A paper copy of the letter below will be sent home with each Fairbanks student this evening.
March 13, 2020
Dear Fairbanks Families,
Our students, staff, and families have been amazing over the last twenty-four hours. Since Governor DeWine’s announcement that all schools would be closed, our school community has rallied to confront this challenge together. Our teaching and support staff have been working this week to prepare for this extended closure.
Our district will continue to update parents as we learn more information and implement our remote learning plans. Below are pieces of this plan.
If you have questions, please call our district offices at (937) 349-3731.
District and Public Information
For all information related to COVID-19 and Fairbanks Local Schools please reference our district website at https://www.fairbanks.k12.oh.us/o/district/page/covid-19--12
We will continue to follow the recommendations and orders from the Governor of the State of Ohio, the Ohio Department of Education, and our partner Health Departments. Please continue to reference the resources here: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Union County Health Department, and theOhio Department of Education (ODE).
Calendar Updates
The Governor’s Office has closed all school activities across the State of Ohio. We will cease all student activities at the conclusion of the Friday, March 13th school day. Below is our calendar for the next three weeks:
Monday, March 16th: Professional Work Day - All Regularly Scheduled Fairbanks Staff
Tuesday, March 17th: Election Day (no school)
Wednesday, March 18th - Friday, March 20th: Remote Learning Days
Monday, March 23rd - Friday, March 27th: Spring Break
Monday, March 30th - Friday, April 3rd: Remote Learning Days
Remote Learning Plan
Teachers will be sharing outlines of remote instruction with students today. Please look for communication on our webpage, materials sent home from teachers, emails, or phone calls. Our Professional Work Day will occur Monday, March 16th. Parents should expect remote learning to begin on Wednesday, March 18th.
Technology Supports
Starting Monday, March 16th there will be a Technology Support Hotline dedicated to serving our students, families, and staff during our extended closure. Please call (937) 349-3731 ext 8000 between the hours of 8:00am - 6:00pm. Email support is also available at techsupport@fairbankspanthers.org.
All 5th - 12th grade students have Chromebooks that will allow access to remote learning resources.
If a Kindergarten through 4th grade student does not have access to a family or Fairbanks issued sibling device, please call our Technology Hotline to make arrangements. Please call (937) 349-3731 ext 8000 between the hours of 8:00am - 6:00pm.
If your family or household does not have reliable internet access, Wi-Fi will be available in our parking lot behind the middle school. If you plan to come on campus, please stay near your vehicle and follow previously sent health safety guidelines. Please call our offices if you need assistance or need to make alternative arrangements.
Food Services Plan
We realize having food at home to feed children for these extra meals was not necessarily planned or possible, and we can help. We will offer meals to students for pick up in our communities. Pick up of food will be available on Wednesday, March 18th, Friday, March 20th, Monday, March 30th, Wednesday, April 1st and Friday, April 3rd. Times for food pick up will be 8:30 am through 10:30 am. Please drive to the back of the elementary school for food pick up; there will be directional signs posted.
If you are unable to pick up food, please call our district offices to make alternative arrangements. Our district office phone number is (937) 349-3731 ext 1200.
Illness & Absence
Fairbanks Local Schools have plans in place to continue the educational mission; however, the health of our staff and students is what’s most important. If someone is symptomatic or has contracted the disease, their focus should be on getting better. Please continue to follow the safety and health guidelines provided by the CDC. As a parent or guardian, if you or your student is sick, please contact your building principal. Our schools will work directly with families to ensure the health, safety, and well-being of all.
Communication
Our district office is planning regular video communications and email updates to our parents and staff. Our district webpage will be updated frequently. Our district office will be available by phone and email Monday through Friday from 7:30am - 4:00pm by calling (937) 349-3731 ext. 1200 or emailing kheiss@fairbankspanthers.org. Our technology support will be available Monday - Friday from 8:00am - 6:00pm by phone at (937) 349-3731 ext. 8000 and email at techsupport@fairbankspanthers.org.
This will be a long process but we will get through it together and things will return to normal. Fairbanks will continue to make decisions based on the guidance and information received by our governor, the Ohio Department of Health and local health partners. We will continue to share our plans with you on our website. The Fairbanks community will remain strong and continue to support one another as always.
For Fairbanks,
Adham Schirg
Fairbanks Local Schools
Superintendent