.
Respectfully,
Brian Miller