From the Superintendent
Dear Avondale Community,
As we move forward with remote learning, I want to stress the importance of the parent/school connection. Please take time to read the newsletters and parent communications coming from your teachers, principals, coaches, and district leaders. We are working hard to keep you up-to-date about information that directly impacts your student's successful start to this unusual school year. Reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns.
Here are some quick notes of interest:
· Avondale in the News - On Wednesday I was interviewed by Channel 4 reporter Evrod Cassimy about our return to teaching and learning this fall. Evrod and I had the chance to watch Auburn Elementary teacher Lyn Kramer as she was leading her class through a lesson via Zoom. It was remarkable to watch Lyn as she engaged with her students, kept them on task, invited their questions and responded to them, brought the students back to center if they strayed, managed the technology, and of course delivered the lesson! Thank you to Lyn for allowing us to observe her and to be taped as part of the Channel 4 story. You can watch the story here: https://www.
· Benchmark Assessments - As part of Public Act 149 that was signed by Governor Whitmer on August 20, 2020, all districts must administer benchmark assessments that measure proficiency in reading and math in grades K-8 within the first 9 weeks of school and again prior to the last day of the school year. All results of the assessments must be uploaded to the state data hub to report to the legislature the impact on learning during the COVID instructional period.
· Thank You’s to Busy Bees, ELC, Athletics and Special Education Staff - I wish to extend a HUGE Thank you to our staff in Busy Bees, ELC, Athletics, and Special Education for their ongoing efforts in providing face-to-face instruction/coaching and care. Special Education staff began providing supports for some of our Special Education students this week and will continue with face-to-face servicing two times per week in classrooms around the district. Our Busy Bees and ELC staff have been busy providing support and care on their regular schedule (and enhanced schedule for Busy Bees as we have expanded the program to accommodate community need) for the past several months. I also wish to thank our Athletic staff who have been working with students over the summer conditioning and readying for the fall sports season. We appreciate everyone’s attention to providing excellent servicing while abiding by/enforcing new safety protocols in all of these environments with prevention and minimization of risk as a continual priority.
· Welcome to our new School Nurses. Oakland Schools and Oakland County Health Department have teamed up to provide in-district nurses to all of the county school districts for this fall. We have been assigned 3 nurses who will be on-site in the district throughout the fall assisting schools with needs relating to COVID and COVID protocol planning/implementation. Our nurses will be present in our buildings to assist staff (and students) with protocols, providing trainings on COVID risk mitigation, PPE, and assisting in consultation with any active cases within the staff or school community. Trainings by our nurses have already occurred for our special education staff, our counselors, secretaries, and administrators. Each school staff will be trained and learn further about their roles in upcoming meetings scheduled by building principals. Please welcome our nurses: Mary Lebioda, Sally Palazzalo, Carrie Quitmeyer.
Connected "All" Ways,
Dr. James V. Schwarz, Avondale School District Superintendent