Dear Parents, Students and Staff:               

Some have wondered why the Emmett School District is delivering meals to students on our traditional bus routes. So we wanted to provide some information about the program. 

The State of Idaho Department of Education reimburses the Emmett School District on a per-mile basis for transportation to support education. Without meal distribution via the school buses, the Emmett Transportation Department still incurs expenses, including wages. 

The meal delivery program that just started Monday, April 13, uses the reimbursement for this service. That in turn, keeps our transportation employees working and all food service staff working to provide meals for bus routes. We also have 18 paraprofessionals, from the schools, riding on buses to help with delivery. We are also using the buses to deliver equipment, paper packets and student supplies where necessary. 

The Transportation Department, in turn, delivers meals -- nearly 800 bags with breakfast and lunch inside --- to students in the rural areas. Federal USDA funds cover the costs of the food for our children, between the ages of 1-18, even those who have not entered school yet. 

You are most likely eligible for delivery if you see a bus drive by, and you have children in the house, ages 1-18 years old, and would like to be added for meal distribution, please call the bus shop 208-365-3207 to get on the delivery schedule.

We know, in this time of stress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, that many families are struggling financially and emotionally. This outreach beyond our curbside delivery sites (Middle School and Shadow Butte and Sweet elementaries) brings some normalcy for students and some peace of mind for parents, who may be working or may not be able to drive to a distribution site. 

We are very lucky to have fantastic employees in our Child Nutrition and Transportation programs willing and able to step up and help during this crisis.

Finally, we want to assure everyone, including staff helping with this effort, that we are taking the necessary steps to keep people safe. Gloves and masks are being worn. Gloves are switched immediately if they come in contact with another person. Employees in the meals and transportation departments review, daily a symptom checklist and take and record their temperature before they report to work as was recommended by State and local officials. 

We want to keep the lines of communication open with parents, students, and staff.  I am available daily by phone (208) 365-6301 or by email cwoods@isd221.net.

Sincerely,

Craig Woods, Emmett Superintendent

Technical Support for Emmett Students

Dear Parents, Students and Staff: 

During this time of social distancing we want to ensure that each of our students continue to have access to high-quality curriculum and assignments.  The teachers, administration, and support staff continue to refine and improve delivery of instruction through a virtual learning environment. Our staff is continuing to define and answer questions regarding everything from internet access (hotspots) to daily schedules. 

With the extension of the emergency distance learning through May 29th, a modification to teacher hours and building access has changed. Meanwhile, please talk with your child about the importance of continuing his/her education during this time. 

Beginning Monday, April 13th teachers will be available for support:

• Mondays through Thursdays, 8:00 am to 4:00 pm 
• Tuesdays from 6:30 pm  to 7:30 pm.

School buildings will be open for limited access by appointment only: 

• Mondays through Wednesdays from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm
• Thursdays from 8:00 am to 7:00 pm by appointment

Sweet and Ola will have different schedules due to the reduced student population. 

Building Education Schedule Links

Elementary Students (Carberry and Shadow Butte)

Sweet and Ola

Emmett Middle School

Black Canyon High School 

Emmett High School and PRRTA

District Technology 

Direct line: 208-365-3094  Tech Support

Computer Tech Support

Community Hotspots 

District Hotspots: Each Building is being mapped and information will be provided as to the areas outside the buildings that students may use to link to our WiFi system. 

The Emmett School District website has a page dedicated to Distance Learning and will be our district primary source of information.  

Monday, April 13th, the links along the right side of the Distance Learning webpage should direct students and parents to all lessons and communications from teachers and administration.  Specific building and teacher information will be updated daily. Please contact your school during regular school hours if you have questions regarding teacher links or teacher communication. 

Thank you for your time and please reach out to your teachers and building administration if you have any other questions or if you need technical support.  Emmett School District is committed to creating a distance learning model that supports our students and our community. 

Sincerely,

Craig Woods, Emmett Superintendent

Dear Parents, Students and Staff: 

Thank you for your constant support as we continue on our unprecedented trajectory with COVID-19 and the unknowns. We appreciate each and every one of you, parents and staff, for your kind, sincere, and thoughtful expressions of encouragement and support.

With that said, late this afternoon, the Idaho State Board of Education recommended that Idaho schools continue with the “soft closure” through the end of the school year. That means, the Emmett School District will continue our distance learning program through the last day of school, May 29.  In the unlikely scenario that the situation improves, and State Board and Southwest District Health criteria are met, the State Board left the door open for individual districts to decide to return to the classroom.  

As we settle into our new routine of teaching and learning, we now have better direction from our state leaders on the vision of the rest of the school year, as Idaho copes with this worldwide pandemic. We understand this move is not  easy, and each one of us is learning to practice patience with grace.

Our teachers and staff have assumed their new tasks and our new way of learning honorably, as we develop and work alongside our students and connect with families . We know this is equally challenging for parents, who are struggling to balance home life, work (in new and different ways) and children. 

Certainly, the COVID-19 cloud continues to hover but we see many brilliant rays of sunshine as parents and teachers share mini successes. It’s heartwarming for us to hear teachers say they are missing their students and equally gratifying when we are told that students can’t wait to talk to their teachers. 

Now that we know we need to hunker down for the long-term, please know this: 

• In addition to the action that the State Board of Education took on March 23, The State Board of Education also took formal action Monday, April 6, to waive requirements, including the Idaho reading assessment for elementary students to the civics exam at the high school level. 
• We welcome your feedback. We need to know what’s working and not working. Please let your teachers and principals know. Feel free to reach out to me as well.
• We have created a central location for general information on our webpage.
• We want to keep the lines of communication open, but we don’t want to overwhelm you or your child anymore than you are already.
• Our free lunch distribution will continue through the end of the school year. 

Thank you again for your support! We are very fortunate to have the staff, students, parents and community we do! 

Finally, I want you to know that one of my most important goals through this extended closure is to keep the line of communication open with parents, students, and staff.  I am available daily by phone (208) 365-6301 or by email cwoods@isd221.net. 

Sincerely,

Craig Woods, Emmett Superintendent

I hope the first few days of distance learning haven't been too overwhelming to you or your child.  It takes time to adapt to new routines. When the district administration began the planning process to deliver education to all K-12 students within the district, our goal was to provide a high quality distance education. That continues to be our goal today. 

This is an amazing opportunity to provide student-centered instruction, combined with an effort to engage students, parents, and community in learning at an unprecedented level.  We have a chance to create a community learning environment that connects parents, students, and staff to build long-lasting relationships that will continue far beyond this extended school closure.  There will be bumps along the road and obstacles that we did not anticipate. But, as a team, we can overcome and learn from this experience. 

Parents: We need your help!

• We are not asking you to be the expert in each content area.  We need your support in making sure your students are prepared to ask questions during those “office hour” times.
• Please provide structure with a daily schedule.
• Please continue to make their learning a priority during this closure.  
• It is important to communicate with your teacher regarding your student’s struggles and accomplishments.  
• We need your support.

Students: This is your time to shine!

• Engage in the lessons. 
• Work through the lessons.
• Be prepared to ask questions during Google Meets or your contact with your teacher.

Teachers and Staff: Seize this opportunity!

• Take this opportunity to engage and connect with all your students.
• Prepare lessons that challenge students and develop their skills not only within your expertise content area but in cross curricular work. 

FInally, I want you to know that one of my most important goals through this extended closure is to keep the line of communication open with parents, students, and staff.  I am available daily by phone (208) 365-6301 or by email cwoods@isd221.net. 

Sincerely,

Craig Woods, Emmett Superintendent

We are all experiencing the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and now with a state-wide Stay-at-Home order from Governor Little yesterday afternoon, we are all living through unchartered territory. The State Board of Education also ordered the closure of schools until April 20, 2020. The Emmett School District is working to create a distance learning platform that will accommodate our students and staff during this extended closure. The Emmett School District is working hard to create an education system that we will be able to push out starting Monday, March 30, and continue education with our students.

Distance Learning:
With that being said, we are going to need the help of parents and guardians. We will not have access to every home and every home will have a different configuration of computers, internet, and other devices that students will be trying to use. Please understand that the teachers have had three days of work time to put something together, and it is actually quite amazing what they have put together. The School District is working hard to create a distance learning education system that we will be able to push out to secondary students starting Monday March 30, and elementary students starting April 12.

What Does This Mean To You:
Our plan is tailored for each student level and school principals and teachers will be reaching out to you with information regarding equipment, lessons, expectations and teacher “office hours.” If your child has special educational needs, you don’t have internet access, our staff will be working with you, individually. Please ask them questions. We do not want to overwhelm your children or you as we provide education content and instruction during this time.

Technology Support:
We understand not everyone is equipped with computers and reliable online access to support distance learning or working from home. Building staff has reached out to high families to determine needs. We are looking at plans to support both online and traditional learning during this closure

We Are Still Working:
Governor Little’s stay-at-home order emphasized the social distancing we need to flatten the curve. We will have limited office staff at each school and the District Office, but the buildings will be closed to the public unless you have an appointment, or you have been directed to come to the school (probably a specific location. It’s best to email your teacher or call your school office, during regular school business hours, starting Monday, if you have a question.

Teacher Office Hours:
In addition to preparing lessons, ect, teachers (in most cases) are expected to be available through Google Meet and email during the following times to meet with parents and students 9:00 am to 12:00 pm and 7:00pm - 8:00 pm Monday, Wednesday and Thursday
Staff are expected to be available through Google Meet for parents and students
depending on grade level and online capabilities at home. Some grade levels will use other platforms to communicate. Your teacher and/or building administrator will clearly define what platform will be used.

We have received different questions from parents, who are wondering what the rest of this school year will bring in different areas. We will address a few of those questions below:

+ Kindergarten Registration: This will be rescheduled once we are able to have allowable group gatherings.
+ Prom: An alternative date has been scheduled for mid May, should we be able to return and be in large groups.
+ Graduation: At this time we don’t know if the Idaho Center will be available for graduation. We will continue to monitor the situation and inform students, parents and staff as soon as we are able with graduation updates. Those seniors that were on-track to graduate will still graduate.
+ Athletics: The Idaho High School Activities Association is following the orders from the Governor, as well as the Idaho Office of State Board of Education soft closure requirements. For now all spring sports are cancelled; when this changes we will let you know.
+ Civics Exam: This exam is included in our State’s Constitution and cannot be waived; your senior student will hear from your Principal if they are in need of completing this exam prior to graduation.
+ College Entrance Exam: The Idaho State Department of Education is exploring options to provide students, who want to take the SAT, an opportunity to do so at the state's expense this summer or next year. As these details are decided we will share.
+ State Testing: Currently the requirement for ISAT testing in grades 3 – 12 for ELA, Math and Science is suspended for the Spring 2020.

Free Meal Distribution:
The district will continue to offer breakfast and lunch pickups at Emmett Middle School from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm to all students, five days a week. There is no charge for this service. Travel to pick up meals is considered an essential and our staff is committed to providing meals for students. Children must be there to receive meals and can pick them up without an adult. Children and staff will be expected to adhere to the social distancing mandate from the Governor and CDC.

Our Commitment to You:
Finally, please communicate with us. We are building a completely new way to deliver education and are doing it over a very short implementation time. There are going to be issues, frustration, and questions. We will address them to the best of our ability. We have almost 2,700 students in the district and a skeleton crew at the school buildings. We will do the best job we can, and together, we will get this educational platform working.

Let’s All Take a Deep Breath:
Our No.1 priority is our staff, students, and the community's safety. Please understand that we will continue to monitor and adjust the plan as mandated by our State Board of Education and our Governor. We will all need to practice patience, flexibility and understanding as we adapt to this “new normal.”

Sincerely

Craig Woods, Superintendent

Parents and staff:

Late this afternoon, the Idaho State Board of Education approved a “soft close” of the state’s schools through April 20. This means all students, including ours in Emmett, will not return to campuses throughout Idaho until at least Monday, April 20.

What does that mean for us after Spring Break?

School will be held Monday and Tuesday in Caldwell, Emmett, Kuna, Mountain Home, Nampa, and Vallivue school districts and Boise Catholic Schools. 

All athletics and activities will be postponed through March 29. 

As always, we honor the right of parents not to send their students to school. Absences on Monday and Tuesday will be excused without consequences. 

March 18-20 school will be closed for students; staff will be planning how instruction would be provided should school need to be closed for an extended period after the March 23-27 Spring Break. Custodial staff will support the deep cleaning of facilities and plan for other services that may be needed such as meals, access to internet service, etc. 

The decision wasn’t made lightly and reflects hours of discussions and consultations. 

“Currently, the risk of exposure to COVID 19 is low in our communities. While we do not recommend school closure at this time as a measure to control the spread of disease, we support our local schools in their decision to close early to allow teachers to prepare for online learning if that should be needed in the coming weeks”, said public health officials from Central District Health and Southwest District Health. 

The education leaders made their decision after a conference call with Gov. Brad Little and State Department of Health and Welfare Director Dave Jeppson. 

Governor Little told the leaders that the community risk had not risen to a level to justify a closure of school considering the Center for Disease Control’s guidance. State and local health officials shared that the virus had not reached a stage of community spread. No evidence supports closing schools at this point effectively mitigates the spread of COVID-19. 

Director Jeppson said the CDC and health officials support keeping schools open at this stage as the science does not support that closing effectively mitigates the spread of COVID-19. 

The leaders noted that any decision to close school could adversely impact the ability of community healthcare and service responders to provide the necessary aide that is needed at this time.

Public health authorities say that social distancing is intended for non-essential
functions. Examples of non-essential functions include sporting events, concerts, etc. However,
essential functions such as workplaces, grocery stores, other retail outlets, schools, and
government are functions that should continue based on information provided by the state’s
public health officials.
Again, any student or staff member who is sick should stay home.
All districts and schools are continuing to evaluate this situation.

Craig Woods, Superintendent