Vestavia Hills Superintendent On School Plans After Holiday Break

VESTAVIA HILLS, AL — This week, Superintendent Todd Freeman of Vestavia Hills City Schoolsissued a video message to parents detailing the district's plans for the New Year following Christmas break. His message can be found below as well as his accompanied video.

I’m Todd Freeman, Superintendent of Vestavia Hills City Schools. Today, I want to provide you with some information related to the start of the second semester and some important upcoming deadlines.

As you know, the last school day of the calendar year is Friday, Dec. 18, and students will return from Christmas break on Wednesday, Jan. 6. Because of our delay to the start of the school year in August, the last day of the first semester will be Friday, Jan. 15. Each student will remain in their Traditional and Remote Instructional Model assignments through the end of the first semester. The second semester will begin on Tuesday, Jan. 19 following the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.

During the month of November, we sent a survey to parents of students in the Remote Instructional Model requesting that you indicate if your student plans to return to the Traditional Model at the beginning of the second semester. Since then, our principals have been planning for the return of many students. In elementary schools, planning has focused on moving some teachers from Remote to Traditional classrooms and developing updated class rolls. Secondary schools are also making plans for additional students on campus and in classrooms.

If you are a parent of a student currently in the Remote Model and wish to change your response from the November survey, you must notify the principal of your child’s base school by Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021. Remote students who did not respond to the survey will remain in the Remote Model unless you notify your principal by Jan. 5. Students in the Traditional Model who wish to change to the Remote Model for the second semester must also notify their principal by Jan. 5. Students who begin the second semester in the Remote Model will remain there through the end of the school year unless there are extenuating circumstances. You can find contact information for each of our schools and principals on our website.

Parents of elementary students returning to the Traditional Model during the second semester will be notified on Thursday, Jan. 14 of your child’s teacher. Elementary students remaining in the remote model may have different teachers as well. In those cases, you will be notified on Jan. 14 as well.

I want to extend a heartfelt “thank you” for the resounding commitment you have made for your students this semester. You have demonstrated a resilience to keep the education of our next generation as a top priority since school began in August. I wish for each of you a joyful holiday season full of hope and peace. Thank you.

View the full updates to the VHCS School Reopening Plan here.