White County School System

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In accordance with Governor Kemp’s directive on March 23, 2020, White County Schools will continue with its Instructional Continuity Plan, learning from home, through Friday, April 3, 2020. During the week of April 6-10, 2020, the White County School System will observe the scheduled spring break.

The White County School System is grateful for all of the support and cooperation during the recent school closure. Ensuring that our students continue to learn during this time is our main priority. Teachers continue to be available Monday through Friday from 9AM-11AM and 1PM-3PM and can be contacted by email or phone during those times. Teacher websites and Google Classrooms will be updated regularly with student assignments. Packets are still available to K-1 students and any student that does not have internet access. Please call your student’s school if you have any questions or concerns.

Lunch and breakfast will continue to be available at thirteen locations as well as at the middle school drive-thru from 11:30AM-12:30PM, Monday-Friday. Meals will be available the weeks of March 23-27 and March 30-April 3, 2020. The list of locations for pick-up can be found at the school website at https://www.white.k12.ga.us/.

The Backpack Buddies program will be providing additional food for families on Friday, April 3, 2020.

Please continue to check the website often for updates and observe the CDC’s 15 Days to Slow the Spread document available on our website as we all work together to be healthy, be safe and #WCBEMORE.

White County School System

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Please see the meal plan for the week of March 23-27, 2020. Lunch and breakfast sacks will be provided for any White County School System student at any of the following locations and times:

• Bryant Street Community Center 11:00AM

• Kinsey Town Bus Route 11:00AM-11:45AM

• Whitehall Commons Apartments 11:15AM

• Oak Springs Community Center 11:15AM

• Cleveland City Park 11:30AM

• Shoal Creek Baptist Church 11:30AM

• Lanier Ridge Apartments 11:35AM

• Brookwood Village 11:45AM

• Unicoi Hill Park 12:00PM

• Sunny Ridge Apartments 12:00PM

• White Street 12:00PM

• Mossy Acres Mobile Home Park 12:15PM

*NEW* Linda’s Convenience Store 12:15PM-12:30PM *NEW* Located on Hwy. 129 North

White County Middle School will be operating a drive-thru at the front of the building where meals will be brought out to the cars from 11:30AM-12:30PM.

White County School System

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Superintendent Dr. Laurie Burkett

Today, March 13, 2020, students were provided with information on how to participate in educational opportunities during the school closure. Students in kindergarten and first grade have been given paper copies of instructional materials. Students in grades 2-8 have been given Chromebooks or paper instructional materials as appropriate. Students in grades 9-12 are expected to use their assigned Chromebooks to complete assignments.

If your student was absent today, materials can be picked up from each school on Monday, March 16, 2020, from 11AM-1PM.

Teachers will be available to assist students between the hours of 9AM-11AM and 1PM-3PM, Monday through Friday. Information on classes can be found on the teacher’s webpage located on each school’s website and they may be contacted via email. Parents are encouraged to monitor the completion of all activities for the continuation of learning.

As of Friday, March 13, 2020, all school-sponsored activities have been suspended including the usage of any WCSS facility for the week of March 16th. The WCSS Pandemic Task Force will reevaluate at the end of next week for any future closures.

I have been inspired by the amazing show of teamwork from our school and local community during this challenging time. We are blessed with amazing students, teachers, staff members, leaders and board members.

White County School System

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Superintendent Dr. Laurie Burkett

Today, March 12 at 3:00 pm, Governor Kemp shared guidance on prevention and decisions being made for our state government. According to the governor's call to action, White County Schools will be CLOSED beginning Monday, March 16, 2020 through Friday, March 20, 2020. We will re-evaluate Thursday, March 19 for the following week.

At this time, there are NO confirmed cases in our school system.

The district will continue to post updates on its website and will communicate additional information with families and employees as it becomes available. Tomorrow, March 13, 2020, students will be given information and material to minimize loss of instruction during the upcoming week.

Thank you for your flexibility as we strive to keep our school community safe.

White County School System

MEMORANDUM 🔘 MARCH 12, 2020

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To: WCSS School Community

From: Dr. Laurie Burkett, Superintendent

Date: March 12, 2020

Subject: Important Information and Guidance Regarding Coronavirus (COVID-19)

The health and wellness of our students and staff in White County School System (WCSS) is the district’s highest priority. WCSS remains in close communication with the White County Board of Health and other public health officials to make informed operational decisions. As the Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation continues to evolve, we will follow the guidance from the Department of Public Health (DPH), Georgia Department of Education (GADOE) and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to implement health recommendations and share updated information with WCSS families as it becomes available.

As of this date, there are no confirmed cases of Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the district. However, we are continuing to implement proactive measures to minimize risk to students, employees, and families relating to the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). Additional guidance regarding prevention, student attendance, enrollment, re-entry of students, field trips and competitions are included below.

Prevention

There is currently no vaccine to prevent the Coronavirus (COVID-19). The best way to prevent any illness is to avoid being exposed. However, as a reminder, CDC always recommends everyday preventive actions to help prevent the spread of respiratory diseases. We are emphasizing the following, important prevention steps for all students and families as recommended by health officials:

Stay home when you are sick, and keep your children at home when they are sick. As a reminder, students running a fever of 100.0 degrees must stay home from school until they are symptom-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication.

Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.

Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.

Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.

Student Attendance

Students who provide written documentation from their healthcare provider advising them to refrain from attending school due to illness will be fully accommodated in accordance with Board Policy JB. As a reminder, students running a fever of 100.0 must stay home from school until they are symptom-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication. If your child’s symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulty, please contact your medical provider immediately.

Parents and guardians should verify that their phone numbers and email addresses are correct in Infinite Campus and ensure that notification permissions are set to receive messages.

Student Enrollment

Before enrolling, families of students from countries identified by the CDC as having travel advisories for Coronavirus (COVID-19) and states identified as having community spread should contact Central Enrollment at 706-865-2315 x 1101. Central Enrollment will work with local and state public health officials to determine the appropriate registration and attendance plan. Next steps and additional guidance will be directly communicated to inquiring families.

Re-entry of Students

Traveling parents and guardians should inform their school Principal by telephone or email if anyone in their household has traveled to areas from countries with travel advisories due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19), as identified by the CDC. Upon notification, schools will work with health services, to determine the appropriate action regarding re-entry of those children into the school. Next steps and additional guidance will be directly communicated to inquiring families. For up-to-date information about Coronavirus (COVID-19) travel advisories, visit the CDC website here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html.

Field Trips

Given the steadily increasing numbers of reported cases both internationally and in the United States, including Georgia, WCSS is taking proactive, immediate measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19, within the WCSS community. Out of an abundance of caution, all WCSS-sponsored field trips to international locations are cancelled until further notice.

For out-state and in-state field trips, the district will proceed with caution on a case-by-case basis. Our District personnel, in conjunction with Health Services, will review and monitor all currently scheduled field trip requests for any needed cancellations.

All field trips will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis with special attention being placed on trips requiring air travel, events held in closed spaces, or events with 1,000 or more participants. We will consult with the destination prior to travel, and continue to monitor updates from CDC, DPH, EMA, and GADOE. We will revisit our guidance for field trips as situations evolve. A parent may choose for his/her child to opt-out of travel for any reason.

School Facilities

Our Facilities Team conducts a deep and thorough cleaning of our schools and offices daily. We are closely monitoring absence levels and reported illnesses of students and staff. As we follow the guidelines of local and state health agencies, we will strive to keep conditions in our schools and workplaces healthy and safe. If warranted, the district is prepared to deploy additional resources to ensure our school environments remain healthy. School leaders have been directed to monitor and provide an adequate supply of soap and hand sanitizer for student and employee use.

Instructional Continuity Plan

In an attempt to minimize instructional loss during potential school closure, the district will make every effort to ensure that our students' educational opportunities continue while at home. Additional information will be provided to parents and students via paper and/or teacher webpages.

Athletics, Regional, State, and National Competitions

WCSS has not placed restrictions on student participation in Athletics, Regional, State, or National Competitions held within Georgia; however, to ensure that caution is exercised when deemed necessary, the district will continue to work closely with local public health officials. Should athletics, extracurricular, or student competitions be restricted, postponed, or cancelled, parents will be immediately notified. Parents and guardians should verify that their phone numbers and email addresses are correct in Infinite Campus and ensure that notification permissions are set to receive messages.

Who to Call

If you have any additional questions or concerns about the Coronavirus, please contact the following:

White County Health Department: http://www.whitecounty.net/departments/health-department

Georgia Department of Public Health: https://dph.georgia.gov/contact-dph

24/7 Public Health Emergency Line - 1-866-PUB-HLTH (1-866-782-4584)

We will continue to update you with important information on the Coronavirus as needed. Thank you for your support and cooperation in helping to keep our students and schools healthy and safe.