End of the year letter from WAY Flint Director

June 24, 2020

Dear WAY Families,

As we head into the July break, I want you to be aware that online learning will continue to be available throughout the break. Researchers may continue working in HERO with online experts throughout July. The Flint lab experts will return to HERO on July 27th. WAY is a year-round program; therefore, the 2019-20 school year ends on August 28th, 2020.

The 2020-21 school year will begin Tuesday, September 8th. We are very excited to have researchers returning to the lab. Our plan is to open in phases:

• Phase 1: Researchers will attend 1 day a week; the lab will be deep cleaned 2 days a week. Temperature and health screening will be conducted upon entry to the building.
• Phase 2: Researchers will attend 2 days a week; the lab will be deep cleaned 2 days a week. Temperature and health screening will continue.
• Phase 3: Researchers will attend lab 4 days a week; the lab will be deep cleaned 1 day a week. Health screening will be updated as we receive information from the state and CDC.

We will be working closely with local health officials to determine the opening for each new phase. Masks, gloves, and social distancing will be part of the post-COVID lab preparations. A 100% virtual option is available to researchers who have health concerns or are simply not ready to enter the lab.

Please watch for a Monkey Survey in your email so that you can voice your preference for Phase 1. You will have a choice to attend on Mondays, Tuesdays or Thursdays or be 100% virtual. If you prefer, you can send me an email with your preferences.

In August we will announce open building days so that families may drop in and see how we are addressing the concerns surrounding the health of our WAY family. You will be able to walk around the building and ask any questions. Our goal is for you to feel confident and comfortable in sending your child back to the lab.

Finally, we are beginning our campaign to enroll new researchers. We have graduated so many young people in the past 2 years that we have too many open seats. In order for WAY Academy-Flint to grow; we need your help. We would like to enroll 45 new researchers for 2020-21 and word of mouth is the sincerest form of marketing. If you refer a new researcher who enrolls and remains through October, we will thank you with a $25 gift card. The great thing is that 45 new researchers will still keep our class sizes down with a maximum ratio of 13 researchers per lab expert.

I truly want to thank all of the WAY family for their flexibility and commitment to continuing each researcher’s education. It has been a team effort between staff and families. I know the challenges and difficulties were unexpected, but our researchers are benefiting from our united efforts. It is a privilege to serve our WAY families; and I am looking forward to a positive 2020-21 school year. We are a small school with a lot of heart!

Sincerely,

Shelly Smith, BS, MA

School Director

shelly.smith@wayprogram.net