Mission First, People Always - 11/19/20

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Thanksgiving 2020 will be like one we’ve never experienced. This is the Coronavirus Thanksgiving, and for my family, it will be different in that we will not gather in a large group setting to sit down and share a meal. We are still going to meet online, and we will still share a meal online, but it will be different. We are going to practice social distancing, and for those small groups of us that do get together, we are going to physically social distance, and we are going to wear a mask. I am going to encourage you to do the same as well as frequent handwashing. Coronavirus is here, and it is important that we do not let our guard down during the Thanksgiving break. So please be safe! 

I also want to thank those of you who have helped the school district this school year. It has been a year, and we are continuing to provide quality education and experiences for our students. I want to thank our staff for doing that, and I want to thank parents for sending their children to school. Parents, whether your child is learning remotely or face to face, please know that we are doing our best. 

It is important that we still keep safety in mind. Our idea of Mission First, People Always says that we are going to educate children, but we are going to do it safely. Here are just a few things that I wanted to share with you. First, we’ve had a couple of occasions where students have come to school sick. I have instructed staff, and informed the Board of Education, that if parents send students to school knowing that they are sick, we are going to remove those students from face-to-face learning and put them in remote learning. And that’s because we cannot allow one student to potentially make many more students sick. I’ve done the same thing with staff. If a staff member comes to school knowing that they should be quarantining, I have instructed my team to take administrative action against that individual, up to and including termination. I hate to say that, but that is how seriously I believe it is for us to keep a safe learning environment. I need your help with that. 

As we continue to socially distance in our classrooms, we have had some students who said they did not want to wear a mask. I have instructed staff that if a student refuses to wear a mask, we will move that student from face-to-face learning to remote learning as well. 

These are not ideal options, but these decisions have been made with the intent of keeping our students and staff as safe as possible throughout the District. I don’t know all there is to know about Coronavirus; I just know what I hear experts in the health field write and say, and that is to socially distance, wear a mask and wash your hands. I think I would much rather be safe than sorry. I hope you agree. 

I wish you a great Thanksgiving break. Please remember the purpose of the holiday and enjoy the time. Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving! 

-VIP Continues
Coldr

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