School District outlines closure plans, including free meals for kids

— from Eric Webb, Orcas Schools Superintendent —

Dear Students, Parents, & Community,

Following OISD’s announcement early Friday morning, Governor Inslee announced that all schools across the state will need to close this Tuesday, March 17 through Friday, April 24. OISD will continue to provide regular updates as more details emerge or if guidance from the Governor’s Office, OSPI, or Washington Department of Health should change.

Our top priority has and will continue to be the health and safety of our students and staff.

We recognize that this disruption in our normal school day and school year will greatly impact the routines of our students, families, and staff. I met with OISD administrators and departments over the weekend to establish protocols in preparation for our closure. Today, we continue to finalize plans to provide food services and educational resources to our students. 

Meals – Grab and Go

We will be providing all children in our community with free breakfast and lunch during the school closure (with the exception of spring break). Our staff will be preparing bagged meals daily that will contain lunch for the day and breakfast for the following day. These will be distributed from the pick-up/drop-off circle in front of the school Mon-Fri from 11:30 a.m. -1 p.m. On Fridays, we will also provide extra meals for Saturday and Sunday for children in need of them. 

Please click on the link below for our Grab and Go weekly preorder form:

OISD Grab-Go Meal Order Form Submission of the preorder form is extremely helpful for our planning, although it is not required to participate in this program. Please also note that ALL children in the community are eligible to participate in this food program.

For families that lack the means (transportation, etc.) to pick up food at the school, we are currently working on arranging for food to be distributed at other locations throughout the island. Please contact Madden at msurbaugh@orcas.k12.wa.us if you need to pick up food at another location. 

Donations to support this meal program can be made through the Orcas Island Education Foundation (OIEF) at OIEF School Food Fund.

Weekend Food Packs for Kids

The district is working to keep the Weekend Packs for Kids program operating throughout the closure.

Learning Experiences

We are planning for educational opportunities for students to engage in during the closure while at home. These will not be for a recorded grade, but an opportunity for our children to continue to access instructional resources. Teachers are learning how best to use our existing and new online platforms such as Google Meets, Seesaw, and Zoom. The district is working to check Chromebooks out to students who have been identified to be in need of access to technology, and Rock Island will be providing WIFI to these students.

OIEF and AOK and will be providing art packets designed by Brook Meinhardt to our students weekly. More information on the distribution of the packets will be coming soon…..

Student Conferences 

Student conferences will take place as previously scheduled via phone conference or a technology platform previously arranged by the teacher.

Building and Field Use

All buildings will be locked during the extended closure, although employees will continue to work on campus during this time. If you have a prearranged meeting, we ask that you call the building office to confirm your meeting. When you arrive for your meeting, please call the school so a staff member can help you access the building. The buildings and campus will not be open to the general public during the closure. Building and field use by external groups are suspended throughout the duration of the school closure.

In Closing

I would like to encourage you to stay up-to-date on the safety precautions and guidance regarding COVID-19 from accurate and reliable sources such as the CDC, Washington Department of Health, and San Juan County Health and Community Services in an effort to slow the spread of this virus.

Thank you for your continued support as we rally together to continue to provide vital services and resources to our students. Please feel free to contact the OISD District Office at 376-2284 if you should have any questions.