Dear McKenzie Family Member,
Thank you for your patience and understanding over the last couple of months. We know it has been one of the hardest years of many of our lives. As you know, we are carefully planning for a safe return on March 15. That being said, there are many obstacles for our district to tackle that goes beyond COVID. We are trying our best to meet that March 15 target, but that could change if challenges like connectivity and vacant positions on campus aren't remedied. Like many of you, we want to see those smiling faces back in class, but the health and safety of your student will always be our priority.
You are receiving this letter because your student is enrolled in grades 1, 2, or 3 and is in the target group for our hopeful return on March 15.
For us to plan for a safe transition back to campus, we would appreciate you taking the time to complete this survey about your student and family’s plans for the remainder of the school year - https://forms.gle/odL2nTUxT69z1iAs5
Families that choose to keep their student home will still have access to their classes through Comprehensive Distance Learning (CDL) as they have for the first half of the school year. There will likely be scheduling changes for CDL students, and we will keep you updated as planning progresses.
Here's what we are hoping a day will look like on campus:
- Students will attend from 8:00 am - 2:00 pm, following the approved district calendar.
- Students may arrive on campus as early as 7:45 am in preparation for their health and safety screening.
- Transportation will be provided to and from the school.
- Free breakfast and lunch will also be available to all students, in-person or learning from home.
- Students will be required to follow all state mandated safety guidelines. Students will be required to wear a face-covering that covers their nose and mouth. Students will be expected to stay 6-feet apart, and students will eat lunch with their class. Our welcoming back committee continues to work on additional safety measures that we will share with you in the coming weeks.
As mentioned above, our school and community face several additional challenges beyond COVID-19 caused by the Holiday Farm Fire. Right now we are without a permanent, reliable internet connection. We need to be connected to the internet to serve all of our students on campus.
We are still diligently working to fill much-needed staffing positions, especially in the transportation department. If you or someone you know may be interested in driving for us, please visit https://mckenzieschool.tedk12.com/hire/index.aspx and apply online. Without an additional bus driver and custodian returning will be difficult, so please share this with anyone who may fit the job description.
We know you will have many questions in the coming weeks, and we will continue to offer weekly messaging to keep you updated on anything new. We are looking forward to having students return to campus soon as we support all of our students in furthering their education!
Go Eagles!,
Lane Tompkins
Superintendent
Mckenzie School District
