Port Townsend School District

Learning through a sense of place

2019-20 COVID 19 Updates

Posted on 04/22/2020

This page has the archived updates from the 2019-20 School Year.

May 29, 2020 12:45 PM
Planning for next school year. Family and Student Survey.

Read more...   En español...

May 22, 2020 5:00 PM
Plans for the end of the school year.

Read more...           En español...

May 8, 2020 10:30 AM
Progress reports are coming out May 15.

Chromebook repairs are available.

Read more...

April 30, 2020 10:30 AM
Planning for Next School Year is Underway
Right now we do not know exactly what school will look like next year. We are working closely with local, regional, and state experts to better understand the various situations we need to plan for in the fall.

Internet Thanks to a grant from Jefferson Community Foundations COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund, StrongerTowns, has started their Connected Student Initiative that will ensure all students in the Port Townsend School District can get home internet access. Families who have let the school know they do not have home internet service will receive a follow up from their school this week on how to access this program.

Read more...

April 22, 2020 4:30 PM
New Free Meal Site: Weekdays free meals are available at 11:30 am at Laurel Height Apartments, 1640 20th St, Port Townsend.

More updates on continuous learning, technology, internet access, and grading.

Read more...

April 16, 2020 1:45 PM
Continuous Learning Plan Details.

Now that spring break is over, here is an update on how our school district is moving forward with continuous learning. As you know, when the governor first ordered public and private schools to shut down, we were to provide enrichment activities for students. Last Monday, Governor Inslee extended the school closure through June 19, 2020. Schools are now expected to provide continuous learning through that time.

Read more...

April 6, 2020 4:15PM
Schools closed through the end of the school year.

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April 2, 2020 1:45PM

Spring Break, meals will continue, no new educational opportunities from April 3-April 13. 

Paper learning packets pick up on Fridays at the district office. Extended pick up times for Salish Coast Elementary Students.

Read more...

March 31, 2020 9:30AM

Read Superintendent Polm's Letter to Families with updates on childcare, learning opportunities, technology, and Spring Break.

March 26, 2020 3:00PM

School Year Extended through June 19. Due to the extension of the school year, teachers are not expected to be online (or supporting student work) on Fridays during the closure, during the scheduled Spring Break April 6-10, or Monday, April 13. Click to view the amended 2019-2020 school calendar.

All Buildings Closed to the Public. All Port Townsend School District buildings are closed to the public through the “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order. We will let the community know when our buildings are able to reopen. Staff are monitoring phones and email and will respond to messages as soon as possible. A reminder, all school playgrounds are closed. Thanks for helping keep our community safe.

What about credits and grading?
Read more...

March 25, 2020 9:45AM

New guidance on student education during extended school closure. The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) has provided school districts new and different directions on how schools should be providing instruction. This new guidance now allows us to provide more extensive education services. Teachers will be reaching out to families to find out what access to technology families have, and who will need paper learning resources.

School playgrounds are closed during the Governor’s “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order through at least April 6. We will inform the community when we reopen our outdoor playgrounds.

Read more... 

March 24, 2020 8:30AM

With Governor Inslee’s stay at home order, we will continue our emergency services including free meals, and last resort childcare for first responders and healthcare workers.

All of our school buildings are closed, but we are still available remotely to support families. If you need to contact anyone at the schools email is the best way to reach us, you may also leave a voice mail at any of the schools. Most building staff are working from home. They will check voicemail multiple times per day, but expect a delay in response to phone calls.

Read more...

March 18, 2020 5:00PM
Learning Opportunities-  We have compiled this list of at-home learning resources for all ages. We will continue to provide updates by email, on our website and on social media. Thank you for your continued patience and support.

Grades - All students' grades are considered frozen. Absences that took place leading up to the school closures will have no negative impact on student grades. We will provide more information as we develop a plan for finalizing student grades and reopening school. But for now we don’t want students and families to worry about grades.

Needing School Documents- Some families are finding they might need to have some sort of school documentation, such as a Free and Reduced Lunch Qualification Letter, to access services please call 360-379-4501 to request help with documentation or email [email protected].

Read today's complete message here.

March 17, 2020 4:10PM

Family Emergency Needs Survey - We are aware that many of our families have had unexpected changes to their income and employment status due to the current crisis. The school district is working closely with many community agencies to provide additional support as we are able. This survey will help us learn about family needs and we will meet as many requests as possible, but we may not be able to meet all needs. If you are unable to complete this survey online please call the school office where your student attends and they will give you the survey over the phone.

March 16, 2020 3:00PM

With schools now closed, we understand the coming weeks will be particularly challenging for our students and families. Here is our most up to date information about support services available during school closure.

Emergency Childcare
The YMCA will be the lead organization providing emergency, last resort, K-5 child care for first responders and health care workers at Salish Coast. Those families that completed the online form will be contacted today. We are also working with Jefferson Health Care to determine the needs of their employees.

Other families in need of emergency care will be provided care as space is available. Families that completed our emergency childcare form will be contacted today, and followed up with when space becomes available. Families already enrolled in after school YMCA care should contact the YMCA directly to see if continued care can be provided.

Make up Days
A lot of families want to know if school will be extended into the summer.The last day of school will be June 19, 2020, for the current school year. Districts will be expected to make up as much time as they can, using those previously scheduled closure days, through Friday, June 19. Port Townsend School District will communicate more about the school calendar when we reopen.

More information here.

March 15, 2020 2:00PM
We are looking forward to seeing students at school on Monday so teachers and students can say goodbye before this extended closure, and to provide some educational resources. We know this is an incredibly stressful time for families, students, and staff, and we are working very hard to address critical needs, and provide information as soon as we are able.

On Monday all schools are open. If your student is well, we hope your student will attend so we can provide support and information. Students will be sent home with six books. All library books will not be due until school reopens. Food service and transportation will be operating as usual. West Sound Tech, and Port Townsend Maritime Academy are closed starting March 16.

More about educational resources, meals, and emergency childcare here.

March 13, 2020, 2:20PM
As ordered by Governor Inslee, All Port Townsend Public Schools will close to students, effective Tuesday, March 17 through April 24. West Sound Tech, and the Port Townsend Maritime Academy are closed starting Monday, March 16.

Read more here.

Free meals will be available starting March 17. 

March 12, 2020, 4:30PM

Today the governor ordered mandatory school closures in King, Pierce, and Snohomish Counties from Tuesday, March 17 to Friday, April 24 to help slow the spread of COVID-19. We are continuing to work closely with Jefferson County Public Health. At this time Public Health is not recommending school closures in Jefferson County, but the governor has asked us to be prepared should a closure be required. We take this very seriously, and we have contingency plans in place should a closure be required. We are continuing our effort to provide for safe schools while we are open, including promoting good hygiene practices and sanitizing of surfaces.

At this time, the Port Townsend School District is not canceling school events or athletics. We continue to monitor developments, and will notify staff and families of changes. Some events led by outside organizations, community partners, and statewide or interdistrict events have been cancelled.  We will keep families informed of changes and post cancellations online

OSPI released some useful guidance, which we have adapted to help answer some questions for Port Townsend families. You can read the OSPI guidance here, and Port Townsend specific answers in our FAQ.

March 11, 2020, 3:30PM

Read Superintendent Polm's message to families in response to new guidelines from Governor Inslee.

Sick individuals should stay home. Guidelines from WA State Health Department: If individuals have fever, cough or shortness of breath and have not been around anyone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19, they should stay home away from others until 72 hours after the fever is gone and symptoms get better. If an individual believes they have had close contact to someone with COVID-19 but are not currently sick, they should monitor their health for fever, cough, and shortness of breath during the 14 days after the last day they were in close contact with the sick person with COVID-19. They should not go to work or school, and should avoid public places for 14 days.

What are the symptoms? Read this infographic from the CDC.

What events are being cancelled? While Port Townsend School District is not currently cancelling school events or athletics, some events are being cancelled by partner organizations or because they involve travel to more impacted regions. We know that event planning and decisions are changing as Public Health recommendations are likely to change over the next few weeks. We will keep families informed of changes and post cancellations online.

March 10, 2020, 3:30pm

Help Reduce Stigma:This week COVID-19 testing has expanded in our region. More people are being tested, and a pending test does not necessarily indicate a known or suspected case.  Misinformation about coronavirus can create fear and hostility that hurts people and makes it harder to keep everyone healthy. We want everyone who needs to be evaluated by a medical professional to seek care. You can support our community by not repeating or sharing unconfirmed rumors. We’re stronger as a community when we stand together against stigma and discrimination. We encourage anyone with symptoms to contact their healthcare provider so they can be evaluated. Jefferson Health Care is offering a nurse consult line to prevent unneeded in person visits to clinics.

Read more updates including school closure contingency planning.

March 9, 2020, 12:45pm

There are no changes or updates in recommendations from Jefferson County Public Health at this point, but we have updated our website with a Frequently Asked Questions page. This page will be updated, along with the FAQ with any changes.

March 7, 2020, 4:30 PM

Port Townsend School District is continually updating our preparedness and planning as additional updates and guidance are provided by Public Health and the CDC. 

Read Jefferson County Public Health’s most current recommendations.

While at this time, no one associated with any Port Townsend schools has been identified to have COVID-19, we will be stepping up our already robust disinfecting and sanitizing efforts. Read more.

March 6, 2020, 1:00 PM

Today, Jefferson County Public Health announced a positive test result for COVID-19 on a Jefferson County resident. The Health Department has no information that the person has had contact with individuals in the schools at this time. Jefferson County Public Health and WA State Department of Health are not currently recommending any school closures. We continue to monitor developments and follow recommendations from Jefferson County Public Health. More information and current recommendation can be found on the Public Health Website

Because all of us are concerned about how to best protect ourselves, our families, and our community, Port Townsend Schools will continue to send out regular updates to our community, and keep our website up to date with any changes. read more.

March 5, 2020, 11:00 AM

Port Townsend School District continues to monitor the developing situation, and works closely with Jefferson County Public Health. Any changes that impact the schools will be communicated promptly with staff and families.

All out of area travel including staff conferences and field trips are being evaluated on a case by case basis, as this is developing daily. Students and families impacted by cancelled field trips will be contacted individually.

As of March 5, 2020, other than those already addressed, school events are continuing as scheduled.

We continue to monitor developments, and will notify staff and families if this changes.

March 4, 2020, 10:00 AM

Port Townsend School District is working closely with Jefferson County Public Health staff, and schools will remain open, unless we receive directions from public health to close. It is important to provide continued instruction and, for many students, daily school meals. We are following all public health recommendations including routine environmental cleaning, and reinforcing proper hygiene with staff and students. read more.

March 2, 2020, 11:00 AM

As you know, the novel coronavirus, known as COVID-19, continues to make headlines as it impacts different regions across the globe. We wanted to inform you of preventative actions the Port Townsend School District is taking in case the risk level rises.

We have open lines of communication with Jefferson County Department of Health, who works closely with the Washington State Department of Health in monitoring the situation. We will continue to follow recommendations from public health on any need for school closure. At this time we have no confirmed cases in our schools.

What the Port Townsend School District is doing now: read more.

More Information

• Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), Center for Disease Control
• 2019 Novel Coronavirus Outbreak (COVID-19), Washington State Department Of Health
• What is Coronavirus? From Seattle and King County Public Health

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