School Closure
A couple key reminders as we welcome our students back to school:
- Be safe on the roads! Buses and bikes and kids will be moving around our community! Please slow down and drive safely, especially around schools!
- If your child is sick, please keep them home. Below is a guideline to use:
2021-2022-Illness-Guidelines-for-Parents-
Over the past three weeks, we have experienced nearly as many positive COVID tests with staff and students in our school community, as we have in the past 18 months. With each positive test, there are actions the district must take, and those are beginning to take a toll. Those have included disruption to summer school, quarantining for the student or staff member that is sick, and quarantining (for those not vaccinated) for anyone identified as a meeting the definition of a close contact.
Today we had a positive test within the EHS Football program. I just met with District staff and multiple football coaches to problem solve this issue. The nature of football, being a sport that requires significant amounts of “close contact”, it does not take much to meet the cumulative 15 minutes within 6 feet standard (when not wearing a mask outside), that defines a close contact. As a group we agreed the only reasonable course of action is to cease football operations for a total of 14 days. I have communicated with Lane County Public Health, and they agreed. We believe this action gives us the best chance of playing football this season. Football practice will resume on September 1st. Coaches and athletes that are vaccinated, may continue to practice, but should monitor themselves closely for symptoms. Coach Peeler and his coaching staff will be reaching out to families that have been most closely connected to the sick student. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out to him. Coaches will also be meeting to discuss practices for those students that have been vaccinated, and do not need to isolate, as well as potentially some “virtual practices” or “classroom sessions” over Zoom.
As a reminder to all our student athletes, and staff as well, the best way to protect yourself is with a vaccine, and it is the ONLY way to avoid being required to quarantine when you have been identified as a close contact. Myself, the H.S. administration, and certainly our football coaching staff are devastated that we have to take this action, we hope for a quick recovery for the sick student, a quick return to football practices and the ability to have a football season this year. We believe this action gives us the best opportunity to achieve that goal.
EHS athletes and parents: As has been the norm for the past 18 months, changes are coming at us rapidly. However, we are confident we are prepared to implement all required safety protocols as we begin Fall Sports practices tomorrow, August 16th. Below is a summary of how we will be operating. Of course these are subject to change as we get new directives. The new rule, that took effect August 13th, can be read here: (OAR 333-019-1025)
OUTDOOR ATHLETICS: When athletes are outside at practice, we will continue to promote social distancing as much as possible, masks will be optional. When we have outdoor “contests/games” masks will be strongly recommended for fans that attend, but not required. Social distancing around the field and in the grandstands is encouraged.
INDOOR ATHLETICS: We have been given some leeway for athletics that occur after school, when athletes are inside. Athletes that are actively “practicing or playing” will have the option to wear a mask or not. When in team meetings (we will encourage outside team meetings when possible), on the sideline during a game, in the locker room, watching film etc…. masks will be required for athletes while inside. In addition, for all fans and game personnel (clock runners, announcers, officials) masks are required regardless of vaccination status as long as the state-wide indoor mask mandate is in place. Once lifted, we will re-evaluate this requirement.
OTHER SCHOOLS: When traveling to other schools/districts, we will abide by all of their local decisions related to masking coaches, athletes and spectators. Failure to follow the expectations set forth by FRSD, or when visiting other schools, may result in the loss of the opportunity to attend further events.
To: Oregon Superintendents and Principals
Date: August 12, 2021
Re: Parents and Families are Invited to Participate in a Town Hall with State’s
Top Education & Health Officials
Dear Superintendents and Principals,
We’re reaching out for your help and support to invite local parents and families to attend one of two Facebook Live Town Hall events next week, hosted by Oregon Department of Education Director Colt Gill, Oregon Health Authority Director Pat Allen, and State Epidemiologist Dean Sidelinger.
We encourage you to share the message below (in English and Spanish) with parents and families through your social networks and other communication channels.
Thank you!
Dear Parents and Families,
As a state and community, we have a shared goal to ensure that every student in Oregon is able to attend school in-person, every school day for the entire 2021-22 school year. In order to do so, we are prioritizing student and staff health and safety.
The Oregon Department of Education and the Oregon Health Authority recently shared requirements for face coverings in K-12 schools. We know you may have questions about this requirement and as a community, we have an opportunity to join state education and health officials during one of two Facebook Live Town Hall events:
- Tuesday, August 17, 6-7 p.m. PST
- Wednesday, August 18 (for the Spanish speaking community), 6-7 p.m. PST
Please note that a Facebook account is not required to access these events.
Participants will be invited to share questions during the events and can also submit questions ahead of time by using this Google Form.
For Communicating with Spanish Speaking Families:
Requisitos para el uso de cubrebocas en escuelas K-12: Preguntas y respuestas en vivo en todo el est
Como estado y comunidad, nuestra meta es asegurar que cada estudiante en Oregon pueda asistir a la escuela en persona, todos los días escolares durante todo el año escolar. Para hacerlo, estamos dando prioridad a la salud y seguridad de los estudiantes y del personal de las escuelas.
El Departamento de Educación de Oregon y el Oregon Health Authority compartieron recientemente el cambio en los requisitos para el uso de cubrebocas en las escuelas de grados Kínder a 12. Sabemos que puede tener preguntas sobre este nuevo requisito. Invitamos a todos los residentes de Oregon a que acompañen a los funcionarios estatales de educación y salud en un evento de Facebook Live el miércoles 18 de agosto.
Invitaremos a las personas a que compartan sus preguntas durante el evento y también pueden enviar preguntas con anticipación mediante este formulario de Google: https://forms.gle/zfkSoiWKU3apCwxU6
Contact Information & Resources:
For general feedback – ODECovid19@ode.state.or.us
For questions about the events – morgan.zimmerman@ode.state.or.us
Visit the Ready Schools, Safe Learners webpage for the latest information on the 2021-22 school year.
We are just a few days away from the beginning of our K-5 Super Summer Program! Your flexibility and patience is appreciated as we work out the final details!
What an amazing opportunity for our students!
Important Reminders
Dates: Monday – Thursday – July 12th – August 5th
Times: 9:00 am – 2:00 pm – Doors open at 8:45 am
Masks: Students will be required to wear masks on the bus and in the building. PPE and Mask information for Summer Program
Screening: Students will be screened prior to entering the building. K-1 Entrance will be on the south side of EES, 2nd-3rd grade students will enter through the main doors, and 4th – 5th grade students will enter at the cafeteria. Please help us keep our students and staff healthy and safe, if your child is not feeling well, have them rest at home.
Transportation: If your child is riding the bus to or from Super Summer, please double check pick-up and drop-off times: K-5 Super Summer BUS ROUTES
Enrollment: If your child is on the list, you should have been contacted by an FRSD Staff Member, received a Super Summer Text Message, and got a confirmation letter in the mail. If you are no longer able to participate, please call us ASAP. Currently, our spaces are completely full. If you are unsure about your child’s enrollment status, please feel free to call us!
Questions: Give us a call – 541-935-8214
In the last several weeks we have had a LOT happening in the District. That, combined with all of the upcoming events, makes it seem like a good time to do a community Q and A from 5:30-6:00 PM on Monday night.
It will be virtual (via zoom). You can log-in at this link: https://fernridge-k12-or-us.zoom.us/j/89837770431
I will give a quick update on Summer School, chromebook check-in, our current hybrid instruction, what school might look like in the Fall, and end of year celebrations that are in the works. Following that 10 minutes or so, there will be approximately 20 minutes to answer any questions folks might have (simply type them in the chat). Please help spread the word.
Superintendent Carpenter
Here is the link to the community meeting for those that would like to listen again or could not attend live.
Good afternoon,
Elmira High School was notified today of a student testing positive for COVID-19, yesterday. Thank you to the parent who quickly notified us, as it allows the District to begin our work that needs to be done, usually 4-6 hours before Lane County Public Health is notified by the lab, and has time to reach out to us. The District has been working with Lane County in looking at this case. What has been found is that there were no close contacts at school due to strong COVID protocols, and as a result, LCPH is NOT requiring any student to isolate/quarantine. This is not what is classified as a “school contact.”
Although the student was in class this week, District staff have checked with EHS teachers and all safety protocols were followed. Lane County has directed that if students maintain the 3 feet distance, wear a mask and wash their hands, a classroom or cohort does not need to quarantine. As an extra precaution, although not required, the High School will be notifying the parents who have students in the same classroom via email, so those parents can monitor their student for any symptoms. If you have questions, feel free to email the EHS Principal at rgardner@fernridge.k12.or.us and he will respond before Monday morning, or call EHS at 541-935-8200.
An additional element of this case is that there were multiple “close contacts” with friends/peers outside of school. To include work, hanging out with friends, meeting at the lake, etc… The family is very cooperative and supportive and is working with Lane County Public Health to get these names, and if your student was a close contact outside of school, either the family of the student, or LCPH will be reaching out to you to discuss the need to quarantine.
The schools have many protocols in place to help protect your student during the school day. However, the school cannot monitor students outside of school. Please help us keep students in school by encouraging them to wear their mask and keep 3 feet apart even when they are out with their friends.
Thanks for continuing to do your best so that we may keep our schools open!
The district is about to begin the process of having students return their Chromebooks (including chargers and hotspots). We are beginning with ALL Kinder-2nd grade students from EES and VES on May 17th (Not OPTIONS students). The rest of the schedule is tentative, however our proposed timeline is below. As each grade level gets fully organized, we will get the information out.
3rd-5th grade: Beginning week of June 1st
6th -8th grade: Beginning week of June 1st
12th grade: June 8th/9th
9th-11th grade: Beginning week of June 15th
OPTIONS: Beginning week of June 15th.
As the flyer above describes, the turn-in for K-2nd grade students will be from 2:00-7:00 PM on May 17th AT VES, and you can reserve your timeslot by signing up here. If your chromebook is damaged, please do not wait until check-in. In addition, please bring your device to the check-in, fully “charged.”
Finally, if you can bring the student device check-in form (click here) filled out when you arrive at your check-in time, it will make things go quicker. The forms will also be available on site.
Recently the district was informed about a new program, the FCC’s emergency broadband program for low income families, and wanted to pass along the information to our FRSD families. One of the “qualifiers” for this program is anyone that receives benefits under the free and reduced price school lunch program. Applications open a week from today. Please spread the word to anyone that may be interested.
Benefit (per household):
- Up to a $50/month discount on your broadband service and associated equipment rentals
- Up to a $75/month discount if your household is on qualifying Tribal lands
- A one-time discount of up to $100 for a laptop, tablet, or desktop computer (with a co-payment of more than $10 but less than $50)
- Guidance if more than one household is living at the same address.
Outreach toolkit, includes Spanish language content
This is a temporary program and the benefit will end when the fund runs out of money or 6 months after the Dept of Health and Human Services declares an end to the COVID 19 health emergency, whichever is sooner. So, its best to apply on the front end and receive some benefit rather than wait and have that timeline decreased.
This and other resources can be found on the City of Eugene Community Support website.
FRSD Families,
Since we expanded a few weeks ago to bring more students back to full-time instruction, district staff have been following both the county COVID-19 infection rates, our local rates here in the school district attendance area, as well as the restrictions currently in place for our county based on the “extreme risk” designation. That information, combined with the knowledge that to date we have NOT had transmission of the virus in our schools, that things are going well, and that the risk of shutting down in-person instruction becomes more likely should we bring all students back and transmission occur, we have made some decisions.
For the final 6 weeks the District will remain in our current model, and NOT expand in-person instruction. While this news may be disappointing for some, we believe it gives us the best chance to reach the 2nd week of June and NOT have a situation where we will need to return to CDL, even with rising county rates. Having to return to CDL would be extremely problematic, as in two weeks we will begin a chromebook check-in process, starting with our youngest students (K-2) and ending the last week of school with High School and all OPTIONS program students (More information coming out on this in the coming days).
The primary thing that could mandate us to return to a CDL format, would be if significant transmission of the virus was occurring within the school. I am hopeful, if not mildly confident, we have the ability to avoid that, regardless of whether or not the county rates continue to rise. While we have had several students contact the virus in recent weeks through a wide variety of ways (most often through a positive parent, or a weekend gathering with friends), all of the protocols and safety measures taking place in schools have resulted in ZERO transmissions in our schools. For us to make it through the end of the school year and be able to maintain what we are still doing, will require everyone doing their part. Please continue to keep your students home when they have any symptoms, avoid large gatherings, and practice recommended protocols at all times. The single biggest factor, besides all of our safety protocols, to ensure there is no spread in our schools, would be to have NO students testing positive!
A couple quick notes on the 21-22 school year. While there is still lots of work to do before September, I fully expect the FRSD to have a normal school day and calendar in 21-22 (what that looks like will largely depend on ODE guidance, and the COVID-19 infection rate). All of our staff will be doing whatever it takes over the summer to ensure to the best of our ability that occurs! I was in a meeting today with ODE where it was stated that they will have the first iteration of Fall guidance out on July 19th. Superintendents shared loudly and clearly that we need this guidance earlier. Regardless of when it comes, I am committed to exploring any option that gets students to experience a normal academic calendar in 21-22. Finally, our FRSD OPTIONS program will continue in 21-22 as an additional choice for our parents that would like that. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out to the district office, or your building principal.