Dear Parents and Guardians:
The Licking Valley Schools will be open and school will be in session for students on Friday, Mar. 13. There will be no school for LV students on Monday, Mar. 16. Students will essentially begin spring break at the end of classes on Friday, Mar. 13. Spring Break will end on Sunday, Mar. 29. This will give our teachers and administrators time next week to continue preparing to deliver instruction and academic engagement online beginning Monday, Mar. 30 and continuing through the remainder of the school closure on April 3 as ordered by Gov. DeWine. It is our hope that our schools will reopen on Monday, April 6.
Parents and students will be receiving communication from their principals and teachers regarding online instruction. Parents, please insist that your students engage to the fullest extent possible. If your student is in grades K-5 and you do not have a computer and/or internet access, please contact your building principal and he/she will work with you to try and get you what you need.
Starting at 2:30 pm tomorrow, Friday, Mar. 13, all school activities, after-school activities, extracurricular activities, and athletic practices and games are canceled with no exceptions. This is a very difficult reality for all of us who so enjoy these activities, and our hearts go out to all of our students who have worked so hard to excel in their extracurricular areas. It deeply saddens us all. Additionally, all building use is canceled beginning Friday, Mar. 13 at 2:30 through at least Sunday, April 5. ** The one exception to the closure of our facilities to the public is that voting for the March 17 Democratic Primary will still occur in the high school auxiliary gym.
At 12:45 p.m. Thursday, the Ohio High School Athletic Association announced that all remaining winter tournament contests are immediately postponed due to the growing situation with the coronavirus COVID-19. The suspended tournaments include the girls state basketball tournament; the state individual wrestling tournament; the state ice hockey tournament, and the boys regional and state basketball tournaments. “We will use this time to work with the appropriate state authorities and health experts to determine our next steps moving forward,” Snodgrass said. “We realize this is disappointing for our participants and their fans, but the overall health and safety of everyone involved in our tournaments is our priority.” No timetable has been determined for possible rescheduling for the tournaments. The announcement was made after state and local officials recommended that no public gatherings take place to help stop the spread of the virus. The OHSAA will send further updates regarding ticket refunds.
The Licking Valley Kindergarten Clinic is also canceled. In the near future, parents of incoming kindergarten students will receive communication from Primary Principal Todd Carmer about next steps for our incoming kindergarten students and parents.
There is a curse of unknown origin in which one wishes upon another: “May you live in interesting times”. Well, we are certainly living in interesting times. Who among us could have ever imagined the closure of major college campuses or the cancelation of the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments? We certainly are living in interesting times, but we shall pass through and come out on the other side, saddened by what we have lost but stronger and wiser for the experiences.
David Hile, Ed.D.
Superintendent, LVLS