November 12, 2020
Dear ACSD Community,
As we continue to evaluate our local COVID-19 data, we want to inform you that we have applied for an extension of our online Continuous Learning waiver. This will extend our online learning until the end of Thanksgiving break. With the current positivity rates in Jones County at 48.2%, we are seeing a dramatic impact on our teaching staff with over 16% of them absent due to COVID-19 related issues. The Jones County Public Health Department also continues to recommend we stay closed. Continuous Learning will take place through Tuesday, November 24, followed by Thanksgiving break. We will return to school on Monday, November 30, 2020. Additionally, all athletics and extracurricular activities will remain canceled during this time until Monday, November 30th.
Breakfast and lunch pick-up will continue to be available at Anamosa Middle School on Tuesday and Thursdays, with extended hours from 11:00 – 1:30. Please sign up here. If you have already signed up you do not need to sign up again. Due to Thanksgiving break, we will only have pick-up on November 17th and 19th. Once we return back to school we will return to our hybrid model with lunches in school and our pick-up program for online families.
Attendance/participation for students will be required throughout the continuous learning sessions. Our current reports indicate over 10% of our students are out due to COVID-19 related issues. We need to keep accurate attendance records so if your student is sick and unable to participate in the learning, please call in an absence as you would normally.
We are sorry we are still at this point, and are so sorry to continue to put this extra burden on our families; however, given the current conditions and impact it is having on our community and teaching staff, we are forced to continue to make these very difficult decisions.
Sincerely,
Larry Hunt, Superintendent
Carl Chalstrom, School Board President
