Decatur County Community Schools

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March 28 Update from Dr Burns

Dear Decatur County Community Schools Families,

In accordance with Governor Holcomb’s directive, Decatur County Community Schools will be closed through Friday, May 1st. My sincere hope is all staff and students will be able to return to school normally on Monday, May 4th so we can wrap up this amazing and crazy school year. However, as we have all seen, this temporary situation we are currently living in is changing daily. This constant change is why Decatur County Community Schools, like all school districts in Indiana, are operating on a wait and see basis to determine what the future holds. While our students are not allowed to be in schools, we are still responsible for continuing the educational process for all students to the best of our ability. For the month of April, DCCS is going to implement “Blended Learning” to educate all students.

What is Blended Learning?

Blended Learning is instruction using multiple ways to provide students with the best possible education. It combines videos, discussion boards, phone calls, video conferencing, etc. Please know that textbooks are not required for Blended Learning.

When will students have Blended Learning lessons?

Students will have Blended Learning lessons on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays starting on April 7th through the end of the month.

What if I don’t have internet access?

ETC has set up parking lot hotspots at the following locations for families to pull up and access without leaving their vehicle:

Decatur County Fairgrounds New Point Community Center Batesville Bike Park

Liberty Park

Both high schools have hotspots to access by pulling up to the front of the building and parking to access.

If you don’t have internet access, call your child’s school and leave a message. Please leave your child’s name, classroom teacher, and a good number to call you back, and someone will get back to you within 24 hours.

What is my child’s next step?

Students in kindergarten to 2nd grade will be using SeeSaw, and grades 3rd to 12th will be using Canvas. There will be an announcement posted on your teacher’s page each Monday by 8:00 a.m. so that you will know the tasks for the week ahead. If students are working without being connected to the internet, you can download the weekly tasks all at one time, then please remember to keep your device charged so that nothing is lost. If you have general questions that arise and you are not sure where to send them, please email elearning@decaturco.k12.in.us for assistance.

Free Lunch and Breakfast

I encourage all families to take advantage of our free lunch and breakfast distribution every

Monday from 11:00 a.m.- 1:00 p.m. We are handing out five breakfasts and five lunches for each student at North Decatur Jr/Sr High and also at South Decatur Jr/Sr High. All meals will be on a first come/first serve basis.

I would also like to take a moment and ask families to post videos or pictures of positive activities displaying HOPE during these challenging times and tag your child’s school on the post. This is a fantastic way to keep spirits high while we are all practicing social distancing, or on the hunt for toilet paper 😁.

Thank you,

Dr. Jarrod Burns

Superintendent

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FOOD SERVICE UPDATE

**UPDATED**

Meal Service Plan for DCCS Students During School Closure for Covid-19 Decatur County Community School Families, To comply with the Stay at Home ordinance, starting Monday, March 30th, meal service is being changed to a one day distribution format. Free Breakfast Snacks and Lunches will be available to all DCCS students in need. Drive-thru pick up will be available on Mondays only from 11:00 am- 1:00 pm and will be available on a ﬁrst come/ ﬁrst served basis at:

North Decatur High School: 3172 N. State Rd 3

South Decatur High School: 8885 S. State Rd 3

For the safety of our workers we are asking families to stay in their cars. We will set up in the parking lots outside of the café’s and operate as a grab and go drive thru.

Monday’s meal packs will include 5 breakfast snacks and 5 lunch bags and milk to accommodate students for Monday – Friday.

Children should be present. Meals should not be consumed on site. No id or paperwork is required to pick up meals. Anyone is able to pick up meals for families in need.

If you need assistance getting meals from the school please contact our Food Service Director, Christy DeVries by email at: cdevries@decaturco.k12.in.us

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Confirmed Case of COVID-19

Dear Decatur County Community Schools Families,

Decatur County Community Schools takes the safety of our students and staff seriously and continually works to provide the safest and most secure learning environment. Please be advised that we have been notified that it has been confirmed that a member of our staff at South Decatur Elementary School has tested positive for the Coronavirus (Covid-19). If you are sick with Covid-19 or think you might have it, contact your healthcare provider. We have cleaned and sanitized our buildings to ensure the safety of all who visit them in accordance with the CDC. We also have been in contact with the Decatur County Health Department concerning this matter

receiving their guidance as well. There are no concerns with parents picking up their child’s devices next Monday if needed.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Symptoms

COVID-19 is a virus that causes respiratory illness. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that are common in people and many species of animals. The symptoms of COVID-19 appear to be similar to the seasonal influenza. These symptoms can include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after

exposure and may be mild to severe, just like influenza.

How COVID-19 Spreads

The virus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person

● Between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet).

● Through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs.

Precautionary Measures

Good hygiene practices are the best way to prevent the spread of any kind of illness:

● Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. You may also use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.

● Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, and throw away after you use it.

● Cough or sneeze into your sleeve, rather than your hands, if a tissue is not available.

● Try to avoid close contact with sick people.

● If students have a fever of 100 or higher, they shouldn’t return to school until they are 24 hours fever free.

● Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.

● If you develop flu-like symptoms, call your healthcare provider to determine next steps for care.

Additional Information

More information about the COVID-19 virus is available online at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCo Sincerely,

Dr. Jarrod Burns

Superintendent

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COVID-19 Closure Information

Dear Decatur County Community Schools Families,

As we continue to navigate through these unprecedented times, our primary goal is to keep staff, students, and families safe as we literally receive new information by the hour. Please know that DCCS is continuing to work very closely with the Decatur County Health Department and Emergency Management, and heeding the advice from The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to try to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Here are Decatur County Community Schools next steps:

1. All schools will be closed after spring break for two weeks, March 23-April 3. Governor Holcomb is allowing all school districts to have twenty Covid-19 waiver days that are not required to be made up. This ten day break from March 23-April 3 will utilize ten of the twenty Covid-19 waiver days. No eLearning will take place during these ten days. A decision on how school will proceed starting the week of April 6 will be announced by the end of March.

2. All April field trips are cancelled. May field trips will be reviewed mid-April.

3. All April after school activities are cancelled. May after school activities will be reviewed mid-April.

4. No outside visitors will be permitted unless approved by the building administrator.

5. All extra-curricular events and practices are cancelled until further notice.

6. Information will be sent out later this week about how we can safely feed students during these two weeks.

7. Information will also be sent out later this week about how we can safely distribute student electronic devices and medications.

8. On Monday, March 23rd administrators will hand deliver student devices to elementary parents when they drive up in their vehicles in a safe manner. The following schedule will be used to distribute devices:

9:00-10:00 Kindergarten

10:00-11:00 1st grade

11:00-12:00 2nd grade

12:00-1:00 3rd grade-6th grade

Any Jr. /Sr. High parents that need to pick up their child’s device will call the office between

9:00-12:00 to let administrators know they are coming to pick it up.

All devices will be handed to parents in their cars so no one is entering the schools. Any parent that cannot pick up a student device during these times needs to call the school’s front office and confirm a time they can pick up the device later that day.

Everyone is aware of the alarming rate at which this situation is changing. We promise to update everyone when local, state, or federal health department’s recommendations create a change in our educational world. Again, I appreciate your partnership in keeping our students and staff safe and healthy.

Sincerely,

Dr. Jarrod Burns

Superintendent

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Information on Coronavirus Disease 2019

From Dr Burns:

Dear Decatur County Community Schools Families,

We want to share what DCCS is doing in preparation for the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). As of today there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Decatur County. Please know that DCCS is working very closely with the Decatur County Health Department and Emergency Management. We are still in the process of gathering as much information as possible with this extremely fluid situation. DCCS will update all individuals early next week about what school will look like when we return from spring break.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Symptoms

exposure and may be mild to severe, just like influenza.

How COVID-19 Spreads

The virus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person

• Between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet).

• Through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs.

Precautionary Measures

Good hygiene practices are the best way to prevent the spread of any kind of illness:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. You may also use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.

• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, and throw away after you use it.

• Cough or sneeze into your sleeve, rather than your hands, if a tissue is not available.

• Try to avoid close contact with sick people.

• If students have a fever of 100 or higher. they shouldn’t return to school until they are 24 hours fever free.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.

• If you develop flu-like symptoms, call your healthcare provider to detem1ine next steps for care.

Additional Information

More information about the COVID-19 virus is available online at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV

Thank you for entrusting us with the care of your students. We appreciate your partnership in keeping our students and staff safe and healthy.

Sincerely,

Dr. Jarrod Burns

Superintendent

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SD-TV

South’s students will launch their first production of “SD-TV” after Spring Break, as a part of the Visual Arts program headed by Digital Arts teacher, Eric Foga. Principal Jim Jameson and South’s IT coordinator Chris Lindroth collaborated with Foga to create this new program that provides an avenue for students to regularly collect, write, edit, produce and air a news segment for the SD Cougar student body. Foga said, “The reason for the creation of the program is for provide better communication among the students/public and for students to experience a simulated work environment.”

The concept was conceived late January and by the beginning of February, according to Tyler Cole, a senior actively involved in the project, the principal’s building fund purchased the necessary equipment. The students, with the help of the custodial staff, have mounted a green screen, set up three new lighting ‘umbrellas’, and tested the new podcasting equipment in an effort to prepare for their first show at the end of March.

Some of the students in Foga’s 5^th and 7^th hour are spear-heading the pilot program. Seniors Tyler Cole and Austin Clark have assumed roles as the ‘news crew’, while Ian Frensemeier is editor/chief for a segment the students are calling, “Just the Chip”. Ryken Winchester and Tyler Hibberd are co-editors for “Just the Chip”, and Eli Lucas is Art Director / Design Editor for the entire project. Zach Luttel, also a senior, will be SD-TV’s first sportscaster, while Eli Lucas, Shawn Wright, Roger Hampton, Kelby Shook, Ian Frensemeier and Sydney Lucas are focusing on getting the pictures and videos for the various productions. Macey Miller, a freshman, has the challenge of being the “on-the-scene” photographer.

For the rest of 2019-20 school year, students involved with this project plan to record during 5^th and 7^th period each day and then, according to Foga, the shows will air weekly during the last 9-weeks. If all goes well this year, the experience will become a class option for the 2020-21 school year.

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Update from South Decatur!

Congratulations to the four South Decatur musicians who earned Gold medals at last Saturday’s ISSMA contests in Indianapolis. Emma Brumback, Sierra Kalli and Grayson Loper earned Gold with Distinction for their flute trio; Sierra earned Gold with her flute solo; and Trent Brumback earned Gold with Distinction for his trombone solo. Great work, Cougars.

Huge congratulations to Shelby Martin who is the new Key Club Lt. Governor for our District for 2020-2021.

Congratulations to Coach Kendall Wildey on his 200th career victory on Senior night last Friday as the Cougars defeated Knightstown 109-47