KRAMER E-NEWS 1/8/21

Happy Friday and Happy New Year!  We hope you had a nice break.

We have had a great week back in the remote and face to face classrooms.  The students are adjusting back to the routines and procedures.  

Updated Guidelines

Many of you heard the Governor’s recommendation that whole class quarantines may not be required if masking and other appropriate protocols were followed.  At Kramer, we will continue to ensure that the students will be expected to wear their mask at all times except when actively eating/drinking at lunch or during scheduled snack/water breaks in the classroom.  During lunch and snack/water breaks, students will continue staying in their assigned seats so that contact tracing can occur.  Since students are not wearing masks during these times, we will need to quarantine students who sit within 6 feet of any positive case of Covid-19.  This will result in more individual quarantines versus whole class quarantines - each situation will be evaluated on a case by case basis when deciding individual versus whole class quarantine.  

When individual students are quarantined, teachers will follow the following guidelines for supplying work to students:

-Teachers will post student work in Google Classroom or SeeSaw.  Hard copies of materials may also be made available for pickup or drop off.  

-Teachers will provide a check-in on Wednesdays during the early release time for quarantined students via Zoom.

-Teachers do not need to provide a Zoom link for quarantined students to join a live classroom. 

-Intervention Specialists and related services staff will provide a Zoom link and provide their SDI during their current "live instruction" time for quarantined students. By law, this is mandatory. 

-If an entire class is quarantined, the teacher will then provide live instruction via Zoom for the days everyone is in quarantine.  

Bus Reminder - Regarding Mask

Please remember that your child must wear their mask at all times while on the school bus.  Students need to have them on before boarding the bus.  Our drivers have a very limited supply of emergency masks available to hand out to students who do not have a mask.  Drivers will be referring students to the office who repeatedly show up to the bus without a mask on.  Thank you for your cooperation and help in keeping everyone safe and in school.

Quarantined Student

You may be wondering about the shortened quarantine times that the CDC recently released.  Please note that the information listed below was released along with that information from the CDC.  In order to use a reduced timeline, we still have to follow the non-pharmaceutical interventions for the full 14 days.  Since we cannot maintain 6 feet of distance between all of the students at school, we cannot have them return earlier than the 14 days.  For outside of school, you may look into the steps for a shortened quarantine time.  Thank you for your understanding. 

Quarantine is intended to physically separate a person exposed to COVID-19 from others.  Secondary transmission of infection is especially efficient within households. Thus, when housing is shared (e.g., households or co-housed persons such as families), every effort should be made to physically separate the quarantined person from others such as by having the quarantined person reside alone in a separate closed room or closed area and with exclusive use of their own bathroom. When this separation is not possible, then the household members risk exposure to COVID-19 if the quarantined person develops the illness. People who are quarantined with others, as well as the person in quarantine, should take steps to prevent the spread of infection within the household (e.g., NPIs, a.k.a. mitigating strategies). If the quarantined person is diagnosed with COVID-19, co-housed persons will require evaluation as contacts.

Persons are counseled regarding the need to adhere strictly through quarantine Day 14 to all recommended non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs±, a.k.a. mitigation strategies), especially. 

NPIs that can be practiced by individuals include the following: correct and consistent mask use (cover both the mouth and nose), social distancing, hand and cough hygiene, environmental cleaning and disinfection, avoiding crowds, ensuring adequate indoor ventilation, and self-monitoring for symptoms of COVID-19 illness

Symptoms of Coronavirus (COVID-19)

TSD Travel Advisory Rules- Effective 12/8/2020

COVID-19 TRAVEL ADVISORY & SELF QUARANTINING

Effective Immediately, Talawanda School District will implement self quarantining for 14 days for any student or staff member that travels to a hotspot state.  Per the NEW CDC Guidelines, a person who does not demonstrate any Covid-19 symptoms AND who can provide the district with a negative Covid-19 test result on days 5, 6, or 7 of the quarantine, may be permitted to return to school or work earlier.  In addition, the school or work environment must meet the requirement that the person will have 6 feet of social distance from other staff and students throughout the work and school day.

The Ohio Health Department & the Butler County Health Department recommend that people self-quarantine for 14 days upon returning from a state that is listed as a hotspot for Covid-19.  A hotspot is a state that is reporting positive Covid-19 rates of 15% or higher.  Please see the link to the map, as the states listed can change.

Travel Advisory States from ODH

Update from the Health Department

Public Health Commissioners in Butler County Strongly Encourage Staying at Home, Whenever Possible

“We are at a critical point in the response to the coronavirus pandemic," says Jennifer Bailer Health Commissioner for the Butler County General Health District (BCGHD).

Hospitalizations of COVID-19 patients in Southwest Ohio have increased by 67% over the last 2 weeks and COVID-19 patients in the ICU have increased by 50% over the same time. Butler County has had a surge in COVID-19 cases and visits to the hospital since the beginning of October. “We had been setting records the last two weeks with around 200-250 cases reported each day. However, over the weekend Butler County had over 900 cases reported from Friday to Sunday, with a new record of 376 cases in a single day,” said Jordan Luttrell-Freeman, Epidemiologist. The City of Hamilton and the City of Middletown Health Departments report similar trends.

"When the pandemic began in March, we were concerned about our medical facilities having enough PPE. Now it is the people. Hospitals and other healthcare facilities have been working tirelessly since March and feeling the impacts of staff shortages. They too are impacted by COVID and many need to stay home because they or their families are ill or in quarantine. We must protect our healthcare workers by doing our part and staying at home as much as possible, especially if you are sick, in quarantine or isolation, or waiting for test results," states Bailer.   

I live in Butler County, what should I do?

• If you are sick:
• Stay home for 10 days. After 10 days if your symptoms are better and you have had no fever for 24 hours without medicine, you are considered recovered and can go out.
• If you are waiting for a test result:
• Stay home! Do NOT go out, to school or to work while you wait!
• If you have been exposed to a positive COVID-19 case, or think you have:
• Stay home for 14 days! Do NOT go out, to school or to work!
• If you are positive for COVID-19, notify all your close contacts to stay home for 14 days.

What else can I do?

• Avoid gatherings, limit contact with people outside of your household, and reconsider holiday plans
• Keep six (6) feet of distance from others
• Wear a mask
• Including while inside around non-household members.
• Wash your hands

People with questions about COVID-19 can call the Ohio Department of Health COVID-19 Call Center, 7 days a week from 9 AM – 8 PM at 1-833-4-ASK-ODH (1-833-427-5634) or contact their local health department.  Butler County residents call 513-863-1770

Talawanda School District Preschool Program Enrollment

The Talawanda School District operates an am and pm preschool classroom at all three elementary school buildings. Classes run Monday thru Thursday. Am class time is  9:30-12:30 and pm class time is 1:15 - 4:15. A snack is provided each day to students. Transportation to and from preschool is not provided by the school district.  Licensed by the State of Ohio, each classroom serves up to 16 students (8 students identified with a disability and 8 typical students). Each classroom is staffed by a licensed preschool teacher and two educational assistants. Preschool tuition is $280 a month due on the first of each month. (Tuition assistance is available to those that qualify.)

Application Process for Preschool  

• Given the high interest in Talawanda’s preschool program, access to the program by tuition-paying families is conducted through a lottery system and subsequent waitlist maintained by the Preschool Coordinator.  Students currently enrolled in the Talawanda preschool program will be given priority registration.
• During the scheduled lottery selection times, student names will be drawn to fill openings created by preschoolers leaving the program.  After all openings are filled, student names will continue to be drawn in order to create a waitlist.  These lists will be used the rest of the school year to identify preschoolers to fill preschool spots that open up during the year.

To qualify for a preschool tuition spot:

• The family must be a resident of the Talawanda School District
• The child must be age three by 8/1/2021.
• The child must be toilet trained at entrance date.
• The completed enrollment packet and first month’s tuition payment must be submitted by April 30, 2021.
• Agree to make payments by date due or risk losing the tuition spot afforded their child. Costs include monthly tuition, school fee, and snack fee.

To fill out an application click here. Or you may pick up a hard copy at Central Registration - 909 S. Main Street (located behind SDS). 

Questions regarding this procedure may be directed to Savannah Mayer at Central Registration -  513-273-3121.

Lifetouch Picture Retake Day Reminder

January 14th is Picture Retake Day.  Students that were absent will be photographed and an order form will be sent home with your child.   If you would like retakes, please return pictures the day of retakes.  Thank you.

Attention Remote Learners & Community Members who use Kramer Elementary for the TSD Food Program:

Every Monday cars may enter the Kramer property at 2:15.  

You will enter the bus loop and then drive toward the gym/delivery entrance.

Staff members will be present to distribute food.

Vehicles will drive in on the right side and exit on the right side. 

Please see this new flyer for the Food Distribution Program

Elementary Lunch Menu- Updated for January

Fees

School fees & Chromebook insurance for face to face learners can be paid on the Talawanda website via EZPay.  Remote learners can pay Chromebook insurance through EZPay.  Any questions, call the office at 513-273-3500.

Kidz-n-Character

Please see this flyer about the Kidz-n-Character VIRTUAL Creative and Performing Arts Program. Kidz-n-Character Registration link:

https://forms.gle/reXfz9PbToixRiEx6

PAX Tools for School @ Home

Please use this link to learn more about PAX Tools for School @ Home.  This is for parents and caregivers who are facilitating a child’s schoolwork at home.

PAX Tools for School @ Home  

People United for Self Help- PUSH

PUSH has funding for furnace and water heater repairs or replacements. Grants are available to low-income, homeowners in the Talawanda School District for critical and emergency home repairs. Call Jeanne or Sabrina at 513-523-8100 for more information

Talawanda Community Events Page

Please use this link for the Talawanda Community Events Page.

Jason Merz

Principal

Calendar

January 8- Report Cards Go Home

January 8 - Remote Materials Pick Up Day

January 14 - Lifetouch Picture Retake Day

January 18- MLK Day- No School

January 22 - Remote Materials Pick Up Day

February 5 - Remote Materials Pick Up Day

February 12- Teacher Professional Day- No School

February 15 - President’s Day- No School

February 19 - Remote Materials Pick Up Day

March 5 - Remote Materials Pick Up Day

March 15 - Teacher Work Day - No School

March 16- Conferences

March 18- Conferences

March 19 - Remote Materials Pick Up Day

March 22 - 26- Spring Break - No School

April 2 - Remote Materials Pick Up Day

April 16 - Remote Materials Pick Up Day

April 30 - Remote Materials Pick Up Day

May 7 - Remote Materials Pick Up Day

May 21 - Remote Materials Pick Up Day