Churchill County School District provides updates

Thank you to everyone for taking the district’s calls, emails, texts, etc. over the last two weeks. I understand how different this is for our staff, our learners, our families, and our community. We have displayed absolute awesomeness over the past 10 days and will continue to do so.

We are grateful for everyone who has reached out with questions and concerns as it helps us to ensure that we are meeting the needs of all of our learners and families. We appreciate everyone’s efforts to get internet connectivity —call 775-423-5184 or email waiten@churchillcsd.com if you cannot access the internet as we continue to look for options for people. He will call and make sure you have all of the information about the options available.

Spring Break Notes

Just a reminder, spring break is this week. Teachers will not be sending out any additional work over the break. On April 6, we will be back, with teachers available, but no new material being expected until April 7.

We are pleased to continue offering our Food Services pickup sites, bus route drops, and deliveries during the week. Please make sure that you take advantage of the breakfast/lunch offered each day for children 0-18.

Contacting Teachers and/or the Schools/District

Continue to email teachers directly or building level principals with questions/needs/etc. You can also call 775-423-5184 and leave your name, your child’s name, and a contact phone number. We will return your call and/or get your information to the person who can help. We continue to work through any situations in which people are having difficulty getting through to teachers or principals.

Pictures/Messages for our Residents Who Can’t Get Out

We are asking kids to make cards/letters/pictures on plain white paper for our older adults in the community. We have been approved through several locations that we can deliver the messages/cards to their facilities.

At the food pickup sites and on the bus routes for food, we will have some paper, if needed, and will collect the completed cards/messages. This is a great way to be a Global Citizen during this difficult time. If you or your child is sick, please consider completing this at another time.

Questions About Grading Work

In this time of learning from a distance, we want to ensure that students continue to review material, be challenged with new content, and try different learning opportunities. We have asked staff to record information about the assignments, give students feedback, etc. during learning from a distance, but at the same time ensure that no student’s grade will be harmed during this “new to most” system under which we are working.

We expect that learners do their very best to complete the tasks that are being provided by teachers and know that, at the MS and HS level, the state has expectations about content that must be mastered before earning the credit. We continue to work with the Nevada Department of Education and the other 16 school districts in Nevada to design the right mixture of tasks and assignments that impact learners.

School closures

All school districts in Nevada, including Churchill County School District, will reopen no earlier than April 16, and only upon the approval of the Chief Medical Officer of the State of Nevada after a review of the risk of transmission within the geographic area defined by the Chief Medical Officer;

● The suspension of all statutory and regulatory requirements related to applications for Programs of Distance Education and an expansion of the definition of distance education to include paper correspondence;

● The provision of authority to the State Superintendent of Public Instruction to process requests for emergency programs of distance education (more details below); and

● A reiteration of the essential nature of our work and that of our employees to continue to provide educational opportunities to Nevada’s pupils.

The signed directive and related press release are attached.

Accountability Waiver

The Nevada Department of Education was able to submit a waiver to the U.S. Department of Education to allow districts to forgo SBAC, additional CTE testing and other assessments. As more is shared with me, I will send it on to all of you.

Emergency Programs of Distance Education

Our district has begun distance learning opportunities for students on March 18 and will end at such time that the district is released to come back into session.

So what does all of this mean for our students?

First and foremost, we will continue to keep your children at the forefront of our decisions in the district. As has been evident over the past week, our district staff will continue to provide instruction and support through distance learning means, including online activities as well as other forms of learning opportunities. We will focus this coming week on work that we have been preparing and then will take the week of spring break with no learning tasks assigned.

Upon return on April 16 (if approved by the governor), staff will have additional learning opportunities ready for learners.

The school district will continue to support our students in our community with breakfast and lunch (Monday-Friday). We will analyze our first couple of weeks to determine if the stops, delivery sites, etc. are working for families. This service will continue through at least April 15, 2020.

The District Leadership Team will meet early this next week to review where we are and what needs to be done to ensure that all of our learners have the best opportunities available. We will continue to support our staff as they transition to learning and guiding from a distance.

School contact

Please consider answering the phone calls that come in to your lines as we have a number of staff members working to reach out and check in with students and families. They may be calling from Google generated numbers or their own devices. All school staff will leave a message if that is possible — please return their calls or email them so that we can connect.

This week, office staff will begin calling all families to make sure that information is up-to-date in Infinite Campus and to make sure all parents have Parent Portal access. This is a way for us to ensure that all families receive our important information.

Student Learning:

Here is the website for information regarding the school district’s online learning plans: http://bit.ly/ccsdlearningfromadistance

● Many important announcements are available on the front page of this website.

● Should anyone have questions throughout the day, please email the teacher directly or call

775-423-5184 (after message, the phone will ring to Selena Gomes’s line) and leave a message.

Messages are checked throughout the day and will be forwarded to the right person who can help.

● Please visit the website above for instructions regarding Learning From a Distance for each school in the district. Each school has a site which should be checked to gain further information regarding day to day activities.

● Students should not consider the school closure as an extension to Spring Break.

● Students have begun remote learning via distance teaching methods available through weekly materials provided on each school’s website homepage or printed packets

available for pick-up from the school’s office.

● Student engagement and participation will be documented.

What about state and federal testing, CTE testing, Graduation, etc.?

Dr. Stephens will be one of three superintendents across the state, along with some local staff, participating with NDE to address all of these concerns and to build out plans for the remainder of the year regarding testing, attendance, graduation requirements, etc.

Jhone Ebert, superintendent of Public Instruction, announced that Nevada has submitted a waiver request to the U.S. Department of Education for assessments, accountability, school identification, and reporting requirements established by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) for the 2019-2020 school year.

NV2020 Census

it is imperative that you complete the census.

Each individual recorded in the census is $2,000 per year of federal funding over the next 10 years — so each person allows Churchill County access to $20,000 — for schools, roads, etc.

My2020census.gov. Please complete for you and your family wherever you are living now. It is safe (no data is shared with other entities), fast (only about 10 minutes or less), and easy. You can also complete it by phone or in the mail (you can look for your envelope in your mail).

Food services

Churchill County School District Food Services will provide free breakfast and lunch for all Churchill County School District students and siblings ages 0-18 (no baby food or formula provided).

Meals will include one breakfast and one lunch per day per bag

Meals will be served in bags in a “grab ‘n go” style either in a drive-thru or walk-up method

In order to receive a meal, all children must be present (in the vehicle or with their parent).

Dates: Monday-Friday

Meal pick-up hours of service will be from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (one time per day)

Locations: Pick-up locations will include the following: CCHS (#1 Greenwave Circle) —Roundabout

Numa (601 Discovery Dr) — Drop off area

Northside (340 Venturacci Ln.) — Drop off area

● Remote Drop-offs for Rural Households--Delivery will be from 10-11 a.m. at the following

stops:

• Ok Trailer Park, 4333 Reno Hwy

• Lynnie Lane at Soda Lake Road

• Leetville Junction, (Carson Hwy at Reno Hwy)

• Fallon RV Park, 5787 Reno Hwy

• Sand Cholla bus stop, base housing

• Paiute Drive and Rio Vista Road

• Solias Rd and Lone Tree Rd

• Churchill Village, 650 N Maine St

• 1775 Auction Road

• Doi Dicutta at Reservation Rd

• Wade Ln at Old River Rd