Charter-Spectrum announced Friday it will offer free access to broadband and WiFi services to households with students who do not already have the services. Free broadband and Wi-Fi access will be available for 60 days to households with K-12 and/or college students who do not already have a Spectrum broadband subscription at any service level up to 100 Mbps.

To enroll in the service you can call 1-844-488-8395, the company says it will waive installation fees for student households.

Upon the return from winter break on January 3, 2022, there will be 11 Columbus City Schools returning by REMOTE LEARNING instead of in person. Please see the list of schools below.

Schools Transitioning to Remote Learning
Jan. 3, 2022

Hello Columbus City Schools Families and Staff,

Due to a high number of staff absences, a total of 11 schools will transition to remote learning tomorrow, Tuesday, January 4. The following schools will NOT hold in-person classes on Tuesday:

• Berwick Alternative K-8
• Burroughs Elementary School
• Duxberry Park Alternative Elementary School
• Eastmoor Academy
• Johnson Park Middle School
• Sherwood Middle School
• Linden McKinley STEM 7-12
• Marion-Franklin High School
• Ridgeview Middle School
• South High 7-12
• West Mound Elementary School

Staff at these 11 schools are expected to report on site for their normal work schedule.

The remainder of CCS schools will be in person and operate on their normal bell schedules on Monday, January 3.

ALL class links will be available on the school website below.

https://www.ccsoh.us/domain/491

Also ALL 7th grade classes and ALL 8th grade classes have grade level Zoom links.

Updated COVID-19 Isolation and Quarantine Guidance

Columbus City Schools has adopted the newest guidance from the CDC regarding COVID-19 isolation and quarantine procedures, following the recommendation of Columbus Public Health. Learn more about the updated CDC guidance here.

• If You Test Positive for COVID-19, regardless of vaccination status, everyone should isolate for 5 days.
• If you have no symptoms or your symptoms are resolving after 5 days, you can leave your home and return to school/work as long as you continue to wear a mask around others for 5 additional days.
• Previously, the CDC recommended an isolation period of 10 days.
• If You Were Exposed to Someone with COVID-19, your vaccination status (including whether you have received a booster shot) will determine the need to quarantine and test. Click here for additional details from the CDC.

For any in-school exposures, we are continuing to follow the current Ohio Department of Health (ODH) Mask to Stay/Test to Play guidelines. Students who have an in-school exposure and are asymptomatic can continue to remain in class while wearing a mask and closely monitoring for symptoms.

COVID Tests

If you are having symptoms of COVID-19, you are strongly encouraged to take a COVID test. While the at-home test kits are in short supply in our area, there are providers who are administering PCR tests. Check the Ohio Department of Health website to find a PCR test provider.

CCS has a very limited supply of at-home COVID test kits remaining. We expect to receive a new shipment of the kits next week and will provide more information on the availability of the kits at that time.

CCS COVID Reporting Hotline

If you are a CCS employee or a parent of a student that has tested positive or has had a confirmed community exposure, here’s how to report an exposure or positive case to CCS:

• Call the CCS COVID-19 Reporting Hotline at 614-365-5544 and leave a message with the requested information; OR
• Email your positive COVID-19 test results to the District Administrative Contact Tracers at AdminContactTracing@columbus.k12.oh.us.
• A CCS Contact Tracer will return your call or email to provide further guidance.
• A positive test result should always be reported to your healthcare provider as well.

Vaccines

Our best defense against COVID-19 is the safe and effective vaccines that are widely available. I encourage everyone in our CCS community to get vaccinated. And if you are already vaccinated, be sure to take the time to get your booster shot!

For a list of locations providing the COVID-19 vaccine to ages 5 years and older, visit NationwideChildrens.org/Vaccine or gettheshot.coronavirus.ohio.gov.

As a reminder, next week we will hold the second round of our dedicated COVID-19 vaccination clinics for eligible students ages 5-11 who received their first dose in December. The clinics will be held at CCS elementary and middle schools during regular school hours.

Mask Up

We continue to require all students, staff, and visitors to wear a mask indoors at all CCS buildings. For the greatest effectiveness against the airborne virus, it is important to always wear a mask properly so that it covers your mouth and nose.

Preparing for a Shift to Remote Learning

From seeing other school districts locally and across the state shift to remote learning due to staffing shortages, we know that it is a possibility for CCS. If we see a shortage of teachers or substitutes to cover classes or a shortage of bus drivers to safely transport students, we would make the temporary shift to remote learning for the affected schools.

While we would make every effort to notify staff and families ahead of time as soon as possible, these shifts can happen abruptly. I encourage all students, teachers, and staff to take their devices and technology home with them every night. Or, I encourage you to have a plan for how you would adjust to remote learning.

We hope that it does not come to this for any of our schools, but we are planning just in case.

Staff Absence Reporting

Our preparations depend on having a clear understanding of our staffing levels on school days. If you are a staff member who is feeling ill, I encourage you to notify your supervisor or submit your absence request as soon as possible. The earlier we know about absences, the better we can prepare and serve our students.

I look forward to starting the New Year strong and seeing our students and staff back in the classroom on Monday, January 3, 2022.

Sincerely,

Talisa Dixon
Superintendent/CEO, Columbus City Schools

Dec. 9th

Monthly Conversation and Coffee:

• Starting 12/9/21
• On this day, parents/guardians will be invited into the building from 8:30 a.m. - 10 a.m. with the Principal and Family Ambassador.
• 
  
• Also Last Day of Achieve 3000 Contest

Dec. 10th

The Johnson Park 2021 Spelling Bee

December 10th during 7th/8th periods in the auditorium. Teachers may also bring their classes to watch.

• Spectators MUST be completely silent.

Dec. 13th-17th

Spirit Week!

Dec. 14th

Next School-wide PBIS Event

• Staff vs Student volleyball game as well as a dress-down day on Tuesday, December 14th.

  
  

  Date range for PBIS points: November 29 (yesterday) - December 10th

  
  

  Total Points needed: 700

We had such an amazing turn out! The 6th & 7th grade parents Showed Up And Showed Out! Thank you families for coming out to support your students you are AWESOME!!!

Johnson Park Family,

Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is happening throughout the Johnson Park Learning Community. To continue gaining momentum we are looking to create a shared vision with the voice of ALL stakeholders. We need your voice!

Take a moment to scan the QR code and compete the form. You do not have to answer every question, just the questions you're most comfortable with.

SEL at Home: "What's New"

Create an opportunity to promote connectedness within the family. Each person takes the opportunity to share any new happening or ideas. Since each person decided for themselves what experience they are willing to share.

"What’s New?” builds Responsible Decision-Making skills by encouraging participants
to choose the news that feels right to them to share in this moment (Situation Analysis and Evaluating), and the Relationship Skills of Communication and Social Engagement as
participants respectfully share and receive information.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/15R6SZ5GRGkuofwbtIPYnbsgqzkPv2BJn/view?usp=sharing

Male Behavioral Health is excited to launch a website to feature black therapists and clinicians in Ohio. The goal of this website is to make it easier for individuals and families to gain access to competent and qualified black mental health professionals. Our hope is to make this website widely available as a resource. This is a free service to our community and the website can be found at http://blacktherapistsohio.com/ and http://blackmentalhealthohio.com/.

Male Behavioral Health Inc – (MBH) exists to educate, advocate, and to bring attention to the profound mental, emotional, and behavioral health needs of men and boy through research, trainings, and direct practice.
https://www.mbhinc.com/


Black Mental Health Ohio – Just another WordPress site
http://blacktherapistsohio.com/

Columbus City Schools to Provide Free At-Home COVID-19 Rapid Tests for Students, Staff

Columbus City Schools has partnered with Columbus Public Health (CPH) to offer a limited number of voluntary, at-home BinaxNow COVID-19 rapid test kits for any student or staff member in a school or transportation center who is symptomatic or a close contact of a positive case.

The free, convenient testing option will be available to students and staff beginning next week.

“Even before students returned to classrooms five days a week, we worked closely with Columbus Public Health to be proactive and vigilant to slow the spread of COVID-19,” said Superintendent Dr. Talisa Dixon. “We recently announced vaccine clinics for students and staff, and these rapid test kits present the District with an additional layer of protection to detect infections early and get ahead of potential outbreaks, including asymptomatic spread, keep schools open, and protect our entire community.”

Families of any student receiving an at-home rapid test will also be notified by their school, per district contact tracing protocols. Families can notify their school of their positive or negative status by submitting:

• Printed copy of BinaxNow test results;
• Emailing digital copy of BinaxNow test results to the school (principal/nurse/teacher); or
• Emailing detailed, verifiable screenshot of BinaxNow test results.

About BinaxNOW At-Home Rapid Test Kits

The BinaxNOW Test is a 15-minute rapid antigen test used to detect an active COVID-19 infection. The test was developed by Abbott Laboratories and approved for use by the U.S Federal Drug Administration (FDA). The self-tests are provided for easy at-home use with a computer, tablet, or smartphone with video capabilities. Proctored (English & Spanish) eMED telehealth sessions are available to oversee test administration and provide electronic copies of results.

BinaxNOW Self-Test Walkthrough Video

This BinaxNOW Test is recommended for individuals who are identified as a close contact:

• Individuals directly exposed to COVID-19 at school; or
• Individuals identified as a close contact due to a household member being exposed to COVID-19; or
• Symptomatic individuals showing signs of illness consistent with COVID-19.

Students and staff who test negative and are showing no symptoms will be able to return to school/work or stay in school/work, avoiding quarantine.

The BinaxNOW Test kits may have a past expiration date, but the FDA has extended the dates for tests issued by the Ohio Department of Health: www.coronavirus.ohio.gov/static/binax-now/binaxnow-home-tests.pdf

Additional information regarding COVID-19 health and safety protocols in Columbus City Schools is available online.

For additional COVID-19-realated information in the City of Columbus, visit www.columbus.gov/publichealth/Coronavirus-Portal/.

Dear Columbus City Schools Families,

During the recent Summer Experience, the District introduced Paper, a new 24/7 online tutoring platform for secondary students. This school year, students in grades six through 12 will benefit from additional access to high-quality, 1:1 tutoring. The partnership is part of the District’s efforts to accelerate learning, bridge academic gaps, and address learning loss in an equitable way.

Paper is a secure, online tutoring service that provides students with unlimited academic support. Whether they’re stuck on homework, studying for a test, or need someone to read and make suggestions to their essays, tutors are available online to assist students in over 200 subjects in multiple languages. Paper trains tutors to conduct expert academic support in a secure, chat-based platform. With a commitment to helping students learn, they’ll never give students answers but rather interact with them in an encouraging tone to lead them forward.

Paper is a free service available through the District, and students are encouraged to use it as much as they need, whenever they need it. Teachers also have accounts and will be able to review all student activity to see what they’re working on and provide more targeted instruction as needed.

Paper is now available for students in Clever. Parents can learn more about the platform and how it benefits students by participating in a Parent Info Session hosted by Paper.

Unfortunately, we will have to cancel the girl's basketball season due to the fact that we do not have enough eligible girls interested in playing.