We know the Governor’s announcement is causing many questions to arise, but echoing his sentiment, Asheville City Schools isn’t ready to give up on this school year yet! This is Bobbie Short, Asheville City Schools. This is Bobbie Short, Interim Superintendent. I also want to use this opportunity to remind staff, students and parents about steps we all can take to prevent the spread of this and other respiratory illnesses, such as the flu. I also wanted to let you know about a few updates. They’re asking for your feedback on topics like rigor, assignments, how long your child is spending on provided coursework as well as your virtual learning experience thus far. As new information becomes available, principals may need to alter or cancel these trips. These will be returned next school year. final course grade to appear on their transcript for the Spring term of both year-long classes and semester courses. Although the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services recommended that organizers of events with more than 100 people should cancel, postpone or modify these events, this, include schools. If you have questions or concerns, you might want to speak with your healthcare provider directly, contact Buncombe County Health and Human Services at (828) 250-5096, or Shane Cassida, our Assistant Superintendent of Auxiliary Services, at (828) 350-6131. As new information becomes available, principals may need to alter or cancel these trips. Once again, please know that we will continue to seek guidance from the Governor’s Office, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and Buncombe County Health and Human Service and will continue to update you as we learn more. Only those who are symptomatic for COVID-19 will be tested at these sites. Therefore, we will be adjusting our 2019-2020 calendar to include the Governor’s decision as well as the following changes: We will, of course, continue to work closely with Buncombe County Health and Human Services and are committed to keeping you informed. Residents who return from recent international travel with history of travel to affected areas and become ill with respiratory signs and symptoms such as fever and cough should report their travel history to any health professional or medical facility, when they visit. Asheville City Schools (ACS) has announced news of positive COVID-19 cases in its Asheville Middle and Asheville High sports programs. Our Asheville City Schools COVID-19 Hotline is. COVID-19 symptoms may include:  cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fever, sore throat chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache and new loss of taste or smell. We are pleased to announce that, in most cases, we have recovered the majority of refunds for in-state and out-of-state trips. Starting tomorrow, Wednesday, April 1st through Friday, April 3rd, drive-thru sites will be set up from 1:00 - 3:00 PM for you to receive your next-wave of at-home learning packets while picking up a free meal for your child. Asheville City Schools teachers will continue to provide all students with at-home learning assignments. If your child is a Senior and was failing one or more of their classes on March 13th, they. Asheville City Schools has begun working with vendors to determine possible refunds. We anticipate they will go home with students by next week. As you have probably heard, Governor Cooper announced earlier today that public school districts across the state will remain closed for the rest of the 2019-2020 school year. Hamilton County School officials said 145 students and 71 employees now have COVID-19. As a reminder, we’ve slightly adjusted our Livingston Stops to include 11:30 AM - NOON at Herb Watts Park, 12:15 - 12:45 PM at the Wesley Grant Center and 1:00 - 1:30 PM at Walton Street Park. Asheville City Schools is suspending summer workouts after four athletes -- two at middle school and two at high school -- tested positive for COVID-19. And, above all else, please stay home, stay safe, and stay connected! Asheville City Schools Among Those Selected to Participate in Statewide COVID-19 Testing Pilot Program ... and Human Services has selected 17 school districts and 11 charter schools to participate in a pilot program to deploy COVID-19 rapid testing in K-12 public schools … They will coincide with next week’s drive-thru meal sites at Isaac Dickson and Hall Fletcher, which means our technicians will be on site at both locations from 1:00 - 3:00 PM. Beginning this upcoming Tuesday, elementary students should use their at-home learning packets, while secondary students should use their district-provided device to complete assignments through Canvas. We know these are unprecedented times, and questions will continue to arise. Asheville City Schools has been working with, as well as MAHEC to prevent the spread of all diseases across our school district, including the coronavirus. This, of course, includes Asheville City Schools. Finally, we recognize the difficulty that our school closures may be presenting for your families. Once again, thank you for your patience, understanding, and flexibility during this unprecedented time. Please know that we’re diligently working to keep you informed and will provide you with additional updates as we learn more from the Governor’s Office, Buncombe County Health and Human Services as well as the Centers for Disease Control. These are unprecedented times, but please know the health, safety and education of our students remains our ultimate focus in every decision we make. Therefore, their teacher will be providing remote learning opportunities to allow students to improve their grade to a passing mark. Everyone - students, staff, school volunteers and visitors - should wash their hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds (about as long as it takes to sing “Happy Birthday” twice). An email with more information about our annual update was shared with all families who had not yet completed this renewal just last week. If your child is a high school Senior and was passing their class as of Friday, March 13th - which was the district’s last day of in person instruction- your child has passed the class. Once again, thank you for your cooperation, support, and flexibility as we work through these changes together. Starting Monday, March 30th, our Isaac Dickson Elementary School and Hall Fletcher Elementary School drive-thru meal sites will be open from 1:00 - 3:00 PM. After Wednesday, March 18th, we will work directly with families to ensure devices are in each student’s hands. , closing schools and childcare centers now is unlikely to stop the spread of illness while causing serious disruption for families, schools, childcare centers, and healthcare workers. If your child falls into that category, their teacher will be in touch with you soon. Seniors, we miss you and are so proud of you. Students in PreK-11th Grades that are not returning to Asheville City Schools may presently return devices to Isaac Dickson Elementary School between 1:00 - 3:00 PM on Monday - Thursday or at the Central Office located at 85 Mountain Street once the school year concludes. In fact, one of our sources states that washing your hands at least five times a day could reduce the likelihood of contracting a respiratory infection by around 15 to 20%. As a reminder, As. If your child was not passing a class as of March 13th but has worked to improve their grade to passing during at-home learning, your child will receive a passing mark (PC19) as their final grade in their class. Our Food Distribution Sites will continue to provide meals for any student 18 and under. To all our parents who are trying to keep up at work while trying you keep your child focused on their studies while also teaching them the meaning of social distancing, thank you! Further information about AP examinations will be communicated to students enrolled in those courses. I hope you each had a restful and relaxing Spring Break and are getting back into the swing of things, as we began Week Four of at-home learning earlier today. In fact, just this past Thursday, they served over 3,100 meals! If you have questions about COVID-19 testing in Buncombe County, please visit www.buncombeready.org or call the Ready Team at (828) 419-0095, Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM - 5:30 PM. If you need device guidance or have questions about internet connectivity, please call (828) 350-6181. Please assist your child in this process. We are in the process of delivering this instruction to all students across Asheville City Schools. Monday, March 16th will be an Optional Workday for our staff. From 9:30 AM - 2:30 PM, all families will be able to drop by their child’s school to pick up any items that may have been left on campus. Although the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services recommended that organizers of events with more than 100 people should cancel, postpone or modify these events, this does not include schools. Please contact our dedicated team at (828) 350-6133 should you or someone you know need assistance with food boxes, school supplies, hygiene supplies, diapers, wipes, or laundry detergent due to financial hardship. NOTICE. COVID-19 concerns prompt Buncombe County, Asheville city, schools to take actions 3/13/2020 California has appointed its first ever Muslim chaplain to the state legislature We believe they will positively impact the safety of our students. Additionally, Isaac Dickson Elementary School will have a drive-thru option should families prefer a grab and go meal. Please hold off on completing these at-home learning packets until further guidance is given. As you’ve probably heard from Buncombe County Government, the city and county will be carrying out a stay home, stay safe ordinance beginning tomorrow, Thursday, March 26th at 8:00 PM to further minimize the spread of the coronavirus across Asheville. Thank you for your continued support during these times of uncertainty. As part of our continued efforts to ensure the health and well-being of our school community, we have established a Coronavirus (COVID-19) Executive Task Force. Your feedback will go a long way in supporting us as we try to make the transition as smooth as possible. As shared in today’s guidance by. Please know that we are continuing to collaborate with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, and while there are still many unanswered questions, for today, we can tell you the State Board of Education has unanimously approved the submission of a one-year waiver of federal student assessments. Asheville City Schools is committed to keeping our students, staff and families as informed as possible. Seniors dually-enrolled in courses through AB Tech or UNC Asheville will follow the grading policy of the institution for the course in which they are enrolled. 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