This week (9/24/20), we want to provide you with several important updates:

• For the week of September 28 - October 2, 2020:

• • Based on the weekly meeting with the Sullivan County Regional Health Department, the current level of community spread has been determined to be in the "yellow" operational zone.
  • All Face-to-Face students in grades PreK-12 will have in-person instruction at school.

• There are several key reminders as all face-to-face students have in-person instruction at school:
  • Every effort will be made to social distance whenever possible while students are at school. 
  • All students, staff, and visitors are required to appropriately wear face masks while at school.
  • All students will be temperature-checked before entering school.
  • Enhanced disinfecting and operational procedures will be in-place at all school locations.
• A dashboard has been created on the KCS website (www.k12k.com) to keep you posted on the KCS operating status and community health conditions.  Click here to access this information, which is updated daily.
• The KCS School Nutrition department is continuing to provide free meals for all children during the Fall 2020 semester.  Please know that meals for all children age 18 and under will be free of charge through the end of this semester.  Meals will be available at school sites for drive-up/pick-up each day from 10-10:30 a.m. for virtual learners.   

 

This week (9/17/20), we want to provide you with several important updates:

• For the week of September 21-25, 2020:
  • Based on the weekly meeting with the Sullivan County Regional Health Department, the current level of community spread has been determined to be in the "yellow" operational zone. 
  • All Face-to-Face students in grades PreK-12 will return to in-person instruction at school.

• EXCEPTION:  The ACT Assessment will be given for students in grades 11-12 on Tuesday, 9/22.  On that day, students in grades 9-10 attend school virtually while students in grades 11-12 attend school in-person to take the ACT Assessment (test takers dismiss at noon).

• There are several key reminders as all face-to-face students return to in-person instruction at school:
  • Every effort will be made to social distance whenever possible while students are at school. 
  • All students, staff, and visitors are required to appropriately wear face masks while at school.
  • All students will be temperature-checked before entering school.
  • Enhanced disinfecting and operational procedures will be in-place at all school locations.
• A dashboard has been created on the KCS website (www.k12k.com) to keep you posted on the KCS operating status and community health conditions.  Click here to access this information, which is updated daily.
• The KCS School Nutrition department is continuing to provide free meals for all children during the Fall 2020 semester.  Please know that meals for all children age 18 and under will be free of charge through the end of this semester.  Meals will be available at school sites for drive-up/pick-up each day from 10-10:30 a.m. for virtual learners.  

 

Dear KCS Families and Employees,

We are pleased to share the following information in this Friday morning update regarding the status of KCS operations.  

This week (8/21/20), we want to provide you with several updates:

• The Sullivan County Executive Order mandating the wearing of face masks for students and staff age 2 and over while inside our schools has been extended to September 12, 2020.
• Please remember… TSSAA regulations require that attendees at all sporting events complete a health screening prior to entering and wear a face mask at all times while at the event.  Thank you for your cooperation with these safety precautions.
• The KCS School Nutrition department has options for you to receive meals during the time of virtual learning.  Please note that regulations are different than those that were in place during the last spring and summer.  Meals are available at select school sites each day from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. or can be delivered via KCS school buses.  Please click here for more information on the school-year feeding program. To have meals delivered to you, please call (423) 392-4670.
• If needed, multiple technology supports are available for those needing assistance:
• If you are having trouble with your device (including issues with hardware or support logging in to your device), please contact the KCS Tech Services department at techservices@k12k.com or by calling (423) 378-8500.
• If your child is having difficulty logging into Classlink, please contact techservices@k12k.com or (423) 378-8500.
• If you have questions or issues related to Canvas, please message your teacher directly through Canvas. Additional support can be found by emailing canvashelp@k12k.com.
• If your child is having difficulty logging into Odysseyware, please email rstringham@k12k.com with Password Request in the Subject line from the email address used to register for RCL2020 Learning.
• The parent portal for Odysseyware has to be set up internally and may take one additional week.
• If you are having difficulty logging into Aspen, the parent portal opening has been delayed.
• The Kingsport Board of Education will hold a work session on Monday, August 24, 2020 at 5 p.m., at which time Dr. Moorhouse will present an update regarding school operations.  The work session will be held in-person in the Tennessee Room of the KCS Administrative Support Center (200 Clinchfield Street, 3rd floor).  Due to COVID-19, capacity limitations will be in effect in accordance with Tennessee Pledge guidelines.  All attendees will be required to wear a face mask and pass a safety screening before entering the work session location.  

KCS and Sullivan County Regional Health Department officials are continuing to monitor the data regarding the COVID-19 spread across Sullivan County.  KCS will operate with virtual instruction for all students next week (week of 8/24/20).

Remember, you can make a difference by helping us “Go Green” by practicing the three W’s… Wash, Wait, and Wear.  Please wash your hands, wait to create six feet of social distance, and wear a face mask to prevent the spread of COVID-19.  These are all ways we can help to get Sullivan County back into the green status.

• Please remember that school begins on Monday, August 10th for all students. All students (including all those that selected fact-to-face or Remote Choice Learning) will be working virtually beginning on Monday. Teachers have been working hard to be ready for the start of the year and are excited to reconnect with our students and start a new year of learning!
• A variety of information about Remote Choice Learning 2020 has been posted for students and families that have selected that option for their learning environment to start the school year. Please click here to view that information.
• Many safety enhancements have been made to KCS schools in preparation for when students return to in-person learning. Additional disinfecting equipment, hand sanitizer stations, plexiglass barriers, and cleaning processes have been added.
• As a reminder, the current Sullivan County Executive Order mandates the wearing of face masks for students and staff age 2 and over while inside our schools.
• NEW: Beginning with the start of the new school year on Monday, the KCS School Nutrition department will have options for you to receive meals during the time of virtual learning. Please note that regulations are different than those that were in place during the last spring and summer. Meals are available at your school each day from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. or can be delivered via KCS school buses. Please click here for more information on the school-year feeding program.

• Meals are available for any enrolled KCS student.
• Student name and school enrollment info is required to receive meals.
• Meals are free for students enrolled in Community Eligibility Program schools (Sevier, Jackson, Lincoln, Kennedy, and Roosevelt) OR if the student qualifies for free and reduced meal benefits. Apply for meal benefits at https://onlinemealapplication.k12k.com/.
• Meal costs for paid students:
  • Breakfast:
    • $1.50 (all locations)
    • $2.00 (additional breakfast)
    • $2.50 (visitor breakfast)
  • Lunch:
    • $2.50 (Elementary)
    • $2.65 (Middle)
    • $2.75 (High)
    • $3.50 (additional lunch)
    • $4.00 (visitor lunch)

• Paying students will need to have funds in their student account to purchase meals. No cash transactions will take place on buses. Visit www.mypaymentsplus.com to add funds and view student purchases. Call KCS School Nutrition Services at (423) 378.2113 for information or support, including how to sign up for MyPaymentsPlus.

• Breakfast and lunch available at school sites from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
• Families with students at multiple KCS schools may pick up all meals at one school site.
• Food will be distributed using a “drive-through” or “walk-up” process. Cafeteria seating will not be available.
• Cash transactions will be available at school pick-up sites.

• KCS buses with food will be traveling through each school zone delivering breakfast and lunch to any enrolled KCS student.
• Home deliveries via KCS buses will require written consent.
• If you do not see a bus or cannot go to a school site for a meal, call (423) 392.4670 and leave a voicemail to schedule delivery.
• Cash transactions will not be available for bus delivered meals.
• Meal deliveries will begin at 10 a.m.

• Face-to-Face placement letters for grades K-5 were mailed to families this week;
• Face-to-Face student schedules for grades 6-8 will be distributed on Thursday and Friday;
• Face-to-Face student schedules for grades 9-12 were emailed to students this week;
• Remote Choice Learning communication for grades K-12 was emailed to families today;
• Remote Choice Learning orientation and additional resources can be found here: https://bit.ly/RCLorientation;
• "Back to School Orientation - Meet Your Teacher" events will still take place as planned, communicated by your child's schools;
• Device pick-up for all students in grades 3-12 and those students who selected Remote Choice Learning (indicating they needed a device) will occur at individual schools on Thursday, August 6 or Friday, August 7, 2020 (depending on your child's school);
• Charter/Spectrum is offering a discount on internet services for families who receive free/reduced meals for their child(ren). Please contact Charter/Spectrum for those details;
• The KCS Free/Reduced Meals application can be completed here: onlinemealapplication.k12k.com;
• KCS is no longer using PowerSchool. We are now using a student information system called Aspen. Families will have access to Aspen in the near future.
• Tech Services contact information can be found by clicking here. 

• Later today you will see a notification that the Kingsport Board of Education has announced a special called meeting for early next week. An item on the agenda is to consider approval of the 2020-21 KCS back-to-school plan. Communication regarding any decisions by the board will be shared via email, social media, and posted on the KCS website as soon as the meeting concludes.
• Regarding the back-to-school operations plan: Additional guidance for schools was issued by the Tennessee Department of Health and the Office of the Governor on Tuesday of this week. That information is currently being considered by KCS staff and the Board of Education in determining the final back-to-school plan to be approved early next week.
• Work continues to prepare for the start of the school year. Teachers have been working diligently this week on a variety of instructional strategies that will best prepare students for success in whatever mode of operations KCS returns to on August 10th. That work will continue next week.
• For those students that selected Remote Choice Learning 2020 for their learning environment to start the school year, information is on its way regarding orientation, training, and what instruction will look like. The KCS Curriculum and Instruction staff is excited to utilize Odysseyware to help deliver challenging instruction for students that will be working online to start the year. Look for communication from Dr. Rhonda Stringham, KCS Assistant Superintendent - Instruction, that introduces this innovative learning platform.
• Safety enhancements to KCS schools are continuing. Additional disinfecting equipment, hand sanitizer stations, and plexiglass barriers have been installed. Cleaning protocols have been learned by KCS teachers and staff to support the health of our students and staff.
• As a reminder, the current Sullivan County Executive Order mandates the wearing of face masks for students and staff age 2 and over while inside our schools.
• NEW: With the delay in the start of school to August 10th, the KCS School Nutrition department will be providing a one-week-only feeding program next week, August 3-7. This will look like the program that occurred last spring, with food available at school sites from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. and also delivered on buses throughout Kingsport. This is being provided to help bridge the gap prior to the start of school on the 10th.

• The 2020-21 KCS Calendar has been revised. There are three significant changes to be aware of:
  • The new 2020-21 KCS start date is now Monday, August 10, 2020.
  • The week of August 3-7, 2020 has been changed from student-attendance days to teacher in-service days (no students present).
  • Friday August 14, 2020 has been changed back to a regular student attendance day. Previously, this day had been designated as a teacher in-service day.
• Also, the Board tabled a decision regarding the approval of the KCS back-to-school operations plan. With the release of Governor Lee's school reopening guidelines late this afternoon, additional review is required to ensure KCS plans are informed by this new information. The Board indicated another called meeting could take place in the near future to approve the final plan for how KCS will begin school on August 10th.

Click here to view the updated KCS Approved School Calendar. 

Dear KCS Families and Employees,

As we have mentioned previously, communication will be shared each Friday morning during the school year regarding the status of health conditions in our community related to COVID-19.  This information will serve to provide a weekly update on school operations and make you aware of any important news or changes that will be taking place in our schools.  This update is scheduled to be distributed at 10 a.m. each Friday and will be sent via email, text, and posted on the KCS website at www.k12k.com - Reopening Plan.

This week (7/24/20), we want to provide you with several updates:

• As a preview, later today you will see a notification that the Kingsport Board of Education has announced a special called meeting for Tuesday, July 28, 2020 at 6 p.m.  Among items on the agenda, the Board will consider a revision to the start date of the 2020-21 KCS school year.  Communication regarding any calendar action taken by the board will be shared via email, social media, and posted on the KCS website as soon as the meeting concludes.
• Work is ongoing by KCS staff to prepare for the start of the school year.  This includes extensive preparation for both in-person and remote learning.  Teachers return next week and will continue their work to make the 2020-21 school year a successful one for our students. Many professional learning activities are scheduled for teachers and staff to prepare for effective learning to take place regardless of the setting.
• Just under 25% or our students selected Remote Choice Learning 2020 for their learning environment to start the school year.  Work is occurring to finalize the staffing shifts needed to best serve these remote learners, as well as to reschedule the students that opted for face-to-face in-person learning.  Communication regarding schedules, assignments, and Remote Choice Learning orientation will be sent to families as this work is finalized. 
• Many safety enhancements are currently taking place in KCS schools.  Additional disinfecting equipment, hand sanitizer stations, plexiglass barriers, and cleaning protocols are being implemented across the district to support the health of our students and staff.  As a reminder, the current Sullivan County Executive Order mandates the wearing of face masks for students and staff age 2 and over while in our schools.

Regarding the official “status” for the start of the KCS school year:  KCS and Sullivan County Health Department officials are continuing to monitor the data regarding the COVID-19 spread across Sullivan County. As the data indicates, if we were currently in school, as of today (7/24/20), we would be in the “red” zone which means “Consideration for Transition to Remote Learning.”   However, please remember the “Kingsport City Schools Operations Manual” is a framework to guide district and school-level decisions and procedures for use during the school year.  A final decision on the final zone of operation for the start of school will be communicated as soon as possible for your planning purposes, based on ongoing data analysis and any calendar decisions by our Board of Education next week.  We will share those as they are decided, both in these Friday morning updates and in additional communications.

Remember, you can make a difference by helping us “Go Green” by practicing the three W’s… Wash, Wait, and Wear.  Please wash your hands, wait to create six feet of social distance, and wear a face mask to prevent the spread of COVID-19.  These are all ways we can help to get Sullivan County back into the green status.

We wanted to highlight a couple of items from tonight's (7.14.20)  Kingsport Board of Education meeting that are of specific note to KCS families:

• The 2020-21 KCS calendar has been slightly revised.  Friday, August 14, 2020 has been converted from a regular student day to a staff professional development in-service day (no students in attendance).  This will allow KCS staff to assess how the school year has started and plan for any needed adjustments.  No further changes of the calendar will be necessary to make up this day, as we will be utilizing one of our "banked" days gained by attending school 30 minutes-per-day longer than is required.
• Also, the Board approved an adjustment to the start/end time of the elementary school day.  When students return on August 3rd, the elementary student day will now be from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.  With middle and high school bus runs taking place just prior to the elementary runs, the 15 minutes provides additional time needed for student temperature checks and bus cleaning between runs due to COVID-19 disinfecting.  In the morning, elementary bus riders will arrive at school with additional time before the start of school for breakfast, creating a smoother opening transition for all students.  In the afternoon, students will have less wait-time between the end of the instructional day and when buses arrive for student transportation home.  The opening time for morning student drop-off will remain 7:30 a.m.

We are pleased to present this Kingsport City Schools Operations Manual to you, outlining the processes and procedures that will be in place when KCS students return to school this fall.  It is based on the "Sullivan County  Plan - Framework for Opening the 2020-21 School Year" which was developed by the Sullivan County Regional Health Department for use by all school districts in Sullivan County. 

This operations manual outlines the conditions necessary for school to safely open and the precautions that Kingsport City Schools will take to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.  These precautions are based on the expert advice of the public health community and the collective efforts of the staff and administration of Kingsport City Schools.  The steps outlined within this manual describe the practical actions that will be taken within our schools, as well as the expectations we have for our entire educational community as we strive to provide the safest possible environment for our students and staff.

Please know that as new data or information becomes known, we will adjust this guidance to best serve our stakeholders.  We understand and accept the expectation placed upon us by the Kingsport community to ensure that all appropriate precautions are put in place to ensure the safety of our students and staff.  The steps outlined in this manual reflect our commitment to focus on health and welfare while providing a world-class education for our students.

Please click here to review the "Kingsport City Schools Operations Manual - Framework for Opening the 2020-21 School Year" or view the PDF below.