Summer Update from Mr. Ferguson
6/22/2020
Dear Tallmadge Families,
We hope that everyone is enjoying the beginning of summer break and remaining safe and healthy. As a district, we are working to prepare and plan for the 2020-2021 school year.
Many of our student athletes are already experiencing the new reality facing our community. Blue Devil athletes are working to improve their skills within the constraints of social distancing, enhanced hygiene, and health screening. Working with their coaches, they are doing a great job and getting better everyday. It is this same outcome we will strive for academically as we head into the 20-21 school year-- progressing and getting better everyday while ensuring the health and safety of students and staff.
We have reflected on everything we learned this past year about remote learning. To meet the high standards of our community, we are working to fully develop Tallmadge Online which will be the remote learning platform for the District. It is being developed to fully serve the needs of families who decide not to send their children to the school buildings in the fall. Additionally, Tallmadge Online will meet the needs of all of our students in the event the schools are shut down again. More information will be released over the coming weeks.
The school district continues to modify the way we operate so we can adhere to best practices for hygiene and social distancing. We are refining our cleaning procedures and protocols so that our students and staff are as safe as possible in all of our district buildings.
As we study best practices for operations, Tallmadge is realizing substantial benefits from the modern buildings in providing a safe environment for students. The new buildings are far easier to keep clean and sanitized. Additionally, the state-of-the-art climate control and ventilation systems are significantly beneficial in mitigating airborne spread of COVID-19.
We are counting on the help of our parents and guardians to ensure the safety of the entire Tallmadge community. Tallmadge City Schools is developing a health-screening process for students and staff. In addition, we will rely on parents/guardians to monitor their children and family members for symptoms. We look to our families as an important partner in educating students on the importance of washing hands, not touching one’s face and other important hygienic guidelines. We appreciate all of your help, support and persistence in this regard.
As always, the health, wellbeing and safety of our students, staff and families remains the top priority of the School District and School Board as we work to ensure the safest experience for everyone next year. We will continue to monitor and follow the best practices outlined by the Governor’s office and the Summit County Public Health Department. We will continue to provide regular updates, district news and communications as we work through the recovery plan.
Enjoy your summer safely, and we look forward to seeing you back in the fall, whether it be in person or online!
Jeff Ferguson, Superintendent
Tallmadge City Schools
Posted: Tuesday, June 9, 2020