#KSD Reimagine
Update from Kuna Superintendent Wendy Johnson
1.14.2022
In this update:
- Grateful for team of helpers--how you can help as this COVID-19 wave grows
- THANK YOU TO OUR TEAM
- Look for Board Report Monday!
- Sports Report
- Upcoming holiday & secondary early release
- Updated COVID Illness Tree
- COVID Notifications Reminder
- COVID Mask Use Update
- COVID Data Dashboards
- Past Newsletters
Grateful for helpers & our team
How can you help during this challenging time
"Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping," -- Mr. Rogers.
Kuna Families
Last week, I shared that as COVID-19 cases rose and more people become sick, we would face challenges staying open.
I met with our administrators and we've put in place an "all hands on deck" plan for classroom coverage over other jobs during this time. Using this approach, several of our schools did not close today despite more than 70 staff absences which means about one-quarter of our staff were absent.
In the photos below, you'll just some of our amazing team members filling in to keep school open --
- Initial Point staff (who don't have students on Friday) subbing,
- part-time coaches coming in to cover classes,
- teachers taking on additional classes,
- retired administrators stepping in,
- our support staff helping where needed, and
- our school administrators filling in everywhere.
We are marshalling our resources as we strive to stay open. We will need your help, too. Here's what you can do:
- Please don't send your child to school sick
- Be among the kind voices on social media and in person
- Become a substitute (we especially need substitutes on Mondays and Fridays and you can earn $120 on these days)
- Thank our teachers, staff and administrators--everyone is doing more
THANK YOU TO OUR TEAM
Classified and part-time coaches
Parent/coach Pat Lovelady
Part-time assistant softball coach Pat answered the call to help. He used his time off from from his job to support KHS today.
Parent/coach Russ Smith
Kuna Middle
Dawnell Miller
Brandy Kropp
Librarian Tonya Morgan
Tonya is covering classes as needed for her absent colleagues.
Amanda Reding
AJ York
Max Braley
Initial Point
Jessica Griswold
Siri Busacker
Siri covered a social studies class at KMS.
Gaetana Miller
Gaetana Miller, graduate from the University of Idaho in December, was just hired as new special education teacher at IPHS. She helped cover KMS' resource room today.
Phil Stofle
Phil stepped up help fill in at Hubbard elementary
Kellie Cook
Kellie helped teach interventions at KMS.
Mary Davis
Mary taught PE for a much younger group of students at Hubbard.
Kari Schumacher
Kari, an academic interventionist at FMS, covered a science class KMS today.
Administrators
Retired administrator Terry Beck
Retired principal Gordon Steinbis
Justine Burgess & Deb McGrath
Hubbard's administrators are covering classes and duties.
Kimberly Barker
Kaleigh Pond
Michele Moore & Kevin Gifford
Reed's Building Administrator Michele pitched in supporting special education services this week, and Kevin has been serving in the cafeteria and playground. (FYI: It was '50s day Friday."
KHS Administrators
KMS Administrators
Look for Board Report Monday!
A recap of Monday's school board meeting from your trustee will be in your email box the evening of Monday, Jan. 17. This update will include an invitation to join a study circle on "safe and inclusive" schools on Monday, Jan. 31.
Click on the link to the left to read this month's Sports Report and find out who the Kavemen beat for the first time & more!
Upcoming holiday & secondary early release
Preschool services at Hubbard will be impacted by this schedule, and parents of preschoolers will receive more information from the school.
Initial Point students and parents will receive information about their schedule.
Updated COVID Illness Tree
We discussed our COVID-19 Illness Tree (shared below) with the Board of Trustees on Tuesday and have updated it based on feedback and flexibility the CDC has provided around quarantine and isolation periods.
We also simplified information to one-page. It provides direction for individuals who:
- are sick to stay home
- are COVID-19 positive
- are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms
- have been exposed to a COVID-19 positive individual
We are grateful for the grant that allows us to provide free COVID-19 tests to our staff and to families who want them for their children.
COVID Notifications Reminder
Reminder: At the start of the year, we shared that COVID-19 was so prevalent in our community that our health team is unable to contact trace to identify close contacts of COVID positive individuals in our schools. That also meant that we are not sending out notifications. Parents can trace the level of positive cases in every school on our COVID data dashboards.
COVID Mask Use Update
With the Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks over, our review of data to make decisions per our mask policy is back to every two weeks. Based on data from Jan. 3-14 masks are:
- Optional - Fremont Middle School and Indian Creek
- Recommended - Hubbard, Ross, Kuna Middle, Silver Trail, Crimson Point, Kuna High, Reed
- Required - Initial Point. IP is a small school and just barely hit the threshold for "required."
The next review will be Jan. 28.