Updated on Monday, March 23, 2020:

Good afternoon,

This afternoon Governor Wolf officially extended school closures through April 6^th.  It is anticipated that the school closure may be extended beyond April 6^th and we are planning accordingly. 

Our daily lunch program and Panther Packs program are both fully operational and continue to grow.  We will continue these programs throughout the school closure.

Starting tomorrow, we will be reaching out to every family in our district to let them know what supports we can provide.  Each administrator has been assigned two grade levels and will make these calls personally.

Finally, with guidance from the Pennsylvania Department of Education, we are working this week to plan enrichment and learning support activities for our students who both have internet connectivity and those who do not. We plan to have these activities in place starting next week.

Please see the information below for additional information.

Thank you

Updated on Thursday, March 19, 2020:

Good evening Panther Families,

Tonight, Governor Wolfe ordered all non-life-sustaining businesses in Pennsylvania to close.  Because of the mandatory closure of so many businesses and employment opportunities, we know the work being done to provide food to our children is life-sustaining.  We will continue to provide Meal Packs to children each weekday from 11:30am-12:30pm at Memorial elementary school.  Meal Packs will be provided to every child who walks to the school or whose parents pull their car up to the curb.  We hope this message brings you some peace of mind during these challenging days.  Stay well Panther nation!

Please click here to read our March 16, 2020 school closure update. This update specifically references student learning and student meal access. With the constant flow of new information regarding school closures, we will plan to update our website regularly.  We will send a one-call message when a new update is posted.

Thank you.

School Closure Update, 3.16.20

Student Learning

For the next two weeks, we do not plan to provide continuation of education services.  For students who do not have internet access, we cannot ensure equity and we will be unable to meet the IEP requirements for students with disabilities.   We will plan to review this position based on PDE guidance and if school closures are extended beyond the two-week timeframe currently in place. 

• Students who are in K-8 who have access to the internet can log into their I-Ready accounts to complete practice assignments.  This is not an expectation.
• Students who are in K-8 who do not have internet access at home may have the opportunity to pick up non-graded study materials that do not provide a continuation of education. We need clarification from PDE.  
• Students who are in 9-12 have access to their online classes via their Surface Pros.  There are PDE equity questions with providing study materials for test-bearing courses even if those materials are not graded. 
• Students who are in LCCC online courses must continue with their coursework per LCCC. We will plan to open the ELC for any student who needs internet access.  The space will allow for social distancing should multiple students need access to the space.

These responses are guided by items #5-#7 included in the March 15, 2020 PDE Covid-19 Response Efforts Memo.

Student Lunches

Starting Wednesday, March 18 from 11:30am-12:30pm we plan to implement the summer lunch program.  Our food service director, Mrs. Everhart is working with her staff now to develop an implementation plan.  Should we not have enough cafeteria workers to staff the lunch program, we will do so administratively.

• We will be reaching out to all of our families who receive Panther Packs via phone over the coming week to see if they have transportation to Memorial for the lunch program. 
• We are working with our busing contractors and hopefully community organizations to develop a potential food delivery plan for our families in Buckhorn and Beaver-Main who cannot make it to Memorial.  The soonest this would start would be next week.
• We may not be able to manage food delivery.  It is an aspirational goal depending on staffing and food availability.

These responses are guided by items #2 regarding essential staff and # 4 regarding student access to meals included in the March 15, 2020 PDE Covid-19 Response Efforts Memo.

Beginning Wednesday, 18 March 2020, we will be providing free meals for students.  Please open the flyer below for details.

BASD Free Meals Flyer

Coronavirus Prevention

On 5 March 2020, the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) posted an update on the spread of the coronavirus along with suggestions to help prevent its spread.  As mentioned in an e-mail sent to staff and also posted on our web site last Wednesday, the best way we can protect ourselves and our students is to use these precautions at all times:

• Cover coughs or sneezes with your elbow. Do not use your hands!
• Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
• Clean surfaces frequently, including countertops, light switches, cell phones, remotes, and other frequently touched items.
• Contain: if you are sick, stay home until you are feeling better.

In order to help reduce the risk of spreading germs (including the coronavirus and other viruses), we have Lysol disinfecting wipes available for teacher use at all buildings, as the label on Lysol disinfecting wipes states that Lysol is effective in killing the coronavirus.  We have asked our custodians to make sure they are disinfecting desks and door knobs on a daily basis, but are making Lysol disinfecting wipes available to staff as another level of protection.

Further information about the coronavirus can be found on PDE’s web site: https://www.health.pa.gov/topics/disease/Pages/Coronavirus.aspx

KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION

This year, the Bloomsburg Area School District will be registering kindergarten students for the 2020-2021 school year during the week of May 4, by appointment only.  To be eligible for admittance to kindergarten in the Bloomsburg Area School District, a child must be five years of age before 1 September 2020.

Registration for all children will be in the attendance area in which they reside.  Those living in the Town of Bloomsburg and Wonderview will register at Bloomsburg Memorial Elementary School (570-784-7885); Hemlock and Montour Townships at W. W. Evans Elementary School (570-784-3167); and Beaver and Main Townships at Beaver-Main Elementary School (570-784-0309).  Parents should call their child’s school no later than April 24 in order to schedule their registration appointment.

Parents must call the school their child will be attending to make an appointment to register their child.  When parents go to the school to register their child for kindergarten, the child will also participate in the kindergarten screening process.  This screening provides staff with information about a child’s readiness for kindergarten and will determine if the child would benefit from a pre-kindergarten summer program.  A kindergarten orientation will be conducted at each elementary school in August.  Parents will receive more information about this at a later date.

Dates for kindergarten registration and screening will be conducted as indicated below:

Beaver-Main Elementary School – Monday, May 4

Memorial Elementary School – Tuesday, May 5 and Wednesday, May 6

W.W. Evans Elementary School – Thursday, May 7

To complete the registration process, parents or legal guardians must bring their child’s birth certificate or other acceptable proof of child’s date of birth, immunization record, and proof of residency.  Parents or legal guardians must submit ONE of the following documents as proof of residency:  Real estate tax bill, signed lease, or mortgage document or payment book/coupon; OR TWO of the following documents:  Gas/electric bill, voter registration card, phone bill (landline only), food stamp card, vehicle registration, bank statement, homeowner/rental insurance, water bill, cable bill, public aid/Medicaid card, credit card statement, paycheck stub, city sticker receipt, or driver’s license/state identification card.

Since our last safety and security update in June, we have taken additional steps to increase the security of our school buildings. Please review the document below for more detailed information on these efforts. Please know that the safety and security of our students and staff is our paramount concern.

District Safety & Security Update

Bloomsburg Area School District Position Statement on CMAVTS Proposed Expansion Project