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Dear USD320 Families,

March 27, 2020

I hope you are all doing well.  You continue to be in our thoughts.  Monday, March 30 is an exciting day! Essentially it is our 2^nd First Day of School for the 19-20 school year.  We will start the Continuous Learning Program, Day 1.  I want to assure all that we will take this very slow for the first few days.  This is an experiment that is happening around the entire country, and never before will the internet, zoom, google classroom, seesaw, and other online learning platforms been accessed to this level.  Because of this I ask all to be patient and gracious to all.  If you experience technical issues, your first contact is your student’s teacher.  They have been trained on trouble shooting the common minor issues that may occur.  If they are unable to correct this issue, we will then utilize the USD320 Technology Department.

Specific information regarding schedules and format for the Continuous Learning Program is  or has been sent out by each school.  Please be looking for this information.  The teachers and principals have been working very hard for all of our students to put forth a quality educational experience for the remainder of the school year.  Our school calendar will remain as is.  

Remember to take advantage of the school lunch program that is now offered at 3 locations.

• Wamego City Park 11am to 1pm
• Louisville Ball Field 11:30am to 12:30am
• Belvue Ball Field 11:30am to 12:30am

Our food service have been simply amazing preparing and distributing lunch and breakfast meals.  They are working very hard along with some other staff and volunteers.  Yesterday over 1600 meals (breakfast and lunch) were distributed.  We also started providing toilet paper to those who ask.  This will take place every Tuesday-  TP Tuesday. 

Please follow all recommended guidelines;

• Stay home as much as possible.
• Wash Hands Frequently
• Practice the 6-foot distance when in public
• Avoid groups of people
• Monitor for these symptoms and if they occur contact your primary physician by phone

• Dry cough
• Shortness of breath
• Fever greater than 100

• Fevers- It is recommended that you are fever free for 72 hours without the assistance of fever reducers before you are not contagious from COVID 19.  Please practice this protocol no matter why you have a fever, whether you have been tested or not.  Better safe than sorry.   
• A positive COVID 19 Test requires quarantine and two negative test to be released from the quarantine. 

Thanks for all your support and patience as we continue to navigate this challenge.  We will get through this and we will be- Better, Working Together.  

Have a great weekend and Stay Healthy Wamego!

Tim Winter

Supt. 

 

 

 

Dear USD320 Families, 

Tuesday March 24, 2020

I hope you are all doing well.  You continue to be in our thoughts and we hope you are all well.  Our teachers and administrators are working very hard this week for you, to be ready for Monday, March 30 when we roll out the Wamego Continuous Learning Program.  We are so grateful for WTC and working with us to provide internet to all homes from now until the end of school in May.  If you did not fill out our internet survey we sent out last week and still need internet, please contact the district office at 785-456-7643 or email me at wintert@usd320.com  asap.  We ask this even if you are not in the WTC service area.  We will assist you in securing internet for your homes during this time. 

If needed, we hope you are taking advantage of our Monday - Friday meal program provided by our food service in Wamego (11am to 1pm), Louisville (11:30 to 12:30), and beginning tomorrow 11:30 to 12:30 the Belvue ball field.  One additional feature of this we will add is, TP (Toilet Paper) Tuesday.  On Tuesdays we will have toilet paper available to any family who requests it.  We will provide two rolls to those who request it when picking up their meals.  We ask that you request it only if you have a critical need.  I know it is kind of crappyJ that we must do this, but we want to help however we can.  We do have an inventory of TP that would have been used in the schools if we were still in session.  We are limiting to two rolls per week so are able to make our supply last until the school is out in May.  Each Tuesday we will have a limited amount to be given out on a first come first serve basis.  We hope this is helpful to those who really need it.  TP has been missing from most stores’ shelves for several days now.  To get this started we offer it Thursday this week and moving forward next week, it will always be on TP-Tuesday.  It will not be openly offered, you must request it when you pick up your meals, simply ask your lunch provider. 

I have attached the latest guidance from our local health depart.  Please review this.  There have been two additional states added to travel areas which require self-quarantines, Illinois and New Jersey.  Please follow all recommended guidelines;

• Stay home as much as possible.
• Wash Hands Frequently
• Practice the 6-foot distance when in public
• Avoid groups of people
• Monitor for these symptoms and if they occur contact your primary physician by phone

• Dry cough
• Shortness of breath
• Fever greater than 100

• Fevers- It is recommended that you are fever free for 72 hours without the assistance of fever reducers before you are not contagious from COVID 19.  Please practice this protocol no matter why you have a fever, whether you have been tested or not.  Better safe than sorry.   
• A positive COVID 19 Test requires quarantine and two negative test to be released from the quarantine. 

This all this information I have for now.  Your schools will be in touch with you regarding your needs for starting school in the Continuous Learning Program.  Please monitor you email frequently.  

Thanks for all your support and patience as we continue to navigate this challenge.  We will get through this and we will be- Better, Working Together.  

Stay Healthy Wamego!

 

3-23-2020 Updates.pdf 

 

COVID-19_March_24_2020_[1].pdf 

 

 

How should I explain COVID-19 to my child(ren)?               Parents here are some resources on speaking with your children about this illness.

 

• • Talking to Children About COVID-19: A Parent Resource
  • How to Talk to your Children About Coronavirus
  • 5 Tips to Help Children Manage Coronavirus Anxiety
  • Coping With Stress During Infectious Disease Outbreaks
  • Helping Children Cope With Emergencies
  • Helping Children Cope During and After Disaster
  • How to Talk to your Elementary Children About Coronavirus
  • Talking to Children About COVID-19 (Coronavirus)
  • http://sites.edb.utexas.edu/agency-and-young-children/
  • https://consciousdiscipline.com/covid-19-five-helpful-responses-for-families/?mc_cid=89fc7c1740&mc_eid=347c7f60b3

 

Dear USD 320 Families,

Today, March 17, 2020, Governor Laura Kelly announced all school facilities will be closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year. This would also imply all school activities, programs, and events will be canceled.  We understand this may place tremendous hardship on our families and staff, and impact the social and emotional well-being of our students.  We also realize the many cancelations will be a great disappointment to all.  For that, we are very sorry.  

In cooperation with the Kansas State Department of Education, we are developing a Continuous Learning plan to meet the ongoing learning needs of our students. While our buildings may be closed, student learning will continue. Details of this process will be developed with our teachers next week and will be communicated to all families as soon as possible. 

Food Service will continue to provide breakfast and lunch at no cost to anyone ages 1-18. At this time, meals can be picked up at the Wamego City Park or the Louisville ball diamonds from 11:00am to 1:00pm.

Our staff and board of education are also working on other critical issues, such as what this means for our seniors, how this will affect next school year, and what impact this will have on our employees. We will provide updates on these issues as soon as the information is available.

We are committed to working together as a community to support one another throughout these unprecedented times, and communication will remain a top priority. Please continue to monitor your email for updates from the district. 

As a reminder, this school closure is in response to the current public health crisis. The focus should remain on preventing the spread of COVID-19.

Please be mindful of the following:

• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
• Cover your nose and mouth when coughing and sneezing (cough/sneeze into your sleeve or a tissue).
• If you or any member of your family are sick, stay home.
• Avoid close contact with anyone with cold or flu-like symptoms.

Follow additional guidance from these sources:

• National Center for Disease Control (CDC) 
• Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) 
• Pottawatomie County Health Department

All of us in USD 320 are working together to meet the needs of our students and maintain the healthiest environment possible for our community. We appreciate your patience and continued support. We live in one of the greatest communities in the world, and together, we will get through this. 

God Bless you all,

Dear USD320 Families, Faculty, and Staff,

As you all know all Wamego Schools are closed this week.  A decision regarding next week will be made later this week.  The KS Dept. of Education and Governor Kelly also yesterday Strongly encouraged All schools in Kansas to close this week.  Please do your best to practice the precautionary measures of social distancing and avoiding travel as much as possible.  Remember the symptoms to look for are- coughing, shortness of breath, and a fever greater than 100.4.  If these occur call your primary physician and they will direct you to your next steps.  

I have attached the latest updates from the health department on self isolation if you have traveled.  This now includes areas in the U.S., specific counties in Colorado, all international travel, and cruise travel.  PLEASE review and take the appropriate recommendations to heart.  

Grab & Go meals will be available from 11:00-1:00pm in front of the Wamego City Park Train Shelter House on 6th Street.  There will be a “pull through” lane (graciously marked by the City) for cars to pull into.  Food Service staff will hand meals to students in the vehicles.  Students may also walk to the park and pick up their meals from a Food Service Staff member at the Shelter House.  Each student can pick up a lunch for today and a breakfast for tomorrow.  The both meals should be refrigerated within two hours.

All Schools are closed to everyone except USD320 essential personnel who have been notified.  We must continue to deep clean and maintain a sanitary environment for when our students return.  Please, do not visit our schools.  If you have a critical need, office staff will be present, and you may call a specific school.

We will continue to provide regular communication regarding this situation through email and social media. 

Thank you for all your support and working together to maintain the safety and health of our entire community.

 3-15-20+Quarantine+recommendations+press+release[1].pdf

 COVID19-Traveler-Info-Card[1].pdf 

10Things.pdf