March 27 4 p.m.

We've had some great successes this week!

Instruction: Within 2 hours of the announcement to provide more than enrichment to our students, teachers were working to push out lessons and assignments via the internet and packets. There was lots of concern about "grading". TES is electing to continue their practice of providing feedback to students. There is research evidence that grades actually limit student learning. Once a student is given a grade, they tend to stop learning more- regardless of the grade. Feedback on the other hand, gives students encouragement on what to do next and is associated with higher rates of engagement and learning over time. TMS and THS are choosing to transcript either Credit or No Credit for courses during the shutdown. This insulates students' GPAs and athletic eligibility during this unusual time. Each teacher in the district will continue to have their own practice on assessment and feedback. For more on this, please consult your child's teacher or principal.

Mrs. Cannon's 1st grade zoom meeting today

ToledoTel reports that all families in their service area that are also in the Toledo School District have been connected to the internet. TSD has loaned nearly 50 devices to families with access but no device. We have additional devices to loan if your family still has a need. We're working hard to identify families that are not connected so that arrangements can be made to provide packets of lessons. If you know someone in this situation, please ask them to call Heather Ogden at TMS. She is compiling a roster of these families so that we can make arrangements to serve them.

Mr. Hopf and his team at TES are responsible for the Learning Assistance Program (LAP). This team supports students with additional Math and English (ELA) help. Mr. Hopf reported today:

"I just wanted you to know that starting next week our LAP department will be offering targeted standard based ELA intervention to 171 LAP students in grades K-5. We will be calling families to help them log in to their Mobymax account. Our goal is to reach out to our students on a weekly basis to see how they are doing and to check if there is anything we (or their teacher) can do to help them. We will communicate any special needs to their teacher if need be through email. I am putting together a template that my staff and I will use when calling home and will plan on us beginning calls by the middle of next week. 

I am so proud of my LAP staff! They have all been working hard to help me, our school and students. They are all on the front lines delivering meals .... I am so thankful to work with such amazing ladies!!"

Teachers are using Google Classroom, YouTube, Class Dojo, Classcraft, Zoom, and other means to stay in touch with students and to help students stay in touch with their peers. The more connection we can have, the more we maintain the relationships that make learning possible. For folks not on the internet, IGA is allowing us to use a shelf in the front of the store (near the bottled water) as a drop zone for packets. Teachers can leave materials there for students and students can leave materials there for teachers. This is coordinated using phone calls and email. We're also experimenting with including deliveries on Tuesdays with the meal routes.

Food Service: Chartwell's team of cooks has been busy each day preparing meals for children in our district. We began with 38 meals and now are serving and delivering over 600 each day! In addition to two meals Mon-Fri, we're providing two meals for Saturdays as well. We are planning to continue this service through Spring Break (April 6-10).

 Rickene Reynolds, Food Service Director

Chartwell's Team (they're farther apart than they look)

I want to acknowledge our Transportation Department and especially our supervisor, Don Hall. Each day, Don organizes the new requests for meals, creates new routes (four of them), notifies the families regarding delivery times, organizes drivers and paraeducators for delivery and then does dispatch duties while the deliveries are underway. 

I also want to acknowledge the drivers and paraeducators who have been doing the deliveries. This is not the work they were hired to do and each one of them has volunteered for this duty. While they are observing social distancing and special hygiene protocols, there is a certain amount of risk to this work and they're doing it in service to the children and families of our community. Be sure to share your gratitude when they come your way.

Closing: I meet with superintendents and administrators from all over the state to talk about what's working and the challenges we're facing. Many districts are having difficulty even connecting to the internet. Some are having trouble providing meals. Others are still trying to make their first contact with families since the shutdown. In Toledo, I hear from our parents often how pleased they are with the supports they're receiving from our team. If this is your experience, I hope you thank our staff for their hard work. If it isn't your experience, I hope you'll contact me so that we can improve.

Prepared, not scared.

March 25 4:00 p.m.

I'm attaching a link to an article from the American Psychological Association. It talks about how to maintain our mental health while observing social distancing and self-quarantine procedures. Not only are these important ideas for ourselves, they are important for children. All of us are feeling the effects of routines and systems in disarray. It will take us some time to establish a "new normal".

Instruction: When schools in Washington were closed on March 17, the guidance we were given was to provide enrichment activities for students and supports for parents at home. We were told that if we provided educational services, we needed to be able to provide for all students regardless of ability. For some of our students, packets and the internet don’t meet their special needs. We decided to make all of our activities enrichment and optional.

We received new guidance on March 24 from the Federal Dept. of Education and OSPI that indicates we are expected to provide educational services. In the words of our State Superintendent,

“Although schools are closed and are not providing traditional in-person instruction, education must continue.”

This means that enrichment is not enough. We've been charged with taking risks and redefining what educational service means. A colleague of mine likened this to being told in the third quarter of a football game that everyone would now be required to dribble the ball when running. Changing the rules in the middle of the game is a heavy lift. However, within hours of the State Superintendent's announcement, Toledo teachers and staff had already begun ramping up efforts to meet this new directive. Teachers at all four schools are increasing their efforts to be in contact with families and to provide lessons and assignments that will keep our students moving forward. In addition, our special education staff is developing ways to continue to provide specially-designed instruction for all students with disabilities. We need your help.

If you have not been in contact with your child’s teacher, please contact them by phone or email this week so that your child doesn’t miss out on instruction. Maintaining relationships and contact with school and teachers is more important than ever now that we don’t see each other every day.

If you don’t have a connection to the internet or a device to access the internet, be sure to tell your child’s teacher. ToledoTel has nearly finished connecting all families in the district who are within their service area. We are working to find out who remains so that we can develop ways to deliver instruction to those families.

Food Service: We're serving over 500 meals each day now and delivering on four bus routes. We continue to get orders for food and this is great! We won't ever stop taking orders. Our staff continue to provide this essential service for our families and I am humbled by their efforts on a daily basis. They are overcoming food shortages from purveyors to provide two healthy meals six days a week. 

In closing, I urge everyone to follow the Governor’s directive to stay home and stay healthy. Our only weapon against this virus is to not pass it to one another and to take the strain off of our healthcare providers. We come together by staying apart.  Best wishes to you and your family during this difficult time.

March 23 11:30 a.m.

With the exception of one person, staff of the District Office will be working from home beginning today. The office remains closed to walk-in traffic and all business will continue to be conducted via phone and email.

Enrichment: Staff continue to provide enrichment activities that parents can use with their children. In addition, staff are contacting families by email or phone to provide additional support and to answer questions. We're working on instructional services for the Class of 2020. Students will have  courses that they need for the diploma.

Staff emails follow the pattern: firstinitiallastname@toledoschools.us. So Chris Rust is crust@toledoschools.us If you haven't heard from your child's teacher, it may mean that we don't have up-to-date contact information for you. Take a moment to email your child's teacher with your updated contact information.

Food Service: We served over 200 meals on Friday! That's more like it! It was great seeing our buses running and people out at their stops to get meals. There's no deadline for signing up for this service. Send your information to dhall@toledoschools.us

Childcare: Parents who need childcare are encouraged to contact one of the licensed daycare providers in the Toledo area.

March 20 9:10 a.m.

ToledoTel: I want to take just a moment to thank our friends at ToledoTel. When the Governor closed schools and it was clear that some of our students would not have internet access, Dale Merten and the team at ToledoTel cross checked the addresses of all of our students with their list of customers. Those who did not have access were called by ToledoTel and given free, 100mb service for the duration of the shutdown.

ToledoTel has been out since the beginning of this week helping us meet our mission of each child, each day each classroom. In addition, for those families outside of ToledoTel's service area, Dale and his team have been referring them to resources that can provide similar service. This is just one example of the many things that ToledoTel does for our school district and our community. On behalf of all of us, THANK YOU ToledoTel!
____________________________________

Happy first day of Spring! Here's your Friday update:

Enrichment: Teachers continue to support families engaged in enrichment activities at home. I'm seeing some amazing work by our teachers with video lessons and support as well as links to activities.

THS staff continue to work to develop solutions for our Seniors. We're expecting guidance from the State Board of Ed and OSPI next week on allowable adjustments to requirements. In the meantime, we're looking at what each student needs in order to graduate and making plans to provide that. We're also looking at how grades will be assigned so that student GPAs don't suffer as a result of this event. Advisory teachers will be in touch with Class of 2020.

Special Education staff are engaged in solving some of the issues around keeping IEPs and evaluations current. In addition, we're exploring ways to provide specially designed instruction (including speech therapy, occupational therapy and physical therapy). This is evolving and like many of the other challenges we've faced, I know we'll find a way to overcome them.

Our transportation department is working with principals and teachers to develop a way to get materials out to students so that the activities that can't be provided online can get to families. Watch for information from your teacher.

Food Service: We're planning to serve 180 meals today. These are meals for the weekend. Monday will have two deliveries- one for Monday meals and the other (in the afternoon) for Tuesday meals. Our food service department is not able to provide menues because they are dealing with food shortages from our suppliers. The team is planning day-to-day at this time. One example is milk. Only chocolate milk is available to us right now. We're hoping that our kids won't be too unhappy with this challenge.

Childcare: This is on hold right now pending more support from the State. I'm told that with many families at home, there are spaces available in some of our local daycares. I encourage families who need childcare to contact them.

Board Meeting: We conducted our first remote board meeting last night. Using Zoom software, we were able to conduct a full meeting without having to be in the same room. Several community members were "in attendance" and while audio public comment wasn't feasible, the Board is always accepting written public comment. Send yours to me at crust@toledoschools.us. I send your comments to the Board right away and include a copy in the correspondence section of the next Board meeting packet. This makes it a public document and all can see it. I expect that our next meeting will also be conducted in this fashion.

March 19 1:10 p.m.

The "dark room" of COVID continues to evolve, but we get a little more light each day. Here is what we're working on today:

Enrichment: Teachers are working to stay in touch with students. For THS, this is from advisory teachers. For TES this is classroom teachers. TMS has allocated differently depending upon grade level. Every student should have one teacher to be in contact with. We're providing enrichment activities that families can do at home. You should not expect your children to do 6-8 hours of school work each day. It is important that kids have the time to play, explore, relax, do chores, etc. In addition, all learning is learning. Learning how to do laundry, cook, clean, pay bills, hang pictures, fix toilets, check the oil in the car (change the oil!). All of these are important skills that your kids can learn from you. Finally, lessons about how to cope with adversity, help neighbors and the elderly and participate in keeping everyone safe are critical right now.

Food Service: We continue to provide two meals a day at no cost for every child 0-18. We're operating bus routes according to our meal orders and food is available for pick up at curbside at TES from 2-3 p.m. daily and additionally from 9-11 on Mondays (two sets of meals on Mondays). If you haven't let us know your needs, the sign up sheet is here. We plan to continue to provide food service through our calendared Spring Break in April so that there won't be an interruption of service.

Childcare: The risks associated with the provision of childcare are enormous. We're awaiting guidance from the State regarding licensing, operations and safety. Since many of the people who work for our District are in the high risk categories, this may be difficult for us. We're looking at some innovative options, but I'm not confident we'll be able to provide childcare without additional supports. Local daycares may have openings given changes to parents' schedules. Please check with them first for your needs.

Class of 2020: THS is working to develop programming to allow seniors to finish credits and requirements. The State Board of Education is expected to provide guidance next week on this issue. Our team is working to develop plans to adjust so that all of our seniors are positioned to finish their diplomas by June 19. We do not have information regarding Commencement or other senior events at this time.

Staff: Currently, all staff are working from home with the exception of a few of our drivers, custodians, transportation and maintenance supervisors and our District Office staff. Those who are on-site are observing social distancing protocols, hand washing and respiratory etiquette. For teachers, working from home involves staying in touch with students, developing enrichment activities, book study and other professional development. Classified staff are doing clerical work from home as well as professional development. Staff who are in high risk categories are able to be placed on paid administrative leave while they self-quarantine. This is a benefit to us all as they are less likely to become infected and  burden the healthcare system.

Our District team continues to work hard to support the children and families of the District. When you're in contact with them, be sure to share your gratitude for their continued efforts.

Board Meeting: The regular monthly Board meeting is tonight at 7 p.m. I am working to deliver this meeting via zoom. The Open Public Meetings Act requires that a person be on site at the announced meeting space when a virtual (online) meeting is held. I plan to operate the zoom meeting from TMS. The public is welcome to be on site, however, only 9 others besides myself will be allowed in the room and we'll be maintaining a minimum of six feet of separation. Attendees will be asked to wash their hands prior to entering the meeting space. I recommend that members of the public interested in the meeting use the following zoom coordinates to call in:

Topic: Toledo School District Regular Board Meeting

Time: Mar 19, 2020 07:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting by computer or smartphone (audio and video):

https://zoom.us/j/997070017

Meeting ID: 997 070 017

Join Zoom Meeting by Telephone (audio only):

669.900.6833

Meeting ID: 997 070 017

March 17 Update 5:00 p.m.

We hope that you are staying safe and away from others today. We wish everyone health and strength as you navigate the changing circumstances.  Toledo School District continues to make progress on redefining school during a pandemic.

Food Service: Children 0-18 years old qualify for free breakfast and free lunch. All children. Every day during this shut down. There are 804 children enrolled in Toledo Schools and only 38 have indicated that they want free food. This is a tremendous opportunity for you to save some trips to the store and some money over the next six weeks. We encourage all families to sign up so we can provide these meals for your children. Eligibility is NOT based on income. All children qualify.

Our schedule is:

Wednesday 3/18: These are meals for Wed and Thurs. Buses will load at 8:30 and deliver. Don is calling all recipients with their times for delivery. Students who live in the walk zone will pick up meals from 9-11 a.m. at TES curbside. (Don will also communicate this to families) This is the morning delivery schedule.

Thursday 3/19: These are meals for Friday. Buses will  load at 3 p.m. at TES and deliver. Don will notify families of times. Pick up will be from 2-3 p.m. at TES. (Afternoon delivery schedule)

Friday 3/20: These are meals for the weekend. Afternoon delivery schedule.

Monday 3/23: Monday's meals will be delivered using Morning delivery schedule. Tuesday meals will be delivered using afternoon delivery schedule.

Tuesday 3/24: Wednesday meals. Afternoon delivery schedule.

Wednesday 3/25: Thursday meals. Afternoon delivery schedule.

Thursday 3/26: Friday meals. Afternoon delivery schedule.

Friday 3/27: Weekend meals. Afternoon delivery schedule.

Repeat Mon-Fri schedule for subsequent weeks.

Computers: The District has about 20 surplus desktop computers that we are preparing to be loaned to families and staff who do not have a device. Devices will be loaned first to families that do not have a device of any kind. After that, remaining devices will be loaned to staff who are working from home followed by families who have requested additional devices to supplement those they already have. These devices are expected to be ready to loan by Friday, 3/27. We are considering the possibility of loaning Chromebooks, however they are expensive and the District does not have funds to replace them if they are lost, stolen or damaged.

Childcare: Guidance from the State is not expected until the beginning of next month. As the pandemic worsens, staffing for childcare will become more scarce and the ability to maintain social distance with children is unlikely. We are doubtful that we will be in a position to provide childcare in Toledo and urge families to consider neighbors, or students who are currently out of school and looking for work.

Remember, don't believe everything you read on the internet unless it comes from the Department of Health or the Center for Disease Control. We teach our students to support all their claims with evidence. We encourage you to do the same. Facts are our friends in uncertain times.

Prepared, not scared.

March 16, 2020 7:45 p.m.

Our response team met at 4:30 to debrief the day and make plans for tomorrow. All staff will participate in a Zoom meeting in the morning and then work from home. The response team will meet again at 3:30 tomorrow to plan for Wednesday. Right now, we're taking things day by day.

We are doing our part to slow this virus down. Our District Office will be closed to walk-in traffic beginning in the morning. We will observe regular hours and we're maintaining distance in the office. If you need to do business with us during the shutdown, please call or email the office. 360.864.6325. If you have documents to drop off, there is a mail slot in the front door and space between the doors to insert them. We'll smile and wave, but we won't open the doors. Hope you understand.

Teachers have created online resources and sent those home with students as a way to support parents and caregivers. We are working to develop ways to equitably serve all students during the next 6 weeks. Martin Huffman at THS is working with their team to develop strategies to support our Seniors in completing their  studies for the diploma without too much interruption. They will be communicating with those students and families directly.

The Governor's proclamation does not prevent us from providing food service and childcare, but it does not establish an expectation that we do either. We believe that nutrition services are critical to children and families, so we're working with OSPI and DOH to develop a program that meets standards for social distance, quality nutrition and fiscal responsibility. Our plan is to have classified staff ride with bus drivers on regular routes to deliver meals to families. Families that do not have bus service would be able to pick up meals at the Elementary School. We are targeting Wed. 3/18 to begin this assuming we can get all of the details worked out. When we're ready, families that signed up for meals will be notified by autodialer. You should be receiving a sign up form by email (also from autodialer) tonight. Complete it as soon as possible and return it to the District Office.

Childcare will be a tougher puzzle for us to solve. While education and childcare look similar, they are both very technical. Just like an airplane and a ship both have engines, an aeronautical mechanic and a nautical mechanic are not interchangeable. This will require some technical support from OSPI and DOH in order for us to provide it. Please check with local daycare providers and any of a number of certified babysitters who aren't in school right now.

I want to commend the staff of Toledo School District for their tireless work redesigning our system. This has been a sprint that began just 4 days ago with an announcement that schools were closing. Our team has done a tremendous job responding to this emergency. I hope you are as proud of them as I am.

This is a very fluid situation and I'm depending upon everyone to make sure they have factual information. I'll update this blog daily until there isn't enough to say. At the very least, you can depend upon an update every Friday morning. Please keep your distance from one another. Assume that everyone you see is infected- even when they don't show symptoms. Be prepared, not scared.

March 15 Update: 9:24 p.m.

One hour ago, the Governor posted the following message to Facebook:

The implication for Toledo Schools has to do with groups of 50 or more and social distancing. Our pandemic response plan assumed that staff would continue to be able to report for work to prepare meals, clean buildings, mow lawns and work to be able to provide services to students.

We will have our late-start school day on Monday, but no staff will be required to be at their duty stations on Tuesday. We will attempt to keep the District Office open to respond to phone calls. We are awaiting the full text of the Governor's proclamation. When issued, our Response Team will review it and adjust our plans.

Our mission remains the same: Provide opportunities and meaningful experiences to empower students to achieve their goals. Each child. Each day. Each classroom. We are committed to doing everything we can to meet achieve our mission.

Why Are We Doing This?

Closing schools across the state and shutting down entertainment, athletic and social activities seems like drastic measures in response to a virus. Here's why we're doing this and why your participation is so important. (Disclaimer: I am not a public health official. I am repeating what I have learned in the last month.)

If you'd like an in-depth analysis (and since we're all hunkered-down, you have the time) go to Fred Hutch's page. Lots of graphs and great explanations https://www.fredhutch.org/en/news/center-news/2020/03/covid19---social-distancing--in-seattle-and-beyond.html

Here's what we're trying to do:

The  Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a brand new virus. Because of this, no one has a natural immunity to it. In addition, there is no vaccine. It is also possible to carry the virus without symptoms and infect others. Since we don't currently have enough testing kits, we can't know who is infected and who is not.

This virus is highly contagious, so good hygiene (hand washing) and respiratory etiquette (cough/sneeze into a disposable tissue or your elbow) are our first line of defense. This hasn't been enough in our state and our healthcare capacity is already being strained (hospital beds, ventilators, uninfected healthcare providers, etc.) By closing schools and all of the other interventions that the State has used, we distance ourselves from one another. This distance slows the spread of the disease and reduces the burden on our healthcare system.

If we all work at this, while also taking care of each other (its a balance), the COVID-19 season will be longer, but have less impact overall.

Remember, for 80% of the population, COVID-19 is a mild respiratory infection that will pass. The danger is to the most vulnerable in our community- those with compromised immune systems, respiratory issues, and the elderly. We owe it to our neighbors to slow this bug down.

March 14, 2020

The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) issued guidance yesterday afternoon. It provides some additional clarity, but it is important to note that this is a very new and fluid situation, so while we have some additional "light", we're still in a very "dark room". 

What we know (all quotes are from bulletin B019-20):

All schools are "closed" until April 27. According to OSPI this means, 

"During mandatory closures, school districts will be prohibited from providing in-person educational, recreational, and other K–12 school programs using their school buildings and facilities. Districts will not be prevented from providing instruction through online learning models (so long as those can be provided equitably) or from using their facilities to provide childcare, professional development, staff meetings, Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings, direct services to individual students, or other activities deemed appropriate by the district administration. Any gatherings within school facilities should comply with applicable social distancing directives and health and safety recommendations. " 

State testing is closed for the 2019-20 school year.

If we provide educational programming, we are required to provide it for all students and to continue to provide specially designed instruction for students with disabilities. 

"If services are being provided by the district to select grade levels (e.g. Seniors), then IEP services should also be provided to students in those grades to avoid discrimination under Section 504 and Title II. OSPI will soon provide additional information regarding the selection of specific grades to provide educational services to during school closures."

The Governor has requested that we be the "Childcare of last resort" for families of law enforcement, fire/EMS and healthcare providers. We are awaiting additional guidance on what this expectation includes. Childcare is a very specific and technical job that is only superficially similar to K-12 education. 

"While there will be additional guidance coming related to childcare referenced in the Governor’s proclamation, childcare opportunities offered through the district should be considered for district children of all ages, including those who are most vulnerable and those with significant disabilities."

 My next update will be no later than Friday, March 20. Since this is a fast-moving and fluid situation, check this blog often for updates in the coming weeks.

My next post will be "Why Are We Doing This?"

Toledo is prepared, not scared.

Pandemic Response 3.13.20

This blog is intended to keep our community informed about Toledo School District's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This blog will be updated every Friday morning or as important events unfold. This is one of many ways that you can stay up-to-date on our work to slow the spread of this virus and help keep our neighbors safe.

In response to Gov. Inslee's order to close all K-12 schools in Washington, Toledo SD will suspend classes from Tuesday March 17- April 24, 2020. Monday, March 16 will be a two-hour late start day. This will give students and staff the opportunity to say "so long for now", collect personal items, get orientation to online activities, check out books and packets and connect with classmates. This will also be a time for parents to collect medications and complete forms requesting food service delivery and emergency childcare for law enforcement, fire/EMS, Healthcare workers and employees of the District. Childcare is new work for us, so the Governor expects us to be the "childcare of last resort."

Tuesday March 17 will be a regular workday for TSD staff even though students won't be in attendance. Teachers will be working to create lessons. Classified staff will be involved in food preparation and delivery as well as cleaning and repairing. Our grounds and maintenance teams will be working on continuing their maintenance and repair of buildings and mowing lawns. We will be designing professional development for staff as well as working to improve our programs for students. Finally, staff will continue to work with students remotely through telephone, email and other technology.

All athletic and extracurricular activities have been suspended effective immediately. Don Bowen Day scheduled for Monday March 16 has been postponed. All community activities that were scheduled for district facilities have been cancelled.

Because we are Toledo, I know that we will make the best of a difficult situation. By pulling together while staying apart, we will slow the spread of this virus and not overwhelm our healthcare system. In the end, we will all be better for the effort.

If you have questions about how we're formulating our approach or our plans, I invite you to email me at crust@toledoschools.us. I am creating an FAQ of questions and answers that I will post separately.