March 24, 2020

Dear Verdigris family:

Yesterday afternoon, state officials announced they will recommend to the state Board of Education that Oklahoma students not return to the classroom for the remainder of the current school year, as our state continues to fight the spread of COVID-19. They will instead recommend a continuous learning plan that will allow students to complete the school year at home. It is important to note that this decision is not final until the state Board of Education meets on Wednesday and votes to approve the recommendation.

We are sharing this information with you in advance, however, so that you can begin to prepare accordingly for your family. We understand this recommendation is in the best interest of everyone’s health, which is our greatest priority as a district. If approved, this also means that all extracurricular activities and special events will be canceled as well.

Verdigris Public Schools is developing a plan to ensure your child will continue to have opportunities to learn and to grow academically, especially with parental support. As you can imagine, this is a significant transition for our students and our teachers. Verdigris Public Schools will spend the next two weeks planning for this effort and will share details with your family as soon as they are available.

For students, it likely will be sad and disappointing to learn that school as they know it will not resume this year. Please give them a safe place to express their feelings and to vent about the changes in their life. For our seniors and their parents, we know it is an especially difficult time. We will do everything possible to ensure their efforts are recognized and celebrated in special and unique ways. This is an unfair situation, but please reassure them that it does not diminish their achievements. In fact, it will become one more example of how they demonstrated their strength as a Verdigris Cardinal.

We will be posting information on our website in the coming days. The site also includes recommendations from the CDC about protecting your health and the health of your loved ones. We ask you to please follow their advice by: (1) washing your hands regularly; (2) staying at home, if you can; and (3) practicing social distancing of at least six feet from others.

This is an unprecedented situation, and it has required an unprecedented response. Verdigris is a community that sticks together in challenging times, and we know this experience will be no different. As soon as we identify our next steps, we will share them with you.

Please stay safe. As always, we appreciate your support of Verdigris Public Schools.

United for Education,

Mike Payne

Superintendent

Verdigris Public Schools