March 12, 2020

To: Miamisburg School Families

Re: COVID-19 (Coronavirus)

We have received word from the Governor’s office that all Ohio Public Schools will be closed effective Monday, March 16, 2020 for three weeks.

We had hoped that we would have had a little more time for our planning of this closure and we will be setting things into motion to make sure everyone is aware of what we are doing and how we are planning on continuing the educational process for all of our students.

Our administrators and staff are working hand-in-hand to prepare for this closure of school for an extended time period. As part of our Coronavirus preparedness program, we will be dedicating our scheduled Professional Development Day on Monday, March 16, 2020, to working with staff across the district in developing grade-appropriate and accessible curriculum that can be delivered to our students.

Part of the plan will be to assure that all of our families will have access to the materials necessary for assignments. The details for this are being finalized and will be shared to everyone as soon as the plans are completed and we will continue to send the arrangements on a regular basis.

Our goal is that through our work on our Professional Development Day, we will not only be ready to face this challenge but to use it as a template for future events of this nature. We will continue to work on our strategies to be able to provide resources to keep the educational process moving forward.

All students will be asked to take all of the necessary materials needed for their classes home with them on Friday, March 13, 2020 and their teachers will let them know that there will be information going home on a regular basis to keep them apprised of work to be completed, as well as any new developments with this event.

We certainly apologize for the short notice. We were told Wednesday (yesterday) that the Governor was not yet prepared to close schools. I can only surmise that the actions of many larger organizations and other states influenced this decision.

If you have any questions or concerns, please call or email.

Sincerely,

David S. Vail, PhD
Superintendent

What the Experts Say

As with anyillness, such as the flu, the Ohio Department of Health recommends the followingprecautions for your child(ren} and you:

• Keep your child home if they are sick (exceptto visit a health care professional).
• Instruct and remind your child to wash their hands for 20 seconds or more with soapy water
• Instruct and remind your child to avoid touching their eyes, nose, or mouth withunwashed hands
• Avoid contact with people who are sick
• Instruct and remind your child to cover their mouth/nose with a tissue or sleeve whencoughing or sneezing
• Provide your child with adequate sleep and eat well-balanced meals to ensure a healthyimmune system.

Letter from Public Health Dayton Montgomery County

Ohio Department of Health COVID-19 Call Center
833-4-ASKODH (833-427-5634)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Information on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
https://www.cde.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Preventing COVID-1 Spread in Communities
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/index.html

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Coronavirus Disease 2019 Information for Travel
https://www.cde.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
When and How to Wash Your Hands
https://www.cde.gov/handwashing/when-how-handwashing.html

Ohio Departmentof Health
How You Can Prevent and Prepare
https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/covid-19/

National Association of School Psychologists
Talking to Children about COVID-19
http://bit.ly/2U2ex02

Miamisburg High School senior Caroline Gillespie was awarded the Franklin B. Walter Scholarship. The award was presented from the Montgomery County Educational Service Center Wednesday, March 11th at a luncheon at the Dayton Marriott. The stipend is to be used to defray cost for books, fees and other college related expenses for the 2020-2021 school year.

Dr. Franklin B. Walter was the superintendent of Ohio schools and he stressed the importance of scholarship, integrity and involvement. School officials were asked to recommend students who were honest; respectful of others; involved in school/church/community/work activities; and displayed a strong work ethic toward his/her studies. Caroline qualified in all categories! Upon learning that she had been chosen, Caroline was asked to choose a "teacher of influence", who would also be honored. Caroline chose Miamisburg High School teacher Jared Lovin. Congratulations Caroline! (Pictured below are Jared Lovin, Caroline, and Superintendent Dr. David Vail)