Emergency Preparedness: Coronavirus Updates
Wednesday, May 11, 2020. 1:00 p.m.
We have worked very hard to maximize our space on the football field, and we are proud to have finalized the following details for Graduation 2020. The graduation ceremony will be held on Friday, May 29, 2020, at 7:00 p.m. at Blue Devil Stadium. We will be following all CDC guidelines, so we have decided to place families in pods of six. There will be room to have 90 pods with six people per pod and still allow for social distancing in Blue Devil Stadium. Moving forward, we will be communicating with the graduates and their families. Each graduate will be allowed two pods, so graduates can invite twelve family members. Graduation will not be open to everyone. To attend, you must be a family member and have a ticket. Graduates will draw for two pods. One pod containing six chairs will be on the football field and the other pod will be in the stadium on the home side. There will be a map to indicate where family members of each graduate will sit. There will be a live stream of the graduation for everyone to view. Parents or family members of the graduate’s choosing will actually hand out the diploma. Please be vigilant about checking the Celeste ISD/CHS Facebook page, CISD website, emails and possible phone calls for information on graduation. There will not be a practice for graduation, so graduates and family members must check these platforms for information regarding the ceremony.
We would like to remind you to work on end of year assessments. Administrators and teachers will spend much time this summer evaluating these assessments to evaluate growth, strengths and weaknesses. Encourage your students to take their time and work hard on these assessments. The assessments are due Monday, May 18th, and shall be dropped off at 11-12 or from 6-7 p.m. All EOY assessments, library books, textbooks, and any electronic devices including computers, hotspots or calculators are due on Monday, May 18.
Summer meals (breakfast and lunch) will be offered again. Beginning Tuesday, May 26th, students eighteen and under can come pickup breakfast and lunch at 9 a.m. at the high school. Meals will be handed out Monday-Thursday for the week. If you are unable to pickup at 9 a.m., Hunt County will setup at Celeste Elementary at 11 a.m. to serve lunch. If you are planning on participating in the summer meal program, please call/email your campus, so we can know how much food to prepare.
Celeste ISD is proud to announce that Dr. Ray will be our new district director of curriculum and assessment. We are excited to have Dr. Ray oversee the district instruction and assessment data! Also, we are thrilled to announce that Lindsay Walker will be our new elementary principal. Lindsay is an experienced educator and principal and is from Celeste! She also previously taught at Celeste Elementary, so we are so proud to have her back as principal.
Look for some modifications on the 2020-2021 school calendar. We are being told by TEA that we should expect layoff time next year in the event of illnesses such as Covid-19. The calendar will reflect possible days that we are out of school by adding flex days towards the end of the year. In the event that we experience school closures again next year, the days will have to be made up, so be aware that school may have to be extended at the end of the year to make up those days. More information to come on the 2020-2021 calendar soon.
Wednesday, May 6, 2020. 1:00 p.m.
Dr. Beth Ray filled in for Superintendent Brad Connelly on Wednesday, May 6, 2020. This is a special week for Celeste ISD because of Teacher Appreciation Week. Thank you to all the students, parents, families and community members who have shown the teachers how much they are appreciated through the Facebook posts, emails and treats that have been shared. Thank you for uplifting our teachers!
Graduation details are being finalized. It looks like the focus is on an outside graduation ceremony. Mr. Connelly will be announcing the details very soon. Please make sure to drive by the high school to view the senior photo posters that are posted along the driveway to honor our graduates.
Monday, May 11th is the next scheduled packet pickup/drop off. There will be an assessment in the new student packet. Encourage your student to do their best and show their work on the assessment because it will guide us with instructional planning for the coming 2020-2021 school year. We need as much feedback as possible to plan for the education of our students for the upcoming year.
May 18th will be the day to turn in all your assessments, library books, textbooks, and any electronic devices including computers, hotspots or calculators.
Wednesday, April 29, 2020. 1:00 p.m.
Governor Greg Abbott has been slowly opening businesses up. That does not affect our school closure plans; however, it will give us some different options as we move forward with graduation plans. We are continuing talks to see what will be the best plan for gathering for graduation. We are looking at possibly having it on May 22 with 50% occupancy. We are in the process of gathering information on having it in the gym, and how many would be able to attend. Hopefully, we will have specific graduation details to pass along next Wednesday on our Facebook Live.
Remember that this coming Monday, May 4th will be our next packet pickup and drop off. Please remember to return the senior graduation surveys on May 4. Please note that there will be a change in schedule of the next packet pickup and drop off. This week there will only be one week of work to complete in the student packet. This work will need to be returned on Monday, May 11th. This will be the last set of work your students will turn in to be graded. Then, the packet pickup on May 11 will contain an End of Year (EOC) Assessment for certain classes. These EOY assessments not be used for a grade, but it will serve as a diagnostic tool moving into the 2020-2021 school year. Students should work hard and do their very best on the EOC assessments. The EOC assessment tool will be used to measure where students are academically to begin the new school year. Drop off for the EOC assessments will be on May 18th.
Seniors will not have EOY assessments in their packets. Seniors need to be working on your online classes, so you can credit for your classes!
Technology devices (computers, hotspots, calculators) are due on May 18.
For the next three Mondays, (May 4th, 11th, 18th) there will be packet pickup and drop off. Pickup/drop off times will be 11-12pm and 6-7pm.
Junior high and high school students that need to clean lockers out, the following times are available for you to come to school to gather your belongings. Beginning May 4th, you may come to school on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9-2 to clean out your locker. Social distancing will be respected, so there will only be a certain number allowed in the school at a time. Athletic equipment will need to be dropped off to Coach Rector at this time.
Dates for athletic physicals will be released soon. All incoming 7th, 9th or 11th graders are required to have a physical, or if you had a significant injury this past year. Stay tuned next week for more information on athletic physicals.
Wednesday, April 22, 2020. 1:00 p.m.
As many of you know, Governor Greg Abott has closed our schools for the rest of the year. This news is difficult for us to hear, but we know that saving lives is most important. Our school buildings may be closed, but school is still going on at Celeste ISD. Moving forward, we want to continue to partner with you for home learning for the remainder of the school year. Parents, grandparents and care-givers have been doing an amazing job bridging the gap between school and home. Thank you for your partnership! It is our hope that you feel comfortable in what we are doing as well as having a voice in this new platform for education. We want you to reach out to us with questions or concerns. Email us at communication@celesteisd.org with questions or concerns.
Next packet pickup will be on May 4th. Students should continue working hard on core subjects and working online on programs such as accelerated Reader, iStation, GradPoint and Rosetta Stone. High school students need to make sure that you are getting the required percentage for completion on GradPoint and Rosetta Stone to get credit for these classes. Parents, please inquire with your high school students to make sure they are making progress. The parent portal is a good place to check on grades. GradPoint/Rosetta Stone grades and completed percentages have been placed in the packets as those grades will not appear on the parent portal. All other grades can be viewed on the portal. Teacher graded work will be returned to students for corrections. Each campus has specific times available for teacher assistance. If students have questions, they can contact teachers during their online time or by phone call.
Graduation planning is still a priority, and we are exploring various options. Presenty, Mike Morath, Texas Commissioner of Education, has stated that a virtual graduation ceremony is the only acceptable event. We are awaiting additional information from Commissioner Morath which will be available towards the middle of May. In the meantime, we have some very exciting announcements regarding ways to honor our 2020 graduates which will be revealed soon. Senior parents, please look for the graduation survey in student packets that were passed out on Monday. Be sure to fill them out and return the surveys on May 4th. We will use the information gained from the surveys along with Commissioner Morath’s guidance to make final plans for graduation.
Wednesday, April 7, 2020. 1:00 p.m.
Thank you to parents, care-givers and students for picking up packets. Across the district, 518 packets have been picked up and distributed. We appreciate the good partnership between school and families on working through these challenging times. Next packet pickup/drop off will be April 20th.
High School, eighth grade and kindergarten graduation as well as high school prom plans are being discussed. We are requesting feedback from families on extending dates for these events. There will be surveys sent out to get feedback regarding these special events, so be looking for the surveys online.
Accelerated Reader home testing is going well! We have had numerous students reading at home! On day one that AR testing opened, we had over 25 junior high students take tests. Numerous elementary students are testing as well! Way to READ Blue Devils!
Please contact us if you need a new library book. We will work out a time for you to drive through and we will get a book in your hands! (We don’t want you to wait two weeks.)
New Covid19 webpage will be a centralized location for you to access information such as student meals, surveys, FAQs, 2020-2021 registration, social media posts, etc. during the Covid19 school closure. The link can be found on the CISD homepage and under the district information drop down menu.
We want you to enjoy your Good Friday and April 13th holiday. Take time off from packet work and have a great holiday. Resume your studies on Tuesday, April 14th.
Wednesday, April 1, 2020. 1:00 p.m.
-Schools are closed until May 4 per Governor Abbott.
-Starting 4/6, packets will only be picked up and dropped off every two weeks. So please put two weeks worth of assignments in them this week. Next pickup and drop off (after Monday, 4/6) will not be until 4/20.
-There is a new statewide initiative from TEA to help the public stay well. Be looking for info on this moving forward.
-Parents and students can email questions to communication@celesteiad.org
-Lunches will still be handed out or delivered every Monday and Wednesday.
-Encourage your students to read!
Facebook Live with Mr. Connelly will be each Wednesday at 1:00 PM
Thursday, March 19, 2020. 1:20 p.m.
Given the rapidly evolving situation with COVID-19, Celeste ISD will extend the suspension of normal district operations through Friday, April 3rd in an effort support our nation’s need to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19. Our health officials report that cases are continuing to spread in the state, and an increase in confirmed cases in our county seems likely. Suspending operations for this length of time will allow us to determine, in coordination with local health officials, whether the virus is continuing to have community spread or whether it has been contained. We are coordinating with other school districts in the county and will use the week of March 30th to make any decisions on whether there is a need to extend the suspension further. To provide a sense of possible impact in order to help you prepare: If there is a need to continue the suspension at that time, it would likely be for at least 3 more weeks.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has outlined the need for all communities to implement a social distancing protocol. We want to reiterate a request to our broader community to take the following reasonable precautions to prevent the spread of the illness:
- Don’t shake hands
- Wash your hands regularly
- Limit movement within the community, especially avoiding crowded placed and maintaining 3 to 6 ft of distance between people (at least an arm’s length)
- If you are moving around in the community, don’t congregate in large groups
- For those who have traveled to areas with known COVID-19 cases – both inside and outside of the country – we ask that you self-quarantine and monitor for symptoms. · If you suspect you have symptoms of COVID-19, call your health care provider for medical advice.
- Do not leave the house if you are ill, except to access medical care
This is a quickly changing situation, and we will continue to monitor all information gathered.
Tuesday, March 17, 2020. 10:00 a.m.
Celeste ISD Administration met Monday, March 16, 2020 to discuss preparations for continuing education for Celeste ISD students. Parents were contacted and surveys were conducted to determine home Internet access availability, need for food services provided by the school and to inquire about travel over the spring break. Results from the surveys will be used to discuss options for high-tech online or low-tech paper/pencil curriculum for students to utilize.
During these unprecedented events related to social distancing for the COVID-19 coronavirus, Celeste ISD will try to navigate the best way to proceed with instruction should school closure be extended beyond the week of March 16-20. There are also plans to offer lunch pick-up/delivery for students.
Please check the Celeste ISD website and campus Facebook pages for updates. Superintendent Brad Connelly will also contact parents and care givers by the School Messenger call system.
Friday, March 13, 2020. 5:00 p.m.
Dear Celeste ISD Families,
Celeste ISD is announcing a one week closing of our schools. This is a proactive measure to help prevent the further spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19).
This closure will also allow our staff time to prepare for the possibility of a longer closure, which would include plans for online and alternative curriculum delivery, should it be necessary. During this time, I strongly advise you to avoid public gatherings and to follow the CDC prevention guidelines by practicing social distancing and other preventative measures.
All CISD schools will remain closed Monday, March 16 through Friday, March 20, as we continue to assess the Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation in our community and as travelers return from Spring Break. The district will continue to monitor and evaluate the situation prior to reopening school on Monday, March 23, and we will communicate across all channels as updated information becomes available.
The UIL (University of Interscholastic League) has suspended all activities until March 29th. No academic or athletic events will be played during this time. We will also not have any practices during our school closure.
We are taking these steps out of an abundance of caution. Currently, there are no confirmed or presumptive cases of Coronavirus (COVID-19) among our Celeste ISD community.
We do not yet know how this school closing will impact the rest of our school year or if these days will be waived by the Texas Education Agency. Most likely, the inclement weather day on April 10 will be used as a regular school day, and we ask our community to plan for this accordingly.
This is a rapidly progressing situation that affects us all. Thank you for your continued patience and understanding, as we work together to develop plans to educate and care for our students under these unprecedented circumstances.
We will continue to share updates with our community via our website and our communication channels.
Sincerely,
Brad Connelly
Superintendent
Thursday, March 12, 2020
Blue Devil Families,
I Hope you are enjoying your spring break!
Throughout this week, we have continued to monitor and communicate with state and local agencies to make well informed decisions for the safety of our students, staff, and community.
We continue to work on the planning preparation and mitigation of the spread of the Coronavirus.
Celeste ISD is requiring all students and families who traveled in the last 14 days to a location on the CDC travel alert website, to email your building principals at the following email addresses:
High School-branamj@celesteisd.org
Jr. High-beadless@celesteisd.org
Elementary-rayb@celesteisd.org
before students return to school on March 16th. CISD will visit with families and share
pertinent health department recommendations to determine if the student is cleared to return to school.
Beginning immediately, all new students enrolling in Celeste ISD will be asked about travel within the last 14 days in an effort to mitigate the potential spread of COVID-19.
We currently have not cancelled any school activities. The district carefully considers all facts and consults with local health department officials, the UIL and TEA before making decisions to cancel or alter student travel for competitions, field trips or other school-sponsored events.
We are also developing a plan to manage potential school closures should this situation warrant such action. This includes a plan for continuity of teaching and learning, including ongoing communication with staff and families, as well as offering some online instruction to keep students progressing.
We will continue to closely monitor this situation and communicate with all agencies involved. The safety of our students and staff is our number one priority.
Have a great remainder of your spring break and thanks for your support!
Brad Connelly
Superintendent
Celeste ISD
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