“At this time, the number of staff out with illness combined with a nationwide shortage of qualified substitutes has made maintaining a safe and quality in-person learning environment unfeasible at Valley Forge Elementary,” Basora said.
COVID-19 cases have exploded locally, across Ohio and around the U.S., causing many school districts to adjust plans for classes on the fly.
School officials said for the coming week, students will learn “synchronously” (following the normal Valley Forge time schedule) using their school-issued Chromebooks. They encouraged parents and students to watch the student’s email, Google Classroom and Seesaw accounts closely for further information from teachers regarding Google Meets, online assignments and more. Parents and students can also email teachers directly with questions.
Students are expected to return to in-person classes on Tuesday, Jan. 18, as Monday, Jan. 17, is Martin Luther King Day, Basora said.
The district has 121 students and staff who have reported testing positive for COVID-19, Basora said, and the level of COVID-19 cases is at an all-time high.
As such, the Huber Heights Board of Education will hold a special meeting on Monday to discuss the district’s response to COVID-19. The evening will begin at 7 p.m. with the annual organizational meeting, with the special meeting to follow.
Huber Heights school officials included the following notes to parents for the coming weeks:
- Nutrition Services: Breakfast and lunch will be available for to-go pickup Monday through Friday. All students are eligible to come and get a free breakfast and lunch from 7 to 9 a.m. at the building’s main entrance.
- Special Services: Students served by specialized classrooms (MD/ED programs) will also learn remotely during this time period.
- Technology Services: If students need technical support, they should contact Debbie Shellhaas by email at debbie.shellhaas@myhhcs.org or technology@myhhcs.org. Resources for using district-issued devices and Google Classroom can be found at: https://tinyurl.com/hhcstech.
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