TALAWANDA HIGH SCHOOL E- News- October 29, 2021

October 29, 2021

Dear THS Families,

The Covid-19 experience has been difficult to say the least. Since our return to in-person learning we have distanced students during the lunch period as far apart as space would allow. We realize that many students feel emotionally and socially challenged due to the protocols we have been expected to follow by the various agencies. We have changed our seating arrangements for lunch due to new information and options that have been given to us from the Ohio Department of Health. Students are now seated in the cafeteria much like they were pre-Covid.

Monday we received information from the Ohio Department of Health offering a Mask to Stay/Test to Play procedure as an option to current ODH/BCHD protocols.  Talawanda, along with other Butler County schools, have chosen to pilot the optional guidelines. These optional guidelines apply to direct contact cases occurring at school.  OHD, cites a study done in Warren County by several Warren County schools.  In this study it is reported by ODH,  “This recommendation is informed by a growing body of national experience, a pilot in Warren County, and experience shared by LHDs that points toward a low number of individuals with direct contact to a Covid-19 positive individual within a school setting who convert to positive cases.”

Based on this information, along with the knowledge that no other Butler County high school has distanced students during their lunch periods, from the start of the year, we believe that if students follow the recommendation of wearing masks until they actually eat their meal and wearing  their masks immediately upon finishing their meal,  we can maintain our quarantine rate. Reports that we receive weekly have shown that our quarantine rates, even though we were distanced apart,  have been and continue to be  similar to all other schools in the County.

If we see a trend of increasing infection and growing quarantine numbers we will reconsider our procedures. Please let your student know if they are uncomfortable with their seating arrangement we will be happy to help them find a seat that is further distanced.  

Thank you for your support. Be well.

Tom York

Principal

Talawanda High School 

Talawanda recently received the updated recommendations regarding Covid-19 protocols from the Ohio Department of Health.  These recommendations seem to provide some additional ways in which to provide in-person learning in public schools in Ohio for students that may have been exposed to Covid-19 in our schools, while still taking precautions to keep students and staff at a low risk of exposure to the Covid-19 virus.  Students will be permitted to eat  together during breakfast and lunch sessions, but masks will still be required immediately before and after eating.  We will continue to monitor Covid-19 risks/exposures/cases, and should the number of cases increase these recommendations may change. We will continue to monitor person to person direct contact to reduce the risk of exposures.  It is the goal of everyone to keep students and staff healthy.  The recommendations provide ways for exposed students to stay in school/school classrooms if specific guidelines are met, and to allow students that have been exposed but do not show symptoms to stay in extra-curriculars if they adhere to the recommended testing protocols.  Covid-19 tests must be proctored tests or done in a medical facility, pharmacy, or physician's office.

Please remember that the CDC has a federal mask mandate in place for school buses, the city of Oxford has a city wide mask ordinance in place, and the TSD Board of Education requires masks to be worn inside TSD facilities.  

Thank you for your continued understanding and support as we all work to best manage school issues related to the pandemic.  We continue to be in near constant communication with the Butler County Health Department and will continue to follow their direction as our local county health authority.  We will notify school personnel and families as soon as possible should there be any changes to Covid-19 information and protocols.

ODH Letter- https://www.talawanda.org/media/communication/k-12-schools-quarantine-alternative.pdf

• Talawanda High School has partnered with Torch Prep, an innovative test prep program, to offer our students a free practice ACT test.  This test will be given on November 6th from 8am-12pm at THS.  Please go here to register.  Cost is $7. The last day to register is October 29, 2021.

• TRUNK OR TREAT- Talawanda High School Parking Lot, Friday, October 29th 6:00-8:00pm. Come and dress up!  Open to all TSD families, grades six and below.

• Costume Contest

• Face Painting

• Pumpkin Painting

• Soooo Much Candy

• Fire Trucks and Police Cars

          Sponsored by Talawanda/Butler Tech FCCLA and THS Child Development Class!

• VETERANS DAY BREAKFAST- Thursday November 11, 2021. Breakfast and program will be at 8:00am in the THS cafeteria, 5301 University Park Blvd. Oxford, Ohio 45056.  Please RSVP to Mrs. Gregory at gregorys@talawanda.org

Or by calling 513-273-3164 by November 8, 2021.  All Veterans, Active Military Members and their guests are invited.  

Sponsored by THS and BT/THS FCCLA Chapter

• The students of the Talawanda High School Choral Program will be presenting their first public concert since March 2020 on Tuesday, November 16th, 2021.

Our five vocal ensembles are ready to perform many genres for the Talawanda community, including standard choral, gospel, pop, opera, Broadway, swing, blues, spiritual, and Indian classical.

The tunes will start at 7:00 pm in the THS Performing Arts Center.

As always, our concerts are free and open to the public.  Please join us as we happily return to in-person concerts, and save the date of March 1st, 2022 to make sure you are ready to attend our next performance as well!

• The Fall Play, The Internet is Distract-OH Look a Kitten!  will be November 12 at 7 pm, and November 13 at 2pm and 7 pm in the Talawanda High School Performing Arts Center. 

 THS Calendar of Events- 10/31/21-11/6/21

Sunday, October 31st

8:00-8pm Fall Play Tech Rehearsal

Monday, November 1st 

3:00-5pm Drama Rehearsal

5:00-7pm Mock Trial Practice, Room 417

6:00pm Board Meeting Work Session, Media Center

Tuesday, November  2nd

NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS

3:00-5pm Drama, PAC

Wednesday, November 3rd

3:00-5pm Drama, PAC

5:00-7:00pm Mock Trial Practice, Room 417

7:00pm Athletic Boosters, Media Center

Thursday, November 4th

3:00-5pm Drama, PAC

3:00-4:30pm Academic Challenge, Room 424

7:00-8:30pm Field Hockey Awards, Cafeteria

Friday, November 5th

3:00-5pm Drama, PAC

Saturday, November 6th

8:00-12:00pm Practice ACT, Cafeteria

8:00-9:00pm Drama Tech Rehearsal, PAC