April 10, 2020

Dear Parents and Guardians

We have made it through the fourth week of the extended school closure and the first week of instruction on new material. I know that these days and weeks have not been easy and I am grateful to our teachers, staff, students, and parents/guardians for continuing to go above and beyond to provide learning opportunities and stay connected. As with any major changes, there will be bumps in the road and our teachers and staff will continue to navigate these and adjust accordingly as we proceed.

Today is the first day of spring break and I hope you are able enjoy the next week. I know there are limitations on things to do with the current social distancing guidelines and many of you have had to cancel plans, but I encourage you to unplug, relax, and spend time with family.

Here are a few updates.

Online Learning

•      We had a successful first week with instruction of new material. Teachers used numerous platforms and resources to connect with students throughout the week.

•      A reminder that when working with Zoom, students should only log on through Clever. They should not go to the Zoom website or create an account.

Spring Break

• Today is the first day of Spring Break, which runs through Sunday, April 19.
• There will be no assignments posted during this time.
• Online instruction will resume on Monday, April 20, 2020.

Lunches for Week of April 13-17

• The Nutrition Services team will offer boxed lunches for students in grades K-12 next week (April 13-17). If you are interested in ordering lunches for your child(ren), please fill out this form. The form will need to be filled out more than once if you are requesting lunches for more than one child.
• All orders must be submitted by 11:59pm on Sunday, April 12.
• Drive through pick-up will be on Monday, April 13, between 11:30am-12:30pm at Rocky River Middle School.
• As a reminder, parents/guardians may fill out an application for free or reduced lunch (RRHS/RRMS) and free milk (GPS/KIS) at any time. For immediate processing please use the secure lunchapp.com web site. Applications will be processed during the extended school closure and the benefits will carry through the end of the year. These benefits will also cover meals we are serving during the extended school closure. If you have any questions about this, please email Nutrition Services Supervisor Tina Wasserbauer ([email protected]).

COVID-19 Information Website and FAQs

• The district is maintaining a COVID-19 webpage that includes recent communications, information, and resources for parents and families.
• Resources that have been recently added include:

Everyday Prevention (Prevention Action Alliance)

Parenting During Coronavirus: You are Enough! (PBS)

CDC Resources on Stress & Coping (Centers for Disease Control)

Mental Health Resources for Adolescents and Young Adults (Society for Adolescent Health & Medicine)

• Behavioral specialist Amy Alison is sharing brief videos with tips on behavior topics. Here are links to the first two videos:

Providing Choices

Using a Schedule

• Please click here to visit our FAQ website. If you have a question regarding the extended school closure and COVID-19, please click here to submit it.
  
• Is there an update on the 8th grade Washington, DC trip?

The district has made the difficult decision to cancel the 8th grade trip to Washington, DC scheduled for June 2-4, to ensure the health and safety of our students and staff in this uncertain time. By canceling at this time, it will also allow families to receive the maximum refund possible. The district and Nowak Tours will be in communication with families regarding refunds.

Week in Review Video

• There were several highlights throughout the district this week, including another #RrSchoolsVirtualSpiritWeek, the RRCSD being recognized for its commitment to music education with a 2020 Best Community for Music Education Award, and RRMS teachers parading around Rocky River on Thursday afternoon to say hello to students and families. I know the students, families and staff enjoyed the parade and having a chance to see each other.
• To watch this week’s video review, please click here.

I hope you continue to stay safe and healthy and I encourage you to keep supporting others as you have been over the last month.

Thank you for your continued support of the Rocky River City School District.

Sincerely,