Dear Verdigris School Family:

As you may be aware, Grades 9^th-12^th have experienced positive COVID-19 cases over the past few weeks. Per CDC guidelines, some students and staff members in Grades 9^th-12^th have been asked to quarantine. This number represents approximately 30% of students Grades 9^th-12^th. After discussing the situation with local health officials, we have made the difficult decision to transition Grades 9^th-12^th to Distance Learning for the remainder of this week in an effort to reduce the spread of the virus. Distance Learning will begin Tuesday morning, October 6^th, 2020, with on campus learning expected to resume Monday, October 12^th, 2020.  Our administrative team will re-evaluate this situation on Friday, October 9, 2020 to determine if an extension to Distance Learning may be necessary.

**All other schools will continue to attend class on campus at this time.**

**Extracurricular events will continue as scheduled per your coaching staff for none quarantined students.**

**This move to Distance Learning does not change the start and end date for any student or staff member that are currently in quarantine.**

About Distance Learning
We just completed a Distance Learning Day, so students should have their Chromebooks and other resources necessary for this transition.  Contact your site administrator if you are in need of your Chromebook or another academic resource.  The numbers are: High School 918-266-2336, ext. 2211 and the Junior High 918-266-2336, ext. 2111.

About COVID-19
As more COVID-19 cases are being confirmed across the state, including in our community, please remain vigilant. Monitor yourself and your family for symptoms, which include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and the loss of taste and smell. If you or any member of your family exhibit these symptoms, please contact your medical provider for advice immediately. Symptoms usually appear 2-14 days after exposure. 

There is nothing more important to our district than the safety and health of our students, our staff and their families. We understand this sudden transition will be inconvenient and your student will miss being in school; however, we greatly appreciate your family’s flexibility, patience and support. We are optimistic that following mitigation protocols recommended by health officials will help increase the probability that students can have a safe and productive school year.

It is an honor and a privilege to serve the students of Verdigris Public Schools and we will get through these situations together as a cardinal family.

Sincerely,

Michael Payne
Superintendent

Verdigris Public Schools

Verdigris High School will be hosting a District ACT for our Juniors and Seniors on October 6th, 2020.  It will start at 8:00 am and should be completed by 1:00 pm.  (Students must commit to this time frame in order to have the test scored by ACT)

A discounted cost of $39 will be charged.  The due date for payment has been extended to Thursday, October 1st.  Please make checks payable to Verdigris High School.  This will be a paper test and will not include the writing portion of the ACT.

Please contact Mrs. Olson at tolson@vpsk12.ok.us if you have any questions or would like to enroll your child.

On Friday, September 4th, 2020, all Verdigris Students will participate in our first "Distance Learning Day".  Students will remain at home and attend school virtually.  Teachers will be at school maintaining a normal schedule as students participate virtually from home.  Please make sure your child knows their login and connection information.  Classroom Teachers should have the information they need.  Elementary students without device/internet access that have notified their teacher will receive paper copies of classroom assignments and phone call interaction with the teacher.

Chromebooks will be made available to all 5th through 12 grade students for a $20 per device annual usage fee.  Attached (linked) is the Take Home Agreement that must be provided at the time of checkout.

***  In order to receive a schedule or device all "Holds" must be cleared. ( Including lost library and text books )

**** Chromebooks for 3rd and 4th grade have been ordered and are scheduled to be here in October.

Mandatory Athletic/Band /Drug Testing will be on Thursday, August 6th at the Verdigris Activity Center.  Please check the high school website for times and more information.

Verdigris Public Schools is transitioning to a new parent portal, to better suite the needs of our students and parents.  Please be patient while we prepare Infinite Campus for public use.  You may start to receive emails requesting you to set up your account.  

As soon as you create your account the system will ask for a security email.  This is the email you want password reset requests to be handled from.  It is advisable to use a personal email account, or an account that you will use in the future.  Email accounts associated with employment tend to change over time.

The system will then ask for your "Campus" password.  This is the password you just set up for "Infinite Campus."

Verdigris Public Schools is looking for great Teachers as well as other outstanding future employees!  Please apply online

If a student is or was in the 10^th grade during the 2019-20 school year and parents anticipate that their 2020 income may be under the $55,000 application limit for the Oklahoma’s Promise scholarship due to recent reductions in income, parents may submit an application based on the 2020 estimated income. The application must be submitted prior to the June 30, 2020 deadline on the Oklahoma's Promise Application page. Parents will be required to provide a copy of the 2020 federal tax return when completed to verify that the 2020 income was under $55,000. The application will be held as pending until the tax documentation is received.  Please send any questions to okpromise@osrhe.edu.

Verdigris High School Graduation 2020 will be Saturday, June 20, 2020, at 6 pm at the Verdigris Activity Center located at 26505 S. 4110 Rd., Claremore, OK 74019. As details become available, they will be posted on the Verdigris website.

Letter from the Superintendent with Distance Learning Plan Guidance

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Attached are details regarding distance learning since students and teachers will be working remotely from home the rest of the school year. School buildings will remain closed, but Verdigris is committed to resuming your student’s learning beginning next Monday, April 6. Our intent is to provide a positive academic experience for students without overwhelming parents, and to engage all populations of students, even those who may not have access to the latest technology at home.

During the two weeks set aside by the Oklahoma State Board of Education for planning, Verdigris teachers, staff and administrators developed a distance learning plan for students at all grade levels. I know these experiences cannot replicate those of the day-to-day classroom, yet I am pleased with how the distance learning plan will keep students engaged and allow them to finish the school year with meaningful learning.

Distance Learning begins April 6 and will conclude no later than May 15. The exact last day of school has not yet been determined.

I know this is a different way to end the school year than any of us had ever envisioned. In spite of the many challenges in providing distance learning to all, I hope you will join us in embracing this new way of teaching and learning. This is not going to be a perfect solution, but it’s one I believe will serve us well given these extraordinary times. Please contact your site principal if you have any questions.

United for Education