Dear Parents and Guardians,

As we approach the end of week one of this unprecedented national and world-emergency, I want to commend everyone for the collaboration, problem-solving, and superb decision-making taking place. We are creatively confronting the myriad of challenges this virus has wrought upon us. It is astounding to witness us coming together as a community to support our teachers, our staff, and our students.

Our first concern when we closed was that our kids were going to be fed. On Tuesday, we started serving bag lunches to anyone age 18 and younger. Our food service staff prepared and distributed almost 200 lunches and breakfasts yesterday. I imagine that the demand will continue to increase. Please know that we are ready. On our website, you can signup if you would like the lunches distributed to you because you can't go out to pick them up.

The teachers in all our schools and at all grade levels are exploring ways to keep their students engaged in meaningful learning. I want to stress and be clear that parents and guardians always are and always will be the primary educators of their children. Teachers and staffs are partners in this effort; nonetheless, we need your collaboration if we are going to be successful. We urge you to stay engaged. Read to your children, practice spelling and math with them, and ensure that they are doing as much of the work as possible that classroom teachers are sending home. Parents, if you have concerns or questions, reach out to your child's teachers. They want to be a resource for you. As time goes on, we are all going to get tired and probably a bit frustrated. Nonetheless, parents, this is your chance to display to your children that perseverance, hard work, diligence, and other essential life-skills, don't go on vacation because of the coronavirus.

In summary, we will stay closed through the spring break as a minimum. I urge you to begin a routine of ensuring you establish a time for home instruction. Please reinforce with your children know that you strongly expect and will partner with them to the best of your ability to help them continue learning. When we can again resume our typical day to day lives, it would be making the best of a difficult situation if kids would come back to school stronger than when we left school last week. Together, we can do this. Look at this as an opportunity to learn with your kids, help them hone their reading skills, learn times tables and math facts, or start learning a foreign language. Your children will be confident learners, and you can be proud that you have fulfilled the age-old challenge for all parents, which is to be the primary educators of your children.

If there is anything we can do to assist you, please reach out to your child's teachers or your school principal. We are not on vacation. We know our job is educating children and we won't let the virus deter us from this eternal mission.

Dr. Keith S. Laser, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools