To: The Duncan Public Schools Family
Topic: State Board Approves Move to Continuous Learning
March 25, 2020
Dear DPS family:
Today, we learned that Oklahoma students will not return to the classroom for the remainder of the current school year, following a vote by the state Board of Education. Instead, districts, including Duncan Public Schools, will implement continuous learning plans that will allow students to complete the school year at home. State education and health officials believe this move will help our state fight the spread of COVID-19.
We are sharing this information with you now so you can prepare accordingly for your family. We understand this change is in the best interest of everyone’s health, which is our greatest priority as a district. The state board’s vote also means that all extracurricular activities and special events will be canceled or postponed as well. Making these difficult decisions, we believe, is simply the right thing to do for our students, our staff and our community.
We do have good news: Duncan 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 be delivered and communicated in different ways. As you can imagine, this is a significant transition for our students and our teachers. Duncan Public Schools will spend until April 6 planning for this effort and will share details with your family as soon as they are available. You should know that our Administrative team has been working furiously to adapt to the situations as they change day by day. No one anticipated where we are now but we will continue to work to provide the best educational experience that is possible for our every student in DPS.
For students, it likely will be sad and disappointing to receive confirmation that school as they know it will not resume this year. Please give them a safe place to express their feelings and to vent about 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 Duncan Demons.
We have posted numerous resources on our website, including information about free breakfasts and lunches for students under the age of 18, which will continue, as well as answers to frequently asked questions regarding the school closure. You can find these details and more by visiting www.duncanps.org. The site also includes recommendations from the CDC about protecting your health and the health of your loved ones. We ask you to please follow their 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 Duncan’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 Duncan Public Schools.
Sincerely,
Dr. Tom Deighan
Superintendent
Just imagine you are a high school senior right now. Overnight, everything changed. They are not only wondering what graduation will look like, but they are also heart-broken and shocked to lose these last few weeks with their friends and classmates. You can safely multiply that feeling by 3,400 students and 400 staff members.
Today, we learned that Oklahoma students will not return to the classroom for the remainder of the current school year, following a vote by the state Board of Education. Instead, districts, including Duncan Public Schools, will implement continuous learning plans that will allow students to complete the school year at home. State education and health officials believe this move will help our state fight the spread of COVID-19.
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