Dear Kent City School parents and families,

This is a stressful time for all of us and the news about the coronavirus changes daily.   I know that our Kent parents and families are very interested in the plans for school reopening in August.

Let me share the information I have at this point.

First, our number one concern is the health and safety of our students, teachers and staff.  We received some information from Governor DeWine late last week, and we are incorporating this into our plans.

These are the issues we are dealing with…

• Because students must be separated by six feet as often as possible—our buses can transport only a very limited number of students—half or fewer of the usual riders.

• We also must reconfigure our classrooms to allow six feet from each student’s desk.  Our classrooms can only hold half of the usual students, so this is the reason that only half of our students can attend in-person classes each day.  

Therefore, we are considering a blended, two-day, in-classroom rotation option #1.  Half of the students will report to school two full days per week while the other half of the students participate in at-home learning. All students will be provided with remote learning materials.  Each Monday is used for student follow up to ensure engagement, videoconferencing and interventions, so students in this rotation schedule will work independently at home on Mondays.

There is another option #2 for families of students who choose to NOT send their students to school.  Students will be provided with remote learning materials, which will support virtual learning entirely and independently.  These students do NOT report to school.

We are creating another option #3 for identified students with Special Educational circumstances who will report to school five days per week. These students will receive intervention support in class, working with teachers in small groups while maintaining social distance.

We will be contacting eligible families to ask them to register for bus transportation in the next few weeks.

I understand that this is a lot of information to process.  We do not have all the answers to your questions at this time.  I will be in touch as soon as we incorporate the new guidelines received last week from Governor DeWine.  Thank you for your understanding.

George Joseph
Superintendent of Schools

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July 2020

Dear parents and community members,

Update on reopening of school in August
As promised, it’s the end of June, and I wanted to communicate the latest information about the reopening of school this fall.  We are taking a proactive approach to ensure that our students and families continue to experience high quality instruction tailored to their needs and comfort levels.  Our number one concern is the health and safety of our students, teachers and staff.

The news about the coronavirus changes daily and, as you know, recent increases in the number of reported cases is very upsetting.  Every day, we continue to monitor guidelines from the CDC, ODH, ODE, the Governor’s office and local health departments.  We expect to hear specific information from the Governor’s office later this week and anticipate making a more formal announcement about our plans at that time.

In the meantime, our administrative team has been working on a variety of options and plans in anticipation of offering different student instructional options next year.

I will be in touch as soon as we receive State guidelines and understand those expectations.  Thank you for your understanding and patience.

Sincerely,

George Joseph
Superintendent of the Kent City Schools

Class of 2020 scholarship winners
Students in the Class of 2020 received a number of generous scholarships from community members and groups.  For a complete list, check out this website:
https://sites.google.com/kentschools.net/scholarship/home

Register now for Kindergarten 2020-2021
All-day kindergarten is offered at no cost to Kent families.  Parents and guardians of children who will be five years old on or before August 1, 2020, should register their students as soon as possible to ensure that their child has space in their neighborhood elementary school.  Visit www.kentschools.net/kindergarten  for more details.

Rough Rider Reads returns this summer with free books
Students in kindergarten through twelfth grade who participate in Rough Rider Reads will receive a free book.  Due to COVID-19 concerns, students with last names beginning with A to M are asked to come between 5 and 6 p.m. and those with last names beginning with N to Z between 6 and 7 p.m.  Volunteers wearing masks and gloves will distribute the books to children, who must stay in their cars until their turn.  Walkers must maintain a social distance.  No food or activities are planned for this year.

• July 14, 5 – 7 p.m., Al Lease Park
• July 28, 5 – 7 p.m., Holden Elementary
• August 11, 5 – 7 p.m., Walls Elementary

Information on free summer meals
Summer meals will be provided free from June 1 to August 7 by LoveLight and Community Action Council of Portage County.  See more information at the Food Services link.

Thank you again for your support of the Kent City Schools,