Important Message from Dr. Cain
March 25, 2020 ~ To all WSD Families
Good Evening,
After meeting today with the leaders of the St. Charles County Department of Public Health, we have made a decision to extend the closure of all schools in the Wentzville School District through April 24 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. All school activities, including athletic and extracurricular practices and competitions, are also canceled during the extended District closure.
Please know that we understand this extended closure is having a significant impact and presenting a multitude of challenges for our families. We are here to support you in any and every way we can. Here are a few key points we want you to know:
We will continue to pay our employees. We are proud of how they have risen to the occasion and adapted to these ever-changing circumstances and we want our staff to continue to focus on students, their families, and staying healthy themselves;
Continued Learning Plans will begin on March 30th as previously shared. For elementary students that need to pick up hard copies of learning plans, building administrators have shared pick-up directions for March 30-31. Please continue to follow those plans that have been set in place to access materials prepared by teachers. For middle school and high school students, teachers will be sharing continued learning plans virtually no later than Monday, March 30th.
Virtual learning plans will be created to support students through this extended closure. These plans will include continued learning opportunities as well as more opportunities for virtual learning. This shift will be made after the week of March 30-April 3. More information will be shared regarding these more extensive, extended learning plans. Please note: Included in these plans will be access to devices for our elementary students that may need one at home. More information will be shared shortly.
We will continue to provide meals for students. For now, meal distribution sites will remain at the high schools and operate from11:30am to 12:30pm. We are working to develop additional opportunities for families to access meals and we will share that information as soon as it is available.
We will continue to work closely with our County health officials to determine when it would be appropriate and safe to resume school. For the latest updates, visit the District website and follow the WSD on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. We will also continue to put the safety and wellbeing of our students and staff above all else and we implore all members of the WSD community to follow the advice of our health officials by practicing proper hand washing and social distancing. We also ask that you are mindful that our children look to us for guidance. Model calm and help reassure them that the adults in their lives are doing everything in their power to keep them safe.
We are inspired by our staff, students and families and the efforts you are all taking to demonstrate concern for each other and stay connected. Thank you for advocating for our students and thank you for being an unbelievably supportive community. We appreciate your trust and support and we are confident that we will get through this challenging time together.
Curtis Cain, Ph.D.
Superintendent