April 15, 2020
Dear Parents and Guardians,
I wanted to reach out to you this week as we are beginning the journey of “distance learning”. Like all journeys, it is best to start slowly and pace yourself as you go. I hope you are not feeling too overwhelmed by the role you have been thrust into during this difficult time. Our staff stands ready to support you in this, and we should all be working as a team to support your child. I have attached a letter with recommendations on how to structure your child’s day. The three parts to distance learning are defined in the letter along with some ideas to help you along the way. The emphasis on our distance learning plan is meeting the student and family needs. We are focusing on care, connection, and continued learning. The first thing is care and that is intentional as it is the most important part during this time. As you are contacted by staff, please share any needs you might have that are not just education related. If there is any silver lining to this pandemic it is the fact that we all are working together to care for each other, and our families are getting precious time together that we won’t ever get back. I encourage you to make that time quality time. When you look at the recommendations for a sample day, you will note that the time set aside for extra activities is more than the structured educational piece. That is purposeful to help you with ideas for quality time with your kids that also can be very educational. I hope the sample day recommendations are helpful to you moving forward. This really is a time where we must work together to make distance learning something positive for your child and your family. Thank you for helping us keep your child connected to school and continuing their learning journey. As always, when I receive updated information, I will share it. Keep checking the webpage, Facebook page, YouTube, and phone messages. We also do a live radio show every Monday at 7:00am on KMHS radio (1420AM and 105.1FM). We all look forward to a time when we can come back together in some sense of normal. Until then, take care.
Stay Healthy,
Bryan Trendell
Coos Bay Public Schools
Superintendent