Dear Edgewood families and staff,
Today, April 20, 2020, Governor Mike DeWine made an announcement ordering all of Ohio’s public, community, and private K-12 school buildings to be closed to students for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic school year due to the coronavirus health crisis.
We know the Governor’s order to close school for the rest of the school year presents a challenge to our families. Our district is working diligently to partner with you in furthering your child’s education and well-being.
Remote Learning to Continue
Although our school buildings are to remain closed, remote learning will continue through the remainder of the school year. We will continue to adjust and administer our remote learning plans and expectations, provide student services and resources to the best of our ability, and distribute free meals to our students.
Staff Availability
Our school staff will continue to provide meals, support, and provide remote learning opportunities to our students for the rest of the school year. Our teachers and principals will be available Monday-Friday, via email, to support our parents and students. Teachers and building principals will continue to share their remote learning plans and expectations with parents and students on an ongoing basis until the last day of school for students, May 21st. For those students who do not have access to online learning, hard copies of assignments, by grade level, will continue to be available weekly. A schedule of when copies can be picked up will be communicated each Friday, via email, for the upcoming week.
Administrators and support staff will also be working remotely and are available through email and voicemail.
Our Board of Education Office will remain open from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., Monday - Friday.
Meal Distribution
Food service operations are ongoing despite the building closure and will remain in place through the last week of school. Staff will continue to comply with the most current health guidelines when distributing meals. Details regarding our meal pickup dates and times will be emailed to our families weekly and reminders will be communicated through our district’s social media pages and mobile app.
During the summer, the Trenton branch of the MidPointe Library will be hosting a Summer Lunch Program. Details are being finalized by the library. Information about the library’s program will be communicated later in May. Please look for this information on our district’s website, social media pages, mobile app, and via email once we receive final details from the library.
Mental Health Support
If a student or parent is in crisis, you can reach out to the following local hotlines for assistance:
Butler County Mobile Crisis and Consultation:
CALL: 1-844-4CRISIS (1-844-427-4747) → this is a 24 hour hotline
Suicide Prevention Hotline:
1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255)
For more information, visit suicidepreventionlifeline.org
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center:
Psychiatric Intake Response Center: 513-636-4124
Use this number if your child is in crisis and needs immediate assistance. This number can also be used to arrange for counseling, routine questions about your child’s mental health problems or for professional referrals.
Cincinnati Children’s Emergency Room (Liberty Campus):
7777 Yankee Road, Liberty Township, OH
1-513-803-9307
For additional information you can visit the following webpage: https://nami-bc.org/get-support/crisis-support
Services to Students with Disabilities
The Special Education Department will continue to make weekly contacts and work with families in an effort to provide as much continuity of services as we are able at this time. Please continue to reach out to your child’s Intervention Specialist and/or Related Service Provider with any additional questions or concerns.
Preschool, Kindergarten and Open Enrollment Registration for 2020-2021
Plans for Preschool and Kindergarten registration are still being finalized. Once details are complete, information will be communicated through our district’s website, social media pages, mobile app, and email. In the meantime, if you have questions about Preschool or Kindergarten registration, please email patti.bowers@edgewoodschools.net
If your student is currently open enrolled at Edgewood, you will be contacted via email by our Central Registration Office, to inquire if you wish to enroll your student for the 2020-2021 school year. Emails will be sent to those parents during the last week of April (April 27- May 1). Students not currently enrolled at Edgewood, but are considering Open Enrollment for the 2020-2021 school year, will be able to request an application by emailing patti.bowers@edgewoodschools.net. Questions about Open Enrollment can be emailed to patti.bowers@edgewooschools.net .
Board Meetings
Boards of Education are required by law to meet at least once every two months. Although school boards typically meet more regularly than this, school boards may legally cancel school board meetings and reduce the number of school board meetings to the statutory minimum.
Our next Board of Education meeting will take place on Monday, April 27, 2020. Dates and times for future board meetings are posted on our district’s website as well as posted in the local newspaper.
Access to School Facilities/Grounds
Per the Governor’s orders and OHSAA (Ohio High School Athletic Association), all school, playgrounds, and athletic facilities, including courts, gyms, fields, gyms, and weight rooms, are to remain closed. The use of our facilities by outside groups has also been suspended until further notice.
We are making arrangements for staff and students to retrieve their belongings from classrooms and lockers. Once details are finalized we will communicate directions via email to our families and staff.
Scheduled Spring/Summer Events
All athletics (per OHSAA guidance), field trips, overnight trips, performances, and award programs have been canceled through the remainder of the school year.
Graduation
The Governor and the Ohio General Assembly enacted House Bill 197 to address issues raised by the coronavirus pandemic. This legislation states that Ohio students who were on track to graduate at the time of the ordered school-building closure will be permitted to graduate on time in the Spring of 2020.
We recognize the importance and tradition of our high school graduation ceremony. Our graduation was originally planned to take place on Wednesday, May 20. Unfortunately, we will not be able to hold our commencement service on this date. We are looking at alternate dates for later this summer, but we are dependent on the governor’s orders for when large public gatherings can take place.
Summer School
With the current building closure orders, the district will offer summer school classes virtually until further notice. Students who require summer school classes will be notified by the building principal. We are still discussing summer enrichment classes for our students and will communicate these plans with our parents in the upcoming weeks.
Summer Sports Camps/Programs
Under the current guidelines, no sport camps or summer programs will be hosted by the school district this summer. We will follow the latest directives when determining the status of summer conditioning programs for our student-athletes. Look for communication from our athletic director and coaches about summer conditioning.
Status of 2020-2021 School Year
No specific decisions have been made at this time on the status of our buildings being re-opened in August. The state continues to monitor the status of the COVID-19 outbreak and our ability to resume normal activities.
In his press briefings, Governor DeWine has made it clear that Ohio’s schools and businesses will not be operating in the same way until there is a vaccine available for COVID-19. Our district administrators started planning and consulting with other education leaders and public health officials for alternatives to comply with the Governor’s most-current orders and maintain a healthy environment for staff and students.
Work Permits for Minors
Work permits must be completed by the parent and employer. A physician’s signature is required on the application or a sport physical on file with the athletic department dated within the last year. Take the completed application to the Edgewood Board of Education Office with proof of age (birth certificate, driver’s license or state ID). The student must be present to sign two completed copies. Click here for the Work Permit application (2 pages)
For More Information
For all questions related to your child’s assignments, please email your child’s teacher or the building principal.
If you have questions related to the COVID-19 virus and its health implications, please contact the Ohio Department of Health Call Center at 1-833-4-ASK-ODH (1-833-427-5634). The Call Center is open 7 days a week from 9:00 am- 8:00 pm. Licensed nurses and infectious disease experts are available to answer questions and provide accurate information about the Coronavirus (COVID-19), the risk to the public, and the state's response.
We have also set up a dedicated page on our website for all the announcements, resources, and updates on COVID-19. Click here to access the web page or follow this path: www.edgewoodschools.com> Home> Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates and Resources.
We appreciate your support and know that we will continue to work together as a school community to navigate through these challenging times together.
Sincerely,
Russ Fussnecker
Superintendent, Edgewood City Schools