Wicomico Recovery Plan 2020 -2021

42 Part IV: Communications COMMUNICATIONS Communication strategies continue with all stakeholders concerning our detailed plans so that our school community and the entire community know about the Recovery Plan and understand that students’ safety and success are our first priorities. (Requirement #11) COMMUNICATING RECOVERY PLAN, AND FAMILY & COMMUNITY OUTREACH WCPS recognizes the need to continually update and inform parents, students, staff and community in this new uncharted world of schooling. WCPS will continue to use traditional tools of communication with which our community is familiar: website, social media, targeted messaging through SchoolMessenger, and constant updates to local media outlets to help disseminate information. WCPS knows that our families are closely connected to their schools, so a majority of communications for students and their families will be sent via SchoolMessenger and digital newsletters by principals. District information for the community as a whole will go through the Public Information Officer and/or the Director of Communications and Community Outreach, who will disseminate to the media. These Communications staff members are part of the Division of Instruction team while also serving the communication needs of the entire school system. Multiple means of communication with families, employees, and community stakeholders have been used throughout the closure of school buildings that began at the end of the day on March 13, 2020. These avenues of district-level and school- level communications will continue to be utilized during the 2020-2021 school year, and they include, but are not limited to: • Automated voice and email messaging (SchoolMessenger) to families and employees, from the Superintendent and principals, concerning updates to instruction, device availability and internet connectivity, school calendar, meal bundles, and cleaning of facilities • A dedicated emailbox (comments@wcboe.org) , Messenger on the WCPS Facebook page and a Public Input Line (410-677=5251) for receiving messages from students, parents/guardians, other family members, and community members. Each message is reviewed and forwarded to the appropriate school or staff person for attention, so that a timely response can be made either by email or phone. These messages are shared with the Superintendent for review, and the Superintendent shares a compilation with the elected Board of Education. • Weekly digital newsletter updates from school principals • Frequent social media posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram by district and schools • News releases, photos and videos • Television, radio, print and digital media news coverage • Programs and videos on Public Access Channel 14 (PAC 14)