Due to new restrictions from Governor Kate Brown, the FRSD Board of Directors will be meeting virtually during tonight’s schedule school board session.

Public comment can be emailed to mcook@fernridge.k12.or.us and any comments received by 4:00 pm will be read into record during the meeting.  Please ensure that your full name and address is included and that the material can be read within the three minute time limit

Meeting Information:

Topic: November 16, 2020 School Board Meeting
Time: Nov 16, 2020 06:30 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

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https://fernridge-k12-or-us.zoom.us/j/84436142479

Meeting ID: 844 3614 2479
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Meeting ID: 844 3614 2479
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With winter approaching, I wanted to share our current plans should a school closure be necessary.  If the District closes for weather (snow, ice, loss of power, etc..) there will NOT be any remote classes for that first day.  However, this is only a 100% commitment on the first day of the closure.  On day 1 of a closure due to weather we will let our students and families enjoy the excitement of a no-school day.  As that day progresses and we look at the possible length of a closure, teachers and administrators will get together to discuss if we will resume virtual/remote classes, and if so when and for what grades.  Please pass along this information to anyone that needs it.

A reminder that our “Emergency Information” page can be found here: https://www.fernridge.k12.or.us/?page_id=478

At this page you can sign up for Flash Alert Notifications (updated 2020 snow routes coming) https://www.flashalert.net/login/.  On the morning of a weather delay, we will also post information on the website, social media, and do a district wide phone dialer.

Below is a a graphic that describes the current metrics in Lane County, as well as the different models of instruction schools need to be working towards depending on the current county health data.  You can see that in Lane County, we are currently in the orange “transition” phase.

The updated numbers come out every Monday evening.  If the numbers move to the yellow “On-Site and Distance Learning” column on Monday the 16th (and stay there), we will look to return K-3 students in an all day A/B model the Tuesday following the Thanksgiving Break, with 4th and 5th graders returning the following week, December 8th.

Each week that the metrics stay where they are at or go higher, this return date will get pushed out.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to your building administrator.

Greetings students and parents of Kindergarten-5^th grade students (EES, VES and OPTIONS).

To improve the usability and security of our student’s computer accounts, elementary students will be assigned new passwords on their district account. The new passwords will be easy to remember and will ensure that students will be able to more easily access their accounts. Teachers will be contacting families with the new passwords today and tomorrow (Nov 9^th and 10^th), via their normal means of communication. Please be on the lookout for this new information. Beginning the morning of Thursday, Nov 12^th, passwords will switch and old passwords will not work.

Students who are locked out of their accounts on Thursday morning can get their passwords by calling the school directly or by calling the student tech support line at 541-952-7030.

A reminder to our families that meals for the week (lunches and breakfasts) can be ordered and then picked up every Monday night from 5-6 PM at EHS.  For details regarding that program you can view an earlier post at:  https://www.fernridge.k12.or.us/?p=10449.

We are also pleased to announce that we WILL be able to offer this the week of Thanksgiving, on Monday November 23rd (there is NO SCHOOL at all that week).  We will take orders beginning Monday, November 9th and continue through Wednesday November 18th.  You can place your order (just need last name and number of children ages 0-18) by either emailing our food service director at afullerton@fernridge.k12.or.us, or by calling your local school and asking them to forward the information to Mr. Fullerton.  Once your order is places you just need to show up at EHS between 5:00 and 6:00 PM on the 23rd to receive the meals.

Pre-ordering allows the food service staff to order the right amount of product, and ensure nothing is going to waste! We hope that many families will participate!  Any questions, you can also call Mr. Fullerton at 541-935-8218.

FRSD Students and families,

Earlier today, Governor Kate Brown announced new metrics that specify when schools can return for in-person learning. The new metrics reflect updated research and CDC recommendations and are consistent with those being used by many other states which are successfully holding school in-person.  These metrics are more relaxed and will allow for in-person learning to resume sooner and for more students than was previously allowed.

[LINK TO NEW METRICS]

Although Lane County’s COVID-19 case rate is still too high for us to welcome students back to school, because the standards have been eased, we are closer to reopening our schools. As you will see in the metrics, the elementary grades (with a focus on the primary grades) are prioritized. However, the county metrics have been relaxed for all grades, and the state positivity rate requirement has been eliminated. We will continue to monitor the local metrics and share information with our students and families as those metrics indicate the ability to resume in-person learning.  Once metrics allow, the transition will not happen overnight.  We will prepare and communicate with all of our families before beginning any transition to an in-person learning option for our students and families.

If you have questions, do not hesitate to reach out to the district office, or your building administrator.

Gary E. Carpenter, Jr., Superintendent FRSD 28J

Greetings students and parents of 6th-8th grade students (both FRMS and OPTIONS)

To improve the usability and security of our student’s computer accounts, students will be prompted to set new passwords on their district account. That prompt will go out first thing Thursday morning (Oct 29th). Beginning Thursday morning, when students log into their chromebook or google account with their current password they will be asked to create a new password to continue.

Students should choose a password they can remember, write it down and store it somewhere safe. They will need that new password to log in, and are responsible for remembering it and keeping it secure.

Students who do lock themselves out of their accounts can get their passwords reset by calling the school directly or by calling the student tech support line at 541-952-7030.

NOTICE:  We have completed this process for H.S. students already, and will be moving to a similar process for elementary students at some point next week.

Greetings students and parents of 9th-12th grade students (both EHS and OPTIONS)

To improve the usability and security of our student’s computer accounts, students will be prompted to set new passwords on their district account. That prompt will go out first thing Monday morning. Beginning Monday morning, when students log into their chromebook or google account with their current password they will be asked to create a new password to continue.

Students should choose a password they can remember, write it down and store it somewhere safe. They will need that new password to log in, and are responsible for remembering it and keeping it secure.

Students who do lock themselves out of their accounts can get their passwords reset by calling the school directly or by calling the student tech support line at 541-952-7030.

NOTICE:  We will be doing the same thing for both 6th-8th and elementary students at some point next week.

Dear Options Elementary Parents,

Recently the Fern Ridge District became aware that our elementary
students have been receiving emails from outside our system.  This is a
safety issue and the feature will be turned off by the end of today.

Turning off this feature may impact some students who rely on a parent
cellphone taking a picture of an assignment and emailing it to the
student.  In order to continue doing that, a parent will have to log
into the cellphone browser using the student email, and then email the
picture to the student (from the student account).  Alternatively, a
student can always take a picture directly from their chromebook or
laptop camera, and upload.

We anticipate this will not inconvenience most parents.  If a technical
problem arises, please feel free to contact the Options staff for
assistance.  The wellness and safety of our students is a paramount
concern.

—
Forrest Cooper
FRSD Options Director
541-952-7025

This past Monday, was our first night of a 5-6 PM Meal Service in the EHS Backlot.  This service, where you can pick up meals for a week, will continue to operate on Mondays. Overall, our first service went well.  We served 57 students for a total of 285 meals.  We hope this option continues to grow and be accessed by many.  There are a couple of items worth mentioning that would help us tremendously in the weeks to come:

1.  About 40% of the families that participated this week had not phoned or emailed ahead.  We placed a larger order, anticipating that might happen, but it was still too close for comfort!  You can send an email to afullerton@fernridge.k12.or.us, or call your resident school and ask them to pass along the information to Mr. Fullerton.
2. We also had several families that emailed to participate and not show up.  Please reach out if your plans change, or would like to be taken off the list.
3. A reminder that if you participate in the Monday evening meal distribution, then a family is not eligible to access meals at the schools, or any of the pick-up sites.  It is one or the other.

Finally, for a reminder about what these meals contain and other specifics, you can revisit this post:  https://www.fernridge.k12.or.us/?p=10388