March 13, 2020
Dear Parents,
We want to thank you all for your patience as we work through the details of the coming few weeks.
We did our best to reach out to each of you by phone today to check on your availability of Internet and your need for lunches. For those we couldn’t reach, we will try again on Monday or you can call us at the board office at 606-464-5000. Your words of encouragement to us as we work through this situation together were appreciated. We love our Lee County Bobcat family!
This weekend we will be working on the lunch plans based upon the information we got today. We will try to reach out to those who told us they need lunch so you will know the plan on Monday. At this time, we can tell you that we plan to prepare the lunches and get them to a central location near your home or to your home directly and we will be utilizing several staff to help us deliver.
Students should have received their NTI information today if they didn’t already have it. This weekend, we will also be working on putting links to several online resources that have come available by companies who are donating their resources to school systems. We will place these on the “Student Resources” page from our webpage. We already have a fabulous resource from Scholastic called Scholastic Learn at Home listed on this page, and will be adding more as time permits. The username and password needed are detailed on this Scholastic page.
All activities, including athletic practices and competitions, are cancelled. The KHSAA has said that effectively immediately through April 12 it is to be considered a “dead period” with strict adherence to the provisions of Bylaw 24. We must follow this guidance.
Staff will be in our buildings each week day from Monday, March 16 through Friday, March 27, however not all staff will be in on any given day so that we may also practice the social distancing that is so important. Teachers will be available to students by phone from 8:30-3:00 p.m. on any of these days, whether they are in their buildings or not. They can also be contacted by email and may even be able to communicate with you using Google Hangout or other remote ways. While school phones will be transferred to personal phone of teachers who are not in buildings, you may have to leave messages and teachers will return calls.
Another important point to remember during this unprecedented time is the Kentucky Department for Public Health is asking all Kentuckians to stay away from large crowds, something known as social distancing.
We ask that you keep children from gathering with their friends at public places, such as the mall or the movies. This is most important for children with chronic diseases, such as asthma or diabetes, who are the most at-risk of catching COVID-19.
There is currently no vaccine to prevent COVID-19. The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to it in the first place. Remember these tips from the Department for Public Health:
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick (fever, cough, sneeze, and difficulty breathing). To avoid close contact, stay at least 6 feet away from others.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash. To avoid coughing into your hands, you can cough into your elbow.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom, before eating and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing.
- If soap and water aren’t available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that wearing a facemask will not protect the public from COVID-19.
Here are some sources for more information that may be helpful to you and your family:
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s webpage, which includes guidance on the virus and resources for K-12 schools.
- The Cabinet for Health and Family Services’ COVID-19 webpage, which includes information from the CDC and will be updated as information becomes available.
- A KDE webpage on COVID-19 that includes information on the virus and links to the sample flu plan and talking points for school nurses from the National Association of School Nurses.
- The COVID-19 state hotline: (800) 722-5725.
We can’t stress enough how much we appreciate all of you. Your children and families are important to the Lee County Schools family and we will be here for you as we work through this challenging time. As we remain calm and follow the recommended guidelines, we hope to see a reduction in cases of this illness.
Sincerely,
Sarah S. Wasson
Superintendent
Lee County Schools