ASD is the oldest permanent school for the deaf in the United States.

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- American School for the Deaf

Founded in 1817, the American School for the Deaf was the first permanent school for the deaf in the United States and a nationally renowned leader in providing comprehensive educational programs and services for deaf and hard-of-hearing students.

Dear ASD Families,

I hope this letter finds you and your family doing well, staying healthy and enjoying the summer weather.

I wanted to update all of you regarding our plans for the start of the 2020-2021 school year. We certainly find ourselves in a challenging time and in developing our reopening plans, we continue to monitor guidance released from the offices of Governor Lamont, the State Department of Education, local Department of Public Health (DPH) and the CDC. We understand that our families have many questions and concerns and I want to assure you that our top priority has been, and will continue to be, the health and safety of our entire community. We are also committed to ensuring that the learning process moves forward, regardless what the 2020-2021 school year may bring.

These last few months have shown us that circumstances can change frequently and sometimes very quickly. For this reason, the Connecticut Department of Education has required that each school develop plans for 3 different scenarios:

1. Full in-person instruction with a remote learning option

2. Hybrid option

3. Full remote learning

I have attached our official reopening plan, Adaptability and Flexibility: ASD’s Reopening Plans for the 2020-2021 School Year. This plan was submitted to the State Department of Education on July 24^th and details our educational plans as well as our enhanced health and safety protocols. As you review this document, please do not hesitate to reach out to me, the director of student health, Andrea Dillion (andrea.dillon@asd-1817.org), or any member of the Academic Hub (academic.hub@asd-1817.org). We are all available to answer your questions or concerns at any time.

As we continue to plan for our reopening, we welcome your feedback and appreciate any information you share regarding your fall intentions. In mid-July, we sent a survey to our families asking if you intend to send your child for in-person instruction, choosing to opt for remote instruction, or are still undecided. We will be re-sending this same survey at the beginning of August to determine if your plans have changed. Please know that we are gathering this information to assist us in our planning purposes only and understand that your plans may change – you will not be locked into any of your answers.

I also would like to share a new technology security measure that we have implemented. Going forward, ASD will continue to provide our students with 1:1 devices (i.e. Chromebooks/laptops, etc.) and have also added an online service provided by GoGuardian to help keep our students safer online and more focused on academics. When our students log on to their device using their ASD account, either on our campus or at home, GoGuardian will help to protect our students against harmful and inappropriate online material. We are pleased to add this extra level of security for all of our students when working online. You can find more information about GoGuardian on the ASD website or on the GoGuardian website.

Thank you for all of your support, understanding, and cooperation as we prepare to begin the new school year. We all know this is not an easy situation, but together we will certainly be successful!

Sincerely,

Paula Morabito

Director of Education

Phone: 860-570-2300

Cell: 860-471-4787

Email: paula.morabito@asd-1817.org

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ASD 2020-2021 Reopening Plan

The recent death of George Floyd has gripped our country. Though the events from the past week demonstrate a divide within our country, the American School for the Deaf is proud to be an inclusive community that welcomes and celebrates diversity. We do not tolerate oppression, discrimination, bigotry or racism of any kind, and we stand in solidarity with those peacefully protesting against these injustices.

As a school, we uphold the fundamental principle that equity should prevail regardless of skin color. We adamantly believe the actions surrounding George Floyd’s death, as well as other violence against the Black Community, are reprehensible and not to be tolerated. We are working with members of the ASD family, for whom this issue personally resonates, to develop a plan addressing this subject while opening a dialogue among students and staff. Outcomes from this discussion will be infused systematically within our curriculum, teachings, ongoing conversations and staffing infrastructure.

ASD must be responsive to all issues affecting our community, and we proudly join in protest against prejudice and persecution in all forms.