Saturday, March 14, 2020
Legacy Parents, Guardians, and Employees,
Throughout this week, we have remained in close communication with the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS), Arizona Department of Education (ADE), and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding the current strain of Coronavirus, or COVID-19.
Additionally, in a briefing earlier this week with Arizona Governor Doug Ducey, Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman, and ADHS Executive Director Cara Christ, State officials confirmed that community spread is minimal, and Arizona continues to be at low risk for COVID-19.
After considering the growing national concern, and out of an abundance of caution and care for our Legacy communities, we have made the decision to extend Spring Break for our Avondale, Goodyear, and Laveen campuses through Friday, March 20th. Our current plan is to resume classes on Monday, March 23rd, subject to additional developments in the coming days.
To be clear, there have been no confirmed cases of Coronavirus in the Legacy Traditional School system.
We want our families to know that every decision is in the best interest of our students’ health and safety and their academic progress. The decisions to increase cleaning and sanitizing protocols, to educate our staff and faculty in prevention measures, and to suspend visitors and volunteers across all Legacy schools, have been made with immense care and cooperation of our school leaders and communities.
Talking with children about Coronavirus Disease 2019
As public conversations around COVID-19 increase, children may worry about themselves, their family, and friends getting ill. Parents, family members, school staff, and other trusted adults can play an important role in helping children make sense of what they hear in a way that is honest, accurate, and minimizes anxiety or fear.
Please refer to the CDC, which has created guidance to help adults have conversations with children about COVID-19 and ways they can avoid contracting and spreading the disease.
Talking to Children about COVID-19 (Developed by the National Association of School Nurses and the National Association of School Psychologists. Also available in Spanish.
Additional COVID-19 Considerations
We want to assure you that while break has been extended – the health and safety of our school communities remains a top priority. Please consider the following:
- Students and staff members who have traveled to high-risk areas as identified by the CDC should self-isolate for 14 calendar days after their return. Absences will be excused.
- Staff who have traveled to high-risk areas will be required to self-isolate for 14 calendar days after their return.
If you or a member of your family develops symptoms for COVID-19, please seek medical attention immediately. The following symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure.
- Fever
- Cough
- Shortness of breath
For additional information regarding COVID-19, please refer to the following public health resources.
Student Classwork Update
In the coming days, your child’s teacher will be sending academic resources to assist you and your child in keeping up with academic skills during this extended break.
Student Meal Accommodations
Legacy will be providing meals for in-need students during this extended break. Breakfast and lunch will be served in grab-and-go bags and will be available for pick-up from 8 to 9 a.m. for breakfast and from 12 to 1 p.m. for lunch.
We are tremendously thankful for the engagement by everyone in our school communities. Such engagement is encouraging because it demonstrates our ability to come together during this challenging time to determine appropriate next steps.
Sincerely,
Nicole Kirkley
Superintendent
Legacy Traditional Schools