There is no doubt we are living through a strange and challenging period in our nation, state, and community. At this time, our schools will remain closed until at least April 13. All of our lives and daily routines have been upended in a way that is uncomfortable and at times scary. I want you to know that in this time of chaos, the Hudson Community School District is here to offer support during these unusual times.
Tonight, the Board of Directors met and adopted Emergency Resolutions that ensure the continuity of operations that I hope provide a bit of peace and comfort to all our stakeholders. You can find a copy of those resolutions below. Additionally, you can now find a page on our website that is now dedicated to news from the district and our response to this pandemic. You can access that page here
Tomorrow we will begin to ramp up our operations as we enter a new unknown. You see, our schools are much more than the brick and mortar buildings we ‘go to’ daily. The fact is, our schools really are the people! They are you! It is then our intention to begin offering educational opportunities to our students remotely. This begins with our teachers making contact with you and your children tomorrow. This contact may be email, phone call, or through the CANVAS LMS system. They have been asked to do so by the end of the day. We will try things in the coming days that will be successful. We will also try things in the coming days that will not. Never before in the history of our country have we attempted to reinvent an educational system in the course of a few short days, and done so remotely. This is, for all practical purposes, an experiment. The overarching objective in this experiment is to serve you and to meet the needs of your children. The opportunities our teacher provides for you are optional. If they don’t work for whatever reason, let us know and we’ll try to do something different. If you need something specific, please don’t hesitate to let your teacher know. We truly want to be of service to you.
If you need access to the building for medication or essential items needed for remote learning or band instruments your contact is Mr. Bell. Visits to the building will only be available March 24th between the times of 7:30am and 5:00pm and must be scheduled through Mr. Bell. In an effort to practice social distancing, you will be given a precise time to arrive and will have an escort at arms length while in the facility. For that reason, you must be on time and be prepared to be quick and targeted. Please fill out this form so we can coordinate these strategic visits to the facilities. If you are late, we are uncertain of the next time you will be able to access the facilities.
Our food service program is now up and running. Any child aged 18 or under is eligible to receive free meals under this emergency program. We have two pickup sites in our district: the Community Center at Country Terrace (11:00-11:30 Monday and Thursday), and at the back of the elementary school (11:00-11:45 Monday and Thursday). Sites will be operational two times a week where multiple meals will be distributed. To help give us an idea of how many meals to prepare, please fill out this brief form.
Turning now to our students, I want to direct my following comments to them. We all miss you terribly. We look forward to seeing you fill our hallways again soon, to see you compete under our jersey, and watch you light up the stage in performance. We understand this is not the school year you envisioned and feel great empathy for the situation in which you now find yourself. Unfortunately the days of instruction you are missing right now will not be made up and the competitions we had scheduled are unlikely to happen. As for the upcoming prom and spring musical, it is in your best interest if we postpone these events.
Finally to the Class of 2020. These are not the memories you wished for your senior year. But these are the memories you will have, and they will be strong. I encourage you to reflect on this time and look for the lessons that are certain to emerge. Apply those lessons, and someday you will be able to tell your grandchildren, ‘I remember when’. In closing I don’t want you to fret about graduating, we’ve got your back. I am very much looking forward to the honor of handing you your diploma and shaking your hand.
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