Press release from FernLeaf Community Charter School:
FernLeaf Community Charter School is electing to begin the 2020-21 school year in August with full remote instruction for all students. With Gov. Cooper’s announcement detailing options for partial or full remote instruction to public school districts in NC, FernLeaf has chosen to take a cautious step-by-step approach to reopening for in-person instruction.
“The single most important responsibility that FernLeaf has as a public school is to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our students, their families, and our staff,” says Michael Luplow, executive director for the school.Despite preparing for opening under Plan B — a blend of in-person and remote learning — FernLeaf made the decision to ease into in-person instruction. For now, COVID-19 cases continue to rise across the state and in Buncombe and Henderson Counties, where the majority of FernLeaf students live.All students will participate in a remote only learning environment for the first four weeks of school. At that point, administration at FernLeaf will re-evaluate and move to the blended Plan B, if conditions allow. Luplow states that the school is “ready to execute Plan B, but only when the time is right. Since we have already completed detailed instructional planning along with health and safety planning, including the procurement of thermometers, personal protective equipment, and cleaning supplies, we will be able to pivot to Plan B quickly and easily.”A majority of families with students attending FernLeaf already opted for the school’s Remote Only Learning Environment, prior to the school’s announcement that school would begin in August using remote learning.For the 2020-21 school year, FernLeaf educators will serve kindergarten through seventh grade. The public charter school will add an additional grade every year, ultimately serving children grades K – 12.FernLeaf’s mission is to foster a rich learning environment that embodies the essence of community, understanding, and the human spirit. Grounded in humble respect for our surroundings, the individual, and the world as a whole, FernLeaf seeks to engage the unique passions and aptitudes of our school community so that in addition to achieving academic fluency, students become thoughtful, compassionate, and engaged.
For more information on FernLeaf Community Charter School in Fletcher, NC, visit fernleafccs.org.
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