TMP Tidbits
January 14th
*NEW INFO* NO SCHOOL ON 1/21, 1/24, 1/25
Dear CPS Families:
As communicated to our school-community yesterday, our systems and our schools are stressed as we work through this early part of the Omicron variant surge in our community.
Student and staff absences, as well as all other pressures, continue to increase. In preparation for the remainder of this variant peak, we are making adjustments to our current school year calendar to provide some relief for our schools and our staff.
Columbia Public Schools will not be in session for students on Friday, January 21, Monday, January 24, and Tuesday, January 25. January 25 was previously scheduled as an early release day. These days will now serve as teacher work days.
We are also adding 2 additional early release days to the calendar on Wednesday, February 9 and Wednesday, March 9. The addition of these days will also allow us to have one early release day per month from now until the end of the school year and the time will be used as teacher work days.
The Board of Education will formally vote to approve these changes to the 2021-2022 calendar at its work session on Thursday, January 20.
The revised school year calendar, as well as the revised ABCD calendar and AB calendar, are posted on the district website at www.cpsk12.org/schoolcalendar. (Be sure to refresh the page for the newest calendars posted 1/14/2022.)
As we continue to do our very best for scholars every day during these unprecedented times, we ask for continued grace, patience, kindness and understanding.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Brian Yearwood
Another Update-Masks
Dear CPS Families:
Both of my parents were educators who cared deeply about their scholars, their schools and their communities. My parents encouraged me to always do my best and to never underestimate the difference kindness makes. What I came to know and learn is that every act of kindness impacts everyone around me.
As your superintendent, I am awed to see their spirit reflected in each one of our staff in every unselfish act of care for their colleagues. I see this same encouragement and attitude in our scholars. I see it each day in our schools and I especially see it now when our systems and our schools are stressed.
Our Columbia community is seeing sharp increases in the number of positive cases. Similarly, our schools are seeing increases in scholar and staff positive cases. Today, January 13, we have 57 staff positives and 325 student positives. Daily student absence rates have continued to increase since our return from winter break. For the last week, our districtwide student absences have been steady at approximately 20 percent of students absent each day. We are experiencing short-term staffing challenges as employees are also impacted by the virus.
The district continues to receive daily information from health and medical experts, including virologists studying Columbia’s wastewater as part of the Coronavirus Sewershed Surveillance Project. Since the beginning of the pandemic, wastewater data has been a reliable predictor of the arrival and peaks of COVID variants. Current projections indicate, we have two to three weeks to manage and mitigate the Omicron variant before the virus peaks and we begin to see a decline in cases.
As a result, Columbia Public Schools is implementing several intervention strategies across the district in order to keep our scholars learning in school.
- A temporary mask intervention will be in place starting Tuesday, January 18 through Friday, February 4. Monday, January 17 is a holiday and school is not in session. This means for the next 14 school days, while we experience the Omicron spike, masks must be worn inside all school and district buildings. Under federal guidelines, masks are also required on school buses. Schools will continue to have masks available for those who need them.
- We are asking families to help reduce the amount of contact tracing required due to exposure. Please complete the morning self-checks with your scholar prior to sending them to school each day. If your child has any of the symptoms on the checklist, please keep them home. With the current community spread and exposure, you should review your scholar’s symptoms daily as though they have been exposed. Additionally, please stay home if you have a pending COVID test until you receive the results.
The Board of Education will consider formal adoption of emergency interventions and revisions to the district’s COVID response plan on January 20 at its regular work session meeting.
Since March 2020, Columbia Public Schools and districts across the country have been in a constant COVID response state. Throughout that time our employees have remained dedicated and caring as they have worked to implement mitigation strategies, support scholars and families and navigate managing a global pandemic. This is not an easy task, nor is it an easy ask of our school-community. Everything we are doing is with the goal of keeping our scholars learning in school.
Thank you for your understanding, your continued support and your kindness toward others.
Sincerely,
Brian Yearwood
Superintendent
Columbia Public Schools
Yearbooks
It’s time to order your TMP 2021-22 Yearbook!
Purchase online using Inter-State Studio’s website through Friday, Jan. 21st.
https://inter-state.com/YearbookEntry/63540N
Cost: $4.75 – Credit and debit cards accepted.
(Yearbooks are sold at cost. TMP does not make a profit from sales).
This year’s cover was selected by Mrs. Robison’s 5th grade!
PTA Corner
- Save the date, our next Nights-Out is January 25th at Culvers - flyer attached to email.
- PTA has another easy way for TMP to raise money and is very similar to Amazon Smile. Do you shop at Gerbes with your rewards card? If so, this is an easy and simply fundraiser that gives back directly to Two Mile Prairie, PTA. It is called the Dillions Food Stores Community Rewards. To register click this link: http://www.gerbes.com
Help if you can! :)
This would help out so much! If you have questions, please contact Mrs. Synon.
Cold Weather Reminder
Dates to Know
Masks required 1/18-2/4
NO SCHOOL on Friday 21st, Monday 24th, and Tuesday 25th. This is new info!!
No School Friday, February 18th or Monday the 21st.
Parent Conferences are the week of February 28th-March 3rd.
No School on Friday, March 4th