Dear Families and Staff,

You’ve most likely heard in the news that the “Safer at Home” order has been overturned by the State Supreme Court. We have received feedback that in a footnote to this 161 page decision, school closures will remain in place. Therefore, we believe that public and private schools will remain closed for the remainder of the school year (June 30, 2020), for pupil instruction and extracurricular activities.

As this situation continues to develop we will provide you with updates in as timely of a manner as possible.

Jake Beschta, the principal of Oconto Falls High School, and Dr. Dean Hess, Superintendent of Schools, join the podcast this week to talk about how we are honoring the class of 2020.

If you have information you would like the Board of Education to consider regarding the Class of 2020, please feel free to fill out the form below prior to noon on May 11, 2020. Thank you!

Superintendent, Dean Hess, and Athletic Director, Jerry Moynihan recently participated in a podcast regarding 2020 Spring sports and activities. Please feel free to listen to the podcast below to gain more details about the current situation.

Also, if you have information you would like the Board of Education to consider, please feel free to fill out the form below prior to noon on May 11, 2020. Thank you!

Dear Parents/Guardians:  

As we continue on in this virtual educational world, the Pupil Services Team wants to reach out to continue to let families and students know we are all here for you!  If you reach out, team members will get back to you (parents and/or students) as soon as they can within “regular” school hours.  The team also wanted to share some resources to support student and family social-emotional wellness during this time. See resources listed below.     

 

Pupil Services Team and Their Contact Information

Building/Staff	Role	Email	Phone (Voice or Text)
Abrams Elementary School
Patrice Fick	School Counselor	patrice.fick@of-ps.org	(920) 234-8022
Oconto Falls Elementary School
Angela Parkansky	School Counselor	angela.parkansky@of-ps.org	(920) 234-8018
Jean Eastman	School Counselor	jean.eastman@of-ps.org	(920) 234-8021
Haley Bray	School Psychologist	haley.bray@of-ps.org	(920) 234-5892
Washington Middle School
Derek Johnson	School Psychologist	derek.johnson@of-ps.org	(920) 328-5418
Oconto Falls High School
Students A-K:   Lee Kornaus	School Counselor	lee.kornaus@of-ps.org	(920) 234-8023
Students L-Z:   Ann Shallow	School Counselor	ann.shallow@of-ps.org	(920) 234-8017
Ruth Barnett	School Psychologist	ruth.barnett@of-ps.org	(920) 234-6127
Lynette Donart	School Nurse – Abrams, OFES, WMS	lynette.donart@of-ps.org	(920) 373-5131
Bobbi Jo Boomsma	School Nurse – OFHS	bobbijo.boomsma@of-ps.org	(920) 234-6946

 

Social-Emotional Wellness Resources

Crisis Intervention

Local Crisis Intervention counselors provide mental health services 24 hours a day, every day.  They provide telephone counseling and referral to other support services.  Crisis counselors can be reached at the following numbers:

Oconto County:  8:00am – 4:00 pm (920) 834-7000

All other hours (920) 846-3444   (ask for crisis worker)
Marinette County:  1-800-273-8255
Shawano County:  (920) 238-3253
Brown County:  (920) 436-8888
Suicide Prevention Life Line:  1-800-273-8255

Resources for Early Childhood-1st Grade

PBS Kids Resource for Younger Children
Child Mind Institute – Talking to your child about the coronavirus
Time to Come In, Bear: A Children’s Story About Social Distancing
Millie and Suzi – Why we Stay Home Online Book

Resources for All Elem Students

CDC Copying with Stress/Anxiety
Go Noodle Activities
World Health Organization – Helping children cope with stress during the 2019-nCoV outbreak
Bright Horizons – How to help Children Relieve Stress

Resources for Adolescent Resources

Unicef – How teenagers can protect mental health during Covid-19
Mindfulness for Teens
SSM – Quick Tips for Mental Health During Covid-19

School Nursing

HSHS St. Clare – Nurses Nook
CDC: Caring for children while school is out
Keeping Kids Active
Cloth Face Coverings for Children
Hand Washing 101
Noah Henry (A rainbow story)
Coronavirus a book for children 

4/24/2020

Dear Parents/Guardians:  

My hope is this letter finds you and your family well!  I wanted to reach out to the families of the students that have IEPs to share the focus of the special education support provided during this remarkable time in education.  I want to share the message with families that I have been sharing with all of our special education staff and building administration.  

General Considerations within Special Education 

1. Focus on the safety, health and welfare of students and staff members.  
2. Consider how to provide special education services within the context of the family’s and child’s circumstances (access, services and collaboration with families).  That may look different for each family.  
3. Treat each student, family and situation individually.    
4. Continue to review both federal and state guidance as it is provided on a weekly and/or daily basis.    

Specific Focus of Special Ed Staff Work:

1. Recognize each student’s level of progress on IEP goals in Mid-March, when in-person services stopped.
2. Provide materials (virtual and/or paper) for students to support IEP goal maintenance prior to closure.
3. Document attempts to provide these materials and other supports to students with IEPs around their IEP goals to ensure we are best serving our students.
4. Collaborate with regular education teachers to ensure access of materials sent by regular education teachers.  
5. Regularly engage with and communicate with students and families, based on each individual family’s situation.
6. Continue to meet our required annual IEP meeting timelines by providing regularly scheduled annual IEP meetings via Zoom.
7. Work with families to complete evaluations, seek extensions or waive reevaluations, when needed.  

IEP’s and Special Education Services were not built for this amount of change, in such a short period of time.  I can’t thank all of our families enough for the support and understanding during this time of change!  It is an honor to serve our students with disabilities in any manner we can during this challenging time.  Please reach out to your child’s special education teacher or myself with any questions.  We all can’t wait to see our students when it is safe for everyone!  

Stay Well!

Terri Olsen

Director of Pupil Services/Special Education

***NEW ABRAMS PICK-UP SITE***

FREE Food Service Option During School Closure

Oconto Falls Public Schools will be expanding our FREE Grab and Go Breakfast and Lunch option to include pick-up at Abrams Elementary.

Mondays and Wednesdays, starting April 29,2020. 

12:00pm until 12:30pm at Abrams Elementary Parking Lot

• On Mondays you will be provided the option to pick up two days of breakfast and lunch per student.
• Wednesdays you will be given three days of breakfast and lunch per student.
• These meals will be Free and Available for students 18 and under (no form or registration required) and disabled adults age 21 and under who are enrolled in public or private school.
• These meals will be available only on regular scheduled school days. Please refer to the 2019-2020 school calendar. 
• This service will be a drive through grab and go and individuals are not allowed to leave your vehicle.   
• A parent/family member may pick up without the students being present. 

Menus will be shared on Facebook every Friday for both Oconto Falls High School and Abrams Pick-up sites.

If you have questions or concerns, please email jennifer.faccio@of-ps.org or call (920)848-4471.  Thank you

COVID-19 Alternative Learning Grading Guidance

Grades PreK – 8  

• Elementary students’ trimester grade will not be lower than earned grade as of March 13, 2020.
• Middle school students will not receive grades for quint 4 or quint 5.
• The goal for the remainder of the school year is for students to maintain and sustain skills learned through March 13, as well as to be exposed to new learning that teachers feel are key learning targets related to the standards.
• There will be no grades given after March 13, 2020.

Grading Practices for Grades PreK-8: 

The district’s philosophy for grading at the elementary and middle levels reflects an “Educational Enrichment” approach, which will result in students receiving materials that both support retaining prior knowledge as well as being exposed to new learning opportunities.  Elementary teachers will support students through weekly communication and feedback. Report cards for the trimester will reflect feedback based on the work completed during the last trimester, which would have been during our Covid 19 closure, involving virtual learning. This feedback would represent a student’s individual growth, level of participation and possible summer learning recommendations.

Students at the middle level will be provided with opportunities to maintain prior knowledge and continue learning with new materials.  Middle school teachers will support students through daily enrichment and educational opportunities, learning activities, and communication.  The focus will continue to be on feedback in lieu of grades.  Middle school report cards will be sent home at the conclusion of the school year.  The report card will offer feedback in the form of grades for the first 3 quints and comments from student engagement and participation during the final 2 quints.

Grades 9 – 12 

• Students will receive a credit, no evidence, or no credit grade for the second semester. 
• Student’s letter grades for the 3rd quarter will not be lower than their earned grade as of March 13, 2020.
• Students were allowed to redo, re-take, or complete work assigned through March 13 to improve third-quarter grade.  (Students were provided this opportunity through May 1.)
• Only letter grades will be used to determine honor roll and tie-breaking for scholarship determination based on grades assigned throughout a student’s cumulative high school experience, excluding the second semester of the 2019-2020 school year.
• An alternative educational plan will be implemented for students who receive a NO EVIDENCE grade due to complete lack of engagement in learning during the high school’s virtual instruction to receive course credit.

Grading Practices for Grades 9-12: 

We will be utilizing a hybrid model for grading that will allow for a Credit / No Evidence / No Credit grade in place of the normal letter grade method for measuring and recording a student’s learning progress in a specific course, completed during the final semester of the 2019-20 school year.  This method of grading accomplishes the following: 

• Ensures a “Do No Harm” philosophy for our students. A student’s 3rd quarter grade (of Credit / No Credit) should not be lower than what it was as of Friday, March 13, 2020. Students should be allowed to make up missed work prior to March 13, 2020 to improve their grade.   
• Allows for shared responsibility between parent/guardian and District. 
  • The Credit / No Credit grade will be utilized for the second semester of the 2019-2020 school year.
  • Enables a student that was struggling prior to March 13, 2020 to bring their grade up. 
• Students that do not engage in the educational learning opportunities provided to them will initially receive a “No Evidence” grade.  This will stay in effect for —- weeks when if not addressed by the students will be replaced with a “No Credit” grade
• Semester II (2019-2020) grades will not be calculated into a student’s cumulative GPA.
• All courses that result in a grade of Credit will result in the awarding of high school credit as progress made towards graduation. 
• Only letter grades will be counted toward honor roll status and for tie-breaking determination for scholarships, excluding the second semester of the 2019-2020 school year. 
• Dual credit courses, college-credit courses, and transcribed courses would be conducted and graded as per the policies of the post-secondary institution.  

Advanced Placement (AP): 

• For the 2019–20 exam only, students can take a 45-minute online free-response exam at home. Since some students have lost more instructional time than others, the exam will include only topics and skills most AP teachers and students covered in class through March 13. Please use this link to access free exam practice courses offered by AP on YouTube: https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/coronavirus-updates#free-ap-classes. 
• Colleges support the shortened test solution and are committed to ensuring that AP students receive the credit they have worked to earn.  Students will be able to take these streamlined exams on any device including a computer, tablet, or smartphone. Submitting a photo of handwritten work will also be an option. The College Board recognizes that the digital divide could prevent some low-income and rural students from participating. Working with partners, the College Board will ensure that these students have the tools and connectivity they need to review AP content online and take the exam. If students need mobile tools or connectivity, they should reach out directly to the College Board to request assistance by completing the form at https://collegeboard.tfaforms.net/74. This general website gives additional updated information on the changes discussed in this document https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/about-ap/news-changes/coronavirus-update.

Students with IEP’s or 504 Plans in the District

• Students will be provided appropriate resources and accommodations in the virtual learning  or alternative learning setting through collaboration between classroom teacher, special education teacher, support staff member, the student, and parents/guardians.  
• Additionally, classroom teachers, special education teachers ,support staff,  the student, and parents/guardians will consider, as necessary, alternative methods to measure whether a student has met or exceeded minimum proficiency standards.  
• If changes need to be made to supports or accommodations in a virtual or alternative learning setting, an IEP or 504 meeting can be scheduled to make necessary changes to support skill demonstration for a student.     
• Student IEP goals will be assessed at the end of the current school year and upon the start of the following school year, which does not affect grades.

Dear Families,

Yesterday Governor Evers announced that he has ordered our school buildings to be closed through the end of the 2019-2020 school year as part of Emergency Order #28 (Safer at Home).  As we shared in a previous letter, we have been planning for this potential decision, and earlier this week, our board of education took action to approve educational plans for the remainder of the school closing.  Yesterday you should have received communication from your child’s principal outlining the educational programming you can expect. Please know that the members of our team stand ready to work collaboratively with you and your child to ensure that you receive the support you need to be successful for the remainder of the year.  

As part of our proactive planning, we have been brainstorming potential courses of action related to how we might conduct graduations, award/scholarship ceremonies, yearbook distribution, and other end-of-year activities.  We will be reaching out to you during the next days and weeks to provide you with plans that address these challenges. In each situation we will be thoughtful that our processes keep to the forefront the safety of our students, families, and staff.  During this same timeframe, we anticipate that you will have many questions and concerns. Please review your child’s school and our district website where we are regularly posting information. If further assistance is needed, please reach out to your child’s teacher, building principal, or me.  

I recognize that this news may be very difficult for you and your child.  As a school district we, too, are struggling with this news. However, over the past few weeks, I have been lifted up by student and parent feedback when they’ve shared examples of how this difficult situation has positively impacted their family as it relates to time together.  I am thankful for the way that these challenges have brought our school staff together with our families, and have strengthened our relationships. You have my word that our school district family will continue to provide both educational and emotional support for our students and you as we navigate through these challenges.    

Please accept my appreciation for the manner in which you and your family are following the stay-at-home guidance.  Although tragic, the data shared by Governor Evers yesterday is also hopeful and supports the theories that our stay-at-home actions are having a positive impact to reduce the spread of COVID-19.  With that understood, it is important that we stay the course and continue to support this extension of the Safer at Home order. This link to the Safer at Home FAQ  document provides answers and practical feedback to many frequently asked questions.  Through everyone’s willingness to make sound decisions aligned with this guidance, we can save lives during this public health emergency.      

We are in this together, and together we are stronger!

Dean R. Hess
Superintendent of Schools

To our Oconto Falls School District students & families: 

WE ARE STILL YOUR SCHOOL NURSES & WE CARE ABOUT YOU! 

These unprecedented times may be presenting you with many challenges and leaving you with feelings of uncertainty.  These concerns we share are impacting our community, nation & world in ways that we could have never imagined. The next few weeks will determine if we are having success in mitigating the spread of COVID19.  This requires a complete disruption to the busy lifestyle that we all know. We are all experiencing a ‘new normal’. However, if you do your part to stay safe & stay home, we will all be back together, learning, socializing & enjoying this great community again soon.  We will get through this together – while apart! 

COVID19 circumstances are in constant motion of change but we want you to be assured that we are staying informed and educated so that we can best assist you now, as your health is still our priority AND so that we can prepare for how your health needs may have changed when we are able to return to school.

Your physical and emotional wellbeing are both important.  Stress can have a great impact on each. Find ways to keep healthy in all aspects of your life.  This is going to look very different as we all find ourselves in unique situations: working from home, stress about having to continue to work in the community, unemployment and financial concerns, new family routines, virtual learning, schooling at home, health needs other than COVID19 … the list is endless.  

Keep in mind the following as we proceed with this challenge together:

• Please reach out so that we can help assist you to the best of our abilities or help direct you to the resources you need. 
• Continue to stay connected to one another!  There are ways to accomplish this through appropriate social distancing.  Connection is more important now than ever before! 
• Stay active!  Make time every day to get moving, up your heart rate & clear your mind.
• Practice good hand hygiene
  • Wash hands frequently, scrubbing with soap & water for at least 20 seconds
  • Disinfect frequently used surfaces
  • Avoid touching your face & cover your cough & sneeze
• For those that continue to work outside the home as essential workers:
  • Wash hands often, specifically when leaving & entering the home and workplace
  • Change your clothes when getting home
  • Stay home when you are sick
• CDC is now recommending wearing face masks out in public.  
  • DO NOT let this become a false sense of security.  
  • This is intended to stop the germs you are carrying.  It is not intended to directly protect you! 
• Continue to practice social distancing, limit your leaving of home to essential work and needs, coming directly home after and  STAY SAFE! 

If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out.  We continue to be here for your child & family. We want to make sure that your health and basic needs are being met.  We have resources to assist you.  

WE ARE STILL YOUR NURSES!  

Stay Safe & Stay well

Lynette Donart, RN, BSN
lynette.donart@of-ps.org
920-373-5131

Bobbi Jo Boomsma, RN, BSN
bobbijo.boomsma@of-ps.org
920-234-6946