Covid 19 updates

Unionville-Sebewaing Area School District & its Community~

The administration of USA Schools will use this page as an update resource for our staff/students and community.  Please check in for updated information on the Coronavirus (COVID-19) status in and around our school.    Thank you!    

April 29, 2020 

Dear Patriot Parents, 

As we begin the month of May, there are usually many events on our calendars. This year, we are working to maintain our sense of community despite school buildings being closed. Although school activities and events in the month of May and June are canceled, some of the events will be rescheduled, some may be held virtually, and unfortunately, others may not be held this year. Please watch our website and Facebook page for updates to our calendar and rescheduled events including dates for the Senior Honors Program and Commencement for the Class of 2020. 

Important Dates: 

There is no school on Friday, May 22 and Monday, May 25 for the Memorial Day Holiday Online class meetings and teacher office hours will be limited after Thursday, June 4 to provide time for teachers to plan for next school year. 

The last day of school for students to complete assignments is Tuesday, June 9. 

Lockers - We are working on removing items from student's lockers to return to parents. Families will be contacted to make arrangements to return these items over the next two weeks. 

Lunch Accounts - Student lunch accounts will be rolled over to next year. If you would like the money refunded, please contact Teresa Rose at  roset@think-usa.org 

Books - Books that were left in lockers will be collected and inventoried. We will provide more information later on a process to collect books that were taken home. If a student needs a textbook for an online class, please contact your building principal. 

Thank you for working with us to continue learning from a distance. It has been a steep learning curve for all involved. If you have problems, please inform your child's teacher. We want to work together to find solutions that work for each family's unique situation while preparing students for their future. 

Educationally Yours, 

George Rierson, Superintendent 

 

April 17, 2020

We formally launched our alternative learning plan for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year on Monday, April 13, 2020. The entire document describing our plan is available at  PDF DocumentUSA Continuity of Learning and COVID-19 Response Plan 

April 11, 2020

Patriot Parents, 

We miss having your child in our hallways and classrooms. We want to continue serving your family during the school closure. Please use the link below to access a short survey that will help us to continue learning and support our students and their families through this year. 

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/USA-Schools

Thank you!

 

April 2, 2020 

Dear Patriot Parents, 

Today, Governor Whitmer released Executive Order 2020-35, which ended face-to-face instruction in school buildings for the rest of this school year. It is difficult to find words to express the disappointment of Patriot students being unable to return to our classrooms and hallways for the end of this school year. The USA experience includes many special moments and memories for our students, their families, and our staff. My heart is heavy as I absorb the reality of this loss for all of our students at each grade level, and particularly for our seniors in the USA Class of 2020, for whom this school year is drastically changed. 

Although we are disappointed by our new reality, the USA School District and all of our staff will continue to work to support our students and families in the weeks ahead. The Governor’s Executive Order requires that we develop a plan to continue learning opportunities for our students through the end of the school year. We have already started to develop this plan with the best interest of our students and families in mind. 

Meanwhile, we ask that you continue to encourage your child to make every day that they would have been in school a learning day in some way. Our teachers will continue to reach out to students and parents with resources and activities. We understand that each child is unique and each family faces different challenges. We want to support you and your child in this stressful time. We ask for your continued partnership as we strive to meet our mission of preparing your child to achieve their goals and dreams for the future. 

More information will be shared with you as it becomes available. Please stay home and stay safe to save lives. 

Kind regards, 

George Rierson Superintendent 

 

Wednesday, March 25, 2020

On Monday, March 21, Governor Whitmer issued the "Stay Home Stay Safe" executive order that extended the school closure period through Monday, April 13, 2020. All school events and activities are now also canceled through April 13. This includes athletic practices and facility rentals. 

On Monday, March 30 student meals will only be available from the north side of the USA High School near the gymnasium entrance from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Please see the letter posted on our website for more information. We will not be providing meals at the Son's Life Church or Knights of Columbus locations due to the lack of appropriate refrigeration and the need to improve safety for staff and the families of our students. 

Thank you to our community partners the Knights of Columbus and Son's Life Missionary Church for opening their buildings the previous two weeks for meal distribution. 

  

 

Sunday, March 15, 2020

Please see the update on Saturday for details regarding the free lunch service during the school closure. We understand there are many questions at this time and we will work to provide the answers as soon as possible for our students, their families, and our staff. 

All buildings will be closed to students and staff tomorrow, Monday, March 16. We anticipate allowing essential staff members only to enter the buildings on a limited basis beginning on Tuesday, March 17 to provide support for students such as meal preparation and technology assistance for those students working on distance learning activities. 

Saturday, March 14, 2020

We care about our students and families during this mandatory school closure. Knowing that many families rely on our food service program for lunch, we are working to provide lunches as soon as Tuesday, March 17th. The meals will be available for any child, regardless of their school enrollment, up to 18 years old. Watch this page for more information.

Thank you also to our community partners, Bay Shore Camp, and Beeter's Brew Pub for providing lunches to students on Monday, March 16th. 

  • Sack lunches will be available from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Monday at Bay Shore Camp at 450 N. Miller Street. Enter through our main entrance at the corner of Miller and Pine streets and follow the directions for a drive-thru pick up of your lunch. Message us with questions or call our office. The office opens Monday morning at 8:00 a.m. 989-883-2501
  • We here at Beeter’s realize that kids rely on school days for more than just an education. Beginning Monday, 3/16/2020, all kids K-12 in need of lunch may stop into the bar and pick up a sack lunch. No charge will be requested for the sack lunch.
    •  Monday - Friday
    • 11am - 1pm
    • 3/16/2020 - 4/3/2020
      *while supplies last
  • Cutest Button Boutique,8855 Unionville Rd, is offering snacks to school age students at 3:00 pm on weekdays that students would normally be in school.  

Educational activities can also continue while students are out of school. Our staff worked hard on the last day of school to issue Chromebooks and hotspots to students who did not have a device or internet connection at home. Our teachers also provided a variety of resources for students to utilize for ongoing learning opportunities. Please discuss the resources provided to your child and encourage them to make progress in the days ahead.  We will have more information at this page in the future. 

Finally, there are many questions about whether future activities will be canceled, postponed or rescheduled. We will continue to monitor information provided by the Michigan Department of Education and the Governor's Office regarding school calendar issues and how the cancelation of school will impact future events. 

Please continue to follow recommendations from the Department of Health and Human Services that we have posted on our website. Let's work together to keep our communities safe! 

Friday, March 13, 2020

The wellness of our students, parents and community members is our top priority. We continue to follow precautionary measures as recommended by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Late last night Governor Snyder directed all schools to close from Monday, March 16 through Sunday, April 5. Our staff utilized the last day of school to calm students and prepare them for independent learning activities while school is closed. Students were directed to take textbooks and study materials home so that they can continue working on academic skills until school resumes. 

All activities and services held at USA Schools are canceled through Monday, March 16. We will follow updates from the Michigan Department of Education and the Governor's Office for guidance on when we may resume supplemental services for our community such as daycare and food service. We will provide an update on the status of those services on Monday evening (3/16). 

Wednesday, March 11, 2020

Last night we received notification of two confirmed cases of coronavirus or COVID-19 in Michigan. The cases were involved residents of Oakland and Wayne Counties. Health department staff in those areas are working to notify all who have come into contact with those who tested positive.

We will continue to provide updates as they occur. Please continue to practice preventative measures including frequent hand washing, avoid touching eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands, covering a cough and sneezes with a tissue or inside elbow, staying home if you are ill, staying away from those who are ill, and cleaning of high contact surfaces. More information is available at the state and CDC websites:  Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus

 

Thursday, March 5, 2020

Dear Parents & Guardians, 

This afternoon (3-5-2020) we were informed that members of our school community recently traveled through an airport after a person who tested positive for coronavirus. The individual who tested positive did not travel on the same flight, but they traveled through the same airport for their own flight. 

We immediately consulted with the Tuscola County Health Department to determine appropriate actions to protect students, staff and community.  The health department advised us that the individuals involved may continue normal activity and be among the general population without any restrictions. The recommendation is based on the lack of individual contact or close proximity to a person who tested positive. 

We have open and effective lines of communication with our public health officials and will alert students, staff, and parents if we receive direction related to COVID-19. We will also be sending more information on the coronavirus from the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control.