Gary Carpenter
There is no school for students tomorrow, May 27th (teacher work sample day) and in observance of Memorial Day there is no school for students or staff on Monday, May 30th.
Hope everyone has a great (and safe!) holiday weekend.
A quick update on our current COVID situation — we continue to deal with many staff and students testing positive for COVID-19. We currently have over 30 folks out district-wide including 10 staff members who are sick.
One of the most impactful ways you can help us maintain in-person instruction is by keeping your student(s) home when they are are not feeling well. We all need to come together and work to keep school open for these final three weeks.
Thank you for your continued assistance and partnership!
We are deeply saddened by the tragic news regarding a school shooting earlier today at an elementary school in a small town in Texas. Our thoughts are with the Uvalde community and the families of those who lost their lives or were injured.
We recognize that news such as this can be shocking and can have a deep impact on school communities. We also know that such a tragic occurrence may bring school safety and security to the forefront of your mind. We want to reassure our community that schools are safe places, and we are always looking for ways to reinforce and improve the effectiveness of our district safety measures. These include securing our campus entrances and entrance securing systems, practice and regular review of physical security and emergency procedures, along with a close partnership with our local police.
As always, we ask families to be our partners in safety. Students are urged to speak up about any threat or other information that is concerning to them. They can tell a trusted adult at school or report information anonymously to Safe Oregon via text, call or email. Always notify the school if you know of an unsafe situation, and call 911 first if it is an emergency. Check in at the front office if you will be at the school, and if you see anyone unauthorized on campus tell school staff right away. Please also talk with your students about how to be safe at home, in your neighborhood, and on the way to and from school. Be alert to potential dangers. Provide the school office with your complete current contact information—if there is ever an emergency we will use email, mobile phones, home phones, websites or other communication to notify you with accurate information as quickly as we can.
If staff find themselves troubled by this tragic event or by any other concerns, free, confidential counseling and support is available through the district’s employee assistance program (EAP) provider.
Events like these also raise questions and fears in children. Families and staff can help children feel safe by talking with them openly if they have fears, establishing a sense of normalcy and security, and reassuring them that schools are safe places and dangerous events are rare. If families need support to help guide their discussion of these events with their children, they may find these resources of help:
- Talking to Children About Violence: Tips for Parents and Teachers – National Association of School Psychologists (NASP)
- Helping Children With Tragic Events in the News – PBS for Parents
I know you join us in sending our deepest sympathy to the community of Uvalde, Texas, that is grieving this terrible event. Thank you for caring for yourselves and each other, as well as for our students.
Based on a request from building staff, the FRSD school board has altered the District calendar for the last week of school.
On the final week of school only – EARLY RELEASE day will be moved from Wednesday, June 15th to Friday, June 17th.
Wednesday, June 15th will be a full-school day.
This will be the only week that the early release day will change. If you have any questions, please reach out to your student’s school office.
Hello FRSD families
This week we have had a significant increase in the number of known positive COVID cases in the District, in particular among staff at VES. We are working on trying to stop the spread of COVID within the school community so that we can continue to offer in-person learning to all of our students.
Your assistance in the effort to slow the spread in our classrooms is needed:
- Please do not send your child to school if they are sick.
- Masking in schools can also be helpful in slowing the spread of illness.
- Please talk with your child to decide if masking is an option for your family.
With upcoming events in all of our buildings (talent shows, book fairs, and more…) there will be a great opportunity to show your effort by practicing social distancing and mask-wearing. A little extra effort today may mean the difference between in-person learning or online learning in the coming few weeks.
We have made it this far without losing a single day of in-person instruction in the 21-22 school year. Your help and support is needed.
Thank you for your ongoing effort and support of our school community.
Recently the District removed some large fir trees. We have them stacked on some property immediately South of Elmira Elementary School. The district will be accepting sealed bids for them. All of the information can be found at the link below.
Over the course of the last several weeks, in conjunction with our administrators, certified and classified leadership teams, the district has been working on an updated visitor/volunteer plan. It is a challenge to incorporate a plan that meets the needs of everyone, while staying in compliance with OAR 333-019-1030 .
The plan was presented to the school board last night for feedback and we are now ready to share with the community. The new plan, with some requirements, allows a path for both visitors and volunteers in the schools, vaccinated and unvaccinated.
The plan is posted under the 2021-22 School year tab. We will begin this on Monday the 25th! The direct link can be accessed by clicking here. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out to the District Office, or your building administrator.
Classified Employee Appreciation Week is celebrated every year during the first full week of March.
Our classified employees are the backbone of our public education system and here in Fern Ridge we have countless examples of excellent Classified Staff members. Our classified staff work directly with students, educators, parents, volunteers, business partners, and community members. They support the smooth day to day operation of offices, the safety and maintenance of buildings and property, and direct instruction of students.
Our community depends upon and trusts classified employees to serve the diverse talents and needs of our students.
On behalf of the Fern Ridge School District School Board and all staff in the district, I want to thank our classified staff for their dedication and the work they do each and every day. You are appreciated. Please join me in observing and recognizing the hard work of these individuals!
Gary Carpenter, Superintendent, FRSD 28J
Throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic, FRSD has followed all requirements set forth by both OHA and ODE. On Wednesday, ODE released an update to the COVID health and safety protocols school districts in Oregon are expected to follow beginning on March 12th, the date the mask mandate ends in Oregon for K-12 schools. Beginning the 12th, the vast majority of COVID mitigation guideline decisions will happen at the local level.
While the District will put out more specific and detailed information prior to the 12th, for now, a brief summary of the new guidelines that FRSD will follow, are listed below:
- Contract tracing is no longer required: FRSD will not require it.
- Students who are exposed will not need to quarantine if exposed, unless symptomatic: FRSD will follow this. We are still working on the best way to provide notification to parents when their child has been exposed at school.
- Students and staff who test positive, or become symptomatic after an exposure, must isolate: FRSD will follow this exclusion requirement.
- Testing: We will continue to offer testing to families that request it.
- Masks are no longer required for staff or students at school or on buses: FRSD will will not require them.
If you have questions or concerns about the new guidelines, please feel free to contact me at 541-935-2253 or gcarpenter@fernridge.k12.or.us. A complete update/graphic is in the works that outlines all critical information and will be released soon.
Please remember that there are still some staff and students who will choose to wear a mask within the school setting. We will respect EVERYONE’S choice and as a District will not tolerate anything short of full support for this choice, as the state mandate is now lifted.
To those that have continued to show grace and patience throughout the pandemic, your support is appreciated. Our GOAL remains the ability to continue to provide in-person instruction daily while keeping staff and students healthy and at school! THE SINGLE BIGGEST THING OUR FAMILIES CAN DO TO HELP SUPPORT THIS GOAL IS TO REMAIN HOME WHEN SICK!
We all are looking forward to a return to something more normal, while remaining vigilant to ensure instruction is not impacted in the months to come.
Gary E. Carpenter, Jr. Superintendent, FRSD
Good afternoon Fern Ridge families,
This past Thursday, the Oregon Department of Health and the Oregon Department of Education shared updates to the spread of COVID-19 in our state and a new timeline for removing the statewide indoor mask mandate.
Beginning March 19, the universal mask requirement for all public indoor spaces, including K-12 schools will be lifted.
From the onset of the pandemic, FRSD schools have relied upon the guidance and expertise of our state health authority and state partner agencies as the experts in response to this health crisis. This continues today, with the newest announcement.
Beginning March 19, FRSD schools will welcome and strongly advise face coverings, but will no longer require them in district schools and facilities. Our district leaders are working to support a welcoming environment in all of our school locations so that we normalize mask wearing for those students, families, and situations where desired or required (such as following a confirmed exposure to COVID-19, in a health room when ill, or transportation–if this Federal requirement is extended).
There are still many details and processes left to be determined to implement this change, in large part due to updates expected early next week regarding requirements that schools will need to follow around quarantining and contact tracing. We also are working on updating our visitor and volunteer protocols to be more in-line with the current health conditions (stay tuned). We will share additional details as they are finalized as we approach this date. For today, we are focused on three important items:
- Masks and other health protocols are still required until March 19.
- Students and families wishing to make a change to their educational model – ex: from online instruction to in-person, or vice versa will need to follow the existing transfer/enrollment processes and will be accommodated when possible, at the natural transition points, or as space allows. The earlier you communicate any possible change, the better.
- It is encouraging to hear that the Oregon Health Authority remains confident in the declining impact of COVID-19 on our day-to-day activities.
Throughout the past two years, we have all become accustomed to perpetual changes. This change in protocol is another example of this, and we know that it is likely to surface a multitude of emotions. Please know that our school staff continues to be available to support the needs of your student.
Respectfully,
Gary Carpenter, Superintendent FRSD 28J
The only thing that is consistent, is that things consistently change. Earlier this morning, ODE released a memo regarding masking. The memo can be read at this link: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/ORED/bulletins/30c2377
This memo was a result of a new OHA update released this morning, that can be read here: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/ORDHS/bulletins/30c223b
To summarize:
- The requirements for masking in indoor public places AND Oregon schools will now end on March 19th.
- In regards to schools, after March 19th, the decisions fall on “local authorities.”
- The change is due to a continued rapid decline in hospitalizations due to COVID-19.
- The District is still waiting for updates to “safety protocols for quarantine, contract tracing, and testing that meet the current conditions of the pandemic.” The ODE memo states that these updates will be released “early next week.”
- If these updates are in fact released early next week, I am hopeful we will be able to review them relatively quickly and come up with our plan here in Fern Ridge moving forward. We are currently working on various options that could address a range of circumstances and requirements, but we will not be able to finalize these plans until we have an opportunity read the requirements.
I will continue to provide updates here, any time we receive new information.