Hello Kirtland Staff and Families, At the start of the Board of Education meeting tonight, our PTA was honored for achieving the National PTA of Excellence Award. They are only one of five that earned this prestigious award in Ohio! Congratulations! Also, Mr. Pete Loncar was thanked for his donation of $9,500 to purchase nine computers to support the First Lego League and First Tech Challenge! Thank you! A huge thank you and congratulations to Mr. Renwick, our director of technology, who secured a technology grant for $97,280.00 to purchase 320 new chromebooks! Mr. VanArnhem presented the State Report Card data that we received from last school year. Here is a link to the presentation: 2020-21 State Report Card Data At the Board of Education meeting tonight, the Return to School Plan (Updated 10/25/21) had the quarantine policy updated to help keep our healthy students in school. The current mask mandate is still in place. The new updates are highlighted on the Return to School Plan. Both the Lake and Geauga Health Departments are seeing that only about 5% of students that are being quarantined at school are testing positive. Here are the links from the LCGHD and the Ohio Department of Health that support our shift in quarantine. LCGHD Letter ODH Update to Quarantines from School HB 244 was signed into law three months ago, and formally went into law on October 13, 2021. HB244 specifically prohibits school districts from: · Requiring an individual to receive a vaccine for which the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not granted full approval. · Discriminating against an individual who has not received such a vaccine, including by requiring the individual to engage in or refrain from engaging in activities or precautions that differ from the activities or precautions of an individual who has received such a vaccine. Therefore, under the new Ohio law, any student age 12-15 that received a vaccination will now be required to quarantine because the shot has not yet received full FDA approval. Those students that are ages 16 and up and received the Pfizer vaccine are not subject to the new Ohio law because the FDA has given full approval to the Pfizer vaccine for individuals 16 years and older. (This will now only apply if the exposure is from an out of the school setting for vaccinated 12-15 year olds.) If/when the vaccination is FDA approved for 12-15 year olds, this law will no longer apply. So, any child that does not have symptoms and was quarantined from exposure at school (not those exposed outside of school) may return on Tuesday, October 26. I appreciate your support and please do not hesitate to email me with any questions at chad.vanarnhem@kirtlandschools.org. Take care, Chad VanArnhem,Superintendent |