Othello School District

UPDATED: April 3, 2020 (4:14 PM)

Good Evening Families,

With Governor Inslee's most recent announcement this evening, we have made the decision to close our district office until further notice. Only essential staff will be working at the district office such as our executive cabinet members on a rotational basis. 

If you have any questions or concerns, please email Thalia Lemus at tdeleon@othelloschools.org or call 509-488-2659 ext. 1003 and leave a voicemail. Mrs. Lemus will get back to you as soon as she receives your message.

We will continue our Food Service Delivery & Pick-Uo during Governor Inslee's "Stay Home, Stay Healthy" order. This service is considered "essential" and we will be practicing social distancing. Thank you very much.

UPDATED: March 22, 2020 (4:09 PM)

We are beginning our food service delivery and pick-up tomorrow, March 23rd! We have added a few more locations to existing routes, have added an additional route that will service our special needs students by providing them door-to-door delivery service, and we have adjusted delivery and pick-up times. Please click here for the most updated information on the flyer. We look forward to seeing our students pick-up their meals tomorrow! 

UPDATED: March 19, 2020 (12:34 PM)

Dear Parents & Community Members,

We have been receiving emails and phone calls from staff, parents and community members regarding volunteer work during this unprecedented time. We would like to express our gratitude and thanks for your willingness to help our district in any way you can. At this time, we are adequately staffed with volunteers who are ready to help. As of right now, what we do ask of our community is to stay home, wash your hands and continue practicing social distancing. If you feel sick, please call our local clinic prior to going in and being evaluated. We are in this together! Once again, thank you for calling and sending us thoughtful messages, you are truly appreciated!

UPDATED: March 18, 2020 (4:15 PM)

After receiving further information from the state, we would like to reiterate that our childcare program is offered as a LAST RESORT for families in the medical/first responder field. Additionally, we have determined that our cap will be 30 students. We will not be accepting students who have existing childcare. 

If you have any questions regarding this new information, please contact Thalia Lemus at tdeleon@othelloschools.org or by calling 509-488-2659 ext 1003. Thank you for your patience during this unprecedented time. 

UPDATED: March 17, 2020 (9:00 AM)

The purpose of offering childcare is to support families who are in the medical field or are first responders who are directly assisting with the containment and treatment of COVID-19. OSD childcare is offered as a last resort for families in these fields. 

Beginning Monday, March 23, OSD childcare will be provided for current students, PK-12. Childcare hours will be from 7:45 AM - 3:30 PM and will be located at Wahitis Elementary School. 

OSD is collaborating with major local health care providers, fire, police and sheriff departments to identify those who will be needing OSD childcare services. Community members who are first responders or in medical fields outside of the community should contact the district office. Transportation to and from OSD childcare will not be provided by the district.

UPDATED: March 16, 2020 (4:30 PM)

This is a friendly reminder that there will be no school beginning tomorrow, March 17th thru Friday, April 24th. Today, a letter was sent home in students backpacks with information regarding our school closure plan. If your students did not attend school today, we have mailed out the letters to your home address. We look forward to continue providing you with information regarding our school closure plan. Thank you for your pateince during this unprecedented time. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Thalia Lemus at 509-488-2659 ext 1003 or email tdeleon@othelloschools.org.

UPDATED: March 16, 2020 (1:20 PM)

Preschool/Kindergarten round up scheduled for today and March 24, 26, & 28, has been cancelled. We apologize for this inconvenience. As soon as we have a date scheduled, we will update our families and community. Thank you for your patience during this unprecedented time.

UPDATED: March 16, 2020 (9:00 AM)

During this school closure, the Othello School District will provide breakfast and lunch to any child, 18 years and younger, regardless of their family income. Students will receive lunch for that day and breakfast for the following morning.

Starting on Monday, March 23, meals will be available for pick-up, between 11:00-12:30, at three different locations:

• Wahitis Elementary School Bus Loop, 905 S 14th Ave
• Hiawatha Elementary School Bus Loop, 506 N 7th Ave
• Othello High School Bus Loop, 340 S 7th Ave

UPDATED: March 15, 2020 (1:00 PM)

Dear Families,

Our dedicated team of administrators have been working hard over the weekend to answer your questions regarding this school closure and will be communicating our plan to you very soon!

As a reminder, tomorrow will be a regularly scheduled Monday with our normal 1.5 hour late start. We encourage all families to send your students to class as we will be providing them with information regarding this school closure.

Gov. Inslee has declared that all schools in the State of Washington close beginning Tuesday, March 17 through Friday, April 24. Monday, March 16 will be a regular late start school day for staff and students. More information and answers to frequently asked questions will be forthcoming. All after-school activities and travel are postponed effective immediately. This includes athletic competitions and practices, events, assemblies, travel/field trips and others. Please be patient as we update information on our website. Thank you.

UPDATED: March 12, 2020

Dear Families,

While there are no cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) in any Othello School District schools, the Adams County Health Department announced the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Grant County. 

The Othello School District is closely monitoring the evolving situation and in regular communication with state and local health department officials and with other districts in the region.  We will rely on public health guidance/recommendations to make the best decisions for the health of students and families.

If we are advised to close our schools in the future, we will notify you through email, a phone call, posting on our websites and on our social media pages.

Below are answers to some common questions the district is receiving and how you can get more information on this developing situation.

Are school events still happening?

The Public Health Department of Adams County is advising cancellation of events, concerts, and travel to areas with widespread cases of COVID-19 at this time. Additionally, the Othello School District, out of an abundance of caution, is cancelling the following:

• Assemblies
• Concerts
• Travel to areas determined to have either a number of COVID cases or where exposure risk is heightened
• While it is not a requirement in Adams County, we are proactively practicing social distancing measures the Governor mandated for counties near Seattle, which includes cancelling events with more than 250 people. To be clear, this is not a mandate in Adams County, but simply a precautionary step we are taking. 

How will you decide to close school, if needed?

Othello School District follows the guidance/recommendations of our county health department and will work closely with health department officials to determine if any closures are necessary in the future. Again, there are currently no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Othello School District. 

What if I want to keep my child home as a precaution?

As with the flu or other illness resulting in an extended absence, should your child become ill, you can contact the school to excuse the absence. Teachers will work with students and families to make up the coursework according to our attendance policies and procedures. As a parent or legal guardian, you have the right to excuse your student’s absence. If you decide to keep your child home as a precaution, please contact your school's attendance office. 

What steps is the district taking to keep students and staff healthy and safe?

• We are cancelling student and staff participation in events that require travel outside of the district to areas of widespread COVID-19 or with heightened exposure risk. In general, the district follows the lead of the host organization, and any additional guidance from public health officials regarding cancellation of events. Parents and guardians always make the final decision on whether their student will attend events outside of our district. 
• We are reviewing planned district events through the end of spring break. The district and individual schools will be providing updates on an ongoing basis, so please watch for changes. 
• We are creating contingency plans should the situation in Adams County and in our district dramatically change. We will, of course, keep you informed about any developments. If the COVID-19 illness spreads more broadly, we will follow the guidance and recommendations of public health officials and share this information with staff and families as quickly as possible.
• We are sanitizing our school buses before and after use every day. 
• We are following all recommendations from the Department of Health regarding cleaning and disinfecting practices in our facilities.
  

Actions You Can Take Now

Prevent the spread of illness: 

• Wash hands with soap and water frequently and for at least 20 seconds.
• If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Stay home when you are sick (persistent cough, temperature over 100.4, shortness of breath, etc).
• Stay home until you are symptom free with no medication for 72 hours.
• If you feel your child needs medical attention, call your medical provider first. Our local clinic will be screening patients over the phone and providing recommendations.
• Cover coughs or sneezes with a tissue or elbow, then throw the tissue in the trash and clean hands with soap and water or hand sanitizer (if soap and water are not readily available).
• Maintain two arms length or 6 ft. distance from others for personal space, which is a recommendation from the Department of Health.

Plan for childcare:

• Begin making plans for childcare at home if your child gets sick, or if school is cancelled due to the spread of illness. 
• The district will give families as much notice as we can if we are directed to close.
• If the district is directed to close by public health officials, the same process for a snow day will be followed, including closing all district facilities, rescheduling of athletic practices and events, and closure of before/after school programs.  The district will work with our staff labor organizations to plan makeup days, and also consider whether to pursue a waiver of missed days.

Stay informed through official channels:

The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) website and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website are excellent resources for official information and are updated regularly. If you have specific questions, you may call the DOH information line at 1-800-525-0127 and press #. You can also find resources about COVID-19, including how to talk to your kids about the illness at www.esd112.org/coronavirus-resources. 

Thank you for your attention to this important matter and please feel free to contact Thalia Lemus at 509-488-2659 with additional questions.

Sincerely,

Dr. Kenneth C. Hurst, Sr.

UPDATED: March 2, 2020

Dear Othello School District Families,

As you are likely aware, people in areas around the world are experiencing the respiratory illness COVID-19, caused by the novel coronavirus. While the number of cases of the virus in the United States and other countries is growing, the immediate risk of the virus to the general public is considered to be low.

With that said, this situation is evolving every day and I want to be sure the district is sharing information about where to find factual resources about the coronavirus and the actions this district is taking to monitor the situation.

Official and factual information sources

The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) has created a Novel Coronavirus COVID-19 website with information and resources for the community and specifically schools. A fact sheet, which is available in 11 languages, as well as a page dedicated to schools is on this page. The site also includes workplace recommendations and links to Centers for Disease Control (CDC) resources and information. Both the DOH and CDC websites are updated regularly.

Actions the district is taking

The Othello School District will continue to share information about this emerging public health issue with you directly on our website and social media accounts. We are in communication with local public health officials to stay abreast of any changes or developments in this area and are committed to sharing these updates, as needed. 

Out of abundance of caution, we are creating contingency plans should the situation in this state dramatically change. We will, of course, keep you informed about any developments in this unlikely scenario.

We are reminding this team and our community to intentionally combat stigma. As new information emerges, it is important to remember and remind members of our community that COVID-19 is not connected to race, ethnicity, or nationality. Stigma will not help fight the illness, however sharing accurate information during a time of heightened concern is critical to keeping misinformation at bay.

Reminders about how to prevent COVID-19 and other illness at school

According to the Department of Health, schools do not need to take any special precautions beyond what is normally recommended to prevent the spread of viruses in schools. The entire community can reduce the risk of getting and spreading viral respiratory infections, including the flu and the common cold, through these simple steps, which will also prevent COVID-19.

• Stay home when you are sick.
• Wash hands with soap and water frequently and for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, and after blowing your nose. Help young children do the same. If hands are visibly dirty, use soap and water to clean hands.
• If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Cover coughs or sneezes with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash and clean hands with soap and water or hand sanitizer (if soap and water are not readily available).
• Get a flu shot during the flu season.

The district is continuing its routine cleaning procedures and ensuring adequate soap, water and hand sanitizer are available for staff and student use.

I understand that this issue is at the top of our minds and please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have questions.

Sincerely,

Dr. Kenneth C. Hurst, Sr.