April 3, 2020

Chelsea School District Families, 

First, I hope this email communication finds you and your family healthy and well. Thank you for your
patience as we navigate this unparalleled circumstance. The Governor issued an Executive Order
#2020-35 pertaining to schools yesterday, April 2, 2020. I am sure many of you have either heard about
the details of the order or have read the order, however, I am including some of the main points in an
outline below:

School Closure:

●   School facilities are closed and face to face instruction is suspended for the remainder of this
     school year, unless the Governor indicates it is safe to reopen and lifts the restrictions.
     o   District: We understand there may be a need to retrieve items from the building and we
          are setting up protocols to accommodate these needs with our number one priority being
          safety.

Continuity of Learning Application Process:

●   In order to waive additional day/hour seat time requirements, districts must submit a
     “COVID-19 Seat Time Waiver Application”.
●   The application will be approved via a two-step process: First the application must be
     reviewed and approved by the ISD or charter school authorizer. Upon approval by the
     ISD/Authorizer, will submit plans to MDE and the “waiver” for remainder days/hours will be
     automatically granted.
●   A plan must be approved in order for a district to continue to receive state aid
     o   District: A team of administrators are meeting on Monday, April 6 to outline the
          structure for this plan and building administrators will be reaching out to staff to
          support the development of the instructional plans in alignment with this structure.

Continuity of Learning Plan and COVID-19 Response Plan Components:

●   Description of how districts will continue to provide instruction, by any type of delivery
     method
     o   District: Teachers and administrators will be working to coordinate instructional delivery
           with a goal of having plans that align with the requirements in the EO ready in draft form
           on Friday, April 10.
●   Commitment to continue providing food distribution
     o   District: We will continue to provide food to our families in need. Distribution is on
           Mondays from 10:00-12:00 at the high school. Directional signs are posted.
●   Commitment to pay all school employees
●   Commitment to continue providing mental health services
     o   District: A team of social workers, psychologists and counselors are meeting on Monday,
           April 6 to develop plans to continue to support students, staff, and families.

Important Notes:

●   If the plan relies on some online instruction, the district should ensure every student has
     access to an appropriate device with an ability to connect to the internet.
     o   District: We have received 4 wireless hotspots and are currently working to identify and
          place them in remote areas to offer students and families more availability to access the
          Internet. iPads were distributed to all elementary students. If you did not retrieve your
          student’s iPad during this time, please contact the building administrator.
●   Students and families should not be penalized for an inability to fully participate in the plan.
     o   District: We will do our best to make sure students have access to instructional materials
           and their teachers, along with support from specialized staff where they need it.
●   Districts may partner with each other or with external organizations/vendors in order to
     implement the plan.
     o   District: We have been working through the WISD Curriculum Team and
           Superintendents to collaborate on our plans
●   All content/curriculum decisions are decisions made locally.
     o   District: This will be a collaborative and team-oriented process.
●   District:  Additional information on enrichment activities will be communicated on Sunday by
     building principals as we work to develop the continuous learning plans. As always, the most
     up to date information is on our webpage in the Coronavirus Update Center.

Message

I realize that we all have many questions. I will continue to take part in town-hall meetings, county level
meetings, and collaborations to try to get the answers to our questions and communicate these out to you.
Our administrative team continues to do the same in their circles, and our dedicated staff will continue to
work hard on behalf of our students. In the meantime, please use this link below to provide input and ask
questions. Responses to your questions will be made available on our website.

COVID -19 Closure Parent Feedback Form

You will receive more information from your building principals and teachers very soon. Our priority is
to pull together to support our students, families, each other, and the school district. Our team is strong
and I have complete faith that, together, we will overcome this obstacle and be stronger than ever on the
other side. Thank you for your continued support of the Chelsea School District.

Please take care of yourselves and stay safe!

Sincerely,
Julie D. Helber, Ed.D
Superintendent