COVID -19 Information

Administration Building (released Friday, March 13, 2020, 12:00 PM)

Good morning: All public and private schools, including the Monroe County Intermediate School District, will be closed beginning Monday March 16 through Friday April 3. All staff affected by the three week shutdown will be paid their normal days pay for that time period. Spring break is still April 6 through April 10.

Staff who report to the Administration building received a Honeywell earlier this morning addressing their work schedule.
If you have any questions please contact Human Resources at 734-322-2640 or 734-322-2641

Administration Building (released Friday, March 13, 2020 11:19 AM)

The Administration Building will be closed on Monday,
March 16, 2020. As we wait for further guidance from the Governor and the
State Superintendent, staff who report to the Administration Building will
be notified on a day to day basis as to whether or not the Administration

building will be open after Monday.
All staff will be paid their normal days pay when the Administration building is closed.

Custodial staff will be executing a deep clean on all thebuildings today, so please be sure before you leave that your desk top area is
free of papers and other items. Beginning Friday at 5:00 pm, no staff are
permitted in any building through Monday, March 16. Please note that
Spring Break will remain April 6 through April 10th.

This situation is unique and we receive new information by thehour. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding as we work through this.
Please continue to monitor your MCISD email, website and social media for
updates. If you have any questions, please contact Human Resources.
734-322-2640 or 734-322-2641.

GSRP

Last night, Governor Gretchen Whitmer and State Superintendent Michael Rice announced the closure of all Michigan K-12 school buildings, public and private, for three weeks, beginning Monday, March 16, 2020. This shut-down will include preschool programming in Monroe and Jefferson school districts. In addition, Spring Break for Monroe County schools will remain April 6 - 10, 2020, returning to school Tuesday, April 14, 2020. Friday, April 17th will be a student day. Staff will be paid their normal days pay during the three week shut-down.

ECSE

Last night, Governor Gretchen Whitmer and State Superintendent Michael Rice announced the closure of all Michigan school buildings, public and private, for three weeks, beginning Monday, March 16, 2020. In addition, Spring Break will remain April 6 - 10, 2020. Students will return to school Tuesday, April 14, 2020. We will continue to share any additional information that we have with you during this time.

Head Start (released Friday, March 13, 2020 12:30 PM)

Governor Gretchen Whitmer and State Superintendent Michael Rice
announced the closure of all Michigan K-12 school buildings, public and
private, for three weeks, to assist in reducing the spread of COVID-19 virus.
The shutdown will begin Monday, March 16, 2020. In addition, Spring Break for
Monroe County Head Start will remain April 6 - 13, 2020, with students returning
to school Tuesday, April 14, 2020. Lastly, all school related events
and meetings during this shut down have been cancelled. For any further
questions, you may reach us at 734-342-8710.

Education and Transition Center

Governor Whitmer announced late last night that all K-12 schools will be closed from Monday, March 16 through April 5. Our administration and staff are working diligently this morning to make plans to return student medications and to make sure students have all necessary equipment and communication devices during this break. We will communicate this plan as soon as possible today in order to ensure a smooth transition for our students and families.

Once we send out this plan, please refer all questions to our main office at 734-342-8400.

Clarifications for Educational Center and Transition Center parents.

Parents can pick up their student's medications from the Educational Center office until 5:00 PM this evening. We also have seven locking medication bags available. Parents can call the main office and ask for their child's medications to be sent home in the locking bag while that small supply lasts. The MCISD campus will be closed until further notice, therefore parents will not be able to pick up medication after today.

Students will be off school until Monday, April 13.

Staff will be sending home student's personal items including extra clothes, personal care items, communication devices, and therapy items. We are also sending home a social story to explain that school will be closed, as well as a packet for each student including academic work, sensory activities, and music therapy activities.

We appreciate everyone's support during this time. We will continue to update you as we receive new information.

Regarding MCISD (released Friday, March 13, 2020 7:29 AM)

MCISD staff: Last night, Governor Whitmer closed all public and private schools beginning March 16, 2020 through April 5, 2020 to slow the spread of COVID 19. We understand that you may be anxious and have questions about how this will affect you. There will be further communication after the Administration meets this morning.Please keep checking your email for the most updated information. Stephen McNew, Superintendent

The following measures related to events and programs beginning immediately:

• All field trips are suspended until further notice.
• All school-sponsored travel is suspended until further notice.
• All assemblies, performances and large-group gatherings in our schools are suspended until further notice.
• All community meetings, community education programming (excluding before/after school childcare, preschool, and daycare programming), rentals, and gatherings scheduled to take place within our school facilities are suspended until further notice.
• All district and county-level meetings, professional development, curriculum work and other gatherings as such, must be conducted in digital format. Smaller meetings, whenever possible, should also be conducted in this manner.
• All athletic events will continue in accordance with guidance issued by the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA). Updates will be posted at www.mhsaa.com.
• Any after-school activities that are extensions of the normal learning day (clubs, athletic practices, etc.) will continue as planned.
• Visitor and volunteer access will be limited.
• All tours of school facilities will be suspended until further notice.
   

Good morning, MCISD staff:

Governor Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency Tuesday evening, March 10, 2020 in response to the discovery of the first two presumptive positive cases of COVID-19 in Michigan. The emergency declaration will allow the state to maximize efforts and assist local governments and officials in slowing the spread of the virus.

Late Wednesday, March 11, 2020, the governor announced recommended community mitigation strategies for local school districts. In doing so, she said: “We are encouraging schools, universities, businesses, and other organizations to use their best judgment about what steps are most appropriate to keep people safe and to slow the spread of the disease.”

The MCISD continues to work the Monroe County Health Department to monitor the situation, educate and raise awareness, and prepare for COVID-19 in Michigan. Although the overall threat to the general public and in the U.S. remains low, we are approaching this emerging threat to public health with an abundance of caution. We urge you to continue taking the necessary precautions to protect yourself.

Use good hygiene practices to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory diseases.

• Stay home if you are sick and advise others to do the same.

• Always cover coughs or sneezes with a tissue or sleeve.

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.

• Wash your hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds.

• Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol if soap and warm water are not available.

• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

It’s not too late to get your flu shot! While the influenza vaccine does not protect against COVID-19 infection, it can help keep you healthy during the flu season.

This is a rapidly evolving situation. For the latest information, please see Michigan.gov/Coronavirus or CDC.gov/Coronavirus. The CDC has provided guidance for preventing the spread of COVID-19 in communities including businesses, community- and faith-based organizations, and childcare organizations and schools.

At this time, the administration of the MCISD has decided to cancel all after school activities and events through April 30, 2020.  This will allow us to monitor recent developments of COVID-19 and to comply with Governor Whitmer’s recommended community mitigation strategies.

Additionally, any staff person planning to  travel to the following countries during Spring Break should contact Human Resources immediately: Austria, Belgium, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Iran, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

We will continue to share with you as more information becomes available. Thank you for all you do to keep our schools and students safe.

Sincerely,

Stephen McNew, Superintendent

March 12, 2020

The local school district superintendents prepared a joint statement.

Good afternoon, MCISD Staff and Community:

Governor Whitmer shared the news overnight of the first two COVID-19 cases in Michigan and has declared a State of Emergency. The declaration of a State of Emergency means that necessary actions can be taken and resources can be deployed more rapidly in support of this situation.

We understand that schools have an important role to play in promoting public health and a responsibility in preventing the spread of disease in the local community, and we take this role and responsibility very seriously. As the Governor and public health experts have shared, our goal at this time is to slow the spread of the virus, not to stop it. We understand that this situation is likely to impact almost every aspect of our lives as we move forward together.

Parents of students at increased risk for severe illness should discuss with their health care provider whether those students should stay home in case of school or community spread. Similarly, MCISD staff at increased risk for severe illness should contact their health care provider to discuss their options for reducing risk. 

Over previous days, members of our MCISD team and I have been preparing for a more significant phase of this COVID-19 situation, and currently we are working vigilantly, communicating directly with disease experts and public health authorities to prepare to make sound decisions regarding the timing and steps involved in any potential activity-related, school or district closures.

Additionally, we will alert students, staff, and parents if we receive health department direction related to a COVID-19 case connected to the MCISD.

The health and safety of students and staff always remains the single top priority at the MCISD, even before our critical mission of teaching and learning.

This is a challenging time for all as this local COVID-19 situation evolves, and we will remain clear on our priority of safety and health, and continue our focused work on this issue. As a community, we will get through this together.

We will continue to publish updates to the entire MCISD community, and you can find more information including links to traveling and self-quarantine, how to speak with your children about the coronavirus at the Monroe County Health Department website:https://www.co.monroe.mi.us/officials_and_departments/departments/health_department/index.php