August 25, 2020
Dear Marauder Families,
The new school year is rapidly approaching and with that, I wanted to take this opportunity to welcome everyone back. It is hard to believe that I am in my 21st year here at Ovid-Elsie Area Schools but it goes without saying that this has been the most challenging past few months in my educational career.
I recently ran across this quote by Corrie ten Boom, a Dutch watchmaker and writer, and she said, “In order to realize the worth of the anchor we need to feel the stress of the storm.” I felt that to be very fitting during these uncertain times.
School will officially begin for all students, whether face-to-face or virtual, on Tuesday, September 8, 2020. The buildings are currently open and all staff will report back officially on Monday, August 31, 2020.
A new calendar may be found by visiting our district calendars website.
Additionally, all Return to School Plans are posted on our website, but please be advised that under the recently passed legislation, all plans must be revisited monthly, Board approved and submitted to Clinton County RESA. With this rapidly changing environment, we are asking that you please be patient and flexible.
Each building has been hard at work planning and preparing for a safe return to school. For more information, please click the building below:
The District Preparedness Plan also has valuable information so please take time to review it.
One thing that I would like to point out is that there will be a “no tolerance” policy when it comes to the safety protocols outlined in our Preparedness Plans. It is incumbent upon parents and families to sit down together and discuss those protocols so that we may all do our part in protecting ourselves and one another.
Athletics is another area that is a moving target. As more information and guidance is provided by the State of Michigan and the Michigan High School Athletic Association, we will communicate with the school community.
Our staff has been hard at work these past few months preparing for a safe return to school. One of the most exciting things is our one-to-one technology initiative. Every teacher went through two (2) days of training on how to implement best practices when it comes to technology. Every student in Ovid-Elsie Area Schools will receive a Chrometab or Chromebook to support their learning. It is important that you take time to read through the Technology Handbook to familiarize yourself with the processes and procedures. Our device deployment for virtual students will take place on Thursday, September 3, 2020 so please plan accordingly.
With the departing of a couple of teachers due to retirement, we have reorganized some of our staff for scheduling purposes. However, we would like to welcome Mrs. Amy Fanning as the High School Business Teacher. Mrs. Fanning comes to us from Saginaw with many years of teaching experience. We would also like to welcome Mr. Jesse Johnson as the new Athletic Director. Mr. Johnson joins the Marauder staff after many years of working at the collegiate level.
Finally, we are wrapping up the construction and projects that were slated for this summer and the buildings are looking amazing! We still have some outstanding projects that will take place next spring and summer, but most of the projects have been completed such as parking lots, a new roof at Leonard Elementary, new unit ventilators in each classroom and much, much more. We are thankful for the support of our community and are proud of the outcome of our bond extension projects.
If you should have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to your child(ren)’s teacher, your building principal, or to the Superintendent’s office.
We are excited to have students back on campus this fall and if we all do our part, TOGETHER we will make this a great year.
Yours in Education,
Dr. Ryan L. Cunningham, Superintendent, Ovid-Elsie Area Schools