Webbers Falls Public Schools

Effective today, Webbers Falls students in Kindergarten through 12th grade are being provided an online learning curriculum. To access the online classes, go to the news section of our school web site or visit our Facebook page. In addition, all students in grades Pre-K through 8th grade are being provided an enrichment packet on core subjects. These can be picked up in the lunch pick up line in front of the cafeteria on Mondays and Wednesdays from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Some teachers have also left workbooks for their students, which can also be picked up in the lunch line. Neither the packets nor the workbooks are to be returned. Students in 9th through 12th grade who do not have internet access are being provided with print packets in lieu of online classes. These can also be picked up in the lunch pick-up line on Mondays and Wednesdays from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. These packets are not to be returned at this time. If you have further questions, you may call the school from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday.

NOTICE TO PARENTS & STUDENTS: Webbers Falls School Facilities are closed for operations other than for the preparation and delivery of student lunches on Mondays & Wednesdays. All exterior doors are locked and no one is allowed in the buildings other than essential staff. Because we know there may be questions regarding the distance learning process, we will be available for phone calls from 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., Monday thru Thursday. Our teachers are in the process of setting up online classrooms for their students with internet access and preparing print packets for those who do not have internet access. The print packets are being handed out during lunch pick up hours (10:30-12:30) on Mondays & Wednesdays. Packets not picked up or delivered by Wednesday, April 8th, will be compiled by household and will either be mailed or hand-delivered by a school staff. Our goal is for our students to continue learning until the last day of school on May 15th. We will post more information about our distance learning program as it becomes available.

Students in grades K-8th are being provided with an "Enrichment Packet," which is an assortment of worksheets on core subjects. These can be picked up Friday, 3/27, from 10:30-12:30, in the lunch pick up line in front of the cafeteria. After Friday, the pick up line will only be available on Mondays and Wednesdays, 10:30-12:30. All teachers are preparing virtual classrooms for our students as well. Watch the "News" section on our website or our Facebook page for notifications. Mrs. Johnson has already made her Google Classrooms available.

The support staff at Webbers Falls Schools handed out 146 meals to students today. Our numbers are increasing daily, so delivery times may be different than originally anticipated. You can still sign up for lunches by calling (918) 464-2383.

Webbers Falls Schools sending meals out for bus route dropoffs and preparing for grab and go meals from the cafeteria. We love our support staff!

Today, Monday, March 23, 2020, we begin providing grab and go lunches at the school cafeteria. We are also providing the same meals for students on the bus routes. Each child will receive a breakfast and a lunch for each day. Please contact the school immediately, 918-464-2334 if you would like these meals for your children. We may also serve the younger siblings therefore you will need to let us know if you need extra meals for your children. If you choose to pick-up, please have at least one child in the car with you as you get the meals. DO NOT GET OUT OF YOUR CAR. You will drive in front of the cafeteria and a staff member will give you the meals. You will need to give the name of the students or children needing meals. If you live on the bus route and need the meals delivered to you, we will have staff member deliver you. They will drive up and honk. Someone from your home will need to come to the truck, suburban, or bus to receive the meals. Times for delivery is from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm. We do not know the exact time that we will arrive at your home. We have learned that we can make one delivery of all the week’s breakfast and lunch in one day. Therefore our schedule will be: March 23-Monday Pick up or route delivery 1 breakfast/1 lunch per child March 24-Tuesday Pick up or route delivery 1 breakfast/1 lunch per child March 25-Wednesday Pick up or route delivery 3 breakfasts/3 lunches per child March 30-Monday Pick up or route delivery 5 breakfast/5 lunches per child The meals for the week of April 6th and the weeks thereafter will be decided upon the state of the COVID-19 epidemic at that time. We will keep you posted

Letter from the Superintendent about Student Meals March 18, 2020 This past year has been one that has tried Webbers Falls Public Schools and our community. The school and community members have overcome a catastrophic flood, a small fire in a school storage building, our volunteer fire department recently lost valuable equipment and a building. Through those recent trials, the school and the community have proven that WE ARE WEBBERS FALLS STRONG! As we have overcome these trials, we will overcome COVID-19! Earlier this week State Superintendent, Joy Hofmeister, recommended to the State Board of Education a “cessation of school operations” for all public schools in the state of Oklahoma to try to stop the spread of COVID-19 beginning March 17th until April 6th. This is means that there will be no teaching occurring during this time. It also means that all activities are canceled during this time. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends no gatherings of more than 10 people and that if one must be in public, that one get no closer than six (6) feet to a person. There will be no practices or gatherings on or in any Webbers Falls School Facility until April 6th. We hope to be able to return to school at that time. However, it is possible that the cessation may last longer. Beginning Monday, March 23rd, Webbers Falls Public School will begin providing breakfast and lunch for Webbers Falls students. Each student will receive a lunch and a breakfast every week day. You will be able to “drive-through” to pick up both meals at the same time, from 10:30 am until 12:30 pm, every day. If you are unable to drive into Webbers Falls, you may request your meals to be delivered. To enable us to plan the number of meals required, please contact Judy Treadwell at jtreadwell@webbersfalls.k12.ok.us to inform us if your family will be participating. When you contact Nurse Treadwell, please state the family name, if you will pick up the meals via drive through or you need meals delivered, the number of students in the family (it would help to have student names), the physical address to be delivered, and a telephone number to reach you. We may request additional information later. At this time, we do not know the specific time that the meals will be delivered to your home if you are requesting delivery service. No delivery service will be provided in the town of Webbers Falls. Please spread the word to Webbers Falls patrons who may not have internet access so they may participate also. Those who do not have Internet access may call the school, 918-464-2334, Monday morning beginning at 8:00 am. They will also need to provide the information that was requested above. This will be posted on the website and on Facebook. Please understand that we will not be monitoring or replying to the comments on Facebook. Therefore, you should email or call the school for more information. One last bit of information, if your child is enrolled in a college course, those classes have been moved to online and they will be meeting via Internet. Do not neglect those college courses. We hope that this will help your family during this crisis and school closure. We will keep you updated as information is supplied to the district. Stay safe, wash your hands, and keep your children engaged in learning. Sincerely, Dixie Swearingen, Ph.D. Superintendent

A quick reference for sanitizing with bleach.

Dear Webbers Falls parents and staff: Please forgive the horrible format of this letter. This afternoon, the state Board of Education voted to close all Oklahoma schools, effective immediately, until at least April 6 in an effort to minimize the spread of COVID-19. This includes Webbers Falls Public Schools. Additionally, there will be no school activities during this time. While state officials mandated schools to close for two weeks following spring break, they also encouraged administrators to prepare for the possibility of longer-term closures, if it becomes necessary. At least 35 other states across the country also have made the decision to close schools statewide in the interest of public health. Oklahoma schools are not expected to be required to make-up the missed days. At this time, schools have been instructed by the state Department of Education not to provide online, home-based or distance learning for students. This is an unprecedented situation, and it continues to evolve by the hour. We know this uncertainty can cause anxiety and worry, but we want to assure you that Webbers Falls Schools is doing everything possible to ensure the needs of students and employees will be met during this unique time. We will be closed for classes, but – as a district – we will continue to serve our community, while abiding by the healthy best practices that have been recommended by the CDC. Employees will receive information about their responsibilities during the school closure over the next few days. We encourage you to comply with what health officials have recommended as well. If you can, please stay home and enjoy family time. If you must go out, please practice social distancing, allowing at least six feet between you and other individuals. If you have questions about COVID-19, please contact your medical professional or the county health department. You also can learn more about how to prevent the illness by visiting https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/prevention.html Communication will be key during the next two weeks. It is our hope that accurate and up-to-date correspondence will combat fear and panic, as well as help you make well-informed decisions for your family. As a district, we will be sending correspondence to you by Facebook and the Live Feed on the school website. You also can get the latest information by visiting https://webbersfalls.k12.ok.us. There, we will be posting answers to frequently asked questions as soon as they are available, including those about child nutrition services, employee payroll, end-of-year activities and more. For Webbers Falls Public Schools, there is nothing more important than the safety and health of our students, staff and community. We want you to be safe, and we appreciate your flexibility and understanding. Webbers Falls is strong! We have survived floods, fires, tornados, and we will get through this together. Sincerely, Dixie Swearingen, Ph.D. Superintendent

The following message was posted on the State Department of Education's website: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Emergency State Board meeting expected to close schools until April 6 OKLAHOMA CITY (March 16, 2020) – State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister has called an emergency meeting of the State Board of Education for 4 p.m. today to authorize the closure of all Oklahoma schools beginning March 17 and lasting until April 6. Hofmeister said the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) will closely monitor the COVID-19 situation with state health experts to determine if it will be necessary to extend the closure. “Nothing is more important than the safety and well-being of Oklahomans,” Hofmeister said. “It is critical that we do everything in our power to protect the health of our kids, their families, educators and all vulnerable populations. That need outweighs everything else. The OSDE has been working around the clock, and will continue to do so, to ease the burden of schools during this challenging time.” “This decision is not made lightly, but it is the right thing to do based on current guidance from the CDC,” said Governor Kevin Stitt. “This closure will allow us time to further understand how COVID-19 is affecting Oklahoma and give students and staff a period of time to be protected from further community spread of the virus. We know closing schools has a significant impact on families, and we are committed to doing what we can to lessen that impact as we work to prioritize the health and safety of all Oklahomans.” The recommended board action today will solely address the school closures. The OSDE is already working to ensure school closure does not negatively impact schools and school employees, including issuing guidance on state assessments, school accountability and student attendance. The State Board of Education must authorize this before it takes affect. We will keep you posted on this event.

All athletic practices for Webbers Falls Schools have been canceled until further notice.

Several of our 7th grade girls attended the Annual Spring Tea at Checotah this morning. Mrs. Tammy Baer accompanied the girls to this event. Looking nice, ladies!

If you are experiencing any cold or flu like symptoms, please make an appointment with your child's teacher rather than coming to parent-teacher conferences. Also, be sure to read the information that Nurse Treadwell shared with you March 6th concerning COVID-19. The health and safety of our students and employees are important to us.

Reminder: Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held tomorrow, March 12th, from 3:30pm-9:00pm.

Class A Academic All State, Webbers Falls' Lady Warriors! WARRIOR PRIDE!!!

Information from the CDC regarding the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Congratulations to the Webbers Falls students who made the Muskogee County Livestock Show premium sale. We are proud of you!

Webbers Falls Schools is accepting applications for the following position: Superintendent’s Secretary/Encumbrance Clerk. Go to www.webbersfalls.k12.ok.us, Menu, District, Careers for more information.

I was notified by OSSAA this morning that the Webbers Falls Lady Warriors are Class A Academic State Champions! This is a tremendous honor for our team. They will receive the award at the Class A/B State Tournament on Saturday, March 7th, during half-time of the 1:45 p.m. game. Congratulations, Lady Warriors!

Congratulations to the Lady Warriors - Regional Consolation Champions! They play Thursday at 1:30 p.m. at Bethel in the Area Tournament.