COVID-19 Update |
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Dear Students, Parents, Staff, and Friends,
Today, the state issued a “Safer at Home” order. This along with an indefinite end to school has made us reconsider our strategy of providing resources to families. I have now asked the teachers to prepare for student required online instruction beginning, Monday, March 30.
This will look very different for every grade and possibly every student. It is not a decision we make lightly. I know there are obstacles for some families based on internet availability and the specific needs of students.
To help with this transition, we have increased our school wifi to better cover our main parking lot. Although this does not help everyone, it does allow for parents and students to more easily upload and download work from inside their vehicle. All classes will become Pass/Fail. This may raise concerns in the High School regarding class rank and GPA, however, all students are being impacted by this so we feel it is fair and consistent. It also enables us to award credit toward graduation if the student has earned it.
The Governor’s order will allow us to continue providing food for students. If you would like to sign up for this program, more information can be found on our school website. The order will also allow individuals to come to school to pick up resources. We will also be willing to deliver materials to families if you are unable to come to school. Please contact your student’s teacher if you need help.
I know many people have questions about graduation or the rescheduling of other events. We hope we will be able to hold graduation as scheduled but we have no idea how long this health emergency will last. We appreciate your patience and flexibility.
Finally, we have and continue to reduce the number of people we have in our buildings. We are encouraging our staff, when possible to stay home. This means there is no one in the building offices. If you have issues or concerns, please contact the district office or your student’s teacher.
I hope your families are healthy and well. Things may be structured and delivered differently, but we will all get through this together.
Sincerely,
Jeff Koenig
Superintendent
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Dear Students, Parents, Staff, and Friends,
After a lengthy discussion this morning with key staff, I have made the decision to close school for March 16, 17, and 18. The Governor ordered closing will take effect March 18 at 5 PM.
This decision was not easy but considering so many students and staff traveled over the past week, I feel it does not make sense to have school for three days and then close due to the spread of COVID-19. We must do our part to slow the spread of the virus so the medical community can stay on top of the situation.
I understand the hardship this may cause families. We are working on making food available to families through Weekend Kids Meals and Food Service but need additional information from DPI before anything can be finalized. Expect more information about this next week.
We will undoubtedly need to make up time missed from instruction. At this point, I will be recommending to the School Board to have school on Good Friday, April 10 in addition to our scheduled make up day on April 13 and extending the school year further into June. We will excuse absences on April 10 for religious reasons. All of this will be dependent on school resuming April 6. Please understand the fluidity of this situation. We appreciate everyone’s patience.
I wish all of your families well. As always, the safety of our students, staff, and families remains our top priority. We will act out of an abundance of caution to protect everyone’s health and well-being.
Sincerely,
Jeff Koenig
Superintendent
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Dear Students, Parents, Staff, and Friends,
Shortly after I sent my earlier message, Governor Evers made the decision to close schools from 5 PM Wednesday, March 18 with anticipated opening April 6 at the earliest. I am glad the Governor made this decision. Obviously, this may cause some confusion for families based on my recent message.
We will be meeting early tomorrow morning to discuss the status of Monday through Wednesday. As I stated in my previous email, we have some other education options for students but will need some time with staff to prepare them. I will send out another notification by 11 AM Saturday morning to identify clear plans for Mon. through Wed.
Thank you for your patience in this challenging time.
Sincerely,
Jeff Koenig
Superintendent
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Dear Students, Parents, Staff, and Friends,
I understand the anxiety and stress our current situation can cause families and staff. We continue to monitor updates on the COVID-19 virus as well as recommendations from the Center for Disease Control and the Department of Health. Here are a few things to know as we move forward following Spring Break.
If staff or students traveled to a CDC identified Level II, III country OR to a state with known community spread, or have taken a cruise, they should self-isolate for 14 days to monitor for signs and symptoms of illness. Currently, the states identified are California, New York, and Washington however this list may change. For more information please refer to the sources identified below. The staff has already been contacted and instructed not to come to school if they meet these criteria. It is of utmost importance, everyone follows these guidelines.
At this time, we plan to have school next week. We will also allow school-sponsored teams to practice before or after school. Field trips, concerts, conferences, and other off-campus activities will be canceled until further notice. Outside groups or youth teams who use our facilities will not be allowed to use them. It is necessary to cancel these activities to help aid in the cleaning regiment and reduce the number of non-essential public gatherings. Our maintenance staff has thoroughly cleaned and disinfected our entire school. We will continue to disinfect our buildings and buses daily as long as necessary.
Alternative learning plans are being readied in case we are forced to close. This alternative plan includes online resources and printed material. We have not had a chance to review our alternative learning plans with staff as they have been gone for break but will do so as soon as possible. We will share more information relating to alternative learning plans to our students, staff, and families if necessary.
For the most up to date information please follow Chippewa County Public Health on Facebook, or visit the Wisconsin Department of Health Services’ webpage https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/disease/covid-19.htm) and Centers for Disease Control COVID-19 Information.
As previously stated, we all play a role in reducing the likelihood of a coronavirus outbreak in our school district community. We encourage everyone to practice good habits, including:
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Wash your hands regularly, especially after using the restroom and before preparing or consuming food. Wash for 20 seconds, using soap and hot water. Be sure to also wash your fingertips.
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Avoid coughing or sneezing into your hands or in the air. Always try to cough or sneeze into a tissue, and then throw the tissue away. If you don’t have a tissue, cough/sneeze into your arm.
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As much as you can, avoid touching your eyes, mouth, and nose.
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If children are feeling sick, please keep them home from school. Allow them some time to feel better so that they do not risk infecting others.
As always, the safety of our students, staff, and families remains our top priority. We will act out of an abundance of caution to protect everyone’s health and well being.
Sincerely,
Jeff Koenig, Superintendent
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The District is closely monitoring COVID-19 and is communicating with various groups to stay best informed.
For the most up to date information please follow Chippewa County Public Health on Facebook, or visit the Wisconsin Department of Health Services’ webpage https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/disease/covid-19.htm) and Centers for Disease Control COVID-19 Information.
The Stanley-Boyd Area School District is ready to respond to increased illness in our schools should we experience that. If we have a situation of significantly increased illness, or if there were local cases of COVID-19, we will work closely with Chippewa County Public Health and will follow and adhere to their directions.
We all play a role in reducing the likelihood of a coronavirus outbreak in our school district community. We encourage everyone to practice good habits, including:
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Wash your hands regularly, especially after using the restroom and before preparing or consuming food. Wash for 20 seconds, using soap and hot water. Be sure to also wash your fingertips.
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Avoid coughing or sneezing into your hands or in the air. Always try to cough or sneeze into a tissue, and then throw the tissue away. If you don’t have a tissue, cough/sneeze into your arm.
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As much as you can, avoid touching your eyes, mouth and nose.
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If children are feeling sick, please keep them home from school. Allow them some time to feel better so that they do not risk infecting others.
The Stanley-Boyd Area School District takes routine steps to reduce the spread of illness in our schools. Our school nurse closely monitors and tracks absence rates and analyzes the data across schools for trends. Our facilities staff completes targeted and more frequent cleaning and disinfecting of specific spaces in our schools.
Please note, parents and guardians should work closely with the school nurse and office staff about absences due to illness. Student illness details (e.g., fever, cough) help our nursing staff monitor illness trends and implement appropriate prevention steps. When reporting an ill student on the school absence line, please let us know if your child has the flu or symptoms of another illness. There may be some instances when a student's illness triggers an attendance form letter. Please know that while we are also mandated to track attendance closely, that the health of your child (and of others) takes precedence. If you have specific questions about an attendance letter, please talk to your building principal.
As always, the safety of our students, staff, and families remains our top priority. We will act out of an abundance of caution to protect everyone’s health and well being.
Sincerely,
Jeff Koenig
Superintendent
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Protecting Our Students and Community from Coronavirus
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The safety of our students and staff is our top priority. To help prevent the spread of Coronavirus, or COVID-19, in Wisconsin and the United States that has occurred in other countries such as Italy and China, we are requesting that families contact their physician to ask to be tested for Coronavirus if a student has these symptoms:
- Fever
- Cough
- Shortness of breath
Please contact the school at 715-644-5534 to report the absence and symptoms. Learn more about the symptoms and treatment of Coronavirus at the Center for Disease Control (CDC) website: cdc.gov/coronavirus. Those at highest risk for Coronavirus complications are older adults and individuals with compromised immune systems or heart, lung and kidney disease.
We have no known cases of COVID-19 among students or staff in Stanley-Boyd Schools.
We continue to closely monitor the situation with the Chippewa County Health Department, as well as review updates from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Department of Public Instruction and the CDC. Here is the latest information on confirmed cases in Wisconsin - in Fond Du Lac, Pierce, Waukesha, and Dane counties. Another 37 WI residents are returning from a cruise where they may have been exposed and will be self-quarantined for 14 days. Nationally, there have been approximately 1,000 confirmed cases and 30 deaths (none in Wisconsin).
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What You Can Do and Our Cleaning Measures
Stanley-Boyd Schools has a routine cleaning regimen in place to help reduce the spread of germs and communicable disease. In addition to our regular cleaning and disinfection, we are increasing the cleaning of high-touch areas and hard and soft surface items throughout the day. We will follow all guidelines of the CDC and our local and state health departments.
We all play a role in helping reduce the spread of communicable disease. We are asking our students, staff and families to practice regular preventive actions (see flyer in English, Spanish, Hmong and Mandarin Chinese) including:
- Wash your hands regularly, for 20 seconds, using soap and hot water. Make sure to wash your fingertips. This is especially important after using the restroom, coughing or sneezing into your hands, and before preparing or consuming food.
- Avoid coughing or sneezing into your hands or in the air. Always try to cough or sneeze into a tissue, and then throw the tissue away. If you don’t have a tissue, cough/sneeze into your arm.
- As much as you can, avoid touching your eyes, mouth and nose.
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School Closure and Travel Restrictions
This is a rapidly evolving situation, with the World Health Organization declaring Coronavirus a pandemic, Gov. Tony Evers declaring it a public health emergency and the President issuing a month-long ban effective March 13 on all travel from Europe to the U.S.
We will continue to monitor the situation and be in contact with the health departments about whether to close any schools. As of March 13, the state of Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) is not recommending school closures. Instead, DHS is asking schools and organizations to
- Cancel events with over 250 people
- Avoid non-essential domestic travel
- Avoid traveling to areas in the US with sustained community transmission of COVID-19 (currently Washington, New York, and California). See map
- Self-quarantine for 14 days upon return for anyone who travels to any U.S. states with confirmed community spread of COVID-19.
We appreciate your patience with this fluid situation and we will continue to update you as needed. Please rest assured that we will continue to put your students’ safety first.
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