REMOTE LEARNING
In what was seen as probable but hopefully avoidable, Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday announced that public and private school classrooms will remain closed for the remainder of the school year in order to avoid a spread of Covid-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus.
The decision was made with the advice of doctors and health officials.
“The team of doctors advising us have determined it would be unsafe to allow students to gather at schools for the forseeable future,” Abbott said at the news conference at the Texas Capital.
The Iowa Park CISD will continue remote learning through the school year, according to Superintendent Steve Moody.
“We will continue onward,” Moody told the Leader this week. “While we are saddened we won’t get to welcome our students and staff back to the school buildings, we will continue doing our best to provide for our students through the end of the school year.”
Moody said that remote instruction will continue throughout the schools, with Kindergarten through second grade working with packet instruction, and grades 3 through 12 performing online instruction through Schoology on their Chromebooks.
Some students in those grades, unable to access internet, are having their instructions provided through packets.
Grab and go meals will continue throughout the school year each day from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Kidwell Elementary, with some meals being delivered on the road towards Kamay and east towards Wichita Falls. Moody noted that Thursday’s meals will include meals for both Thursday and Friday.
GRADUATION
Though plans haven’t been finalized for the IPHS graduation, the current date is set for 4 p.m. July 25 at Memorial Auditorium in Wichita Falls.
The Senior Prom is currently set for July 18.
Those plans are currently under review, with alternative plans being considered. Check back with the Leader in future issues for more information.
When Abbott announced Friday that schools would remain closed for the remainder of the 2019-20 school year, it was only a matter of time before the UIL and TAPPS followed with their decisions to cancel the balance of the athletic and academic season.
That includes all state tournaments, including the state basketball tournament in San Marcos. The UIL was four games into Day 1 of the tournament on March 12 when it decided to suspend the rest of the event.
The UIL had hoped to finish the tournament, and conduct the other spring sports finals, but that came to an end Friday.
In a press release by the UIL Friday they said:
With the announcement from Governor Greg Abbott that all Texas schools are to remain closed to in-person learning for the remainder of this school year, and in an effort to help protect the health and safety of Texans, the University Interscholastic League (UIL) is canceling all remaining 2019-2020 spring activities and state championships.
“Our staff had been working hard on plans to resume activities this spring, but without schools in session, interscholastic activities cannot continue,” said UIL Executive Director Dr. Charles Breithaupt. “Our highest priority during this challenging time is ensuring the health and safety of our students and communities and making progress in the containment of COVID-19 in Texas. We are now turning our attention to the 2020-2021 school year.”
Practices, rehearsals, and workouts remain suspended until further notice. The previously communicated information allowing remote instruction remains in place. The UIL will continue to follow the direction of state authorities and will work closely with member schools to navigate this unprecedented time.
“I am grateful to the UIL staff for their leadership and dedication to students,” said UIL Legislative Council Chair Curtis Rhodes. “Together we will get through this and we look forward to the day students are once again able to participate in education-based interscholastic activities.”
