We were excited to have everyone back in class this week. This week marks the second to last week of the quarter. We have one week before the end of the second quarter and therefore the first semester. This is the last week for any student to have the opportunity to complete work so and bring up their grade. This is especially critical at the high school level as their current grades determine whether they will earn credit for their courses. When a student does not earn credit for a high school course, they quickly fall behind their expected graduation date. If you are unsure where your student stands, you can check PowerSchool to monitor their grades. If you don't know how to access PowerSchool, you can call the office with any questions you may have about getting a login and password.

As expected, our COVID-19 cases have increased this week. In middle school, we have identified our first case of COVID-19 spread. This means there were two people who were in close contact with one another who were identified as positive cases. The letter that was sent to our middle school families is posted below for reference. Close contacts were identified and placed in quarantine. The current guidance for quarantine is also posted below for reference. We are still following MDHHS and JCHD guidance which has been updated but does not yet match the CDC recommendations. We believe the recommendations will change to match the CDC in the coming days, but we cannot change our policy until we have guidance from the JCHD and MDHHS.

Below is some information (sent Sunday as well) about how you can help.

MDHHS states we need to be using multiple layers of protection to slow down virus transmission. They encourage vaccination if possible for all people ages 5 and up. They are also strongly recommending masking for all indoor activities. Lastly, they have changed some guidance on quarantines, but that will not impact us.

This year we have recommended but not required the use of face masks, installed air purifiers in every room, spread out lunchtime to prevent overcrowding, quarantined when necessary, and have tried our best to create distance where possible. We have been layering prevention measures and done well minimizing the spread of the virus here at school, therefore, we will not make any adjustments to our current protocols at this time. If the MDHHS guidance changes again or we see spikes in the number of cases in our buildings that endanger our students, we will need to reevaluate which protocols we implement. Therefore, we need your help. It is reported that symptoms of COVID-19 resemble that of a common cold or allergies. If your child is feeling ill, please keep them home. If your child has a fever, they must be fever-free for 24 hours without medication before they can return to school. Almost all of our classes place work in Google Classroom so if they miss school, they can work virtually.

If you or a family member has symptoms and/or tests positive please keep your child home from school even if they do not have symptoms and notify the office. This year our students that have tested positive for COVID had one or more members in their home that tested positive. Further, if you have your child tested for any reason, they should not return to school until you have a verified negative test result. If they take a rapid test and a PCR test, they need to stay home until you get the PCR results even if the rapid test is negative.

Ms. Price announced the date Concord will host the graduation ceremony this week. It is earlier than it has been in the past. Please see the letter that was sent to the parents of our seniors for more information.

Seniors

Seniors, please stop in the office to approve the spelling of your name for the printing of diplomas by Tuesday, January 11th.

Scholarship Information

Any senior interested in a construction-related career should check out the scholarship posting in the Class of 2022 Google classroom titled, "Construction Related Career Scholarship". This $1,000 scholarship is offered by the Jackson Commercial Contractors Association and is due March 21st.

Seniors, another scholarship opportunity. Aeroquip Credit Union will be awarding 4 scholarships. This is a fairly local scholarship and a pretty simple application. Look for the Aeroquip Credit Union Scholarship posted in the Class of 2022, under the topic Scholarships.

Dear Class of 2022 Parents and Guardians,

I wanted to pass on this scholarship information to you in the hopes that it will open the opportunity for you to encourage your student to apply for scholarships.

I have shared with them our (all can be found in our Class of 2022 Google Classroom):

• Local Concord scholarships
• Local Jackson County resident scholarships
• Calhoun County resident scholarships
• A couple of different legit scholarship search engines

I have informed them to:

• Check the financial tab on the websites of colleges that they have applied to and review that institution's scholarship opportunities.
• Check with each business that they visit to ask if they have scholarship opportunities (the worst they can say is no)
• Check with the banks and/or credit unions that they may be a member of for scholarship opportunities.
• Keep checking the listings as new ones may be added at any time.

• Never count yourself out. Apply, and let the scholarship committee decide. The only guaranteed no is not applying.
  

  
  

  There is also a spreadsheet that I made for them to use to keep track of scholarships that they are applying for. This will be good to keep with them if they choose to go the college/trades pathway, as many scholarships are renewable or can be applied for beyond their freshman year of college. Scholarships are out there for both college and trade schools.

Myself and Mr. Mojume (from the College and Career Access Center) are here to support them and have offered our assistance in scholarship completion. Looking ahead, we are going to begin working on applications and resumes for those headed to the workforce.

I hope that you all have a very restful break surrounded by your loved ones,

Kelly Otto

This fall we have been working on upgrading the look of our website. Our hope was to make it more visually appealing and easier to navigate. The website is still under a bit of construction as some of the pages are begin reviewed for relevancy, but the new site is live. You can see the link below for more information. This winter we will be launching a new application for access information about the district on your mobile device. Stay tuned for updates.

Have you liked the Elementary/Middle School Facebook Page? What about the Concord Community Schools Facebook Page??

If you have not yet, this week is a great time to start. The Elementary and Middle schools use the Facebook page to post many updates, announcements, and student photos; the Concord Community Schools page is a great way to see how a YellowJacket week unfolds! Don't miss the news - like and follow the pages today.

Concord Elementary/Middle School Facebook Page

Concord Community Schools Facebook Page

Our district is facing a staffing shortage. We are in need of bus drivers, food service staff members, coaches, and individuals willing to work through EduStaff as Guest Teachers or subs for all of our positions. These staffing shortages are wreaking havoc across the state. If you are interested and able, we would love to have you on our team. Below you will find information about signing up to work as a Guest Teacher through Edustaff along with our fall Guest Teacher Incentive. Further, you can view unfilled positions on our website. If you have any questions, please call one of our offices.

At Jacket Java, on Tuesday Mr. Arbuckle talked about social media and 10 unsafe apps that parents need to be aware of. You can view the recording by following this link. Additionally, you can find more parent resources through this link.

The Food For Thought Backpack Program for Concord will be starting up soon. This program offers FREE wholesome food to students for the weekend. To become a part of the program parents must sign and return the registration form. If you are interested in receiving this free program, stop in the office for the registration form.