Ray-Pec Parent Community,
There are a couple of topics today to share with you today.
Thank You to our Fall Extracurricular Activities Coaches and Sponsors
Believe it or not, many of our fall extra-curricular activities for students have ended for the season, while a couple of others are winding down. Thanks to our coaches and sponsors for their work with our students. The things our students learn from participation in extracurricular activities programs is an extremely valuable part of their overall education, and our coaches and sponsors help make that possible. Thank you to our sponsors and coaches, to our parents for your support, and to all of our students who have participated!
Our COVID-19 Experience To Date
As of this writing, five students and five staff members are in “isolation” and are not in school due to being tested as positive for COVID-19. We have a total of 71 students andsix staff members not in school due to being in “quarantine.” Twenty of those in isolation or quarantine are due to a potential exposure at a school or school-related event. All of this information can be found on our COVID-19 dashboard, which is updated weekly.
In all transparency, I am not sure I can continue to say that we have not had a virus transmission within our school walls. There are enough questions about one recent case that I am no longer comfortable with that statement. Additionally, we have our first instance of an elementary school classroom being quarantined. I want to thank the teacher, administration, students and parents in this situation for being able to transition to a different learning mode in a very short period of time. Your patience and grace is appreciated. I have shared several times with you that a transition to distance learning mode because of quarantine was a possibility this year for our classrooms and schools. I urge you to continue to be aware of this possibility.
Given the recent increase in reported cases in the county, we need to continue to adhere to best practices in combating the spread of the virus. Physical distancing, wearing face coverings, washing hands frequently, staying home if you have symptoms of COVID-19, and following isolation or quarantine directions from the Cass County Health Department are commitments we need to continue to make. If your child is experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, please keep her or him home from school. Exercising caution in the home when deciding if to send a child to school who has any symptoms consistent with COVID-19 is an effective mitigation strategy.
As I have said before, this is a year unlike any other. Our guiding principles for dealing with our current situation remain strong. Plan and adjust. Patience and grace. These characteristics are the hallmark of any great organization as it makes its way through difficult and challenging times.
Thank you for entrusting your children to the Ray-Pec School District.
Mike Slagle
I am passionately driven by the belief that Everyone Is Created To Flourish
