Yes. Here is our schedule for the types of remote learning that is available to students:

Governor Inslee has asked that all Washington state schools be closed through April 24, 2020. If that decision changes, we will notify all families.

The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction has stated that the school year will end no later than Friday, June 19, 2020.

Yes, due to recent public health concerns, all Lake Washington School District facilities, including playgrounds, are closed until further notice. These closures are by order of King County Public Health and the State of Washington.

We will not be providing third quarter progress reports this year. Quarterly grades are intended to communicate progress to students and families. With the closure of our schools, we have limited information to provide meaningful information about this progress. It’s also important to note that third quarter grades do not appear on transcripts nor are they reported to colleges and universities. 

Teachers will be collecting, and grading student work assigned from before the closure and entering this work into gradebooks. Moving forward, we will also be asking teachers to enter graded assignments so that we can ensure secondary students can continue to earn credit for courses. This will be particularly important in high school where students need credits for graduation. We will work with teachers and consult with state guidance to determine if/how we can assign letter semester grades for courses and will have more information to share with staff families in the coming weeks.

We have been working with the College Board to get the latest information about Advanced Placement courses and testing. The most recent information from the College Board about testing is summarized below.

• Students may take a 45-minute online exam at home.
• For each AP subject there will be two testing dates.
• The exam will only include topics and skills most teachers already covered in class by early March. (For decades, colleges have accepted a shortened AP Exam for college credit when groups of students have experienced emergencies.)
• The specific test dates and the free-response question types will be posted by April 3, 2020.
• The College Board will offer free online AP exam study resources starting March 25 for all subjects: Click here to learn more.
• The College Board has not provided any information regarding how they will support students who have testing accommodations; We have been informed that there will be there will be more information provided on April 3, 2020.
• Logistics:
  • Students may test on any device they have access to – computer, tablet, or smartphone.
  • There is flexibility for students with technology challenges to assure they have the tools and connectivity they need. You can contact the College Board Directly here.
  • Students are highly encouraged to take the test but can choose to cancel the test at no charge.

We encourage all students who have registered for an AP Exam to proceed with their plans to take it. We are committed to supporting students through the AP Exam process. We will continue to provide an update after April 3, 2020 and as needed moving forward.

Lake Washington School District will follow our planned and calendared spring break from April 6-10, 2020. We are contractually obligated to hold this break for our teaching staff. Families will still have access to educational resources during this break. 

Yes, free meals will still be accessible for children under age 18 over spring break.

According to Washington State Department of Health: Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that usually cause mild respiratory illnesses such as the common cold. Some coronaviruses have caused more severe illness, such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). COVID-19 is a disease caused by a new coronavirus that was not identified in humans before December 2019. Learn more: https://www.doh.wa.gov/Emergencies/Coronavirus/Schools.

People who have been diagnosed with novel coronavirus have reported symptoms that may appear in as few as 2 days or as long as 14 days after exposure to the virus:

• Fever
• Cough
• Difficulty breathing

If you have symptoms, you should stay home except to get medical care. Call your health care provider or call the King County Novel Coronavirus Call Center at 206-477-3977.  

Seek medical care right away if your illness is worsening (for example, if you have difficulty breathing). Before going to the doctor’s office or emergency room, call ahead and tell them your symptoms. They will tell you what to do. Call 911 if you have a medical emergency.

If you have mild symptoms, you can leave home after these three things have happened:

• You have had no fever for at least 72 hours (that is three full days of no fever without the use medicine that reduces fevers)
  AND
• Other symptoms have improved (for example, when your cough or shortness of breath have improved)
  AND
• At least seven days have passed since your symptoms first appeared

Learn more.

According to Public Health of Seattle and King County, the public can help by following these five protocols:

1. Do not go to the emergency room unless essential. Emergency rooms need to be able to serve those with the most critical needs. If you have symptoms like cough, fever, or other respiratory problems, contact your regular doctor first.
2. Stay home when sick.
3. Practice excellent personal hygiene habits, including handwashing, coughing into tissue or elbow, avoid touching eyes, nose, or mouth.
4. Stay away from people who are ill, especially if you are 60 and older or have underlying health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, or a weakened immune system. 
5. Stay informed. Information is changing frequently. Check and subscribe to Public Health’s website (www.kingcounty.gov/COVID) or blog (www.publichealthinsider.com).

It is natural to be concerned about a new illness. If you would like to talk with someone, the following mental health services are available to students and staff: 

• Students can talk with their school counselor or school nurse. 
• Families and staff can call the Washington State Department of Health’s Coronavirus hotline at 1-800-525-0127.

Public Health provides instruction to people who meet the criteria for COVID-19 testing to take precautionary measures until test results are known. Precautionary measures include isolating themselves from others, typically by staying at home, monitoring themselves for symptoms, and by taking their temperature twice daily. Public Health contacts them each day to talk about their health status. This allows Public Health to rapidly detect any potential signs of infection and get the person evaluated quickly if needed, minimizing the risk of spread.

Public Health also ask anyone who is a close contact of someone who meets the criteria for testing to monitor their health and let Public Health know immediately if they develop any illness. They can stop monitoring for symptoms when the person tests negative for coronavirus infection. Should the person test positive, the close contacts would stay separated from others and Public Health would check in with them daily to watch for symptoms.

As adults, it’s important we remain calm with our actions and words, and share factual information. Sharing accurate information during a time of heightened concern is critical. One of the ways we can protect our community from illness is to keep rumors and misinformation from spreading.

Here are some resources you may use to talk about the coronavirus with students: 

• Video: Coronavirus Explained for Kids
• Just For Kids: A Comic Exploring The New Coronavirus

This is an evolving situation. Stay up to date by consulting the following webpages:

• Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
• Washington Department of Health (DOH), Coronavirus School Resources and Recommendations
• Public Health – Seattle and King County (PHSKC), Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)