OTSEGO LOCAL SCHOOLS
Superintendent's Weekly Update - January 8, 2021
We are excited to be back! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season. The dashboard is up to date. We have a lot of students coming back after today. I will update the dashboard on Monday morning with those new numbers. Please continue to do your part in helping slow the spread.
We are still waiting for new quarantine guidance. We will get something over the weekend and I will have something to send out early next week.
Vaccine Volunteers:
The Wood County Health Department is looking for volunteers to help with the administration of vaccines in the County. This would greatly benefit Otsego as well. We are moving fast on a plan to vaccinate our employees and we could use help. Otsego and the health department are looking for volunteers in the medical field to help administer vaccinations. They would become medical reserve corp volunteers. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION
We are also looking for support volunteers to help with school sites and other sites throughout Wood County. Support staff would help with registration, traffic flow, and other administrative duties on the days the vaccines would be administered. Volunteers should have quick access to the vaccine as well. I am not exactly sure when they would receive their vaccination but it would be quicker.
The health department has a great plan and I am extremely thankful for the work they are doing for all of us. We just need help to accomplish what we want to accomplish. Please consider helping if you can. Again, we need medical personnel and support staff volunteers.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP TO HELP WITH VACCINATIONS AT OTSEGO AND WOOD COUNTY
Quarantined: If a student or staff member has been in close contact with another individual that tests positive for COVID-19 the student will be required to quarantine for 14 days from the date of close contact. Close contact is defined as being within 6 feet for more than 15 minutes of the positive individual. The quarantine may end only after 14 days if the student/staff member was symptom-free the entire time.
Isolated: If a student or staff member has tested positive for COVID-19 they are to isolate at home for 10 days since the symptoms first appeared. The student or staff member may return when there have been 10 days since symptoms began, no fever for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication, and COVID-19 symptoms have been improving for at least 24 hours.
Contact Tracing: We will contact trace through multiple means. We will start with all of our seating charts in classrooms and on the bus. We will also check to see what extracurriculars the students are involved in. We will also be directly communicating with the students to get a detail of their day. The contact tracing will start two days prior to a student having symptoms. For example, if a student tests positive for COVID-19 and symptoms appear on a Wednesday, we will contact trace and determine if any individual had close contact (within 6 ft. for more than 15 minutes) on Monday or Tuesday of that week.
Organizational Board Meeting for 2021
The Board of Education held its annual organizational meeting this week. The highlights are below.
1. Elected Brad Anderson, President, and James Harter, Vice President for 2021.
2. The following 2021 Meeting Dates were set:
Generally, the meetings are on the 4th Thursday of the month. Meetings start at 6 pm and located in room C145 of the High School. This is the room located next to the Central Office. You can enter through the HS commons. The November and December meetings are on the 3rd Thursday. Meeting dates and any changes can be found on the web HERE
January 28, 2021
February 25, 2021
March 25, 2021
April 22, 2021
May 27, 2021
June 24, 2021
July 22, 2021
August 26, 2021
September 23, 2021
October 28, 2021
* November 18, 2021
* December 16, 2021
3. Adopted the following Treasurer authorizations for 2021:
- Signature of the Treasurer, or the facsimile thereof, be used for all checks and vouchers.
- Permission to invest inactive funds according to Ohio Revised Code.
- Permission for the Treasurer to pay all bills as they are presented, provided that funds are available, and to report monthly to the Board of Education those bills that were paid.
- Permission for the President and Treasurer to borrow money if needed.
- Permission for the Treasurer to approve workbook prices.
- Permission for the Treasurer to apply on behalf of the school district, to participate in any Federal or State Projects or Programs for which Board approval is required.
- Permission for the Treasurer to attend association, local and state meetings.
- Permission to waive the reading of the board minutes at all meetings.
4. Adopted the following Superintendent authorizations for 2021:
- Permission to attend association, local and state meetings.
- Permission to serve as the purchasing agent for the school district.
- Permission to the Superintendent to enter into tuition contracts.
- Permission to the Superintendent to approve transportation agreements
- Permission to approve meeting attendance, travel requests, and reimbursements as deemed appropriate.
- Permission to the Superintendent or designee to serve as the sexual harassment grievance and compliance officer.
- Permission to employ such temporary personnel as needed for emergency situations. Such employment is to be presented for approval by the Board at the next regular meeting.
- Declare that the purchase of meals and other refreshments at meetings be authorized as a permissible use of funds, and to authorize the Superintendent and/or the Treasurer to determine appropriateness.
- Meals, refreshments, other amenities for staff, students, citizen advisory groups who participate in meetings, staff professional development, staff appreciation breakfast/lunch or on other occasions deemed appropriate. Student, staff, citizen, or board member appreciation items, plaques, or retirement items. Senior Citizen Dinner/Musical, Veteran’s Day Breakfast, and any other community event deemed appropriate.
- Permission for the Superintendent and Treasurer as the Records Commission.
- Authorize the Superintendent to consult with legal counsel as deemed necessary.
- Authorize the Superintendent to make assignments to committees of the Superintendent.
The Board also passed a resolution to authorize paid pandemic leave and use of sick leave and approved estimated revenues to Wood County.
PTO Event
Food Pick up for ONLINE STUDENTS: Monday, January 11th for online students.
Food pick-up is Monday, January 11th from 4-5 pm.
Food Service Reminder - Breakfast and Lunches are FREE all year for ALL students. Even if your child packs every day have them try our lunches. We are ok with that. It would be a great opportunity for them to try out our food service program.
Adam Koch
GO KNIGHTS!
Knight In Shining Armor Nominations
Knight In Shining Armor Nominations
Please use the following form to inform OHS Student Council about a family in need within the school district. While the family does not need to have students in the district, we do ask that they are a member of the Otsego Community. Please use this form to share information about their current situation as well as how they can best be assisted.
Please be sure to understand that while Knight in Shining Armor (KISA) would love to help all community members in need, we are still a new program, and may not have the funds to do so. With that being said, we will consider each request on a case by case basis. Filling this form out does not guarantee that we will be able to assist the family, but we will try our hardest to do so!
These funds are not for routine expenses such as utilities, bills, rent, etc. It is designed for assisting community members in an emergency situation. This can include but is not limited to unforeseen medical expenses, medical-related travel expenses, and household emergencies such as a fire, water leaks, etc. Please keep this in mind when submitting a nomination.
Please refer to this link at any point during the year as a need arises, and KISA will do their best to help out!
Otsego Food Pantry
The Otsego Food Pantry is always willing to help those in need. This service is by appointment only. Please call, text, or email to schedule.
Otsego Food Pantry
c/o Lisa Hatfield
PO Box 261
17700 Beaver Street
Grand Rapids, OH 43522
Phone: 419-830-1051
Email: otsegofoodpantryoh@gmail.com
Housed in the Grand Rapids First Presbyterian Church – Supported by our Community!
Athletics
Friday, January 8
12:30 - HS WR @ Perrysburg Duals
5:30 - JV/V GBK @ Genoa
5:00 - JH WR @ Mohawk
Saturday, January 9
10:00 - 8th BBK @ Swanton
10:00 - HS WR @ Perrysburg Duals
5:30 - JV/V BBK @ Elmwood
Monday, January 11
4:15 - 7th/8th BBK (H) Eastwood
4:30 - 7th/8th GBK @ Lake
Tuesday, January 12
5:30 - JV/V GBK (H) Rossford
Wednesday, January 13
4:30 - JH WR (H) Fostoria
6:00 - HS WR (H) Fostoria
6:30 - 9th BBK @ Gibsonburg
Thursday, January 14
4:30 - JH WR (H) Swanton/Lake
5:30 - JV/V GBK @ Woodmore
Friday, January 15
5:30 - JV/V BBK @ Gibsonburg
COMMUNITY EVENTS SECTION
Questions, Concerns, Comments, or Rumors
SPONSORS
Otsego Board of Education
President: Brad Anderson banderson.otsego@gmail.com
Vice President: James Harter jameslharter@gmail.com
Board Member: Mark Tolles mdt814@cs.com
Board Member: Jessica Mehl jmehl.jd@gmail.com
Board Member: Gordon Digby gdigby44@gmail.com
Adam Koch, Superintendent
Email: akoch@otsegoknights.org
Website: www.otsegoknights.org
Location: 18505 Tontogany Creek Road, Bowling Green, OH, United States
Phone: 419-823-4381
Twitter: @AdamKoch_Otsego
Lisa Austin, Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent/EMIS Coordinator
Email: laustin@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381
Lauri Dunham, Special Education Director
Email: ldunham@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381
Stephen Bihary, School Psychologist
Email: sbihary@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381
Luke Swartz, Technology Director
Email: lswartz@otsegoknights.org
Website: www.otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381
Katrina Baughman, Elementary Principal
Email: kbaughman@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381
Twitter: @KBaughman723
Becky Buchman, Assistant Elementary Principal
Email: bbuchman@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381
Twitter: @buchman_becky
Kevin O'Shea, High School Principal
Email: koshea@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381
Twitter: @KosheaOHS
Jon Rife, Junior High Principal
Email: jrife@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381
Twitter: @OJHS_Principal
Tom Ferdig, High School Athletic Director and Assistant Principal Grades 6-12
Email: tferdig@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381
Eva Vasher, Director of Transportation, Custodial, and Maintenance
Email: evasher@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381
Emily Bires - Director of Food Service
Email: ebires@otsegoknights.org
Phone: 419-823-4381
Twitter: @Otsego_Cafe