As most of you are already aware, Governor DeWine extended public and private school closure through Friday, May 1, 2020.  Across every role, Milton-Union staff members are considering and discussing potential modifications, best practices, and next steps to help our students over the course of April.  Given these unprecedented circumstances, we not only want to serve our students and community members in the best way possible but also maintain safety and social distancing. 

1. Student Meals – We plan to continue our current process in the distribution of student meals on Monday, April 6, 2020.  As an organization and at every angle, we will be scrutinizing this process in the identification and scheduling of future dates.  We WANT to provide this service to the students and families of our school district, but we also want to maintain the safety of our gracious volunteers.  Again, meal distribution will proceed as scheduled for Monday, April 6, 2020, and we expect to know so much more regarding the effects of COVID-19 in Ohio as we near the end of Spring Break.
2. Instruction – Our principals and teachers are considering next steps in planning for remote learning through the end of the month.  Updates will be forthcoming, but our building, grade-level, department, and teacher teams are asking, considering, and discussing great questions to flexibly serve the instructional needs of our students for the foreseeable future.  Continue to do your very best to encourage your student to keep up with his/her work and reach out to teachers and principals for support. 
3. Pick-up and Drop-off of Paper Materials – We are working frantically to determine why students, families, and caregivers have requested paper-based assignments.  Is it preference or device and Internet related?  We are working on strategies to minimize the distribution of paper materials.  There is a difference between paper requests as a preference versus necessity.  To ensure safety and practice social distancing, students and families who CAN connect digitally will be required to do so.  The interaction that occurs every Friday to distribute and receive paper materials must be minimized in the present environment.  Therefore, we are canceling pick-up and drop-off of paper assignments originally scheduled for Friday, April 3, 2020 from 12:00 to 6:00pm.  We will reschedule once a safer protocol has been fully identified and communicated to our staff members, parents, caregivers, and students.  For students and families needing to turn in paper assignments, do not discard them.  Please just wait until a change in the process has been outlined.  We expect that announcement to be made near the middle of next week (week of April 6). 
4. Events – In conjunction with the Governor’s order, all events through May 1, 2020 are canceled.  However, we are constantly considering how to handle those meetings and events that are important not only to the business of school but also as memories in the lives of students and families.  We are considering when, how, and the possibility of rescheduling these events. 

Please Note:  As a reminder, teaching staff members will be available on-line and through various communication applications to students, parents, and caregivers during typical school hours.  Communications outside of regular school hours will be responded to at the teacher's convenience, but every effort will be made to respond within 24 hours.  

The purpose of this message is to update our community on our thoughts and considerations with school closure extending now through the month of April.  Additional updates and information related to the above are forthcoming.  We want to help our students and families as much as possible.  We miss the best part of our work – the CHILDREN!  We also know that we are engaging parents and caregivers as partners like no other time, so we appreciate what you are doing to support learning!  Let’s continue to be patient and support each other. 

Thank you for the continued support you have shown Milton-Union Schools.  Although circumstances have been challenging, we have seen and heard so many examples and great stories to demonstrate the wonderful work of parents, families, community partners, and staff members.  Hang in there, Bulldogs!