April 9, 2020
Dear North Royalton City Schools’ Community,
I hope that you and your families are doing well and staying healthy. At North Royalton City Schools, we continue to work each day to provide meaningful instruction for our students, while at the same time taking into consideration the difficulties families are experiencing during this crisis. I want you to know that, while I am aware that teaching and learning is important, the health and well-being, both physically and emotionally, of our students and families is more important. I applaud the efforts of our staff, students and parents as we work together to navigate these uncharted waters. If you have a question regarding your child’s academic needs or any other needs, please contact their teacher or building administrator. As always, you can also email me or call 440-582-9030 and leave me a message. I want to provide you a few updates as we all prepare for spring break to begin, although it will be unlike any spring break I have ever experienced!
Spring Break:
A reminder that spring break begins on Friday, April 10 and runs through Friday, April 17. During this break, no instructional activities will be assigned to students.
Food Services:
The North Royalton City Schools’ food distribution program will not operate the bagged meal service during spring break. When we return on April 20,
we will continue to offer bagged meals for families affected by the closure on Mondays and Thursdays. On Monday, three meals will be provided and on Thursday two meals will be provided. This will help both our staff and families to not leave their homes as often. Parents who are interested in receiving meals should complete this
electronic form
or call 440-582-9041 for each child by 5 p.m. the day before the meal is requested. I want to once again thank our food service and custodial/maintenance staff for their efforts.
Technology:
As we continue through this school closure, if you have a situation where you need internet access, you can use the middle school parking lot (enter driveway #1 and turn immediately right, parallel with Ridge Road.) Park in one of the spaces facing the building for best reception. You would choose the guest WiFi option and the password is bears123. If you need support with technology, please email
HelpDesk@nrapps.org
or call 440-237-8800 and leave a message.
Assistance for Families:
The safety and well-being of our students is of the utmost importance to us. There are many organizations that are offering assistance during this time of need. Attached to this email is a list of resources that has been compiled by the
Cleveland Clinic
. Please also remember that, even though school is not in session, we continue to monitor our Safer-Oh Hotline where you can report dangerous situations involving our students that are occurring in the community.
Calls or texts to 844-SaferOH (844-723-3764) are answered by analysts in the Ohio Homeland Security’s Threat Assessment and Prevention (TAP) Unit and are anonymous.
Prom and Commencement
:
Our high school principal, Sean Osborne, has been working to secure alternate dates for both senior prom and commencement. The back-up date for prom is June 23, 2020. This week, we were informed by Playhouse Square that all events that were to be held at any of the Playhouse Square theaters are cancelled through May 31, 2020. Mr. Osborne was able to secure June 28, 2020, at 2 p.m. for commencement, provided Governor DeWine and Director of Health Dr. Amy Acton allows gatherings to occur by that date.
Construction Update:
On Wednesday, April 8, the three beams that were signed by our elementary students were installed in the new North Royalton Elementary School. This was immediately followed by the “topping out” ceremony of the final beam in the project. This small ceremony honors the construction crews and celebrates the end of this phase of construction. The final beam has an evergreen tree and a flag on it as it is raised and put into place. The flag demonstrates patriotism and the love of our country. The tree is a key symbol and in the steel trade, it signifies construction has reached the sky without loss of life or injury and it bodes well for the future inhabitants of the building. We want to thank Then Design Architecture and Hammond Construction and all the contractors. The new building is coming along very nicely and you can find pictures of the ceremony and pictures of both the elementary and high school construction sites
here
.
How the 2020 U.S. Census Helps Schools:
This once-a-decade population count serves as the basis for distributing federal assistance to schools and educational institutions, including Title I aid, the National School Lunch Program, and special education grants to states. It is very important that you count everyone, every child, even those 0-5 years old, and anyone living in your home on April 1.
It has never been easier to respond on your own, whether online, over the phone or by mail. For folks wishing to complete the questionnaire by phone, call 844-330-2020. Phone lines are open every day from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. eastern time. Visit
https://2020census.gov/
.
Final Thoughts:
I wish you all health and happiness during this spring break time and look forward to returning to school sometime in the near future. Please continue to practice the health and safety recommendations –
stay home, wash your hands and practice strict social distancing
. If you are ill or are experiencing possible symptoms, contact your health provider or call the Ohio Department of Health COVID-19 Hotline 1-800-4-ASKODH (1-800-427-5634). Our website also contains information and can be accessed by clicking
here
. I will continue to update you as changes to our process of new information becomes available. I am always available to answer any questions you have. Feel free to email me at
greg.gurka@northroyaltonsd.org
.
Thank you for your support for our students and staff.
Greg Gurka
Superintendent
North Royalton City Schools
