March 31, 2020

Stigler family-

Thank you! Thank you for your patience first and foremost during this unprecedented time, not only across Oklahoma but our entire nation and the world.The encouraging words and positive attitudes you have displayed during the last few weeks have been a blessing to our staff and I am certain have had a lasting impact on your own children.

We have been busy lately preparing continuous learning plans for each and every student. Our plan is to begin mailing them out this Friday and finish Monday and Tuesday of next week. Each of our students will receive a large manilla envelope with educational material created by their teacher(s) that also contains directions and explanations specific to their class. If you do not get your packet by Friday, April 10th please let us know. If your address has recently changed please contact your site principal at the number below via text message or phone call and we will update your information:

SGS - Lana Mayhall: 918-465-7049

SMS - Tony Gilmore: 918-465-7860

SHS - David Morgan: 918-647-4915

Educational services will continue until May 8th which will be the close of our semester. Meals will continue to be served at SMS cafeteria from 8:00am-12:00pm each week day. At this time the directive for schools across Oklahoma is for buildings and school activities to be closed until June 30, 2020. We are making contingency plans for traditional celebration ceremonies (graduation, etc.) and will make announcements when we get more information on options.

Each of our students has already, or will be, receiving a phone call from one or more of their teachers. We miss our students! If you do not get that contact we need to update your phone number so please reach out to your principal, text is best, and we will make those updates. Our first priority when checking in is to ensure that you are safe and have what you need before we send you our learning packets in the mail. Our goal is to offer a positive academic experience for students without overwhelming them or parents, and to be able to offer material to students regardless if they have technology or not.

Along with the packets that will be mailed to you there will also be links to a variety of digital resources you may utilize if you have access to a device and the internet. There will also be supplemental material and information from elective courses to keep you moving and engaged in activity. We do not want you sitting down all day. Keep moving, stay active, read, write a letter, do a puzzle, OETA has a large variety of new educational based programming for every level of student as well. We know what we will offer will not compare to the experience we would be able to provide on campus, with our staff and other students, but under current circumstances, we feel confident that what we will offer will keep your child's learning path moving forward and on track to finish the year.

Here are a few tips you can do to maximize this home-learning time for your family and ease minds:

• Emphasize that learning will continue (even though in a different setting) and that your child's teacher will be in contact frequently.
• Work with your child to designate a space for learning.
• Create a routine or daily schedule.
• Allow children time to interact with friends or family over the phone or virtually, or even write letters to others.

As a school district family our thoughts are with you constantly. We appreciate you, we miss you, we are here for you, and we continue to pray for you and your family. 

Stigler strong!

Adam Beauchamp

Superintendent

Sample additional links for your information:

OETA - http://www.oeta.tv/blogs/education/distance-learning-with-oeta/

Oklahoma library of digital learning resources - https://www.ossba.org/services/okldr/

Oklahoma State Department of Education - https://sde.ok.gov/distancelearning

Scholastic Learning - https://classroommagazines.scholastic.com/support/learnathome.html?caching

Kahn Academy - https://www.khanacademy.org/

March 23, 2020

Dear Stigler Public Schools family:

Today, state officials announced they will recommend to the state Board of Education that Oklahoma students not return to the classroom for the remainder of the current school year, as our state continues to fight the spread of COVID-19. They will instead recommend a continuous learning plan that will allow students to complete the school year at home. It is important to note that this decision is not final until the state Board of Education meets on Wednesday and votes to approve the recommendation.

We are sharing this information with you in advance, however, so that you can begin to prepare accordingly for your family. We understand this recommendation is made with safety as the first concern, which is our greatest priority as a district. If approved, this also means that all extracurricular activities and special events will be canceled as well. Making these difficult decisions, we believe, is simply the right thing to do for our students, our staff and our community with the information we have from CDC.

We do have good news: Stigler Public Schools is developing a plan to ensure your child will continue to have opportunities to learn and to grow academically, especially with parental support. Because we are unable to safely gather together, these lessons and activities will primarily be delivered and communicated by your child’s teacher. As you can imagine, this is a significant transition for our students and our teachers. Stigler Public Schools will spend the next two weeks planning for this effort and will share details with your family as soon as they are available. Teachers and support staff members will hear from their principals soon as they gather input regarding the next phase of the school closure.

For students, it likely will be sad and disappointing to learn that school as they know it will not resume this year. Please give them a safe place to express their feelings and to discuss the changes in their life. For our seniors and their parents, we know it is an especially difficult time. We will do everything possible to ensure their efforts are recognized and celebrated in special and unique ways. This is an unfair situation, but please reassure them that it does not diminish their achievements. In fact, it will become one more example of how they demonstrated their strength as a Stigler Panther.

We will continue serving free breakfasts and lunches for students under the age of 18 each weekday at the Stigler Middle School cafeteria from 8:00am-12:00pm. If anyone needs meals delivered to them please reach out to your principal or complete this brief form online: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScjXBQoz2oKBZSO0vlf7kfyDmycqJyakJzLtw77eg3_mpTsNQ/viewform

We ask you to please follow CDC advice by: (1) washing your hands regularly; (2) staying at home, if you can; and (3) practicing social distancing of at least six feet from others.

This is an unprecedented situation, and it has required an unprecedented response. We can still take care of Stigler’s students, though. This is a community that sticks together in challenging times, and we know this experience will be no different. As soon as we identify our next steps, we will share them with you.

Please stay safe. As always, we appreciate your support of Stigler Public Schools.

Sincerely,

Adam Beauchamp
Superintendent

March 17, 2020

Dear Stigler Public Schools family:

Yesterday, the State Board of Education voted to close all Oklahoma schools, effective immediately, until at least April 6 in an effort to minimize the spread of COVID-19. This includes Stigler Public Schools. Additionally, there will be no school activities or facilities open to students during this time.

While state officials mandated schools to close for two weeks following spring break, they also encouraged administrators to prepare for the possibility of longer-term closures, if it becomes necessary. At least 43 other states across the country also have made the decision to recommend or require schools to close statewide in the interest of public health. Currently no cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Haskell County.

Oklahoma schools are not expected to be required to make-up the missed days. At this time, schools have been instructed by the state Department of Education not to provide online, home-based or distance learning for students.

This is an unprecedented situation, and it continues to evolve by the hour. We know this uncertainty can cause anxiety and worry, but we want to assure you that Stigler Public Schools is doing everything possible to ensure the needs of students and employees will be met during this unique time. We will be closed for classes, but – as a district – we will continue to serve our community, while abiding by the healthy best practices that have been recommended by the CDC. Employees will receive information about their responsibilities during the school closure over the next few days.

We encourage you to comply with what health officials have recommended as well. If you can, please stay home and enjoy family time. If you must go out, please practice social distancing, allowing at least six feet between you and other individuals. If you have questions about COVID-19, please contact your medical professional or the county health department. You also can learn more about how to prevent the illness by visiting https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/prevention.html

Communication will be key during the next three weeks. It is our hope that accurate and up-to-date correspondence will combat fear and panic, as well as help you make well-informed decisions for your family. As a district, we will be sending correspondence to you by text alert and posting updates to our website at www.stiglerps.com in the days ahead. You also can get the latest statewide health information on COVID-19 by visiting https://coronavirus.health.ok.gov/. As always, feel free to reach out to your building principal or myself for any specific questions.

For Stigler Public Schools, there is nothing more important than the safety and health of our students, staff and community. We want you to be safe, and we appreciate your flexibility and understanding. Stigler is strong, and we will get through this together.

Sincerely,

Adam Beauchamp

Superintendent

Stigler Public Schools