COVID19 Updates

COVID19 Updates

COVID19 Updates

Summary of Updates

Update 11-10-20

We are pleased to continue to report that the number of positive COVID19 cases within Lincoln County School District #2 remain very low. We have completed our fall sports seasons and are looking forward to our winter seasons. We are quickly approaching the Thanksgiving break still with face-to-face instruction happening. That is a milestone in itself.

With continued diligence in hand-washing and wearing of face coverings when social distancing is not possible, we hope to continue to see our numbers be minimal. We feel fortunate with every week that we are able to remain in face-to-face instruction. Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving holiday.

Update 10-27-20

You know the old adage “no news is good news?” We are happy to be sharing that-

  • We just completed our 9th week of face-to-face instruction. Our teachers and students report they are happy!
  • Fall sports are wrapping up over the next two weeks. Teams from both Cokeville and Star Valley have been able to compete the entire season without quarantine.
  • Active cases of COVID-19 have seen a slight decrease in Lincoln County this week.
  • We are entering the cold/flu season and appreciate all the parents are doing to keep ill student’s at home.
  • We continue to have increased sanitization measures in place to keep our schools clean and healthy.
  • You can help keep our schools healthy by continuing your at-home screening, hand washing, and encouraging face coverings when social distancing is not possible.

Update 10-20-20

The School District held its weekly conference call this morning with officials from Lincoln County Health. We are pleased to report that the active cases of COVID19 within Lincoln County School District #2 remain minimal. We have had questions from staff and the community regarding notification from the District when an active case is reported. To quote from our Smart Start Plan- “New cases and exposure will be communicated to staff and stakeholders, as appropriate, through previously mentioned communication pathways. Personal or identifiable information will not be shared.” At this time, we do not believe it is appropriate to report new cases and exposure based on the small numbers that are being reported. Personal identification and the confidentiality of those affected would be at risk due to the small numbers we are seeing. We continue to emphasize the importance of at-home screening, hand washing and social distancing when possible. When social distancing is not possible the use of an approved face covering is recommended.

Update 10-13-20

We are nearing the completion of week eight of this school year with face-to-face instruction taking place. We are so pleased that currently we have very, very few staff and/or students with active cases of the COVID 19-Coronavirus. We are aware of the uptick in active cases in the county. We applaud our staff, students and parents for screening, staying home when sick, wearing masks when physically distancing cannot be maintained, and increasing efforts to wash hands, etc.

We have been asked numerous times what the threshold would be of active cases before we would need to go to Tier 2 or Tier 3. We do not have a predetermined threshold and will continue to work closely with the Lincoln County Public Health offices to determine best courses of action.

Please continue to help us stay the course so that our students can remain in classrooms and participating in activities.

Update 10-8-20

In last nights’ school board meeting the school board discussed at length a request to provide numbers of staff and/or students that had tested positive for the COVID19 Coronavirus. Based on the recommendation from the school district’s legal counsel and the Superintendent, the decision was made that notifications would continue to come through the Public Health Office. Current statistics can be found at COVID19 – Wyoming. Hover your cursor over the blue dot on Lincoln County and the statistics will appear.

Update 10-1-20

Thank you, parents, for being diligent in screening your students prior to sending them to school. Thank you for keeping them home if they are exhibiting any of the symptoms listed on the screening criteria below.

If, by chance, your student may have been in close contact with individuals testing positive for COVID-19, the state health department will contact you within 48 hours. You will only be contacted if it’s determined your student was in close contact.

The District is continuing to take measures to protect our campuses such as additional deep-cleaning and sanitization. We ask our staff and students to remember the importance of at-home screening, social distancing, and face coverings.

Update 9-15-20

Lincoln County School District #2 has received confirmation from our state public health office of an employee at Star Valley Middle School and one student at Star Valley High School testing positive for COVID-19.

The state health department will be contacting those families, with 48 hours, whose students may have been in close contact with these individuals. You will only be contacted if it’s determined your student was in close contact. Due to confidentiality of these individuals, we are unable to answer specific questions. 

The District is continuing to take measures to protect our campuses such as additional deep-cleaning and sanitization. We ask our staff and students to remember the importance of at-home screening, social distancing, and face coverings.

Update 5-1-20 

What a wonderful time for us to be able to share with you the Mission, Vision and Goals for Lincoln County School District #2.

The Mission Statement for Lincoln County School District #2 is “Success at the Next Level”. This statement is at the core of decisions that are made district-wide. We put student’s success first.

We envision success at the next level being accomplished by cultivating relationships through respectful, considerate, sincere and honest interactions; by accepting learning at high levels as the main purpose of our school district; by working collaboratively to achieve our collective purpose, and by determining our effectiveness on the basis of results rather than intentions.

Our Vision is broken down into four different categories with a goal listed for each one. During the past six weeks we’ve had many opportunities to evaluate these goals and create new ideas and ways of targeting them. We contribute our success to the wonderful parents of our students, our staff and community. Thank you for helping us to create “Success at the Next Level”! 

Sustainability Through Effective Resource Utilization:

Goal: Establish and maintain processes that secure the sustainability of LCSD#2.

Leadership and Talent Development through Recruitment and Professional Development:

Goal: As a system, create and update our processes and practices of leadership and talent development to ensure continuous high performance in all areas.

Student Success through Teaching and Learning:

Goal: Every student will demonstrate one year’s growth. One year’s growth is defined as measuring a student’s academic progress between two point in time.

Student Safety:

Goal: The district will provide a safe school environment for students, staff and visitors.

Grab and Go Breakfast and Lunch will again be available beginning Monday, May 4, for all children 18 years of age or younger, to include preschool, enrolled or not. Pick up locations are Cokeville High School, Etna Elementary, Thayne Elementary and Star Valley High School. Pick up times are between 10:00 a.m.- 11:30 a.m. Children do not need to be present. Parents/guardians may pick up the meals. To help with meal preparation please go to the following link Grab and Go Sign Up on our website or type https://forms.gle/HSottd769NuPzUyC6 in your menu bar, to sign up for these meals. These meals are provided on regularly scheduled school days.

Update 4-24-20

To ensure students’ and staff health and safety, Lincoln County School District #2 approved Adapted Learning Plan will continue through May 29. Students in LCSD #2 will not be returning to classrooms for the remainder of the 2019-20 school year. This decision was made collaboratively between the school district, county government and local health authorities. High school students will get further guidance from their building principals on Monday.

Star Valley, Cokeville, and Swift Creek High graduation ceremonies are still being planned for the same date and time as was previously calendared. All three high school principals have organized graduation planning committees composed of student body officers, senior class officers, parents and staff. At this time, we do not know exactly how these ceremonies will look. The high schools in the district are working very hard on providing the best opportunities possible to celebrate the accomplishments of the graduating classes of 2020 while still following the recommendations in place from the State of Wyoming, Lincoln County and local health care professionals.

The administrative team is meeting next week to determine if any adjustments to the Adapted Learning Plan are warranted. Changes, if any, will be communicated to parents and students.

We sincerely want to thank our students, parents and community for all of your support in this unprecedented time.

Regards,
Wade Hirschi, Chairman, Board of Trustees
Eileen Merritt, Vice-Chairman, Board of Trustees
Lane Allred, Board Clerk
Connie Day, Board Treasurer
Tim Teichert, Board Member
Tyler Brog, Board Member
Lanny Draney, Board Member
Matt Erickson, Superintendent
Dr. Amanda McAdams, Director of Elementary Education
Jason Horsley, Director of Secondary Education
Nathan Wescott, Director of Special Services​

Update 4-23-20

Today at 3:00 p.m. Governor Gordon will hold a press conference. You may watch this live on wyomingpbs.org or use this YouTube link: Watch. We anticipate receiving further guidance regarding the school closure that is in effect until April 30. Based on the information received from that press conference, the Board of Trustees will hold a special board meeting Friday, April 24 at 5:00 p.m. A ZOOM link will be posted on our Facebook page as well as our website. It is anticipated that the public session of that meeting will begin at approximately 5:10 p.m. Information will be sent to parents and staff following that meeting with a plan for the rest of the 2019-2020 school year.

Update 4-16-20

How about this snow!! Quite a change from last week!

This week in Lincoln County School District #2 administrators made cold calls to five parents with students in their school and asked them to address five specific questions.

  1. What are we doing well?
  2. What can we improve on?
  3. Do you have specific frustrations we can address?
  4. How much time does your child(ren) spend per day on homework?
  5. If you have participated in the Grab-N-Go meals, do you have any comments?

We have over 60 documented responses and are happy to see that things are going well! The responses did state that at first the online educational opportunities presented a challenge, but now most parents and students have got it figured out. The parents that are participating in the Grab-N-Go meals reported that they have been awesome and very helpful. We would encourage anyone interested to take advantage of this opportunity. You do not need any qualification to participate. Just please use the sign-in sheet available on our Facebook page and our website so that we can prepare an adequate number of meals.

We anticipated an update on the school closure this week but did not receive one. Once we have any information, we will contact parents, post it on our Facebook page and on our website.

Elementary Materials Pick-up

AES: No materials pick up this week.

EES: You may drop student work of at the school any day between 8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.  If the school has contacted you about material pick up, please call the school to make sure we can accommodate you in your effort to pick up materials.

OES: There will no school-wide materials pick up this week. If your student needs to pick up materials you will be contacted directly by their teacher.

TES:  No materials pick up until further notice.

Update April 10, 2020

Let’s start celebrating all the good things that are happening in Lincoln #2!

  • The sun is shining!!!!
  • As of today, April 10, there has been 9,576 grab-n-go meals delivered to students.
  • Our Special Education teams, led by their IEP Facilitators, completed over 61 IEP Meetings using Zoom and conference calls with staff and parents to meet IDEA compliance during our first 3 weeks of closure.
  • There have been over 40 calls/texts to ELL families this week.
  • 736 out of 761 students at SVHS have interacted with teachers either via Canvas, email, paper/pencil, etc.
  • On Canvas there have been 6,183 participants. All students in each course counts as a participant.
  • There have been 605,115 page views on Canvas. Each refresh or click to a page counts as a page view.
  • Elementary students have picked up packets and dropped off library books. We plan on having a library book pick-up in the near future.
  • Buildings are being cleaned and sanitized.
  • Our transportation fleet is having needed service and repairs done.
  • Social Studies and Math curriculum proposed for adoption is available at the School District Administration Office for public viewing.
  • Thank you, thank you, thank you, wonderful parents for all of your support!!

Parents and guardians of students with disabilities please click here for an informational letter.

UPDATE April 6, 2020

Administration met with all teachers and staff today to review new procedures during the school closure period including a schedule for materials and assignments pick-up.

For all students, Lincoln County School District #2 use of interactive audio and video conferencing may be used as options to provide Adapted Learning Instruction while schools are closed for the COVID-19 pandemic. Please click this link to read more about this resource as well as the process to OPT-OUT if you so choose.  https://lcsd2.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Informed-Audio-Video-Delivery-of-Academic-Instruction.pdf

Materials/Assignments Pick-Up Schedule

Elementary Schools

On Wednesday, April 8, from 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Star Valley elementary schools will have a material pick-up/library book drop-off.  Please bring any school library books for drop-off in a receptacle.  Please see individual schools below, including Cokeville, for more directions (check school websites as well).

AES:  On Wednesday 1:00 p.m. -7:00 p.m., Kindergarten and 2nd grade please pull up in your car in the drop-off lane, tell us your student and teacher name and we will retrieve and bring the packet/s to you. 1st and 3rd grade parents, please pull up in the bus area and use the same procedure. Please stay in your car.

On Thursday 8:00 a.m. -3:00 p.m., there will be self-serve for any remaining packets from tables under the covered entry near the front office. (Teachers are washing hands, wearing gloves, and practicing social distancing. We encourage you to return work digitally via texted pictures, email, SeeSaw, or whatever works best between you and your child’s teacher.)

CES: Packet pickups will be on Thursdays from 2:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. Please check the school website for additional information.

EES: Wednesday, April 8, from 1:00 p.m. -7:00 p.m. You are allowed to drive to the rear of the building and park. Please come to the rear exterior door that is labeled for your child’s grade level. Staff will take your name, go to your child’s cubby and retrieve any items in the cubby to include: important literature books for reading, textbooks, and other information for our adapted learning plan. If you are unable to come during these times, please contact the school at (307) 885-2472 so we can arrange for an alternate pick up time.

OES: Wednesday, April 8, from 1:00 p.m. -7:00 p.m. Please pull in through the SOUTH main school entrance and pull up to the curb in front of the office. Please stay in your car. Please have a sign with LARGE letters stating your child’s name and the name of their teacher. Staff will then retrieve the materials and deliver them to your vehicle.

TES: Wednesday, April 8, from 1:00 p.m. -7:00 p.m. The available packets are a replication of the Google Classroom. If you are already using Google Classroom with your teacher, you do not need to pick up packets at school. For example, most 3rd grade students are logged on to Google Classroom and won’t need to pick up packets.

For those families NOT able to or wanting to use Google Classroom, please pull up to the main school entrance and stay in your car.  Please have a sign with LARGE letters stating grade, teacher name, child’s name. Staff will then retrieve the materials and deliver them to your vehicle.

Star Valley Middle School

Star Valley Middle School will be allowing one family in the building at a time for pick-up and delivery of paper assignments. The building hours will be Tuesdays and Thursdays through the end of April from 7:30 a.m.- 5:30 p.m. Please note that the front doors will be locked, so please knock on the front door. If no one opens the door, it is because we are helping another student.  If you need to pick up something from your locker/PE locker or a band instrument, you will be able to do that; however, classrooms and the library will not be available. If you need assistance please contact (307) 885-5208, (307) 887-2015 or (307) 248-1433.

Cokeville High School

Cokeville High School students may pick up items left at school Monday-Thursday from 8:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m.

Star Valley High School

Star Valley High School Students may pick up music instruments and other items left at school Wednesday, April 8 from 1:00 p.m.- 7:00 p.m.

Students will not be allowed to meet or “hangout” at the school. Although we recognize their desire to be together, picking up items will be limited to retrieving the item(s) and exiting the building. We want to protect our students and staff during this interaction. If you are sick please do not come to the school to pick up items. 

4-3-20

Notification was just received that Governor Gordon has extended the existing order for school closure through the end of April. We will continue to provide updates as they are made available to us.

Update 4-2-20

Good Afternoon. We are excited to announce the Wyoming Department of Education (WDE) has approved the LCSD2 Adaptive Learning Plan during the extended school closure. What does this mean? Beginning April 6th, 2020, LCSD2 students will receive educational services remotely according to the approved Adaptive Learning Plan. All LCSD2 staff will be meeting, virtually, Monday morning at 8:00 with their respective principal or director for final plan implementation details. You can expect to receive information Monday afternoon, April 6 from your student’s teacher and/or school with specific details. We understand this new adventure creates many questions. LCSD2 looks ahead with optimism. We understand that this adaptive approach may be different for each student. We accept the challenge and we will rely on increased communication with parents, students, and teachers during this time.  It is not our intention to replicate the classroom or a typical school day inside a student’s home. It is our intention, however, to provide learning opportunities to support your students unique needs. We ask for your continued support as we navigate this national emergency. Please don’t hesitate to provide feedback to your child’s teacher or principal.

These closures are in response to extraordinary circumstances for which a national emergency has been duly declared by the President of the United States under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act and this action will protect the health and safety of students, staff, and our communities.”

Update 3-30-20

Click on the following link for an update from Superintendent Erickson.

https://youtu.be/R4fhIkVBuAU

Update 3-27-20 #2

Today Governor Gordon announced that Wyoming schools are to remain closed until April 17th. LCSD#2 Board of Trustees and Administration support this recommendation. Superintendent of Public Instruction Balow stated that”school doors may be closed to students, but Wyoming education is open for business”. “The desire by teachers to connect with their students and provide learning opportunities has been inspiring. Teaching and learning while practicing social distancing is a new concept for many. Teachers, parents, and students all need support in order for it to be successful.”

Each district must have an Adaptive Education Plan in place by April 6 in order to continue to receive state funding.   LCSD#2 administration will present our plan at a board meeting Wednesday, April 1.

Update 3-27-20 #1

March 30- April 3 is the regularly scheduled spring break for students in Star Valley. Grab and Go Meals in Star Valley will not be available. Pick up in Cokeville will still be available Monday-Thursday of next week. We will continue to communicate with parents regarding the closure as information becomes available. We encourage all to continue using the guidelines coming from the CDC. Stay healthy!

Food Service for Students during School Closure

Grab and Go Breakfast and Lunch will be available beginning Thursday, March 19, for all children 18 years of age or younger, to include preschool, enrolled or not. Children do not need to be present. Parents/guardians may pick up the meals. To help with meal preparation please go to the following link Grab and Go Sign Up or type https://forms.gle/A5qcCksnvx4G8w9k6 in your menu bar, to sign up for these meals. This is not mandatory but we appreciate you helping us prepare an adequate number of meals. Pick up will be at the following locations:

Star Valley locations- look for signs with exact pick-up location (Etna Elem., Thayne Elem., Star Valley High School)- March 19, 20, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27

Cokeville- Cokeville High School- look for signs with exact pick-up location- March 19, 23, 24, 25, 26, 30, 31 and April 1, 2

Pick up times will be from 10:00 a.m.- 11:30 a.m.

Update 3-25-20

LCSD#2 administrators and teachers are preparing a long term plan that will enable students to continue with their learning should the COVID-19 closure extend beyond April 3. Each member of our school district is essential in supporting each other and our students in this journey. We know that education is a service, not a place. If we have to shift from the brick and mortar of our schools to remote based learning opportunities, our job remains to provide quality instruction to our students in a safe and welcoming way. We hope this closure will be over as soon as possible. Our administrators, teachers and staff miss having traditional contact with our students.

Update 3-23-20

We received notification that the Wyoming Department of Education has issued a waiver for WYTOPP testing for this year. Our students will not take WY-TOPP this spring. WY-ALT is also postponed. In response to the WY-TOPP being cancelled, our schools will have the same school performance ratings as they earned in the 2018-19 school year. We will participate in a conference call on Friday, March 27 with State Superintendent Balow for updates from the WDE.

A virtual school board meeting will be held April 1 to discuss our long-range plan with the school board should the closure be extended beyond April 3.

Update 3-20-20

LCSD #2 expresses its appreciation to the families, staff and board for your support and feedback as this worldwide event impacts our local community.  I understand this has been a very challenging time for students and families.  Thank you for the words of support and encouragement many of you have shared with our district staff.  Thank you again for your continued patience, support, and feedback.  We are all in this together and I am immensely proud of the LCSD#2 team for pulling together and providing excellent opportunities for our students, families and community to continue finding success at the next level.

Matt Erickson, Superintendent

Update 3-19-20

Today there were 223 meals delivered from the Grab and Go Meals program. We consider this a huge success! Grab and Go Meals can be picked up at the following locations: Etna Elementary, Thayne Elementary, Star Valley High School and Cokeville High School. Go to the following link to sign up and see dates and times of pick up: Grab and Go Sign Up.

Students are continuing to receive support and communication from their teachers. We have not received any additional guidance from the Wyoming Department of Education. Additional updates will be posted as they become available.

Parents/Guardians and Families of Elementary Students 3-18-20:

We will have material pick up available today, Wednesday, March 18 at the four Star Valley elementary schools from 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., and Thursday and Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.  No electronic devices will be provided at this time for grades kindergarten through 8th grade.  Please expect a phone call from your child’s teacher by Friday afternoon.

EES:  You are allowed to drive to the rear of the building and park. Please come to the rear exterior door that is labeled for your child’s grade level. Staff will take your name, go to your child’s cubby and retrieve any items in the cubby to include a GO Math textbook, a literature book, and if not already provided, username and password information for all digital resources we are supporting right now.  If you are unable to come during these times, please contact the school so we can arrange for a alternate pick up time.

TES:  Please pull up to the main school entrance and stay in your car.  Please have a sign with LARGE letters stating which grade level your student(s) are in. If your child is in first or second grade, please also list your student’s and teacher’s  name.  Staff will then retrieve the materials and deliver them to your vehicle.

OES:  Please pull in through the SOUTH main school entrance and pull up to the curb in front of the office.  Please stay in your car.  Please have a sign with LARGE letters stating which grade level your student(s) are in   Staff will then retrieve the materials and deliver them to your vehicle.

AES:  Please come to the south gym door near the main entrance.  If there is a line, please maintain six feet minimum of spacing.  There will be a table outside.  Please tell the staff your student’s and teacher’s name and they will retrieve the materials for you.

For Cokeville Elementary:

CES:  Please refer to our school website tomorrow, Thursday, March 19 afternoon for a schedule and more information regarding material pick up and learning opportunities.

All other schools, please reference your student’s school website.

Update- March 17, 10:05 a.m.

Notification was received by the Wyoming Dept. of Education that all schools would be held harmless for closures occurring on school calendar days from March 16 to April 3, 2020. What this means for Lincoln County School District #2 is that we will not be required to make up the days that schools are closed through April 3.

Update- March 16, 4:10 p.m.

Dear Families and Community:

The district administrators met today and discussed preliminary plans for staff and students affected by the school closure in Lincoln #2. The direction for the next two days is as follows: Tuesday- staff meetings will be held to create a unified plan for delivery of instruction and to provide a list of possible educational resources for parents/students. A plan for food service to students will be developed. Wednesday- administrators will meet to coordinate the delivery of resources.

Due to the ever-changing direction we are receiving from the state and national level, we will continue to provide notification as information becomes available. Additional updates will be provided after the administrators meet on Wednesday.

We have applied to the Wyoming Dept. of Education for a waiver on our required school days due to the emergency closing of school. Once a decision has been reached, we will have direction regarding possible make-up days.

This has been an incredibly challenging time for the entire LCSD2 community. We want to thank you for your patience and understanding as we have dealt with this unprecedented situation. We will continue to keep you updated via email, text, social media, and our website.

Once again, thank you.

Sincerely,

Matt Erickson, Superintendent

Update- March 15, 6:30 PM

Lincoln County School District #2 school closure! Late this afternoon, Sunday, March 15, Governor Mark Gordon and State Superintendent Jillian Balow recommended that all schools are closed to students through at least April 3. LCSD#2 is following the recommendation of Governor Gordon and Supt. Balow and will close all schools until April 6. LCSD#2 Administration will release further plans after meetings are concluded Monday morning. Updates will be on our websites, social media and SVI. District administrators will be contacting staff over the next few hours.

Update March 15, 2020 

As of right now, school will continue in LCSD#2 as planned. Supt. Erickson has a conference call scheduled at 8:30 a.m. on Monday morning with Governor Gordon, Jillian Balow and Dr. Alexia Harrist. Following the call the district administration team will meet to discuss recommendations based on that conference call. We encourage parents to do what they feel is best for their own family. Leniency with absences will be handled on a case by case basis. Updates will be provided on social media and school websites as they become available. If more urgent communication is needed the school district will use the emergency school notification system.