District 300 Parents, Guardians, and Students:
I hope this week's update finds you well. As you have likely heard, the Perry County Health Department announced on Saturday that there is now one person in Perry County who has officially tested positive for COVID-19. The health department indicated that it is believed the individual acquired the virus through contact with a known or suspected case. This individual is in quarantine and is cooperating with the health department.
As we see more documented evidence of the virus in our immediate area, please protect yourself and others by staying at home as much as possible. Continue social distancing of 6 feet or more, avoid large groups or gatherings of people, wash your hands frequently, and use a cloth face covering in community settings. If you have questions, you can contact the Perry County Health Department at 357-5371. To see the Perry County COVID-19 Update from the Perry County Health Department, click here or visit their Facebook page.
Board Meeting Change
The Board of Education has instituted changes to the format of the meeting scheduled for Thursday, April 16th, to safeguard the public against the spread of coronavirus/COVID-19. The District will allow public participation only via live audio cast and will allow public comment only via telephone. Anyone who would like to listen to the audio cast may contact the district office at 542-3856 on Wednesday, April 15th or Thursday, April 16th, between the hours of 8:00 AM-3:30 PM to receive instructions. Anyone who would like to address the Board during the public comment period may contact the district office at 542-3856 during the aforementioned days/times. You will then be asked to provide a phone number that you can be reached at during the meeting. The District will call you during the public comment section of the meeting and provide you the opportunity to make comments. All speakers during public comment are asked to limit their comments to five minutes. The agenda for the meeting is posted on our website here.
Ongoing School Closure
Today, Monday, marks the official end of our spring/Easter break, such as it was. The long weekend did provide a much needed break to our cooks, custodial/maintenance workers, and district office staff. I hope it was also a good break for all who have been playing a role in the efforts at remote learning.
Our food program will be up and running again as it has been starting tomorrow, Tuesday. We have started to receive some questions from those wishing to donate food items to us. This thought is certainly appreciated, but fortunately at this time our food supply chain continues to remain strong and should be able to continue to provide us with the items we need to feed our students. If you are interested in donating food, please consider one of our two community food pantries - Du Quoin Food Pantry (618-571-2527) and/or Western Egyptian Food Pantry (618-542-4656).
While we know our school closure continues for the remainder of the month, our students and their families will remain in our thoughts and prayers during this time. While all of our students are important to us, as we advance deeper into the spring, we can't help but think about our students who are in their final weeks with us - the Class of 2020. While the health and well-being of our families certainly remains the top priority during this pandemic, we want to offer a small gesture for the Class of 2020 starting this Friday and continuing until the time that we hold the commencement ceremony for the graduating class. On Friday night at 20:20 (8:20 PM), the lights at Van Metre Field will be lit for 20 minutes and 20 seconds. We will continue this each Friday night until we are able to honor the Class of 2020 at their commencement ceremony.
As a final reminder, please continue to follow the safety guidelines and orders which are in place. We appreciate your patience and look forward to seeing our students again.
Stay safe,