Superintendent's Update
March 16, 2020
Good evening. As we close out the first day of the mandated closure, I wanted to provide the CCPS community with an update on several topics. We have received a number of emails to our new coronavirusquestions@ccps.org email address and are working diligently to respond to each one of your questions. We will continue to closely monitor that email address throughout the closure.
The number one question we have received is exactly how long the closure will last, meaning, will it extend beyond the current two-week period. Unfortunately, that is a question to which we do not yet know the answer. I can assure you that we will keep you as updated as we possibly can as to any new information or changes that may come out in the coming days. Please see today’s updates below.
Proms and Graduations
This has been one of the lead topics on which we are receiving questions. As I stated above, at this point, we just do not know how long the closure will last. In addition to the closure, there are currently also restrictions on crowds and public events that could also come into play. We, along with our high schools, will continue to communicate as much about this as we can as information becomes available.
CTE Certifications
We will do everything we can to prepare students to take their certification exams and get their required hours. We will work with the Maryland Department of Education Career and Technical Education Office regarding required hours and exams and will communicate with CCST students and parents as we receive information.
Communication
Today I participated in a conference call with all Maryland superintendents and State Superintendent, Dr. Karen Salmon, so that each county could discuss how we are each handling the various situations at hand. In addition, members of my staff participated in two separate meetings today with other agencies in the county to ensure that we are coordinating efforts to best support our community as we navigate such unchartered territory. I have been in constant contact with members of my team as we continue to be as proactive as possible to coordinate and plan for what this closure means for our school system, our families, and our employees. I am proud of what we have accomplished in Cecil and just how much our community has pulled together in support of our students.
At Home Connection
As a reminder, our At Home Connection website is populated with educational opportunities for our students. Be sure to check it out here: https://ccps.blackboard.com/webapps/portal/execute/tabs/tabAction?tabId=_44566_1&tab_tab_group_id=_209_1
Meals
On our first day of serving meals across eight distribution sites, our Food and Nutrition Staff members distributed 550 meals! Tomorrow we will begin distributing both breakfast and lunch and later this week, we hope to begin giving families three meals to take home. It is my understanding that today’s distribution went very well and I am so appreciative of those who made that happen. I would like to commend our Food & Nutrition staff for their diligence in very quickly coordinating this process. I would like to also thank Janes United Methodist church for serving as a host site and also give a shout out to the group of volunteers from around the county who supported our meal distribution by delivering meals to those unable to get to a distribution site. Our sites will continue to be open Monday-Friday 11 AM - 12 PM for the duration of the closure.
I cannot thank our families and employees enough for the cooperation, teamwork, and true community spirit that has been so evident throughout this situation. We will continue to keep you updated.
Sincerely,
Jeffrey A. Lawson, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
CCPS Public Information Office
Email: pio@ccps.org
Website: www.ccps.org
Phone: 410-996-5474
Facebook: facebook.com/ccpsmd
Twitter: @ccpsmd