From the Cle Elum-Roslyn School District (https://www.cersd.org/updates):

March 15, 2020

Closure Update from the Superintendent

Dear Students, Families, Staff, and Community Members of the Cle Elum-Roslyn School District,

I know it’s late in the afternoon, and like many families in America and across the world, you have been heavily impacted by the information on the news, social media, and conversations at our local grocery store. I sit here this afternoon, reflecting on the whirlwind of the past 48 hours and quietly reflect on the impact this closure will have on our community.  This message will not be short, and for that I deeply apologize; however, I feel that it’s important for you to have quality information in order to support your loved ones, one another, and our most precious investment; our children.

Many of you have asked about what to expect during the closures. Here is what we do know; information from OSPI, CDC, and the Governor’s Office is evolving and changing daily. We are attempting to focus on day-by-day decision making and information outreach. As things begin to settle, we will move to a week-by-week decision making and planning model. I ask that all staff, students and families continue to give grace and understanding; be assured that we are and will continue to communicate our plans and answers when we have them. I understand how frustrating that this can be; however, we are living in a time of uncertainty and need to embrace each challenge as an opportunity. An opportunity to come together as a community, support one another, and be innovative and creative in our work as a community.

Our Priorities this week are:

  • Protect life, promote safety and minimize the spread of the virus.
  • Provide food to the young people in our community.
  • Work with community partners in supporting childcare options for our first responders, medical employees and families in greatest need.
  • Develop innovative ways to support ongoing student learning.

Resources and Information

Food Service for the week on March 17 – March 20:

  • Beginning Tuesday March 17th, we will be conducting food deliveries (breakfast and lunch) at our regularly scheduled after school bus stop locations. You can view the bus routes and stops on our transportation page here (Link to Bus Routes).
  • In order to receive food, student(s) or parent/guardian must be present to receive.

Academic Enrichment Learning Plans and Information:

  • Our children will be watching how we handle these challenges. I’m confident that our staff, families and community will demonstrate great leadership and courage. Talking with our children is also important and here is a link (CDC Talking with Kids about COVID-19) to some suggestions on how to do that.
  • Our students will be coming home tomorrow with a packet of information which also includes an outline of how to maintain a “normal” school day from home. Although nothing can replace a classroom educator, we will be sending home academic enrichment learning plans to support the learning process during the shutdown. These will be updated each week thereafter, during the remainder of the closure. We encourage you, as a family, to support your students by working through these learning plans.
  • We will be asking families to complete an electronic survey (one survey per family). The link is provided here (Student Needs Survey) and will also be available on our web site. Staff will be conducting a follow up to this survey later in the week. The information collected in the survey will help us determine the capacity for childcare needs, nutritional needs and other related needs. Please take time to complete this survey in the next 24 hours.
  • All state testing is canceled for this year. While state testing provides us with some meaningful information, we also know it takes up a lot of school time; this will lessen the impact of the days of lost instruction.

Reminders:

  • Schools will be closed starting Tuesday, March 17th, but the district is still in operation.
  • All district athletic and activity events are suspended until further notice effective Tuesday, March 17th.
  • Remote meeting tools, such as Zoom, will be used to minimize in-person meetings.
  • All non-essential travel on behalf of the district is suspended.
  • All district employees are encouraged to work closely with their building representatives on your working calendar. More guidance will be forthcoming.
  • We will implement extra measures to clean and disinfect surfaces and provide additional hand sanitizer dispensers over the next few days.
  • We will increase prevention education efforts.
  • All essential meetings will be held with maximum social distancing.
  • Our FAQ is continually updated to serve as a resource for parents and staff.
  • The CDC and Kittitas County Health Department websites provide a lot of information about COVID-19, including symptoms, testing and hygiene.
  • OSPI has also developed information (COVID-19 in Schools) for parents regarding COVID-19.

On behalf of our school board and staff, for those of you that are already medically impacted by this virus, our thoughts, support and love go to you and your families. To our first responders and medical providers, we thank you for your commitment and service to our community.

I also want to recognize our district employees. This week has been particularly challenging as they navigated the rapidly changing information while maintaining a calm, safe, and caring environment for our students and families. I also want to recognize and thank our district staff. From our bus drivers, cafeteria staff, teachers, paras, administrative assistants, nurses, custodians, union leaders, building administration, and central office staff- you are amazing! Tomorrow, our staff will continue to be there, supporting our students with much needed love and care, as they send them off and say “see you later.”

I also want to extend my sincere appreciation to our school board, who are deeply committed to our students, staff, and families. They have been a tremendous support to me, and our staff, and have graciously provided us the supports we need to engage in this challenging work.

Lastly, I would not have been able to get out the amount of details and information to families without our district leadership team, who have worked tirelessly this weekend to work out details for services and supports for our community. We will continue to work long hours, work through complicated issues, and keep equity and care at the center of our conversations and decision making. Thank you for believing in me and keeping our focus on our students.

It’s hard to believe that it has been one year since I was blessed with the opportunity to serve as your superintendent. It was also one year ago, that I heard from many of you that one of the things you are most proud of as a member of this community, was the power of the community. Henry Ford once said, “coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.”  When critical times impact us, we stand beside one another, united. I am confident in the power of this community, the power of standing together in support of one another. We will survive.

Michelle Kuss-Cybula

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BACKGROUND:

March 13, 2020

Newest Update from the Superintendent

Dear Families, Students, Staff and Community,

Thank you, again, for your patience and grace through this challenging and unprecedented situation.

Washington State Governor Jay Inslee mandated all school districts to close starting Tuesday.  Based on the advice of health officials and in conjunction with districts and organizations across the state, the Cle Elum-Roslyn School District will be closed beginning Tuesday, March 17 through (at least) Friday, April 24, or until further notice. This closure includes cancelation of ALL activities, athletics, and co-curricular events.

Attendance on Monday, March 16th is strongly encouraged as we will be providing our students with additional information (such as education learning plans) to bring home to families.

On Monday,

  • Students will receive educational learning plans from their classroom teachers to take home and work on during our closure
  • Crash and GEAR will still be available after school Monday
  • Monday, March 16 will be the last day of high school practices for athletics
  • There will be no practices for middle school athletics on Monday, March 16 through the remainder of the closure
  • Families will be able to pick up medications and/or medical supplies from the school nurses. If you are unable to pick up your child’s medication before the closure, please contact the nurse’s office to make arrangements.

For all students and staff, please continue to check your email and/or the district website regarding plans for education during the closure.

Families, please continue to stay connected to email and refer to our website for the latest updates regarding student learning, childcare and nutrition.

Please keep in mind that this is an unprecedented situation and we, along with hundreds of school systems across the country, are working hard to plan and communicate. We ask that you please hold on emailing questions to teachers and other staff. As questions arise, please consult our website.

I acknowledge the gravity of this decision; we know our students, families and community are generally best served when school is open and running.

The decision to close raises all kinds of questions and implications including childcare needs for our staff and families, school meals, graduation, and much more. We are working on plans to address a range of impacts, and we will be in communication as we work through these challenges. We are also working with our community partners to determine how to best mitigate the impact of our closure.

Please continue to take care of yourselves and your loved ones. We will be sharing more information as soon as we work through the many details of this situation.

Michelle Kuss-Cybula
Superintendent
 

March 11, 2020

Update from the Superintendent

 

Dear families, students, staff and community of Cle Elum-Roslyn School District,

You may be curious about the impact of Governor Jay Inslee’s new briefing on COVID-19 that was given early this morning which included guidance on ways to slow the spread of this virus, including efforts to reduce social interactions.

At this time, Governor Inslee, in partnership with the health department, is asking schools to stay open for now; however, he is asking all school districts to begin contingency planning for the possibility of school closures. The building administrators, directors, and food services, have been working closely on a contingency plan and identifying what that might look like on behalf of our students and families.

Schools serve as the cornerstone of our community. They play a pivotal role in ensuring students’ basic needs like nutrition and care. We also live in a community that has a high overlap between our health care professionals and our parent community, and we want to support these critical local employees and maintain the capacity of the health care system by taking care of children so parents can work while maintaining the health and safety of our students and their families.

Kittitas County Public Health Department is recommending the public focus on social distancing.  Social distancing means avoiding being within six feet of someone for periods of ten minutes or more.  People should maintain social distancing and people in vulnerable health categories should avoid situations where distancing is not possible.  At this time,  KCPHD is not recommending cancellation of schools in Kittitas County.  “Individuals from other, more affected areas are not regularly interacting with our school students during the day, so the consequences of canceling school would not outweigh the benefit of disease prevention,” states Health Officer Dr. Mark Larson.

What can I do to help prevent the spread of COVID-19?

Prevention starts with the daily practice of good personal health habits such as;

  • staying home when you are sick
  • covering your coughs and sneezes with a tissue
  • wash your hands often with soap and water
  • clean frequently touched surfaces and objects (such as your phone, keyboard, and work surfaces)
  • get plenty of rest and drink plenty of fluids and manage your stress.

What actions are we already taking?

  • We will continue to refine our contingency plans for possible local closures.
  • We will be closely monitoring our events and activities in an effort to increase social distancing by working. Updates will be communicated on our Website  as well as our social media platforms: facebook CleElum-RoslynSchoolDistrict, and instagram cleelumroslynsd
  • We continue to encourage staff and students to stay home when they are sick.
  • We are continuing to take extra care in our schools and workplaces to follow the CDC’s best advice for cleaning, hand-washing and other personal hygiene.

You will likely hear more in the coming days about more school district closures in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties, where there are more confirmed cases. Please remember that our context is different than each of these situations and the governor and the health department are still asking us to remain open to serve our families.

You can find updates on our web page for families and staff:

In the meantime, make sure you are taking care of yourself and your loved ones during this time of stress and anxiety. Governor Inslee reminded us this morning that we are all leaders and we can take individual steps to help each other. I thank those of you who have taken the time to share suggestions and messages of support. They are much appreciated.

Michelle Kuss-Cybula
Superintendent
Cle Elum-Roslyn School District
509-649-4850

 

March 2, 2020

Update from the Superintendent

Hello Families and Staff,

We have been working closely with the Washington State Department of Health on monitoring and supporting the prevention of the Novel Coronavirus – COVID 19. The Washington State Department of Health has established a hotline with a live person to address questions from the public. If you have questions about what is happening in Washington state, how the virus is spread, and what to do if you have symptoms, please call the WSDOH hotline at 1-800-525-0127 and press # then press 2. You will be connected to a live person. This hotline is open from 6:00 am until 10:00 pm and is available in English and Spanish.

CERSD will continue to share information about this emerging public health issue with staff and with our community.  We are in communication with local public health officials to stay abreast of any changes or developments in this area and are committed to sharing these updates, as needed.  Out of an abundance of caution, we are creating contingency plans should the situation in this state dramatically change. We will, of course, keep you informed about any developments.

Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) 

Preventing the spread of the novel coronavirus is the same as preventing the spread of a cold, influenza, and other respiratory viruses. Please look below for specific information about personal prevention methods. As always, the Cle Elum-Roslyn School District custodial staff uses hydrogen peroxide-based cleaners to wipe down and sanitize door knobs, sinks, toilets and other surfaces on a daily basis. We take instructions on preserving public health from the Washington State Department of Health (WSDOH). Should we receive direction from WSDOH to add to our current custodial cleaning system, we will do so immediately.

Reminders about how to prevent colds, influenza, COVID-19 and other illness at school

According to the Department of Health, schools do not need to take any special precautions beyond what is normally recommended to prevent the spread of viruses in schools. The entire community can reduce the risk of getting and spreading viral respiratory infections, including the flu and the common cold, through these simple steps, which will also prevent COVID-19:

  • Stay home when you are sick.
  • Wash hands with soap and water frequently and for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, and after blowing your nose. Help young children do the same.
  • If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
  • Cover coughs or sneezes with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash and clean hands with soap and water or hand sanitizer (if soap and water are not readily available).
  • Get a flu shot during the flu season.

For more information and resources, please go online to https://www.doh.wa.gov/Emergencies/Coronavirus  or visit our website https://www.cersd.org/.

Michelle Kuss-Cybula
Superintendent
Cle Elum-Roslyn School District
(509) 649-4850

February 28, 2020

From the Superintendent

Dear Families and Staff,

As February comes to a close, we have seen increasing coverage in the news of the evolving coronavirus (COVID-19) situation around the world. We have also received questions from staff and families regarding the potential impact to Cle Elum-Roslyn and our schools, so I thought it’d be helpful to share a quick update to provide some resources and hopefully help relieve potential concerns.

First, I want to thank our school nurses, who are invaluable in helping our schools run smoothly and keeping students’ health a daily priority. Our school nurses coordinate with our health department partners and other agencies to keep us prepared and ready to respond to any situations that may impact our schools and families.
Secondly, I want to recognize that state and federal agencies consider the immediate risk to the general public in Washington and the United States to be low. There are no cases in Kittitas County presently and there is no evidence that COVID-19 is spreading in our state. As with
any emerging communicable disease, there is potential for the situation to evolve and change, and we continue to stay in close communication with health experts to be prepared should that happen.

We have updated our district website, adding information and links to resources that answer commonly asked questions families may have. You can find that information on our web page “Information on Coronavirus” with this link: https://www.cersd.org/coronavirus-information.

Finally, please remember that everyday precautions like diligent hand washing, covering coughs and sneezes, remaining home if feeling ill, and staying up to date with
immunizations are always important measures in keeping our community healthy. We have not had any major health-related impacts to our schools, but I feel assured knowing our staff, families, and community agencies are all informed and partnering together to keep our kids happy and healthy.

Sincerely,
Michelle Kuss-Cybula