Please watch your mail for an important message regarding Keystone Exams and Graduation Requirements beginning with the class of 2022.  This information is extremely important for meeting graduation requirements for your student!



If you are wondering how the new guidance provided yesterday by the PA Dept of Education impacts schools across the state, this article provides some clarity. The WASD is currently working to develop a plan using this guidance and new guidance anticipated to be released in the next two weeks.

Under the state’s plan, schools can begin reopening after July 1, but before they reopen, the local school board must approve a health and safety plan spelling out its plan for social-distancing at school and that plan must be presented to the Department of Education.

We will continue to provide information and will be asking for input from our community as we develop our plan.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we navigate these unknowns and new guidance.

https://www.dailyitem.com/news/state-provides-guidelines-for-schools-to-reopen/article_70f3522d-4b41-5819-857a-860503e61dc6.html

Good Afternoon Hornets!  As the weather turns warmer it reminds us that each day is a true blessing. Today we are officially in the green phase.  We were all hoping that green would bring us back to normal. However, for now, green is our new normal.  Schools are still closed until the end of our school year. We are working on plans for what a reopening will look like in the fall. However, even though we are green there are still strong restrictions that we must abide by.

No large gatherings over 250 – this is with social distancing rules still applying. Gatherings of more than 250 people remain prohibited. This would include most festivals, conferences, sporting events or concerts. 

I will update you more on the reopening plan when our guidance from PDE becomes available.

Enjoy the sunshine.

I hope that you find this list of resources useful:

AT HOME ACTIVITIES

Active For Life – Raising Physically Literate Kids

Art Activities and Games

Art for Kids Hub — Many of our lessons are perfect for any age, all you need is a few supplies!

Audible Stories — Free Audiobooks

Boredom Busters — 110 Fun At-Home Activities for Families and Kids — Our list of Boredom Busters includes over 100 fun (and mostly free) activities that you and your kids can enjoy at home.  This handy list can easily be printed and placed on the refrigerator – a great way to have instant “ideas” when boredom strikes!

Broadway Collective Study Hall — Each week for 3 weeks, starting Monday March 30th, we will drop exclusive masterclasses taught by Broadway performers for you to stream – all for FREE.

Cartooning Club – How to Draw – YouTube Channel  — Looking for fun and easy ways to improve your drawing skills? You’ve come to the right place. Art is an essential life skill that everyone should learn.

Circletime

Cosmic Kids Yoga (YouTube Channel)

Disney Imagineering – Build Your Own Themepark

Easy Indoor Activities for Energetic Kids

Free Online Concerts from world famous classical music venues

GoNoodle — When it’s time for them to get up and move around, this always-free app has videos that kids can follow along with for a little dance break.

Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems – Mo Willems invites YOU into his studio every day for his LUNCH DOODLE. Learners worldwide can draw, doodle and explore new ways of writing by visiting Mo’s studio virtually once a day for the next few weeks.

MOCO Movement Center Facebook Page — Move with MOCO –Each day, check in to this page at noon to follow along LIVE with activities like dance, yoga, ball games, scavenger hunts, fun with bubbles, and more with your favorite MOCO friends.

Muffalo Potato — Drawing Lessons

Over 100,000 images from museums in Paris have been put online — Paris Musées, a collection of 14 museums in Paris have recently made high-res digital copies of 100,000 artworks freely available to the public on their collections website.

Rebel Girls — Activities include how to write a business plan, how to write a computer program, how to plant a garden, and more.

School of Strength – fitness videos led by six Special Olympics athletes and featuring WWE star Becky Lynch that are designed to get people with disabilities moving, all from home.

Sensory Scavenger Hunt

Supporting Individuals with Autism Through Uncertain Times

The Learning Station

Unleashing Readers – There are some incredible authors who are doing LIVE (yes, LIVE!) readings and doodle alongs of their books. We are, quite frankly, blown away and in awe of these authors. Ricki’s and Kellee’s children are loving so many of these! Here’s amazing opportunities for our children/students as we move to digital/distance learning.

Yachad on Demand

Yoga with Miss Yael

EDUCATIONAL WEBSITES

6 Online Speech Therapy Resources for Kids

Activities from a Speech Therapist

Bamboo Learning — Bamboo works with Amazon’s Alexa to do free, voice-based activities around math, music, social studies, and stories

Bibliomania — Free Online Literature

Boardmaker Coronavirus Communication Support Materials

Brainbashers.com — A collection of brain teasers, puzzles, riddles, games and optical illusions.

BrainPOP video about the Coronavirus — It can be scary to hear about a disease outbreak, but learning the facts can help ease your mind.

Breakout EDU

CK-12 

Class Central — 450 Ivy League courses you can take online right now for free

ClubSciKidz – Where Science and Technology Connect

Distance/Home Learning Packets and Strategies

Duolingo — teaches foreign languages using bite-size lessons.

Education Companies Offering Free Subscriptions due to School Closings 

(More) Education Companies Offering Free Subscriptions due to School Closings

Epic – Digital Library

Free Social and Emotional Learning Activities

Fun and Free Educational Websites for Kids — Your children can learn something new today in a safe online environment. These 17 free educational websites for kids are fun while offering online teaching games, printable activities, videos, and so much more.

Handwriting Heroes

HippoCampus.org — Free educational resources for middle school to college

IXL.com

Khan Academy

LightSail – Literacy Platform

Milwaukee with Kids – Two weeks of fun and easy science experiments

MKE With Kids Resources and Activities 

Mommy Speech Therapy — Words in various speech position, great for articulation

Mystery Science

NASA Kid’s Club

PBS Kids

Picture Dictionary — This dictionary contains more than 2500 illustrations with translations in more than 50 languages.

Readwritethink.com — Learning Idioms

Resources for Special Educators, Therapists and Families

Rosetta Stone —  Free access to Rosetta Stone for the the next three months

Scholastic Learn at Home

ScratchJr — With ScratchJr, participants can program their own interactive stories and games

Special Needs for Special Kids — Free online resources for teachers and parents of kids with autism and significant learning challenges.

Splashlearn.com — K-5 math

Squiggly’s Playhouse — Creative Writing

Starfall

Stories from the Web

Storyjumper.com —  Provides a free online tool to write, illustrate and publish children’s stories.

TEDEd — TED-Ed provides everything you need to spark and celebrate your child’s ideas.

Toy Theater — Visual memory activities

Using a “Mini-Schedule” or Visual Checklist

World of Words 

VIRTUAL FIELD TRIPS

Boston Children’s Museum

Discovery Education

Farm Tours

Georgia Aquarium

Great Wall of China

Guggenheim Museum

Houston Zoo

J. Paul Getty Museum

Louvre Museum

Mars (like, the planet)

MASP, Brazil

Met Opera

Monterey Bay Aquarium

National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

National Geographic

National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico City

National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea

National Parks Service

Pergamon Museum

Reid Park Zoo

Rijksmuseum

San Diego Zoo

Scholastic

Smithsonian

Smithsonian National Zoo

U.S. Space and Rocket Center

Uffizi Gallery, Florence

Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam

Yellowstone National Park

Zoo Atlanta (Panda Cam)

This organization will send 3 books to any child in need for free. aliceskids.org. To receive the books, parents can email books@aliceskids.org and http://aliceskids.org/ Kids can pick any books they want.

Please see this webpage: https://www.media.pa.gov/Pages/DHS_details.aspx?newsid=537 regarding the LIHEAP Recovery Crisis Program. “LIHEAP provides assistance for home energy bills, helping ensure continuity of utility and other energy services for low-income Pennsylvanians. Assistance is available for both renters and homeowners. The LIHEAP Recovery Crisis Program will offer a crisis benefit and a supplemental payment for households that previously received a crisis payment made directly to utility companies or fuel providers to help offset costs for home utilities.”

PDE updates on Keystone Exam testing for the Spring Cohort 2019-2020:

https://www.education.pa.gov/Schools/safeschools/emergencyplanning/COVID-19/Pages/Keystone-Exams.aspx




In case you missed the Governor's address to the Class of 2020:

https://twitter.com/GovernorTomWolf/status/1254742091122593794?s=09






Graduation Plans

On May 20th seniors (with specific time slots) will be arriving on the field dressed in caps and gowns.  The Wellsboro Home Page will be putting together a video on student processions, walking through our traditional arch, hearing their name called and presentation of diploma.  At a separate time, all speeches will be recorded as they have been presented in prior year ceremonies. When the finish product is complete, it will be available for families and community members to view. Wellsboro Home Page will be providing us with the exact details.  If parents wish to come during their student's allocated time on May 20th, they may view and take photos from the Grandstand, practicing social distancing guidelines. 

If you have a family member who cannot make the May 20th allotted time slot, there will be an opportunity to come to the field on Friday, June 5th to take photos of your senior with family members that were unable to come on the 20th. However, this is an option not a requirement.  Please understand that this is only an additional photo opportunity, not a ceremony. Time slots again must be confirmed in advance. 

Senior names are being displayed on the Wellsboro Arcadia Theater Marquee.  Four names will be alphabetically displayed daily. Watch for your favorite senior name! 

On May 22nd at 2:00 PM. Seniors will parade in their cars around each school building and will be able to wave at the teachers they have had over their educational career.  Please look for them as they drive around the Wellsboro community. We are planning on having a very special grand marshal for the seniors!

Thank you to the many community members, parents, board members who have made our senior events so special!





Good Afternoon Hornets!

Just a few updates for the week. We are working on a graduation ceremony. However, at this time we are told that we are to prepare for virtual graduations. We have creative ideas but need a little longer to set everything in motion.

We are hearing that the Governor is going to reopen parts of Pennsylvania to the YELLOW STAGE on or about May 8th.  I will let you know how that effects our region.

I also wanted to let you know a little more about grading this marking period. As you know our district has moved to full instruction or Phase 3 of remote learning.  This means that new learning is occurring, and assignments are being graded.  However,  within each building this looks a little different. 

In Charlotte Lappla and Don Gill:

The Fourth 9 week grading will be Pass/Fail.

A determination of a passing grade will be participation, completion of assignments/tasks, and mastery of concepts.

A determination of a failing grade will be zero participation, zero completion of assignments/tasks, and zero mastery of concepts.

A year end grade will be based on a combination of all 9 week marking period grades and Subjects that receive a percentage grade will be averaged by the First Three 9 week marking period percentages.

Rock L. Butler Middle School:

Students will receive their earned percentage grade in each class for the 4^th 9 week marking period.  The 4^th 9 week marking period grade will be averaged in with all other marking period grades to determine final grade.

Wellsboro High School:

For 3rd and 4th 9 week marking periods, the High School will be assigning a regular numerical grade.

The Final Exam grade will be an average of all four 9 week marking period grades.

 This week teachers and staff members are clearing out all student desks and lockers.  Your child’s personnel possession left at school will be bagged, tagged with their id and stored in a central location.  Each building principal will contact you with details on dates and times to allow for curb side pickup. Thank you for being so patient as we sorted through these details.  You will have your items soon.

Good Afternoon Hornet Family!
You will be receiving, in the mail, a guide to Remote Learning for the Wellsboro Area School District.  Hopefully, this guide will assist you with questions about your child's remote learning process. If you have any questions, please never hesitate to email me at: bfreeman@wellsborosd.org
On another note, several parents have asked when they will be able to retrieve their child's possessions that were left at school. Next week, we will be emptying lockers and desks and bagging up student possessions.  Your principal will inform you when you will be able to do a curb side pick-up of your child's items. Please understand that this process may take a little time.  We need to make sure that we empty out all lockers and desks and properly identify items that belong to each student.
We are still working out details on what this year's graduation ceremony will look like. As you know, yesterday the Governor continued the Stay At Home order until May 8th. We do not know what the future orders will look like at this time. Therefore, we are making alternative plans for graduation. We are working on several different models. As soon as we know more, we will update you.
Thank you for all of the emails, texts, cards, etc. showing your support!  I appreciate our Hornet Community and want to assure you that we remain Hornet Strong!  Stay healthy.




This week marks the beginning of a new form of instruction for our students.  The high school has begun full online instruction. Please make sure to check with your child to confirm that he/she is participating in each of his/her assigned courses.  Students log into their online student portal to obtain each course information. Parents may also view the student portal using their assigned username and password. If you are experiencing any difficulties logging into the portal, please reach out to our online tech support:  help@wellsborosd.on.spiceworks.com or call: 570-948-2847.

Beginning Monday, April 20^th, all students in grades 3-8 will also be participating in full online instructions. However, this does not mean that they do not attend school daily through remote learning. The middle school needed an addition week to prepare materials due to all students acquiring technology from the building.

K- 2 will continue with practice/enrichment activities for just a short time longer.  I will update you more on this tomorrow as the Secretary of Education will provide additional guidance for all PA schools to follow for the remainder of the school year.  Packets of student work were mailed to all K-2 students last week. Additional packets for students who cannot participate in online instruction are being mailed home this week. 

Safety has been the focus at the State level throughout this pandemic.  Guidance on education has been focused on safety and welfare first, with additional guidance to follow. Please understand that we are in a continual changing process. While this feels unnatural and even unorganized I assure you that we have been planning our process daily.  With ever changing guidelines coming from the State we must adhere to frequent change. I apologize for all of the confusion during this time, but WASD has the best interest or our students at heart! We will come through this together, stronger than ever.

April is Family Reading month.  I am sure that you have been doing a lot of family reading already this month.  However, set some special time aside each day to make reading fun for your family. 

• Help your child summarize a story using these questions:

• Who or what is the story about?

• When or where does the story take place?

• What happens first?

• What happens next?

• How does the story end?

• What lesson did the character learn?

• Read books aloud to your child on a regular basis. No matter your child’s age, reading aloud to him/her

is a great bonding experience.

• Provide opportunities for shared reading. In a shared reading, you take turns reading aloud with your

child. This could be taking turns reading a page or a paragraph.

• Invite your child to read a favorite book to a younger sibling, friend, or even a family pet.

• Record your child reading a favorite book or part of a book. Email the video to a relative or friend.

• Invite your child to draw a picture illustrating a favorite scene or character from a book. Encourage

your child to write a descriptive paragraph about the scene or character. Ask your child to read it to

you.

• Encourage your child to create an advertisement for a favorite book or create a skit about it

In all that you do together this month, enjoy the power of reading!

Tioga County COVID-19 Task Force

Easter Message 

This year, we observe Easter in a challenging context amid painful situations.  The COVID-19 pandemic, which has affected the whole world, is also affecting us locally and the way we celebrate Easter. 

Tioga County is a region filled with families, friends & neighbors.  Although we cannot congregate with loved ones or express and share our Easter joy in church, we can still celebrate from the safety of our homes with one of the many churches offering online services.  

The Task Force beseeches all Tioga County residents to please Stay Home this weekend.  If you must leave your home, follow the social distancing recommendations and wear a mask.  

The positive cases in Pennsylvania are rising at an alarming rate and we cannot and must not underestimate the mercilessness of this virus.  Yet, despite these traumatic and painful circumstances, the message of Easter continues to be a joyful one of courage and hope.  Together we will defeat this virus but we all must do our part. Community Means Everyone and everyone in our community needs your help.

Stay Home, Stay Safe, Stay Healthy and Wash Your Hands. 

A Message From Governor Wolf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uc-3WyknSk&feature=youtu.be

Good Friday!
My message today is to enjoy the Easter break! School resumes on April 14th, through remote learning. By now you should have been contacted by either your child's teacher, guidance counselor, mentor, or principal.  The remainder of the school year will be completed through remote learning. Keep in mind that remote learning may look different based on class or course.

Kindergarten - 2 grade packets have been mailed to each student home. You should be receiving them either today or Saturday.

Grades 3-4 - classes have been set up with a schedule posted on your child's teacher webpage, located on Don Gill Elementary School webpage.

Grades 5-8 - classes have been set up through a Google Document posted by teacher name on the Rock L. Butler Middle School webpage.

Grades 9-12 - classes have been set up through the student web portal.  Assignments will also be shared soon the Wellsboro High School webpage.

In addition, there are other family resources that are posted and will continue to be updated.
If you have any questions/concerns, please remember you may reach out to your child's teacher and principal. 

Teachers will have office hours posted so that you may freely contact them if you have questions or need assistance.

Many things are still uncertain at this time.  We must remain at home unless it is necessary to travel.   I do know that many items have been left in student lockers.  When the time comes that we can clear out lockers or desk, we will make inform you as soon as possible. Please understand that we cannot make individual trips in and out of the buildings to retrieve items at this time. I appreciate your understanding and cooperation!

Please follow the school calendar for student attendance. We did from the calendar the snow makeup days on April 14^th and May 26^th.  Those dates will now be counted as student attendance days.  The last day of student learning for the 2019-2020 school year will be on June 4^th.  Graduation is still scheduled for June 5^th.  As we work through the next several weeks, I will post again on what this year’s graduation will look like. 

Students did not have an opportunity to clear out their lockers or desks.  As soon as we are permitted by the State to do so, we will gather student contents and plan for them to be distributed.

Thank you for all that you are doing at home! We understand that these are very difficult days.  Rest assured that we are in full operation and you do have assistance from your schools. 

Happy Easter and stay healthy!

Good Morning,
This morning the Governor announced that ALL PA schools will be closed through the end of this calendar school year.  I will be updating you soon in more detail. However, we are to remain in remote learning for all students for the remainder of this school year. Therefore, we will be updating you soon on what methods of instruction are available for our students. Continue to work with your principals and child's teachers. 
Thank you.  Be safe and stay healthy.



Greetings Hornet Family!

 Yesterday, the Governor declared a Stay At Home order for all of Pennsylvania residents until April 30^th.   Since then, I have had many more meetings to better understand how education’s role in this order is applied.  The information provided to all PA Superintendents is that, for now, we are to stay on schedule to continue to provide either practice/enrichment and/or new planned instruction. We have been providing practice/enrichment items for all students for two weeks now. If you visit your child’s school building webpage, you will be provided with links to those items.  We are continuing to explore our options for new learning with graded assignments.  Our goal is to have opportunities for new instruction begin on April 14^th.  However, keep in mind that our direction may change daily. Please be patient as we work through many moving parts.

We have gathered information relating to access to the internet, cell phone coverage, and need for technology.  However, not all of our families have responded to the many phone calls made.  It is critical for our district that EVERY parent responds to the calls regarding need in their household.  If you have not replied, please email your building principal to provide the information. Charlotte Lappla and Don Gill = sadams@wellsborosd.org,  Rock L. Butler = rkreger@wellsborosd.org, Wellsboro High School = jbyrd@wellsborosd.org

There are many resources that are available for continued learning.  One website that I am recommending is Lehigh Valley Learns. https://www.wlvt.org/education/distance-learning/lehigh-valley-learns/   This site has lessons and activities for even the youngest members in your household.  Thanks to a partnership with Blue Ridge Communications, they have added channel 124 Lehigh Valley Learns to their lineup.  There are daily lessons and activities via cable that students may obtain if they do not have the internet but have Blue Ridge Communications as their cable provider. I realize that not all of our families are able to obtain Blue Ridge Communications, but for those that are, this is just another resource. 

Our lunch program will resume again next week with the same schedule as the last few weeks: 

Monday, Wednesday,THURSDAY   noon – 2:30 PM and 4:30 – 6:00 PM.  Both locations: Wellsboro Fire Hall Annex and Truck- Lite Parking Lot will still be in operation.  There will be no Friday pick up next week.
I cannot say thank you enough to all the volunteers who assist in making this happen!

I do have clarification on a PennLive post this morning.  The Governor was reported as saying that schools may pass students along to the next grade level if they were passing their grade/courses as of March 13^th.  This is not an accurate statement. The Governor was responding to a questioned asked by a reporter if he would consider doing so.  As of today, we have had no communication relating to such a position.

For now, stay at home, stay safe, and stay healthy. 

Good Evening Hornet Family!

Today the Governor announced that ALL PA SCHOOLS WILL REMAIN CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.  While this is disappointing for our educational community, it is necessary to keep everyone safe.  We are a strong community and my greatest wish at this time is for every member our community to stay healthy and safe.
This week, we started a structured practice/enrichment schedule for our students.  We still have a little more work to be done in order for us to move from practice/enrichment to full instruction. Keep in mind that there are many obstacles such as technology, internet availability, content availability, etc. Our goal is to keep ALL of our students learning. We have prepared practice/enrichment opportunities, in a structured manner, to continue until April 13th. 

However, with the new announcement for extended school closures we will provide the following schedule:
Every day, have your child log into their teacher/course page assignments. If you are a K-1 student, you will access information on the Charlotte Lappla Website page, second - fourth grade will access information on the Don Gill Website page, fifth - eighth will access information on Rock L. Butler Website page, and all ninth - twelfth grades will access information on the high school web portal. 

Keep in mind that Friday, April 10th and Monday, April 13th is our Easter break. We will eliminate the snow make up day scheduled for April 14th. This will now be a day of learning for all students.  All parent teacher conferences scheduled for April 2and 3rd have been canceled. These will be full student learning days as well.

You can locate our Continuity of Education Plan on our website and this will also assist you with locating student assignments.

Lunches will still be provided this week Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.  I will post the schedule for lunches for next week soon.

As soon as I know additional information, I will post another blog.  Thank you for your continued support and understanding during this uncharted territory.

Today ends two full weeks of school closures across Pennsylvania. I am amazed and encouraged by the way the Wellsboro Community has pulled together.  This past week, I have seen simple acts of kindness beyond measure, faith that surpassed understanding, and a deep understanding of just how important education is for everyone!

I cannot recognize by name the number of volunteers that have prepared and delivered lunches to our families.  However, I can recognize that, Pastor Brett Kennedy from Vineyard Church and his congregation, Pastor TJ Freeman from Wellsboro Bible Church and his church family, Wellsboro Firemen, Truck-Lite, teachers across the district, administrators, cafeteria staff, WASD maintenance, WASD Board of Education members, and again countless community members have ALL been instrumental in defining the definition of COMMUNITY.  I personally thank you all.

We WILL continue to provide lunch and breakfast items for students next week.  The schedule will remain the same as this week.  Pick up times and locations are as follows:  Monday, Wednesday, and Friday- noon -2:00 pm and 4:30-6:00 pm at the Wellsboro Fire Hall Annex and Truck-Lite’s parking lot.

As you know, PA schools will remain closed until April 9^th.   For now, our first student day will be April 14^th.  Teachers and staff will return to school on April 7^th to ready their rooms and do an additional cleaning of all buildings. 

In addition, we are working on a plan for learning if schools remain closed longer than the predicted date.  Rest assured that we will have a structured plan developed to move our district forward.

Beginning on Monday, March 30^th, you may locate student information on our District website: https://www.wellsborosd.org  Information will be directed to each individual school building.

If your child receives special education services, GIEP services, or have a 504 Plan, information will also be sent home from our Special Education Department.

This coming week you will see additional structure in your child’s opportunities to learn. Teachers will be in contact with parents/students and offering assistance via online and/or phone.  We are gathering information regarding what students would need if remote learning takes place after April 14^th. If you do not have access to adequate internet or adequate cell phone coverage there will be an option for materials to be sent home.

As you go through the weekend smile, practice social distancing- but go outside, enjoy your families, and stay safe and stay healthy. 

Good Evening,
Today was very active again putting together our plan for returning to school.  For now, the Governor is proposing that schools reopen for students on April 9 which is a Thursday.  April 10th is Good Friday and April 13th is Easter Monday, which is recognized as a holiday.  Our calendar has a snow make up day on Tuesday, April 14th.  If the Governor were to reopen schools for students on April 9th, we would use the April 14th snow day on April 9th and return to school as the first student day on April 14th. Keep in mind that all of this is subject to change if the Governor orders that our schools remain closed for additional days.
 
I will try to answer a few questions that I know are on your mind:

1. Marking Period and grades: 
Our regular marking period would have ended today- March 25.  Our last student day was on March 12th.  March 13th was counted as an ACT 80 day; which counts as a student’s attendance day. Since they were not able to continue to receive grades and turn in any make up work, we will give a grace period for students to complete assigned and make up work PRIOR to March 13th.   The new marking period assignments will begin on April 14th. If this changes, I will keep you updated.

2. What is my student supposed to be doing at home while we are in the school closure period?
Teachers are working at home to prepare enrichment and practice items for students while at home.  You may contact your building administrator if you have any questions regarding these items. Email is the best way to communicate at this time.  Steve Adams Principal - Charlotte Lappla and Don Gill Elementary Schools: sadems@wellsborosd.org.  Rob Kreger, Principal, Ben Miller Assistant Principal - Rock L. Butler Middle School: rkreger@wellsborosd.org,  bmiller@wellsborosd.org. Jeremy Byrd Assistant Principal, Todd Outman, Dean of Students- Wellsboro High School: jbyrd@wellsborosd.org, toutman@wellsborosd.org.  Many of your teachers have already contacted you to encourage your student and inform them of the enrichment/practice opportunities.  During this time, there are no assignments with due dates or grades. I will be posting additional information on this topic soon. For now, we need to get through the next two weeks to see what our direction is from the State level.

3. Today both the House and Senate passed the SB 751 relating to our school closure period.  It is now in the hands of the Governor to sign before it becomes law. 

What SB 751 does for our students is: 

a) lesson the required 180 instructional days for this school year only. 

b) waives the testing requirements for state testing such as PSSA, PASA, Keystone, etc.  Superintendents are waiting on clarification as to what that means for Keystone Exam courses. Please DO NOT worry if your student is taking a keystone course. My guidance has been that no student will be harmed by not completing the test this year. 

c) waives the NIMS and NOCTI exam for our vocational students

4.  What does this school closure mean for seniors?  We are working diligently on keep our school calendar as close to actual dates as possible.  This is true even if we are to remain closed for a longer period of time. While this may change due to circumstances out of my control, it is my intent to keep as much normalcy for our students as possible.

5. What will happen if schools remain closed for a longer period of time?  We are working very hard at providing options for our students.  We understand that all students may not have access to internet or adequate cell phone coverage at their homes.  One of our options is to supply packets to be sent home. again, further information will be coming as we work through the next several weeks. 

We care about each and every one of our students. We are doing our best during this unprecedented time to think outside of the box.  Rest assured that we are a Hornet Family.  Teachers, staff, administrators, Board Directors and I miss our students!  However, students must remain at home during the next 14+ days. 

Stay home and stay safe!  I will try to update you again tomorrow, if I have learned anything new.

The Department of Education (PDE) announced today that all schools in the commonwealth will remain closed through at least April 6 as a result of the COVID-19 response efforts. The closure order could be extended beyond April 6 if necessary to save lives and stop the spread of COVID-19.