This is the latest update sent to parents and guardians from Superintendent Nancy House on Tuesday, March 17, 2020:

Dear parents and guardians,

Each day seems to bring updates and new closures or cancellations as this unprecedented event in our nation unfolds. I wanted to send an update on a few things happening in our district this week:

• BUILDINGS ARE CLOSED - All of our buildings are now closed to the public, including our District Administrative Offices. We decided to close our District Administrative Office to the public as a preventative measure to keep our staff healthy. District Administrative Office staff will continue to work during the extended school closure. If you had an appointment scheduled, you will be contacted by phone to reschedule.

• ALL EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES ARE CANCELLED - All school events and activities are cancelled from now until April 3. The Governor ordered that districts close through April 3. Our Spring Break begins April 6. We will be making decisions about events after April 3, and we will communicate that information with you.

• BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETINGS ARE CANCELLED - The Board's special meeting scheduled for this evening is cancelled and the Board's work session scheduled for Thursday, March 19 at 5:30 p.m. is cancelled. The Board is not legally allowed to cancel a regularly scheduled meeting without a prior vote. Therefore, the majority of Board members will meet Thursday, March 19 at 7:00 p.m. and vote to cancel their regularly scheduled meeting. Click here to see the agenda for the meeting. There are no other topics on the agenda other than the cancellation of the meeting.

• NUTRITION SERVICES WILL CONTINUE - We are providing meals to students who need them now until April 3. Meals are available for pick up from Mulberry Elementary School. Lunches and breakfasts will be packaged together for the same family. To order a meal, families are asked to call by 10 a.m. the day they plan to pick it up. Families can indicate when they call if they intend to order meals for the week, or just for that day. This information will help our Nutrition Services Department plan and order enough food for all families. To order a meal, or if you have questions, the following Nutrition Services Staff are available to help: Kathy King - (513) 576-2290; Kim Gregory - (513) 576-4160, Peggy Parsons - (513) 576-2291, or Gerry Levy - (513) 576-2292. Please leave a message with your first and last name if your call is not answered. Families must also indicate if there are any food allergies in the household. There will be limited delivery available for families that do not have transportation, are quarantined, or for other reasons are unable to pick up the meals.

• KEEPING STUDENTS ENGAGED DURING THIS EXTENDED CLOSURE - Students in grades 7 through 12 are learning digitally March 16 through April 3. Their teachers are communicating with them through our online learning platforms, and they are available by email and through online platforms Monday through Friday. Students are expected to check their online platforms for information from their teachers during this extended school closure. Students in grades preschool through sixth grade are working on activities for practice and skill-building at home. The types of assignments for grades preschool through sixth and the depth of content for these students will gradually increase. Elementary teachers will be collaborating and organizing a plan for what this will look like for students in the coming weeks. Teachers will continue to communicate with parents during this extended school closure and will be available to answer questions by email daily Monday through Friday.

• ONLINE LEARNING RESOURCES - We're working on adding a list of resources to our website that will house a database of free learning websites for your family. The resources will supplement the lessons and activities provided by your child's teacher. There are hundreds of resource lists and social media groups circulating online, and new ones are popping up daily. Our list will be vetted by educational professionals for appropriateness by grade level and subject matter. We will communicate again when it launches later this week.

• TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY - Take care of your family and take preventative measures to stay healthy. Social distancing does not mean emotional distancing. Make sure you take the time to connect with your friends and loved ones by text, phone or video, or online. Watch your children's stress level and take appropriate breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories, including social media.

• STAY CONNECTED WITH US - We recognize there are a lot of anxieties right now given the uncertainty of what each day brings. We know our students are missing the day to day routines of school. Our teachers and staff are working very hard to make this new reality of online learning and at-home skill building successful for our students. We ask for patience during this time as we smooth out the bumps and figure things out. We don't have all of the answers right now. We urge you to reach out to us directly if you have a question, we are here to help. District administrators, building principals, and secretaries are available to take calls and emails Monday through Friday. Our main phone number is (513) 831-1314 and our main email address is contactmilford@milfordschools.org. Refer to our directory here for phone numbers for each of our school buildings and for an email address directory. If your student in grades 7-12 has an issue with their device (needing a repair or a charger, for example), please contact Rob Dunn, Director of Technology & Innovation, by email or call (513) 248-3456.

Sincerely,

Nancy House, Superintendent