KRAMER E-NEWS 12/3/2020

Happy Friday.  We hope you have had a great Thanksgiving break.  We had a great week back in the remote and face to face classrooms.  

TSD Communications Reminders from Mrs. Morrish

Semester 2 Learning Options

Please complete the questionnaire for each student in your household.  Please understand that the selection you make will determine the plan for your student for the entire second semester, and determine whether they are served face-to-face or remotely.  Please also understand that if your selection is a change from the learning program your child currently is in, this may result in a change in your child's teacher.  TSD will continue to collaborate with health officials and evaluate conditions relative to the pandemic.  The continued spread of the virus may result in changes to the TSD learning plans for the second semester.  Please develop a PLAN B for your family for childcare should there be a need to return to remote learning at any or all of our schools.  Questionnaire DUE DATE- Saturday, December 5, 2020, by 5 pm.  If you do not submit this form, then your child will remain in the learning program they are currently in.  Thank you.

Please access the questionnaire here.

TSD Transportation News

It’s important to develop contingency plans during the pandemic regarding TSD Transportation Services, as we have experienced staff shortages in other areas.  The priority now is to continue to transport elementary students to school, and to provide service to our extracurricular programs that are still open.  If we experience shortages, the first priority will remain to transport K-5 students to school.  In the event of more extreme staff shortages, we may need to eliminate transportation for extracurricular activities.  We will certainly provide as much notice as possible.

Please have a Plan B in place, should shortages occur that would result in temporary changes to transportation services in TSD.  The district will continue to network with Petermann Transportation Services to have substitute drivers available, but we understand that the pandemic is putting stress on many organizations as people become ill or must quarantine.  We will continue to report on this and other TSD services as we navigate the ever-changing environment associated with life in a pandemic.

Weather Delays/School Closings Information:

Now through January 18, 2021(pending no other decisions have to be made i.e. health department or Governor’s orders, lack of substitutes, etc.):

 2 Hour Delays:

• Elementary staff and students, for both in-person learning and remote learning, will start school 2 hours later, and not have early release on Wednesdays.
• Secondary staff and students doing remote learning will not have a delay (working normal hours), but staff may work from home.
• Secondary staff working an elementary assignment will follow the elementary schedule.
• AM Prek will be canceled when there is a 2-hour delay.

Closings:

• The first 5 days that TSD has to close school due to calamity/weather/etc., will be a typical school closing with no school for all Prek-12 students.
• On the 6th day (and future days after) TSD has to close school due to calamity/weather/etc., staff and students will participate in a remote learning plan on those days.  Teachers will provide more information to students and parents including links and times. This eliminates any makeup days at the end of the school year.

Starting January 19, 2021, when all students are either learning in person or through remote learning (pending no other decisions have to be made i.e. health department or Governor’s orders, lack of substitutes, etc.):

• A 2-hour delay is the same for all students (remote and in-person learning), with no early release on Wednesdays.
• A school closing means we will not host school for the first 5 times school is closed due to calamity/weather/etc.
• On the 6th day (and future days after), a remote learning plan will be instituted for any days school is closed to eliminate having any makeup days at the end of the school year.

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

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 December

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.

*****Please note that this list has grown and is updated weekly.

Travel Advisory States from ODH

PAX Tools

Please see this flyer for more information on PAX Tools Simple Tools for Teaching Kids Behavior.  This is a free virtual workshop.

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.

Have a great weekend!

Jason Merz

Principal

Calendar

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