Good Afternoon Meridian Staff, Students, and Families.
Thank You
I want to provide a brief update and thank all who have provided supportive comments and questions about our process for today and tomorrow. Our day and night cleaning crews have been working hard to sanitize and deep clean our buildings and buses. Our Transportation Director Kathy LaFreniere and our Maintenance & Facilities Director Brian Stephan have been outstanding in their efforts to make this happen. Our schools will be closed again tomorrow. At this time, our intent is to resume regular school operations again on Thursday, March 12.
Privacy & Contingencies
Probably the toughest question has been around the identity of our middle school staff member. Please know we must be vigilant in protecting the identity of our staff members – not only because of HIPAA laws but also to protect their privacy. I also want to share we
are continuing to work on contingency plans and conferring with agencies and the other Whatcom County superintendents so we may all be prepared for new challenges as they emerge from this outbreak.
Drinks with the Doc Postponed
Many of you are aware we had previously arranged to host a ‘Drinks with the Doc’ (think coffee!) session at Irene Reither Elementary Thursday morning at 9:30 am. Given our current circumstance and a desire to be present and support schools as we resume classes, we are postponing our meeting to Thursday, March 26 – also at 9:30 am at Irene Reither Elementary.
Waivers
We are also examining the new rules around waivers and how to best make up these two days. There are specific rules – and some that may be shifting in what has become a rapidly changing landscape. We are seeking clarification and will share out when we have a clear path forward.
Finally, thank you for your patience. We plan to share a message tomorrow afternoon confirming we are moving forward with school Thursday morning. If you have questions, do not hesitate to reach out to the district.
Sincerely,
James
Dr. James Everett