Schools Closing as of March 18, 2020

March 15, 2020

Dear CVSD Community,

First and foremost, we want to thank you for your patience and understanding surrounding COVID19 and its implications for our school community. We understand that this time is fraught with concerns, all of which are real and valid. As we navigate this ever-changing landscape, know that we are doing our best to communicate what we know, when we know it.

As you may be aware, Governor Scott issued a statement today (Sunday, March 15th) with the following statement:

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Phil Scott has announced a Continuity of Education Plan for the orderly dismissal of all schools, and cancellation of all school related activities, no later than Wednesday, March 18. This directive, which will be distributed to schools later today, will last through April 6 -- but may very well be extended for a longer period.

Schools in the Champlain Valley School District will be in session for students on Monday and Tuesday. This will be an opportunity for students and staff to gather materials to have at home for what may be a prolonged school closure and can provide families with some time to make arrangements for their children to be home.

On Wednesday, March 18th, the CVSD Leadership Team will convene to develop a framework to address a prolonged school closure. There will be no faculty and only essential staff in the building at this time. Leadership will use this time to develop preliminary plans to address many of the things the Governor shared in his statement, as well as issues that are important for our own school community. 

These issues include, but are not limited to:

• Food and special needs services for children;
• Collaborating with the state to provide childcare options for healthcare workers and others essential to the response; and
• Systems for ensuring maintenance of education during the initial dismissal; and a continuing education plan if schools are dismissed for an extended period.
• Thursday & Friday, March 19th and 20th, will be work days for all faculty and staff. We will share additional information about what those work days will look like directly with faculty and staff, including relevant questions about social distancing.

If you had scheduled a parent-teacher conference for any day this week, those will not be held in the buildings, Instead, teachers may reach out to see if it’s feasible to schedule something online.

Faculty, staff, and families should continue to work with their physicians to make their own decisions regarding their ability to be at school on Monday and Tuesday. Per Governor Scott’s Friday address, families who choose to keep their children home on Monday and Tuesday will not be penalized for those absences. Faculty and staff who need to be quarantined for individual medical concerns can use sick time in the short term, with a longer-term answer to be communicated after Wednesday.

We will share additional details with you as soon as we have them.

Thank you again,

The Champlain Valley School District Administration