Coronavirus CT: Shelton Schools To Dismiss Early Monday

SHELTON, CT —Shelton Public Schools announced Wednesday night that schools will follow an early dismissal schedule for Monday March 16 in order to give teachers time to prepare for the possibility of remote lessons.

Below is the full message from SPS:

SCHOOL IS NOT CLOSED FOR TWO WEEKS AND THERE IS NO INTENT TO CLOSE SCHOOL AT THIS TIME.
In order to prepare for a possible school closing, we will follow an early release schedule on Monday, March 16, 2020. Staff will utilize the time to prepare meaningful learning opportunities for our students in the event school needs to close for an extended period of time. These plans will include both paper and digital means so that there is not a large gap in learning while students are at home and to provide them with meaningful activities to decrease their downtime. While I understand an early release can be disruptive to families, it is necessary to prepare for what we may be facing in the days ahead. As a reminder, in preparation for a potential closing, students and staff should take appropriate belongings home with them each night.

If a decision is made to close schools, it will be done based on consultation with our local Health Director. Under advisement by the Connecticut State Department of Education, all districts are encouraged to add any closure days to any scheduled vacations or to the end of June to meet the state requirement of 180 school days; therefore, in the event school is closed for two weeks, those days will be made up during April break and added on to the end of the school year in June. If the closure extends beyond two weeks, and we are unable to meet the statutory 180 school day requirement, we will work with the Connecticut State Department of Education on a resolution.
Please check the Shelton Public Schools website frequently for updated information.

AGAIN, SCHOOL IS NOT CLOSED FOR TWO WEEKS AND THERE IS NO INTENT TO CLOSE SCHOOL AT THIS TIME.

Previous story: Shelton Public Schools has decided to cancel or postpone several large gathering events in March amid concern over the coronavirus.

District leaders also decided to postpone the remainder of March parent and student-led conferences. The school system will continue to follow posted half-days in March.

Acting Superintendent Beth Smith released the following letter to the school community detailing the cancellations:

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Good morning,
As you are aware, Governor Lamont has declared a State of Emergency and has urged the postponing of gatherings involving more than 100 people. After speaking with numerous agencies and colleagues, and conferring with our Health Director, I have decided that it is in the best interest of the health and safety of our students to communicate changes to some of our upcoming events.I know it is disappointing, especially since so many have worked so hard in preparing for these events and I want to thank those who have participated, but I need to proceed with the health and safety of our community in mind.

The following events that were scheduled during the month of March will be postponed/cancelled:

• Winter Percussion Home Show/Band competitions
• School dances
• PTO Bingos
• SATs
• Cultural/International evening gatherings
• Invention Convention parent viewings
• Robotics competitions (have been cancelled by NE FIRST)
• Athletic games (have been cancelled by CIAC)
• In-state and out-of-state field trips
• Spelling Bee evening events
• Grandparent’s days
• Shelton Showcase (not scheduled in March, but planning is in March)
• Out-of-state professional learning

Other school events will be modified, including practicing social distancing, ending earlier than in past years and limiting attendance. Additional changes to school events could be forthcoming as more information is available. I thank everyone for your understanding and flexibility as we continue to navigate whatever lies ahead.