April 12th - 11:00pm

April 5th - 12:00pm

I hope everyone is hanging in there and adapting to this new temporary rhythm of life.  The entire staff misses seeing the students and families each day. Remember to keep taking it a day at a time...it’s more manageable that way.

As the Governor has now officially extended the school closure and stay at home order through May 1st, the link below will take you to a new District remote learning webpage, which contains links to each building plan and other useful items.

Remote Learning Page

The new stay at home order means all District facilities, including buildings and all athletic fields are closed to students and the public through May 1st.

Beginning April 6th, breakfast and lunch grab and go service will be available at 5 neighborhood locations as well as at Batavia Elementary School every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.  Meals are free for any child ages 18 or below. The link below has more details.

Food Service Delivery Locations and Schedule

For those who have internet connection needs, two extended wifi hotspots have been set up at Bulldog Place.  The link below will give you more information.

Bulldog Place Wifi Hotspots

For our open enrolled families, the open enrollment application period opens on Monday, April 6th.  More information is at the link below.

Open Enrollment Instructions

Regarding graduation and prom, the high school is currently working on a set of backup dates in June and a second set of backup dates in July should social distancing rules be extended past May 1st.

As far as coming back to school, our remote learning plans are focused on getting us through the next four weeks, and once the Governor announces plans past May 1st additional guidance will be released on how the school year will be concluded.

Keep taking care of yourself and each other.

Keith

As our first full week of operating in ‘remote learning’ status draws to a close, a few updates:

• Spring break will still be observed for the week of March 23 - 27.  The biggest implication is there will be no grab and go food service during this week.  Please click here for a list of community groups that are offering meals and other assistance during this week.

• Between now and April 1st, teachers will be reaching out by phone to all families to check in with you and your child.  If your family has a specific food or other family support need, please communicate this need to [email protected]

• Our second week of remote learning from March 30 - April 3rd will run the same as it did during this past week.  At the time of this writing, no decision has been made by the Governor’s office regarding when school will reopen, and staff are currently planning for what instruction will look like should we be out past April 3rd.

• For our Seniors in the Class of 2020, we know this is a very stressful time, and more information regarding senior scholarships, prom, and graduation will be made available once a clearer direction on how long school will be closed is provided by the Governor’s office.

I know I speak for the entire staff in saying that we miss seeing the students and we know how hard it has been for everyone to have the regular rhythms of school life completely upended.  The good news is that this will not last, and we are fortunate to live in a day and age where we have technology tools that allow us to stay connected. Keep leaning on one another for support and we’ll all get through this by taking it one day at a time.

Before jumping into the update, I just want to take a moment to recognize all of the members of the Batavia staff for their efforts over the past 48 hours.  Taking an operation that is designed to serve kids that arrive each day and flipping the switch to a service model where the kids you serve suddenly aren’t there is a big undertaking.  The teamwork and mission focus displayed was a testament to the care and concern the staff has for the students and community on a daily basis. It was a proud superintendent moment to see it all in action!

Below are the most recent information updates from categories shared in Thursday’s communication:

Academic Activities

Today, teachers in each building developed lessons that students will complete at home during the week of March 16th and the week of March 30th.  Each building principal has sent an email with specific details, and all assignments for the week of March 16th will be communicated electronically by Monday.

Building/Student Activities

All student activities, including athletic practices and contests, are cancelled through April 5th.  The Ohio High School Athletic Association has banned all team activities during this time. The buildings will be closed to all outside events and groups.

Food Service

As a district we will have two Grab N’ Go Stations open for breakfast and lunch purchases at Batavia Elementary and Batavia Middle School from 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM each day during the weeks of March 16th and March 30th.  Normal cafeteria procedures will be in place (a student who is eligible for free meals will receive meals for free, a student who is eligible for reduced price meals will pay the reduced price, and full pay students will be charged the regular price).

One of the most upsetting things to us as educators regarding the closure has been the disruption of daily food service operations, and we have worked to quickly find a solution that will be helpful to families.

Please contact your building principal with questions or to alert regarding special circumstances with families who may need help accessing meals.

Just as a reminder, the latest information from the Ohio Department of Health can be found here and the latest information from the Centers for Disease Control can be found here.

Please take care of yourself and look out for one another as we all walk this road together.

It has certainly been a whirlwind 48 hours.  Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work through a vast amount of information as the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve.

The District will be closed beginning tomorrow (3/13/2020) and will remain closed through Sunday (4/5/2020), which marks the end of Governor Dewine’s school closing order.  While we anticipate reopening beginning Monday (4/6/2020), this could change depending on the status of the COVID-19 situation at that point and further orders from the governor.

Tomorrow, staff will be reporting and will be working on lessons to be completed at home both next week (March 16 - March 20), as well as the week of March 30 - April 3 (which is the week after our scheduled spring break week).

More information regarding at home assignments will be sent by the end of the day on Friday (3/13/2020).

Below are several other important items as we prepare for these next three weeks:

Student Books/Instruments/Medicines

These can be picked up at school tomorrow (Friday 3/13/2020) during normal building operating hours.  Any unavoidable conflicts that would prevent picking items up on Friday can be handled on a case by case basis by emailing the building principal.

Activities

All activities that are hosted at district buildings are cancelled during this three week period.  We are awaiting final guidance from the OHSAA and SBAAC on spring sport athletic practices/events and will communicate tomorrow (3/13/2020).

Food Service

We plan to run a modified form of breakfast and lunch service during this closure, and are awaiting final guidance from the Ohio Department of Education before making final plans.  An update will be communicated tomorrow (3/13/2020).

Election Day

Batavia High School and Batavia Middle School are both designated as election day sites on Tuesday, March 17th, and will be open for primary voting as scheduled.

While necessary, closing school for this length of time is very difficult for everyone involved, and as a district we will work to be a source of support during these uncertain times.  Keep hanging in there, and remember to follow the CDC’s guidance on reducing the spread of COVID-17.

Additional updates will be coming out tomorrow.