Dear Parents,
As we all know, the news regarding the Coronavirus is fluid with new updates on a daily, if not hourly, basis. At the Dayton Regional STEM School we continue to be diligent in gathering data from the experts and listening to guidance and mandates from the state. At this point, Governor DeWine has not recommended the closure of K12 schools even though the recommendation was made to cease face-to-face instruction for colleges and universities. We understand that this may change in the near future, so we are making plans to convert to an online model if it becomes necessary to keep the DRSS students at home to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
Yesterday, we met with the entire staff to discuss the possibility of conducting school remotely for an extended period of time. While we are fortunate to have systems in place to execute “E” days, long-term delivery of education without in-person instruction hasn’t been our model. To address this, the teachers met as grade level teams to begin discussions on how they would conduct school online through video conferencing and other tools.
In order to provide our teachers more time to prepare for the possibility of conducting school online, we are going to cancel school for tomorrow, Friday March 13th. The students will not be required to work on assignments. We will send an update by the end of the day on Friday with details on our plans for next week.
The decision to remain on a normal schedule or to convert to an online model will be assessed throughout the week and could change quickly. If a change is made, we will notify our school community through email, One Call and Schoology.
Please remember, if your child is sick or in a high-risk category, then they should stay home. If you suspect that your child or someone in your household is showing symptoms of COVID-19, or has tested positive for the virus, notify the school at 937-256-3777 and call your local County Health Department as soon as possible.
In light of the current situation, we decided to cancel the Sock Hop dance that was scheduled for late March. In addition, the senior social night has been postponed for the time being.
I want to thank you for your patience as we thoughtfully navigate through the next couple of months. Please feel free to reach out to me, Mr. Sears, Ms. Short or one of our clinic staff if you have any specific questions or feedback.
Sincerely,
Robin Fisher
Superintendent / CAO
The Dayton Regional STEM School
