03/24/2020 School Update Transcript (2)
Good afternoon Hamblen County School Family. Today is March 24, 2020. We will continue to help our community stay informed about important school events through these broadcasts. Please contact Kellie Smith if you have any questions or concerns. Her contact information is included at the end of this broadcast.
1. Several individuals have asked about community service hours as they relate to TN Promise and make-up days for missed days during the school year. In order to be eligible for TN Promise monies, students are required to complete hours of community service. We have not yet received any official update from the state on this community service hour requirement for TN Promise eligibility, but we will let you know as soon as we know something about this. Students who have severe attendance issues at the high school complete community service hours to make up for time missed in the classroom. The school district will waive these community service hours for high school make-up hours for those who have had attendance issues.
2. We will serve free breakfast and lunch to all children in Hamblen County who are 18 years old or younger. Please come by Hillcrest Elementary School to pick up these meals and have your children in the car with you. We will be open at 10:00 a.m. and cease at 1:00 p.m. We have plans to take meals to individual homes starting March 30. Our food service staff and the transportation department will run bus routes next Monday to deliver food to our children. We will also serve at West High School and Fairview-Marguerite Elementary School next week. We will start at 10:00 a.m. and close at 1:00 p.m. We want to express our appreciation for Mrs. Jennifer Buchanan and her staff. They were able to feed nearly 500 students today. Also, many of the Hillcrest Elementary School staff were there to help disseminate the food.
3. Many of our parents are still struggling with some of the elementary and middle school curriculum we sent home. Don’t stress about this. We are confident you have plenty of other issues to worry about, and we don’t want this to be a problem for you. Help your child if you can, but please don’t let this be a stress point for you. It is our responsibility to educate your child, and we will develop a remediation plan to address any lost instructional time when we return. For now, read with your child and complete the lessons you can, but don’t stress out about this. We are sending out additional information next week which may be easier for parents to implement.
4. During the school closures, it may be a great time to begin writing letters again. We are asking grandparents and other relatives to write elementary and middle school-aged children a letter. This will help you reconnect with them while it is difficult to travel, and it will help children practice reading skills. Conversely, encourage your children to write a letter to someone. This will help pass some of the time, and it will help them to practice writing skills. Help them with the writing, but don’t attempt to be overly critical or rewrite the letter by yourself. Remember, this letter probably will not be perfect, but we want the children to practice writing so encourage them to write. It would also be a great opportunity to write a “thank-you” letter to our health care providers and first responders. These men and women are working constantly to protect and serve us. We need to demonstrate our appreciation and show them that their service doesn’t go unnoticed. You can send these letters to the school district and we will get them to the necessary people or you can mail them directly to the appropriate organization.
5. We understand that a significant portion of our community will have some difficulty with this broadcast in English. Several people in the community expressed a willingness to translate. We sent our scripts to one of our volunteers, and she is in the process of translating these. We certainly appreciate her help and willingness to do this. In addition, the video itself has a program which will automatically translate the broadcast into whatever language you want. Regardless, we will help to ensure that all segments of our community are able to stay informed.
6. Although the virus will significantly impact many aspects of our life, there are a few things which must continue. The United States Census will still occur and you should, or have already, received a mailing about the Census. Please take the time to complete and return the Census. Our community will lose millions of dollars if we are undercounted. Attempts will be make later to make personal contact with you if your household doesn’t return the Census. Please make it easier on everyone and complete the Census online or through the mail. All information is confidential and everyone needs to be counted. We sincerely appreciate your help with this.
7. The Governor has declared that all schools would be close until April 24. Per this declaration, Hamblen County Schools will be closed until April 24. Our extended school program and the student feeding program will continue.
These are difficult times and it may become more challenging over the next couple of weeks. However, the last few days have demonstrated the strength of this county. We will endure, we will band together, and we will prevail. We will be stronger on the other side of this journey. Let us be committed to walking this path together and always look for the opportunity to help our neighbors and those in need. Our children are looking to us for examples. Let us walk a path worthy of others to follow. Keep the faith and be strong.