It has been over a month since my last district update after what started out as a flurry of early spring update emails. News & Announcements. Many of the same health and safety mitigation strategies included in the Roadmap remain in the new guidance along with some additional tools and resources being made available to local districts. Bedford Township Trustee and Bedford Public Schools board member Todd Bruning is offering to sign religious exemption waivers for anyone who does not want to take the COVID-19 vaccine, but may be … -- Process for COVID-19 Exposure at School Copy of the Executive Order Mike Petty, Jefferson Schools FAMILIES CURRENTLY RECEIVING FOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (FAP) BENEFITS WILL AUTOMATICALLY RECEIVE BENEFITS. Contact: BrownT56@michigan.gov -- Staying away from sick people and staying home if you are sick The district bond that was passed in November of 2018 has made all of these exciting projects possible. Nearly 950 new cases of As a parent, a teacher, and as a superintendent, I know that learning does not take place exclusively inside classrooms. Superintendent, Bedford Public Schools, I hope that this update finds you well-rested and safe. 2020-185 as an Amendment to the Provision of pre-K–12 education for the 2020–2021 school year order. I will send out dates, time, and an embedded link using my superintendent social media accounts that you can simply click to join. Governor Whitmer's Executive Order 2020-185 requires school districts, beginning on October 5, 2020, to publish information about cases of probable or confirmed COVID-19 individuals present on school property or at a school function during the period of infection. I thank those individuals who have helped in this process. Bedford County Public Schools reported 30 new positive cases of COVID-19 this week, bringing its total number of reported cases to 174. We are actively developing plans to address this need within our school community. -- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds The goal for transitioning from the cohort learning model to this more traditional type model will be to begin at the start of the second semester (February 1, 2021). Dr. Carl Shultz The mitigation strategies that have been instituted have made it possible for nine full weeks of available in-person learning. District leaders will continue to provide updates as information becomes available throughout the closure. Superintendent, Bedford Public Schools Governor Whitmer Announces Statewide Closure of All K-12 School Buildings Bedford Public Schools has its first confirmed case of COVID-19 among the students and staff that are involved in the district’s in-person learning program.BPS Supt. Ontario said 25 new cases of COVID-19 … Thank you for your continued patience as we work our way through this pandemic together. Bedford Public Schools “These actions will help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in Michigan. Nova Scotia is reporting three new cases of COVID-19 Wednesday, two connected to Dartmouth schools. In fact, through state and federal support, BPS has been able to enhance our program to provide free meals to any individual 18 years and under and students with special needs through age 26. It allows for all students to maintain their normal course learning schedules. Out of an abundance of caution, we believe that in order to best support the health and safety of our students and staff, we need to close the building down for two weeks to prevent further potential outbreaks. For children who use dedicated home to school transport, commissioned by Bedford Borough Council - In line with DfE guidance, operators are not required to adhere to the same social distancing measures that are in place on public transport. I can only say that all decisions have and will continue to be made on what we feel is best for the community as a whole. I can provide very few concrete updates as the leader of the district at this time. Thank you for your candid feedback over the past five months as it has helped to form our current and future direction through this unparalleled time in education. Carl Shultz, Ph.D Please see the recently released State Executive Order that suspends in-person educational delivery for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year. School buildings are scheduled to reopen on Monday, April 6. We all need one another more than ever if Bedford is going to emerge from this pandemic as strong as we entered it. All district department and building leaders have been engaged in an emergency review process to identify potential budgetary reductions. Bedford Public Schools does not qualify for summer food service grants and has traditionally not been able to provide service throughout the summer months. FOR STUDENTS: District elementary schools will begin slowly transitioning to this newly mandated change in facial mask policy so that we don’t have an abrupt change on October 5th. The same day, the New Bedford School Department announced public schools in the city would close from March 16 to March 20. MDE sent the memo in response to the many questions that they have been fielding related to districts being able to transition to online learn-at-home programs during the mandated closure. On Friday afternoon, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed Michigan Executive Order No. The district’s ability to quickly isolate these cases will be the difference between being able to maintain our current schedule and having to revert to a full virtual learning model. As I shared with all of you yesterday in my brief email, Governor Whitmer’s signing of Michigan Executive Order 2020-35 immediately suspends face-to-face learning in all K-12 Schools for the remainder of the current school year. September 29, 2020 In addition to the BPS Food Service Program above, there are several food pantries that are available for assistance. Michigan’s 2020-21 Return to School Roadmap FAQ, May 16, 2020 “Closing our K-12 school buildings is the responsible choice that will minimize the risk of exposure for children, educators, and families and mitigate the spread of coronavirus,” said Michigan State Superintendent Michael Rice. We have been in close contact with the Monroe County Health Department and the Michigan Department of Education. This plan will need adjustment once we learn all additional information regarding state requirements that must be included for local districts. 10 Bedford Public Schools reviews. DISTRICT BOND WORK In line with the latest Government guidance, Bedford Borough schools re-opened in September. Bedford Public Schools, like any other public entity, must follow the strict guidelines set forth by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and our state and local health departments. Dear Bedford Public Schools Parents/Guardians, We all have questions about COVID-19 and schools. It is our district stance that it is not fair to our parents and students who made their decision for in-person school or remote learning, based on those orders, to change the procedures based upon a newly revised executive order that was issued without authority according to Friday’s State of Michigan Supreme Court Ruling. I am extremely proud of our food service department for maintaining our services through the vast number of changes caused by this extremely fluid situation. -- Fever I will be sending a district update letter to all families tomorrow with more information regarding learn at home timelines and how BPS will continue to support our students and families throughout the remainder of the year and beyond. I will also continue to provide you with information and updates as they develop. Please be advised that new applications for transport, will be processed within 15 working days. In order to strengthen our school-to-home partnership, we have developed an easy to use at-home parent COVID-19 Screening Tool that should be used each morning before students leave the house. Following district and Monroe County Health Department (MCHD) protocols, all necessary contact tracing and appropriate communications are complete. This plan will be shared with our special education families once we receive guidance and direction from the Michigan Department of Education. Respectfully, I will provide updated information as soon as it becomes available. The first section of this newly adopted order expands the state-mandated requirement to wear a facial mask in the classroom to all students in grades kindergarten and up. At this time, close contacts with this exposure have been notified separately, following local health department protocol, and instructed to self-quarantine. Dr. Carl Shultz COVID-19 Exposures 5:33 Coronavirus: Sask. I can say that I am pleased with much of today’s information as it allows districts like Bedford to focus on our local students and what is happening in our community as opposed to following a regional approach where BPS was attached to districts as far as Oakland and Macomb counties. Myself, and the district leadership team fully understand that there will be an exorbitant amount of potential obstacles in seamlessly implementing any new plan. Saskatoon Public Schools has compiled answers to some of the most frequently asked questions by families, students and the community, from self-isolating to case notification to remote learning practices. I can speak for the entire Kicking Mule family when I say that we have missed seeing you experience what you have worked so hard to earn. A residents’ group, representing owners of properties adjacent to HMP Bedford, has said that a Covid-19 (coronavirus) outbreak at the prison has made their lives intolerable. The only difference is that students who have been attending their homeroom lab daily will now need to work from home. Please feel free to share the link with any BPS students that you know may require such service. BPS will meet the challenges set before us regardless of the State of Michigan orders and we have already began reviewing what we can do to ensure the best possible experiences for our students. Some children, including vulnerable children and children of Key Workers, are still able to go to school as per the latest government advice. Dear BPS Families, The reduced number of quarantine days will assist district leaders in being able to keep our classrooms. Bedford Township Trustee and Bedford Public Schools board member Todd Bruning is offering to sign religious exemption waivers for anyone who does not want to take the COVID-19 vaccine. BPS and our students rely a great deal on these local business owners by asking for their constant support throughout the school year for fundraising, donations, and marketing opportunities. In addition to health and safety factors, the most pressing challenges that have forced our transition is the significant number of staff and students who have been placed in quarantine following identified positive individual cases of the virus. Dr. Carl Shultz This data is then used to finalize and formulate state budgets (including school aid fund). -- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands. It is imperative for district planning to get a strong grasp of our student count to ensure adequate staffing and space. -- Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol, if soap and warm water are not available. Press Release Desk , News Partner Thank you all for your support and patience and I wish you a safe and well few weeks leading up to the holiday season. Details for the meeting's virtual link will be released closer to the date of that meeting. 1. January 6, 2021 Your child’s building principal will be releasing information regarding this transition in their next communication home. and the State of Michigan have recommended a reduction in the length of time that an individual who has tested positive or has been identified as a close contact should remain quarantined if no symptoms exist from 14 days down to 10 days. I can tell you that this will look different from what students and families are familiar with, but we believe that we can be effective in this mode of instruction. In addition to the positive case, eight additional staff members were placed in a 14-day quarantine resulting in the district’s inability to facilitate in-person learning under state and federal requirements. In addition, Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced this afternoon that the State of Michigan has established revised guidance for K-12 schools and will no longer be following the formerly implemented MI Safe School Roadmap. These items were boxed up and delivered to local first responders throughout the area. One of these vital services is the continuation of our food service program. Additionally, today, I met with representatives from the Monroe County Department of Health, Monroe County Community College, and my fellow Monroe County Superintendents to discuss a countywide approach to implementing some or all of these strategies. August 13, 2020. This may include spraying classrooms, hallways, locker rooms, and common areas as needed with an electrostatic disinfectant sprayer, wiping down hard surface areas, and employing other methods to help ensure a safe learning environment. BPS Food Service pick-up for our virtual learners will resume on Thursday, November 12, 2020. As we prepare for all possible scenarios, we are asking you to develop a plan for your family in the event schools were to close for an extended period of time. Helping Kids Who Are Worried About Coronavirus, March 17, 2020 The regular Board of Education Meeting scheduled for Thursday, May 7th, will be held virtually. We will be sharing updated dates and times as well as the process for completing new student registration very soon via email, district website, and social media. As an example, Bedford Public Schools received a state per-pupil foundation allowance of $8,111 for the 2019-2020 school year. Carl Shultz, Ph.D We truly understand the inherent challenges associated with learning remotely and the stresses that it places on families and student learning. As you are already aware, Bedford Public Schools has suspended all in-person learning programs Pre-K through 12th grade due to the number of local cases and the impact on our district’s ability to staff programs. Earlier today in an afternoon press conference, MDHHS Director Robert Gordon extended the order limiting gatherings in the State of Michigan until Sunday, December 20 at 11:59 PM by issuing a new Emergency Order under the Michigan Public Health Code (MCL 333.2253). We will, of course, keep everyone up-to-date on our progress as we navigate through this approval process. Births, Deaths, Marriages and Civil Partnerships, updated guidance for schools for children eligible for free school meals, Parent and carers guide to mainstream transport, Make it easier to request many of our services online, Make a selection of miscellaneous payments, Save time by pre-filling forms with details from your account, Opening hours: 8am to 6pm (Monday to Friday). Please follow me on Facebook or Twitter to find out when the meetings will take place and to get the Zoom digital link. Monroe County experienced a slight increase between the weeks of December 25th and January 1st presumably due to the Christmas holiday, but otherwise has decreased overall by 50% from a month ago. These documents will set the parameters that will guide the creation of our district plan and can help families understand how and why we are making decisions. 2020-2021 BCSD COVID-19 Communications Archive -- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. In addition, the order immediately suspends all athletic and extra-curricular events at all levels. -- Avoid close contact with people who are sick. BPS will continue to update our families and staff regarding any significant changes in local data or learning plans as necessary. I appreciate your time in reading this and staying informed throughout all of the changes 2020 has thrown our way. 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