UPDATE- COVID-19-District Information Letter 3/11/2020
OFFICE OF THE SUPERINTENDENT
__________________________________
March 11, 2020
Dear Talawanda Students, Families, and Community,
Ohio now has 4 confirmed cases of Coronavirus, now named COVID-19. At least 24 other individuals are being tested for the virus in Ohio. Governor DeWine has asked colleges and universities to move towards online learning. Yesterday Miami University moved to an online learning plan. Talawanda has some students taking college courses, and they will continue to take their classes, but they will now be accessed through their device.
The Governor and the Ohio Department of Health have recommended that schools stay open at this point in time.
New information regarding COVID-19 becomes available daily. We have and will continue to share updates on this virus from local and state health officials as we receive them. We will continue to utilize all of our communication tools to keep parents and community members informed.
Governor DeWine has cautioned Ohioans to refrain from participating in large group gatherings, and emphasized the risks for older people. As a result, Talawanda will cancel ALL field trips and most extra-curricular events hosted in our schools.
The THS Athletic Director will continue to work with OHSAA and the league regarding sporting events, and particularly state competitions that will be taking place in the near future. The number of spectators at some state competitions will be limited to parents/guardians of the student athletes.
Information and circumstances regarding COVID-19 is changing rapidly from day to day. New information and orders from state officials change nearly every day. We will do our very best to communicate with our families often, so that parents and community members have the best information possible to make decisions for their own families.
The Ohio Department of Education (ODE) requires public schools, joint vocational schools, and chartered nonpublic schools to be open for instruction for a minimum of:
- 455 hours for students in half-day kindergarten;
- 910 hours for students in full-day kindergarten through Grade 6; and
- 1,001 hours for students in Grades 7-12.
Currently, Talawanda School District exceeds the number of hours required by ODE. Talawanda planned for additional hours for the 2019-2020 school year. This action is taken each year to cover events, such as inclement weather, natural hazards, utility outages as well as health related issues. Talawanda has only used 9 hours this year due to inclement weather. We do have hours built into our schedule if we would need to close for an extended time. Our leadership and staff are currently working on plans to provide resources and instruction that would be accessed by students at home if the Talawanda School District needed to close for an extended period of time. Governor DeWine did share that in the event that the order came to close schools, that his office would work with legislators to find ways to help schools in regard to state testing. Stay tuned for informational updates on this topic!
We have encouraged and reinforced hygiene and good handwashing practices, not touching faces with your hands, and other precautions for limiting the spread of COVID-19. Please practice these tips every day! We don’t know what state officials will do in the coming days, but please begin to make plans for childcare, meals, and other needs your child may have IF TALAWANDA SCHOOL DISTRICT IS ORDERED TO CLOSE. The best advice we can give is to be prepared!
Please remember that if your child is sick to please keep your child home. If your child has a fever or is vomiting to return to school 24 hours after the fever and vomiting have stopped. Again, please reinforce good handwashing techniques.
If Talawanda School District is ordered to close, for any period of time, we will notify our families and staff through our district’s normal communication channels. These includes:
- Text
- Phone
- Website: www.talawanda.org
- Social Media
- Local TV and Radio
We understand that the closing of schools for an extended time (or even a short time) will create a serious impact on our families. If we need to close our schools, it will be based on the safety and welfare of our students, staff, families, and community. Please use this time to develop a family plan so that you can be prepared for any situation that may result from COVID-19.
In Education,
Dr. Edward Theroux
Superintendent
131 W. Chestnut St. Oxford, Ohio 45056
therouxe@talawanda.org ~ (513) 273-3100
