COVID-19 Updates

March 23, 2020

Dear Families,

In his address to Washingtonians tonight, Governor Inslee announced a “Stay at Home..Stay Healthy” order.  In order to follow Governor Inslee’s order, our school district office will be closed to the public. Our school district will be able to continue providing “grab and go” breakfast/lunch bags and child care for first responders and healthcare workers.  Our school staff will also continue connecting with your children virtually and providing supplemental learning during this time period. Your building principals and teachers will continue sharing specific information about on-going learning.  

Playgrounds and Fields

Joining the cities of Enumclaw and Black Diamond, Enumclaw School District has closed all fields, playgrounds, sports courts, and other outdoor recreation areas during this time. 

I spent a bit of time just now attempting to find the right quote about uncertainty and I couldn’t find the “right one” so I’m going to give it a try myself.  Here’s what I would like you and your families to know. We want you to feel that even though we are not able to have school or have our school and district offices open, our school district staff cares deeply about each and every one of you.  If you are healthy, we hope you remain healthy. If you are ill, we hope you recover soon. We can’t wait to open our doors to all of you and when we do, it will cause us to have a whole new feeling of joy to once again be together. 

Be well,

Mike

Our staff will continue to respond to your inquiries via email or phone.  Below is a chart of contacts to our school district departments and buildings.  For specific staff members, please go to https://www.enumclaw.wednet.edu/our-district/staff-directory/?const_page=30

Below is a chart of contacts to our school district departments and buildings.  

3/20/20

Dear Families,

We understand the importance of frequent communication during this time and we would like to provide you another update. Please visit our website and follow us on social media for even more information.

 

Learning

The primary platform that our teachers will be using to provide learning activities online to students will be Google Classroom.  All K-12 students in our district already have an account that you are able to access.  

Many students will be comfortable accessing their Google Classroom(s), but our younger students may not have used this platform yet.  The resources attached below will provide you step-by-step instructions for how to sign in for the first time.  

Click here for a Step-by-Step to Access Google Classroom
Click here for a Video Example of Signing Into Your Student’s Google Classroom

We look forward to continuing to stay connected to our students and to help them keep their learning moving forward during this time away from school.  If you have questions or need support accessing your student’s Google Classroom account, feel free to contact our technology support at one of the following numbers:

360.802.7129  Enumclaw School District Technology Helpdesk

360.802.7816  Enumclaw School District Instructional Technology Support Teacher

 

School Building Closure

As we look for strategies to further promote safety and welfare for our staff and students, beginning Monday, March 23, all school buildings in the Enumclaw School District will be closed to students and staff, with the exception of J.J. Smith (our location for providing childcare) and Enumclaw High School (our location for making breakfast/lunch bags).  

You will still be able to connect with our school staff via phone or email.  We would advise you to communicate in both ways if you have needs. If for some reason you do not receive communication back from a school staff member regarding your request, please call our district office at 360.802.7102 and we will assist you in making the connection.      

Our school district office at 2929 McDougall Avenue will remain open at this time but we are strongly encouraging you to contact us via phone or email if you have questions in order to limit contacts.  

We appreciate your ongoing support.

Dear Families,

Below you will see an informative update on key areas of our system while we are on this extended closure.

Food Services

Today was our first day for distributing Grab and Go breakfast/lunch bags.  We served 380 bags! As a reminder, we will be distributing these bags Monday - Friday from 11:00 - 12:30 at the following locations:  

Enumclaw High School
226 Semanski Street S,
Enumclaw, WA 98022

Enumclaw Library
1700 1st St,
Enumclaw, WA 98022

Black Diamond Elementary
25314 Baker St,
Black Diamond, WA 98010

Westwood Elementary
21200 S.E. 416TH
Enumclaw, WA 98022

Byron Kibler Elementary
2057 Kibler Avenue
Enumclaw, WA 98022

Cedarbrook Mobile Home Park
31108 3rd Ave
Black Diamond, WA 98010 

Cumberland Fire Station* between 11:00- 11:45 am

Selleck* (Across from the old Selleck school) between 11:45 - 12:30 pm

*Cumberland and Selleck will be delivered by bus so times may vary slightly

 

Childcare

We have connected with our families that completed our childcare survey.  Childcare for those families will begin next week. The Governor has asked each school district to do this for families of first responders and healthcare workers. If you are a first responder or healthcare worker and are still in need of childcare for your school-age children, please email Miranda at miranda_newell@enumclaw.wednet.edu.

 

Supplemental Learning

During the past three days, our staff has been busy preparing learning opportunities to deliver to students to help them stay connected and to keep their learning moving forward. Today, all building administrators held virtual meetings with their staff members.  During these meetings, principals provided staff with training and resources for online learning tools that will be used during the coming weeks.  

For the remainder of this week, our teachers will be working together virtually to design and deliver quality ways for your students to stay connected to their teachers and to remain academically engaged. 

What To Expect Next:

• By Friday of this week, you can expect more communication from your building principal with details about how your student will be able to stay connected and access learning digitally or in hard copy.

• On Friday, you will receive specific instructions on how to access Google Classroom, the platform our K-12 teachers will be using to deliver online access to learning activities during this time.    

• Next week (March 23-27) you will receive the first set of learning activities from your student’s teacher(s).  

 

Story Time with the Suit Guy

Join us on Facebook each day for live Story Time with the Suit Guy! Superintendent, Mike Nelson will be sharing incredible picture books with you! Make sure you follow Enumclaw School District and that you are signed up for Facebook notifications for when we go live! Videos will be posted on our Facebook playlist and at the following link on our website afterward for you to view anytime!

https://www.enumclaw.wednet.edu/our-district/superintendents-message/story-time-with-the-suit-guy

Dear Families,

Food Service

Our incredible food services team will be creating daily breakfast/lunch combined sacks for children age 0-18 as well as Special Education students up to age 21. We are launching this service on Wednesday, March 18th, at three locations:  Black Diamond Elementary School, Enumclaw High School, and King County Library in Enumclaw. These breakfast/lunch sacks can be picked up between 11:00 and 12:30, Monday - Friday from March 18 - April 24. Students or families in outlying areas can also call Tracy Holyan at 360-802-7715 to request delivery.  

 

New locations have been added! 

Breakfast/Lunch sacks will also be available for pick up at Westwood Elementary School 11:00 - 12:30 pm, Cumberland Fire Station* between 11:00- 11:45 am, and Selleck* (Across from the old Selleck school) between 11:45 - 12:30 pm, Monday - Friday from March 18 - April 24. *Cumberland and Selleck will be delivered by bus so times may vary slightly.

• If you are on the Backpack Program we will have volunteers with weekend food bags at each of the lunch locations on Fridays from 11-12:30. If you are unable to make it to any of these locations and would still like your weekend bag please contact Janeen Trepus 253-740-9434 or at janeent@rfwellnessfoundation.org.
• The POM food bank will be available Wednesdays from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.  They will have a drive-through style service in the back alley and will hand out pre-packed bags of food through vehicle windows.  If you are new, you can drive through and will be asked to fill out a one-page form.
• The Enumclaw Food Bank will be open Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday each week from 9:00 - 11:45 am.

 

Childcare

ESD is currently finalizing plans to support our first responder and healthcare worker families with childcare. You can expect more information on this as it becomes available.

Here are some possible next steps for your family if you are still in need of childcare. 

• We are working in partnership with the Plateau Ministerial Association.  If you are a member of a local church in our area and are not able to find childcare for your family, please contact your church. By reaching out to your congregation, your church team may be able to partner you with another member of your church willing to provide the support you need.

• The city of Enumclaw, in partnership with the Enumclaw School District, is in the process of organizing interim childcare through Camp Commotion at J.J. Smith.  Camp Commotion has been offered during the past several summers. ESD will share this information with you as it becomes available. 

• Several college students who have been sent home due to college closures and high school students have expressed a desire to babysit during this time.  If this is an option you would like to pursue, we are working with community volunteers to facilitate this communication. Please contact Lu Blair at 253-261-9365.

 

Supplemental Learning

ESD teachers will provide weekly, optional, enrichment opportunities for all students beginning March 23 through April 17th. We will ensure that all students can access this opportunity either electronically or by retrieving hard copy versions available for pick-up at each school. Our goal is to assist families in continuing to move their student’s learning forward. Until these opportunities are available next week, Our instructional staff have created and vetted a list of FREE, optional, learning resources to utilize during the extended closure. This can be accessed at the following link on our website: www.enumclaw.wednet.edu/teaching-learning/supplemental-learning

 

Registration for EHS

This is an update regarding registration for classes at Enumclaw High School for the 2020-2021 school year.  

Last week students received the Course Selection Guide and a colored course selection worksheet for the 2020-2021 school year. 

Previously, students were instructed to register for next year's classes this week.  However, with the closing of Enumclaw High School from now until April 24th, registration will be different. 

• If your student has completed the colored course selection worksheet, please feel free to drop off the completed course selection worksheet at the Main Office beginning Wednesday, March 18th between 8:00 AM and 3:00 PM. 
• In the event that your student and/or you are not able to bring the completed worksheet in, an email will be sent to your student’s Gmail account after Wednesday with instructions on other ways to submit next year's registration. 

Please let your student’s counselor know if you have any additional questions about registration.

Dear families:

In the past hour, Governor Inslee has issued several new restrictions. As a result of these restrictions, Enumclaw Schools will begin their closures tomorrow and will resume on April 27th.  

As always, we will continue to keep you updated with information. 

In partnership with you, 

Mike Nelson

Superintendent

Dear Families,

This note is to give you an update on our next steps to provide information about our system.  

Food Service

Our incredible food services team will be creating daily breakfast/lunch combined sacks for children age 0-18 as well as Special Education students up to age 21. We are launching this service on Wednesday, March 18th, at three locations:  Black Diamond Elementary School, Enumclaw High School, and King County Library in Enumclaw. These breakfast/lunch sacks can be picked up between 11:00 and 12:30, Monday - Friday from March 18 - April 24. In addition, the District is working on a system to deliver meals to the Greenwater and Selleck areas.  Next week, the District will be contacting families directly in these areas to determine interest and to establish a schedule. Students or families in these outlying areas can also call Tracy Holyan at 360-802-7715 to request delivery.  
 

Childcare

For the past several days, we have outreached to the city of Enumclaw, local daycare centers and the Plateau Ministerial Association seeking partnership in providing a list of possible childcare opportunities.   We are discovering our local daycare centers are either at capacity or are considering the need to close. 

Enumclaw School District is issuing an electronic survey to all families to help us determine the level of immediate need for childcare supports. If you are a family that has been impacted in this area please complete the survey here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfGxO6o4k8F1-JfAaIph9eQWzLz9nVJXCGa2t3172h462N3lg/viewform?usp=sf_link

Here are possible next steps for your family if you are still in need of childcare. 

• We are working in partnership with the Plateau Ministerial Association.  If you are a member of a local church in our area and are not able to find childcare for your family, please contact your church. By reaching out to your congregation, your church team may be able to partner you with another member of your church willing to provide the support you need.
• The city of Enumclaw, in partnership with the Enumclaw School District, is in the process of organizing interim childcare through Camp Commotion at J.J. Smith.  Camp Commotion has been offered during the past several summers. Registration information will be available on Monday and ESD will share that information with you at that time. 
• Several college students who have been sent home due to college closures and high school students have expressed a desire to babysit during this time.  If this is an option you would like to pursue, we are working with community volunteers to facilitate this communication. Please contact Lu Blair at 253-261-9365.
   

Supplemental Learning

We would like to begin by stating that our high school seniors are a high priority. We want to ensure that they have all necessary requirements for a successful pathway to graduation.  We appreciate your patience as we receive more information and guidance from our state. We fully recognize how important it is for you to have this information. In our current situation, we are still moving forward with all senior activities that will occur after April 27. 

At this time, ESD teachers will provide weekly, optional, enrichment opportunities for all students beginning March 23 through April 17th. Our mission is to serve students equitably. We will ensure that all students can access this opportunity either electronically or by retrieving hard copy versions available for pick-up at each school. It is our hope to assist families in continuing to move learning forward. You can anticipate more detailed communication in the coming week, including school office hours for material pick-up, as we work through this unprecedented situation.  
 

Additional Resource

Plateau Outreach Ministries (POM)

POM will be providing case management and financial assistance appointments over the phone.  Phone appointments will be scheduled during the times of their regular service hours: Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.  Patrons should call 360-825-8961 press 3 to schedule an appointment. If you receive a voicemail, leave your name and a good phone number to have someone call you back. 

The food bank will be available Wednesdays from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.  They will have a drive-through style service in the back alley and will hand out pre-packed bags of food through vehicle windows.  If you are new, you can drive through and will be asked to fill out a one-page form.

Please Note: All school buildings will be closed on Tuesday, March 17, 2020, for administrative planning, please direct your calls to the District Office, which will remain open. School buildings will re-open for phone calls on March 18, 2020.

During the past few days, I have become increasingly aware of how amazing the Enumclaw School District community truly is!  There were times I barely uttered the words, “We need…” before I received a text or email that offered the exact support that was needed.  We hope this letter demonstrates a glimpse of how hard-working, caring and supportive our Enumclaw School District community is. Even during moments like the one we are currently experiencing, it’s hard not to feel blessed.

 

In Partnership with you,

Mike

Dear Families and Students,

As you know, we are facing an unprecedented public health crisis. We understand that the past weeks have been stressful as the situation evolves on a daily basis.

Enumclaw School District has kept our schools open as long as possible, as recommended by state and local public health authorities. We know that in addition to education, schools provide vital support to our communities and that school closure has a major impact on our families. 

Governor Inslee has now ordered the closure of all schools in King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties.

On Tuesday, March 17, our schools will close through April 24th.  At this time, schools will resume on Monday, April 27, 2020. 
 

What this Means for Students

Beginning Tuesday, school will be closed for students.  At this time, the last day of the school year will remain June 19, 2020.  We would like students to collect learning materials and personal items they might need while schools are closed. Please help us to remind and encourage your children to collect any items from their school they may need. 

We understand that this raises questions and impacts several areas including childcare needs for our staff and families, school meals, graduation and much more. We are working on plans to address these and will be in continuous communication as we work through this. We appreciate your patience and understanding.

We are finalizing plans to support our families during the closure in the following ways:

• Providing food services to our students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals
• Providing childcare for our First Responder/Healthcare families (as requested by the governor) who need to continue working during this closure. (ESD is working in partnership with our existing childcare providers, faith organizations and the City of Enumclaw to explore options on providing this service)
• Providing support to our 12th-grade students to ensure they complete graduation requirements.  
• Providing enrichment learning opportunities for students while they are away from school.

We intend to communicate with you again tomorrow with an update on the items above and more. We will be in continuous communication with you during this closure, as a declaration to close schools for this length of time has never occurred in our state.
 

Public Health Guidance

We encourage you to continue to follow existing guidelines to protect your own health. The Centers for Disease Control recommends:

• Wash hands with soap and water for 20 seconds; use alcohol-based sanitizer if no water is available
• Avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands
• Avoid close contact (within 6 feet) with those who are sick
• Stay home if sick
• Cover a cough or sneeze with a tissue, throw the tissue in the trash, and wash hands
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched object and surfaces
   

Healthcare Resources

Here is a resource for families who may want to see a doctor but don’t have one and/or those who need to enroll in public or low-cost health insurance.

Community Health Access Program (CHAP) is a telephone assistance program serving King County residents by connecting them to health insurance, health care services, and other resources. CHAP services are free and confidential.  They can also connect you to free or low-cost medical providers and also assist with enrolling you in public or low-cost health insurance For more information, phone 1-800-756-5437 or email CHAP@kingcounty.gov
 

Stay Connected

As part of our response, we will be sending frequent updates with information and resources via email, our website, and social media channels. We want to express our appreciation for the patience of our ESD community as we work through the daily challenges COVID-19 has presented us.

https://publichealthinsider.com/2020/03/11/public-health-guidance-for-schools/

Throughout the COVID situation, our district leaders, along with all others from the Puget Sound region, have been participating in regular online meetings to learn important updates from King County Health Department and Pierce County Health Department.  Following today’s meeting and in response to information shared by our Governor at today’s press conference this morning, we are now taking steps related to non-school events in responding to the Governor’s message.   

Effective immediately, we are implementing the following in regards to our facilities:

• Outside Group Use of Facilities:  We will be suspending all use of our facilities by outside groups. 
• Childcare:  In support of the request made by our governor to school districts, our current childcare providers will continue providing services in our facilities.
• School-sponsored events:  School-sponsored events for the community (such as evening concerts, plays, etc.) will be suspended.
• Non-parent school volunteers/school visitors:  In addition to the suspension of events as described above, we will eliminate access to all volunteers and visitors in our schools, with the exception of parents/guardians of our students.  

At today’s press conference, the Governor asked school districts in King, Pierce and Snohomish Counties to immediately begin to prepare for an extended closure of all school districts in these counties  We have been asked, and are beginning to plan for ways we could support in two key areas:  

• providing a way for limited access to daily meals distributed to students in our community and
• exploring options for accessing childcare support for children of first responders and healthcare workers

This continues to be an ever-changing event and we expect to continue receiving updates and guidance from the health department and state government agencies.  We will continue to keep you updated with key information.

Dear families:

As we come to the end of the week, our cabinet and I wanted to take the opportunity to share some information with you. This morning, our cabinet was able to participate in a conference call that involved the King County Dept. of Health, OSPI, and all school district teams from the Puget Sound region. As a result of this meeting and other multiple meetings earlier this week, we have revamped our website to include a section on COVID-19. As we receive information, we will continue to update our website. When you visit our website (www.enumclaw.wednet.edu), you will see a "page pop" with a link directly to information on COVID-19. It is our plan to continue updating our website throughout the weekend as necessary. If there is any information critical for you to know, impacting the Enumclaw School District, we will directly contact you via email or phone.

Wishing you all a restful and calm weekend.

Mike Nelson

Superintendent 

https://www.kingcounty.gov/depts/health/news/2020/March/5-suspected-covid.aspx

Schools are large, public settings with plenty of social interaction and everyone is concerned about how children will be affected. Health officials from Public Health – Seattle & King County and the CDC weighed recommendations for schools very carefully. The available data about COVID-19 cases has shown that children and youth have not been high risk groups for serious illness from this virus. COVID-19 infection in children tends to be more like a common cold or a mild fever.

We know that schools are doing the important work of educating our children. We don’t want to disrupt that unless there are known coronavirus exposure risks. We also know that school closures have other impacts on working parents. In addition, school closures can be disruptive and costly for families, and we consider both the potential benefits and negative consequences of closures when we make recommendations.

Public Health is not recommending closing schools at this time. If there is a confirmed case of COVID-19, Public Health will work with the school and the district to determine the best measures including potential school closure. As much as possible, children should be allowed to carry on with their education and normal activities.

Please see https://www.kingcounty.gov/depts/health/communicable-diseases/disease-control/novel-coronavirus/protection.aspx for this article and more information.

The Enumclaw School District is proactively monitoring the spread of the Coronavirus.  We have been a part of state webinars on this subject and will continue to be a part of any training or information offered by our State Department of Health.  The Department of Health is an agency that all school districts across our state will work with very closely during this time.  Below are a few links we were provided that you might find helpful in better understanding the Coronavirus.  

More than anything, we all need to remain vigilant in covering sneezes and coughs, frequent handwashing and staying home when ill.

Thanks for your amazing partnership during this time.

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019 

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

 https://www.doh.wa.gov/Emergencies/Coronavirus

https://www.colorincolorado.org/coronavirus-resources-schools - multilingual resources

OSPI Letter to Superintendents