Scottville Elementary - Our Actions Will Inspire and Equip Students to Excel

December 15, 2020 Dear School Community, As noted on our COVID-19 Dashboard, the morning of December 15, 2020 we learned about 3 additional School Associated Cases of COVID-19 at Scottville Elementary. One is a confirmed positive staff member, another is a probable staff member (having symptoms and was a close contact to a positive case) and the third is a positive student. All three of these cases are associated with the current Scottville Elementary outbreak and were quarantined due to previously identified close contacts. We do not anticipate needing to notify any further close contacts to these cases as they had been quarantined during the contagious phase to minimize further spread. At this time, our current program at Scottville Elementary of providing remote learning for our 1st and 2nd grades for the remainder of this week will continue as it will help prevent any further spread. The kindergarten WILL continue with face-to-face instruction as this outbreak has been contained in 2nd grade with a slight possibility of some close contacts in first grade. We are working closely with District Health Department #10 to identify any further possible... but unlikely, close contacts of these School Associated Cases and any students or staff that have been identified as a close contact will be notified by the health department and/or Mason County Central Schools as a part of the COVID-19 investigation process. Please answer the phone if the health department or MCC Schools calls you, as a contact tracer may be trying to reach you with important information. Thank you for understanding that, due to medical privacy laws, we are not able to release the name of the individual with COVID-19. We will continue to communicate changes and updates with you. With your help, we believe we can maintain a safe environment while also providing quality education. If you have any questions, contact District Health Department #10 at 231-845-7381. For answers to your COVID-19 questions, please call the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services COVID-19 Hotline at 888-535-6136 or visit Michigan.gov/coronavirus. Sincerely, Jeff Mount Superintendent

December 13, 2020 Dear School Community, As noted on our COVID-19 Dashboard, late in the morning of December 13, 2020 we learned about 2 School Associated positive Cases of COVID-19. One in a staff member and another in a student in Scottville Elementary School. In addition, we are also closely monitoring 2 probable cases that are also connected to the same outbreak. Most of these recent cases are isolated in the second grade but due to some close contacts in our first grade that require quarantines, we will need to shift to remote learning for the week preceding Christmas Break for both our first and second grades. Please note: Kindergarten will not be impacted by these cases. For our 1st and 2nd grade parents, Scottville Elementary Staff will be in contact with you to guide you and your child through the shift to remote learning that will be taught by your student's classroom teacher. We are working closely with District Health Department #10 to identify Close Contacts of these School Associated Cases. Any students or staff that have been identified as a close contact will be notified by the health department and/or Mason County Central Schools as a part of the COVID-19 investigation process. Please answer the phone if the health department or MCC Schools calls you, as a contact tracer may be trying to reach you with important information. Thank you for understanding that, due to medical privacy laws, we are not able to release the name of the individual with COVID-19. We will continue to communicate changes and updates with you. With your help, we believe we can maintain a safe environment while also providing quality education. If you have any questions, contact District Health Department #10 at 231-845-7381. For answers to your COVID-19 questions, please call the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services COVID-19 Hotline at 888-535-6136 or visit Michigan.gov/coronavirus. Sincerely, Jeff Mount Superintendent

December 10, 2020 Attention: This is the third notification sent today... Each of these positive cases are unrelated to each other. At this time, there isn't any apparent spread within the school district. These are community spread cases that could result in close contact quarantines and/or classroom cohorts needing to move to remote learning. Dear School Community, As noted on our COVID-19 Dashboard, the afternoon of December 10, 2020 we learned about a School Associated Case of COVID-19 in another staff member at Scottville Elementary School. We are working closely with District Health Department #10 to identify Close Contacts of this School Associated Case. Any students or staff that have been identified as a close contact will be notified by the health department and/or Mason County Central Schools as a part of the COVID-19 investigation process. Please answer the phone if the health department or MCC Schools calls you, as a contact tracer may be trying to reach you with important information. Thank you for understanding that, due to medical privacy laws, we are not able to release the name of the individual with COVID-19. We will continue to communicate changes and updates with you. With your help, we believe we can maintain a safe environment while also providing quality education. If you have any questions, contact District Health Department #10 at 231-845-7381. For answers to your COVID-19 questions, please call the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services COVID-19 Hotline at 888-535-6136 or visit Michigan.gov/coronavirus. Sincerely, Jeff Mount Superintendent

December 10, 2020 Attention: This is a second notification sent today... The first was for a COVID positive Middle School Student and this notification is for a Scottville Elementary COVID positive Staff Member. Dear School Community, As noted on our COVID-19 Dashboard, the afternoon of December 10, 2020 we learned about a School Associated Case of COVID-19 in a staff member at Scottville Elementary School. We are working closely with District Health Department #10 to identify Close Contacts of this School Associated Case. Any students or staff that have been identified as a close contact will be notified by the health department and/or Mason County Central Schools as a part of the COVID-19 investigation process. Please answer the phone if the health department or MCC Schools calls you, as a contact tracer may be trying to reach you with important information. Thank you for understanding that, due to medical privacy laws, we are not able to release the name of the individual with COVID-19. We will continue to communicate changes and updates with you. With your help, we believe we can maintain a safe environment while also providing quality education. If you have any questions, contact District Health Department #10 at 231-845-7381. For answers to your COVID-19 questions, please call the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services COVID-19 Hotline at 888-535-6136 or visit Michigan.gov/coronavirus. Sincerely, Jeff Mount Superintendent

December 7, 2020 Dear MCC School Community: As noted on our COVID-19 Dashboard, the afternoon of December 7, 2020 we learned about a School Associated Probable Case of COVID-19 in a staff member at Scottville Elementaryl. For your information, a "Probable" Case is when someone has learned of an exposure to a known positive case AND has COVID symptoms. Therefore, they are treated as a positive case until proven otherwise (Negative COVID Test). Having said that, we do NOT anticipate any further close contacts and quarantines of MCC students or staff from this case. To be thorough, we are working closely with District Health Department #10 to identify Close Contacts of this School Associated Case. While it is unlikely any Scottville Elementary Students or Staff will be identified as a close contact, if so, they will be notified by the health department and/or Mason County Central Schools as a part of the COVID-19 investigation process. Please answer the phone if the health department or MCC Schools calls you, as a contact tracer may be trying to reach you with important information. Thank you for understanding that, due to medical privacy laws, we are not able to release the name of the individual with COVID-19. We will continue to communicate changes and updates with you. With your help, we believe we can maintain a safe environment while also providing quality education. If you have any questions, contact District Health Department #10 at 231-845-7381. For answers to your COVID-19 questions, please call the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services COVID-19 Hotline at 888-535-6136 or visit Michigan.gov/coronavirus. Sincerely, Jeff Mount Superintendent COVID-19

December 7, 2020 Dear MCC School Community: As noted on our COVID-19 Dashboard, the afternoon of December 7, 2020 we learned about a School Associated Probable Case of COVID-19 in a staff member at Scottville Elementaryl. For your information, a "Probable" Case is when someone has learned of an exposure to a known positive case AND has COVID symptoms. Therefore, they are treated as a positive case until proven otherwise (Negative COVID Test). Having said that, we do NOT anticipate any further close contacts and quarantines of MCC students or staff from this case. To be thorough, we are working closely with District Health Department #10 to identify Close Contacts of this School Associated Case. While it is unlikely any Scottville Elementary Students or Staff will be identified as a close contact, if so, they will be notified by the health department and/or Mason County Central Schools as a part of the COVID-19 investigation process. Please answer the phone if the health department or MCC Schools calls you, as a contact tracer may be trying to reach you with important information. Thank you for understanding that, due to medical privacy laws, we are not able to release the name of the individual with COVID-19. We will continue to communicate changes and updates with you. With your help, we believe we can maintain a safe environment while also providing quality education. If you have any questions, contact District Health Department #10 at 231-845-7381. For answers to your COVID-19 questions, please call the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services COVID-19 Hotline at 888-535-6136 or visit Michigan.gov/coronavirus. Sincerely, Jeff Mount Superintendent

Good Afternoon Spartan Families. Just a reminder that tomorrow, Wednesday November 25th, is a half day of school for our students. We will dismiss at 11:20 here at the Scottville Elementary.

Good Morning Scottville Elementary Families, Just a reminder that there will not be school on Monday November 16th as our staff will be participating in a Professional Development day. We hope you enjoy your 3 day weekend and we wish all of our hunter's good luck!

Good Morning Scottville Elementary, Kindergarten and First grade Families. In our recent newsletter it stated that our first deposit day for the Kickstart to Career program for our students was going to be on November 17th. We have had to change this date to Tuesday November 24th. Your children will be bringing home flyers in Friday folders next week with information regarding this deposit day. So please mark your calendars for Tuesday November 24th, the first Kickstart to Career deposit day.

The Mason County Central Schools Salute our Nation's Veterans!!!

Good Afternoon Scottville Elementary Families, be sure to head on over to the news section of the MCC App and check out Mr. Etchison's November Newsletter.

Halloween Celebration Reminder for Scottville Elementary: Due to the pandemic we will be providing the snacks, drinks and treat for this year's celebration. The children will be celebrating with the students from their cohort (class) and will watch a Halloween themed cartoon while enjoying their snack and treats. We will not be dressing up in costumes this year but we are encouraging the children to wear their Halloween themed protective face coverings (see example) to school on Friday. We appreciate the calls from those offering to donate treats to our celebrations this year and regret having to decline those offers. We look forward to normal Halloween celebrations again in 2021.

Dear MCC School Family, When you get a chance, please check out a letter from the Regional Superintendents posted in the News Feed on this App or the district Website[ www.mccschools.org ]. The letter is in regards to all of us staying extra vigilant in our efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19 and other illnesses as we enter the Flu season. We so want to keep our schools open and continue to provide extracurricular activities through this school year. Just so you know, our students and staff have been wonderful in their efforts here at school to learn and teach in a safe and healthy manner. Stay Healthy and Strong Spartans!!

Just a Reminder to all our Face 2 Face and Spartan Connected Families that tomorrow, October 20th, is Picture Day. Geskus Photography will be here at Scottville Elementary to take school pictures for our students. Our Face 2 Face students will get their pictures taken during the school day. Our Spartan Connected students will have the opportunity to get their school pictures taken as well, here at Scottville Elementary from 3:30-5. If our Spartan Connected students have not picked up their picture form, we have them here in the lobby for you. You can pick them up today, or come a few minutes early tomorrow, to get them filled out. If you choose to opt out of picture day and still wish to have your child featured in the year book please email a picture of your child to their Spartan Connected teacher.

Victory Early Childhood Center has openings in our Great Start Readiness Preschool Program. There is still time if your child will be 4 on or before September 1st, 2020. If your child turns 4 before December 1st, 2020 still give us a call as we might still be able to help you get into this high quality FREE program for those that qualify. Ms. Angie is waiting for your call at 843-2410. We have both onsite and offsite learning options. We also have openings for families who are over income as guidelines have been lifted for the 2020 / 2021 school year. ONLY TWO OPENINGS LEFT!!

Victory Early Childhood Center has openings in our Great Start Readiness Preschool Program. There is still time if your child will be 4 on or before September 1st, 2020. If your child turns 4 before December 1st, 2020 still give us a call as we might still be able to help you get into this high quality FREE program for those that qualify. Ms. Angie is waiting for your call at 843-2410. We have both onsite and offsite learning options. We also have openings for families who are over income as guidelines have been lifted for the 2020 / 2021 school year.

Today is National Custodial day and we would like to give a huge shout out to our very own Penny Englebrecht!!! Happy National Custodial Appreciation day to all of our hard working and diligent Custodial staff at Mason County Central Schools

Scottville Elementary Classroom Halloween Celebrations This year our Halloween celebrations will look a little different at Scottville Elementary. We appreciate our families offering to send in snacks but unfortunately we cannot accept them at this time (not even prepackaged). We will provide each classroom with snacks, something to drink and a treat. They will watch a Halloween themed cartoon or movie with their classmates and we encourage students to wear Halloween themed “COVID-19” protective masks that day (Friday, October 30th) to school (see example below). The children will not be dressing up in costumes this year because we cannot parade through the building or downtown and cannot invite our families in. Please contact us if your child has a peanut or other food allergy 757-4701.

This past Friday, Executive Order 185 was declared by Governor Whitmer that expands the requirement to wear a mask in the classroom to ALL students kindergarten and up. In the order she explains that "wearing a covering over the nose and mouth remains the most effective tool to combat the spread of COVID-19, both in schools and the wider community." This order goes into effect on Monday, October 5th. Please know that our Kindergarten through 5th grade students have been outstanding in meeting the guidelines for the common areas of the school thus far. Our teachers and staff will also be creative in assuring that safe "mask breaks" will be provided throughout the school day. The building principals, Mr. Etchison (K-2) and Mr. Kimes (3-5) would also like to remind parents that while gaiters are an allowable face covering, be sure if purchasing/making them that they are the appropriate size for your child. If too big... they fall off frequently and can become a distraction for them. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to give us a call. Stay Healthy and Strong Spartans!!

If you have interest in your child participating in West Shore Wolves Youth Hockey, there is sign up and contact information in the News Feed of this App and the MCC District Website.