KRAMER E-NEWS 11/20/2020

Happy Friday.  This will be the last E-News before the Thanksgiving break.  Students will attend school next week on Monday and Tuesday 11/23 & 11/24.  Students will return to school on Monday, November 30, 2020.  

Kramer Picture Day

Picture Day is Monday, November 23, 2020.  A Lifetouch flyer is attached.   Please order online at mylifetouch.com before picture day or order by paper the day of.   

Picture Day ID:  EVTT4CZFS

Remote students can be photographed anytime between 10:00 - 12:15 & 1:00 - 4:00 and students can enter the building at the red double doors by the gym.  No appointment is necessary.

Pictures will be sent home with your child when they arrive.  Remote learners will be notified when the orders arrive and can be picked up at school.

All safety precautions will be taken.  Remote learners must wear a mask.  

January 14th is a possible picture retake day.  Thank you.

Quarantined Student

During these last two weeks, we have had a few confirmed and probable cases in the district that caused classrooms to be quarantined.  While we know that we want our students to be at school, we all need to do our part to help prevent the spread so that we can stay open.  Classroom quarantines are part of this but so are individual quarantines.  If someone in your house is showing symptoms of Covid, EVERYONE should stay home until the sick person has a negative covid test or an alternate diagnosis, and certainly if a student has been directly exposed to a positive case the student should stay home.   

Please see this Returning to School form for more information.

Should I Stay Home From School Today

If your child is a Face to Face student and is sent home and quarantined, we are providing materials to work on from home.  Please continue to check SeeSaw (grades K&1) and Google Classroom(2-5) for work.  Teachers may also send hard copies of materials home.  Our school social worker, SRO, or principal can bring materials to your house and drop them at the door.  Please also look for emails from your child’s teacher.

If your child is quarantined and you are not receiving any work or need assistance, please contact your child’s teacher or Mr. Merz.

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 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 9AM – 8PM at: 1-833-4-ASK-ODH (1-833-427-5634) or contact their local health department.  Butler County residents call 513-863-1770

Remote Learning Decisions for THS & TMS Due to Staff Shortages

Talawanda officials have made the very difficult decision to fully transition THS and TMS to a remote learning plan from now until January 18, 2021.  Students would return on January 19,  2021, pending updated data as we continue to monitor the spread of Covid-19. Talawanda is currently experiencing a severe spike in the number of Covid-19 quarantines and positive cases.  All districts in Butler County are experiencing a shortage of substitute teachers, educational assistants, and cafeteria workers due to Covid-19.  Talawanda has already exhausted the small number of workers (including administrators and members of our curriculum team) that we have available to reassign to assist where we need help the most.  Specifically, we have become unable to operate our kitchens at the secondary level this past week due to staff quarantines.  Talawanda plans to keep the elementary schools/face-to-face school going as long as we have the staff available to operate them.

By moving secondary schools to remote learning, we hope to utilize some employees from THS & TMS to assist with the staff shortages we are also experiencing in our elementary schools.  We understand that childcare for younger children is a big issue for our families, and we hope to alleviate this stress by doing everything we can to try and keep our elementary schools open.

We wish we could continue to operate in person in all of our schools, but Covid-19 is making an impact and we have made a decision that we believe is the best one, for now, considering the circumstances we find our district in.  The health and safety of both our students and staff are among our very highest priorities and are a primary factor in the decisions made this week.

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 November

Breakfast and Lunch Program

Please see this flyer about the breakfast and lunch programs in TSD.  All breakfast and lunches are free for the 2020-21 school year.  

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.

School News and Information 

As temperatures get cooler and students wear hats, gloves, jackets, and coats please make sure you put your child’s name in their items.  This will help if the item is left outside at recess or on a bus.

If you need assistance with hats, gloves, coats or other items please contact Mr. Merz, Nurse Chelsea or Mrs. Pike.

merzj@talawanda.org

daughteryc@talawanda.org

pikec@talawanda.org

Important Reminder for All TSD Parents:

Talawanda School District needs your partnership in keeping our students, staff, and families safe during the pandemic we are experiencing.  It's critical that parents do a wellness check on each child every day before school.  If your child exhibits any symptoms for COVID-19, please keep your child home from school.  See the checklist below.

People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of reported symptoms – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to SARS-CoV-2. Symptoms can include:

Fever or chills

Cough

Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

Fatigue

Muscle or body aches

Headache

New loss of taste or smell

Sore throat

Congestion or runny nose

Nausea or vomiting

Diarrhea

Symptoms of Coronavirus (COVID-19)

COVID-19 TRAVEL ADVISORY & SELF QUARANTINING

We understand that families may be traveling during the holiday season.  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

Mrs. Jutte and Mrs. Marconi Information

Mrs. Jutte and Mrs. Marconi would like to remind both face to face and remote parents that they are here to help.  Please see their letter. 

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

Goggin Ice Center Information

Please see the following links for more information.

Thanksgiving Skate

December Public Skating

Special Education Study from OSU

Please see this attachment for more information.

Talawanda Community Events Page

Please use this link for the Talawanda Community Events Page.

Enjoy the weekend and have a nice Thanksgiving break! Stay healthy and stay safe!

Jason Merz

Principal

Calendar

November 25-27- Thanksgiving Break

December 21-January 1- Winter Break

January 18- MLK Day- No School

February 12- Teacher Professional Day- No School

February 15 - President’s Day- No School

Mary 15 - Teacher Work Day - No School

March 16- Conferences

March 18- Conferences

March 22 - 26- Spring Break - No School