Nov. 19, 2020

Hello PCSD families, 

I sincerely hope this communication finds you well. At last night’s regular business meeting of the Board of Education, there was a lengthy discussion around the return to face-to-face instruction. The board voted in favor of remaining virtual until Jan. 11 for our elementary age students. Students in grades Early Childhood through Grade 5 will return to face-to-face instruction four days per week, with Wednesday being a virtual learning day.

The board also voted for students in Grades 6-12 to remain in the virtual learning environment until the start of the second semester. Grades 6-12 will return in our hybrid learning model on Jan. 25.

Communication will come from your child’s building principal in the near future about this schedule.

Furthermore, here are other reminders:

• Students who come in for individual or small group instruction Nov. 30-Dec. 4: All learning is virtual. There will be no in-person learning this week to allow families to become aware of close contacts over the holiday gatherings.
• Students who come in for individual or small group instruction Jan. 4-8: All learning is virtual. There will be no in-person learning this week to allow families to become aware of close contacts over the holiday gatherings prior to starting school on Jan. 11.
• Please fill out the survey for either student or parents on the learning platforms of face to face, hybrid or virtual. This survey is open until Nov. 22.
• Please reach out to our building principals and counselors for any support needed. It was reiterated last night that we are here to support all of our families. Please use the link provided to contact our counselors.

We continue to monitor the health of our community. Please report sickness to your child’s school. Though our Red Raider Health Report is paused for students at the moment, we are still monitoring the health of our students. Our hotline is available for any questions you may have involving COVID-19. (920-822-6003)

As always, we encourage you to reach out if you have any questions that you feel we can help you with. Please continue to gather safely, wear face coverings and wash hands often. Our practices outside of school are the key to being able to have students face to face once again.

Stay well,

Allison Space

PCSD Superintendent 

Virtual learning has been extended through Nov. 27. We wanted to provide an update reminding our families and community of meal opportunities during this time. Please read carefully as there are some modifications from our usual service dates and times.

All meals will be available to all, 18 years of age or younger, for free. These meals may be picked up by parents or guardians. Children do not need to be present. All meals need to be taken and consumed off site as there is no congregating at our District buildings during this time.

Meal opportunities Nov. 16-20: 

Option one: daily meal pick-up. We will have three meal pick-up sites: Hillcrest (main entrance), Sunnyside (main entrance) and Pulaski Community Middle School (Door No. 2).  Meals will be available Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and no sign-up is required. 

Option two: bulk meal distribution once a week on Wednesday, Nov.18, from 3 to 5 p.m. at Pulaski Community Middle School, Door No. 2. For bulk meal distribution, this form will be required to be completed prior to pick-up so we can prepare appropriately. Sign-up must be completed by noon on Tuesday, Nov.17. Seven days’ worth of meals will be provided during this time. Heating instructions will be available on our website for meals to be prepared appropriately at home. 

Meal opportunities Nov. 23 and Nov. 24:

Option one: daily meal pick-up will be available only on Monday, Nov. 23, and Tuesday, Nov. 24. Service will be between 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.  On Tuesday, Nov. 24, four meals will be provided at pick-up for the remainder of the week.  Daily meal pick-up will be offered at the above dates and times at Hillcrest, Sunnyside and PCMS.

Option two: bulk meal distribution will again be available for the week, however, with Thanksgiving, we will be holding bulk meal pick-up on Tuesday, Nov. 24, between 3 to 5 p.m.

For bulk meal distribution, this form will be required to be completed prior to pick-up so we can prepare appropriately. Sign-up must be completed by noon on Monday, Nov. 23. Seven days’ worth of meals will be provided during this time. 

Please note: There will be no meal service available Wednesday, Nov. 25, through Friday, Nov. 27. Meals for these dates will be available for pick-up Monday and Tuesday of this week.

Reminder: if you have signed up for bulk meals, please be sure to pick them up.  We have seen increased numbers of no-shows and this leads to food waste, which we do not want to see. If you are unsure if you signed up, please contact our Food Service offices. 

We love serving our community, and we want to ensure all families wishing to receive meals have the opportunity to do so.  Meals are available for children in your household 18 years old and younger. While the opportunity might exist to get more than your household’s allotted share of meals, we ask that you visit only one distribution site or select only one of the options above. This helps us ensure that there are enough meals to go around to all children. Thank you for your cooperation. 

This institution is an equal opportunity provider. 

Nov. 10, 2020

Hello PCSD families,  

I truly hope this message finds you all well. As stated in the Board-approved recommendations, it was necessary for there to be a downward trend to reopen on Nov. 16, this did not happen. The dashboard is found here for you to view. The recommendations, found here, also stated that if the 16th was not achieved, we would attempt Nov. 30 as the second possible reopen date. Below you will find a communication outline for families regarding the possible return to our phased approach of reopening, as well as a few updates that are important for you to be aware of: 

• We are extending the full virtual learning experience through Nov. 24. If our core indicator data shows a downward trend  (community COVID cases decreasing), students in Early Childhood - Grade 3 will return to face to face learning Monday, Nov. 30. They will attend Monday/Tuesdays and Thursday/Friday with Wednesday remaining a virtual learning day. Grades 4-12 will remain in the virtual environment. 
• An update will be given to the BOE at the Nov. 18 Board meeting of data and projected start. Family Communication will go out on Nov. 19, with any COVID-related updates from the Board meeting. 
• We continue to monitor the health of our community. Please report sickness to your child’s school. Our hotline is available for any questions you may have involving COVID-19. (920-822-6003) 

As always, we encourage you to reach out if you have any questions that you feel we can help you with. It is our sincere hope that as we continue to bring more students together in smaller groups, we will soon be able to have our students back face to face as we did in September.

Please continue to gather safely, wear face coverings and wash hands often. Our practices outside of school are the key to being able to have students face to face once again. 

Stay well, 

Allison Space

PCSD Superintendent

Nov. 9, 2020

Hello PCSD families,

In order to help you stay informed about the health of our district, today we are launching the PCSD COVID-19 Dashboard.  This dashboard will be updated daily and contains several pieces of important information.

One feature of this new dashboard is a snapshot of our community’s COVID-19 data.  The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has provided specific guidance for districts to help determine the risk of introducing and transmitting COVID-19 within schools.  When the surrounding community’s COVID-19 case numbers are in the “red” threshold this risk is at its highest; when the numbers are within the “green” threshold there is a very low risk of transmitting COVID-19 in schools.  This guidance is further explained at the Indicators for Dynamic School Decision-Making site (for more details please visit the CDC webpage HERE).

The first two indicators, or core indicators, are the most useful pieces of information for gauging the level of disease activity within the community.  As noted in the recommendations shared with the PCSD Board of Education, if our core indicator data shows a seven-day downward trend starting from Nov. 4  to Nov.  10, we will begin a return to face-to-face learning with early childhood through third grade students on Nov. 16.  You can view our seven-day burden trend-line on our dashboard.

In addition to the core indicators, secondary indicator data is also provided.  The secondary indicators help to assess the severity of illness in the community and whether the local health care system can serve more patients.  These indicators are also used as guidance for decision-making.

Finally, our Red Raider Health Report has been reformatted and is now available on the dashboard.  This new format includes both the original COVID-19 health information for our staff and students by building as well as graphics that help illustrate trends in our staff and student’s health over time.  Please note that student data has been updated as of today, November 9th, after being paused during virtual learning.

We encourage you to check our dashboard frequently to stay up-to-date on the latest community and PCSD COVID-19 data.  You can access the dashboard HERE and navigate to the different pages by clicking the arrow in the lower left-hand corner.  The numbers from the previous day update nightly.

Thank you for your continued support of our students, staff, and for all your efforts to help keep our community healthy.  As always we encourage you to reach out if you have any questions.

Stay well,

Allison Space

PCSD Superintendent

Free meals will continue to be offered through the 2020-21 school year.

With virtual learning extended through Nov. 13, we wanted to provide an update reminding our families and community of meal opportunities during this time.  All meals will be available to all 18 years of age or younger, for free. These meals may be picked up by parents or guardians, children do not need to be present.  All meals need to be taken and consumed off site as there is no congregating at our District buildings during this time.

Meal opportunities Nov. 3-13:  

·      Option one: daily meal pick up. We will have three meal pick-up sites; Hillcrest (main  entrance), Sunnyside (main entrance) and Pulaski Community Middle School (Door #2).  Meals will be available Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and no sign up is required.  

·      Option two- bulk meal distribution once a week on Wednesday afternoon/early evenings from 3 to 5 p.m. at Pulaski Community Middle School, Door #2. For bulk meal distribution, this form will be required to be completed prior to pick up so we can prepare appropriately. Sign up must be completed by noon on the Tuesday prior to distribution (i.e. sign up by noon on Nov. 3 for meal pick up on 11/4). Seven day’s worth of meals will be provided during this time.  Bulk meal pick up dates are scheduled for Nov. 4 and Nov. 11 at this time. 

Heating instructions will be available on our website for meals to be prepared appropriately at home.  

We love serving our community and we want to ensure all families wishing to receive meals have the opportunity to do so.  Meals are available for children in your household 18 years old and younger.  While the opportunity might exist to get more than your household’s allotted share of meals, we ask that you visit only one distribution site or select only one of the options above. This helps us ensure that there are enough meals to go around to all children.  Thank you for your cooperation.  

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.  

Nov. 2, 2020

PCSD families,

With this Skylert, please find a survey that serves two purposes: 1) Gauge the PCSD families on our return to school in November and 2) Begin the planning for full online learning for Semester 2 for those families who want to continue or opt into that option for learning.

We are hopeful that our students will return to school sometime in November, but this will be dependent on the numbers in Northeast Wisconsin and with community spread. However, we know the comfort level of families is dependent on student safety and mitigation strategies. In the survey, we are gauging whether your family would feel safe in sending your children back to school at the EC-12th grade level in the hybrid learning scenario with cohorts. We are currently working on plans for K-5, which would include a learning scenario with cohorted students in a hybrid model.

As we begin planning for Semester 2, we are gathering information for planning the FULL ONLINE LEARNING OPTION for second semester.  This survey is to obtain information in planning for a semester transition. This is NOT an official sign up. Future communication will be coming closer to Semester 2. The survey will be open from Nov. 2 to 11, 2020. Please complete the survey for each child.

As a reminder, the current plan for our students is fluid and flexible dependent on the community spread numbers within Northeast Wisconsin, ability to operate the schools with staff and safety of students and staff. Prior to moving toward our current virtual learning (which has been extended to Nov. 13), we were in the following structure (and intend to move back to this format at some point):

K-5 face to face/ virtual OR 6-12 cohort/hybrid/virtual

       4K-Grade 5 (Elementary):  Face to Face with five days in person and early dismissal on Wednesday. 

       Grades 6-8 (Middle School):  Hybrid/Blended model with students attending two days in person in A or B cohort (Monday/Tuesday or Thursday/Friday)  and three days in virtual learning.

       Grades 9-12 (High School):  Hybrid/Blended model via flex mod schedule and students attending two days in person in A or B cohort (Monday/Tuesday or Thursday/Friday) and three days in virtual learning.

In terms of our Full Online Learning Option, we offer the following at Grades K-3 and 4-12:

Grades K-3: 

Students engage with the PCSD curriculum created and facilitated by PCSD teachers. The PCSD teacher facilitates and works with students from across our district in English Language Arts, Math, Science and Social Studies using our district-adopted resources. PCSD teachers create and post course content both synchronous (online at same time) and asynchronous (at own pace), grade student work, communicate with students and provide assistance as needed. Currently, we have two sections of kindergarten and second grade with one section of first grade and third grade. 

Grades 4-12:

Students engage in Acellus curriculum facilitated by four of our PCSD teachers (grades 4-5, 6-7, 8-9 and 11-12 are the breakdowns for the teachers). The PCSD teacher facilitates and works with students in English Language Arts, Math, Science and Social studies and two electives. Our teacher facilitates the learning through the Acellus curriculum and platform by grading, assisting students with questions and doing student progress checks and connections. PCSD teachers do not create course content, but use that of Acellus, which is Common Core Standards aligned. Each teacher will facilitate Acellus for about 50-65 students each at the 4-12 level.

A few general reminders for the PCSD K-12 full online learning programs:

Students are committed to full online learning for the entire semester and are not able to attend school face to face (K-5) or hybrid/blended model (6-12) or move between learning models if opting in.

If outbreaks require students in the face-to-face or hybrid model to move into virtual learning, online learning students will not be able to transition to the districts’ virtual learning. They will continue to learn in their online environment.

If you have any questions about the survey, please email to contactpcsd@pulaskischools.org. Again, please find the link to Online Learning Semester 2 Survey here.

Nov. 2, 2020

Hello PCSD Families,  

As always, it is my sincere hope that all families are doing well and staying healthy at this time. As you know I had outlined a timeline in the extension communication to update you again today, Nov. 2, pertaining to transitioning from the virtual back to a form of face-to-face/hybrid  learning.  At this time, I have a few updates that are important for you to be aware of.

• We are extending the full virtual learning experience through Nov. 13 with a potential push for a cohorted hybrid model at all levels at PCSD (EC-12th grade) to begin Monday, Nov. 16. I am hopeful this will meet the needs of more families while offering a safer and slower way back to how we started the year.  Information on this will come out to families on Tuesday, Nov. 10.
• A survey will be sent to all families today as well.  The survey has two purposes. 1) to gauge PCSD families on our return to school in November AND begin the planning for full online learning for semester 2 for those families who want to continue or opt into that option for learning.
• We continue to transition students into the buildings by various learning needs.  Building principals will continue to reach out to those families over the next two weeks through email to set appointments for your child to come into the buildings for those students that have been identified as needing extra support in learning.
• Our Build a Better Raider (BBR) program is up and running and will continue. 
• Parent Teacher conferences are upcoming over the next 3 weeks.  Your child’s  building has or will reach out with scheduling information. All conferences will be done virtually. 
• We continue to monitor the health of our community.  Please report sickness to your child’s school.  Though our Red Raider Health Report is paused for students at the moment, we are still monitoring the health of our students. Our hotline is available for any questions you may have involving COVID-19. (920-822-6003)
• Stay connected this month and beyond through these unique opportunities:
  • FaceBook live with Big Brothers Big Sisters coming up soon
  • Sign up for a Front Porch Photo opportunity

The communication timeline is as follows:

• Tuesday, Nov. 10:
  • Updates and Information to families about Cohorted Hybrid model at all levels.
• Monday, Nov. 16:
  • Students transition from virtual learning to cohorted hybrid model at all levels  OR remain in the virtual learning model based on district gating criteria.

As always, we encourage you to reach out if you have any questions that you feel we can help you with.  It is our sincere hope that as we continue to bring more students together in smaller groups we will soon be able to have our students back face to face as we did in September.  Please continue to gather safely, wear face coverings and wash hands often.  Our practices outside of school are the key to being able to have students face to face once again.

Stay well,

Allison Space

PCSD Superintendent

Hello PCSD families,  

It is my sincere hope that all families are doing well and staying healthy in this time of virtual learning. As you know I had outlined a timeline in the extension communication to update you on Oct. 26 of transitioning from the virtual. At this time, I have a few updates that are important for you to be aware of.

●      We continue to transition students into the buildings by various learning needs. Building principals will be reaching out to those families this week through email to set appointments for your child to come into the buildings for extra support in learning.

●      Transportation may be provided for your child to take part in these face to face learning times. Breakfast and lunch will also be provided.

●      Our Build a Better Raider program will be reopening this week and information will be available through our athletic department.

●      Parent Teacher conferences are upcoming and information on scheduling those will come to you this week. All conferences will be done virtually.

●      We continue to monitor the health of our community. Please report sickness to your child’s school. Though our Red Raider Health Report is paused for students at the moment, we are still monitoring the health of our students. Our hotline is available for any questions you may have involving COVID-19. (920-822-6003)

●      Stay connected this month and beyond through these unique opportunities

•  FaceBook live with PACE and guests from the community on Oct 28th at noon
• Send in your Trick-or-Treat Halloween photos to be shared across the district
• Sign up for a Front Porch Photo opportunity

●      The communication timeline is as follows:

●      Friday, Oct. 30:

• Review current COVID and staffing data to determine safety of reopening to a hybrid model of instruction. (both face to face and virtual)

●      Monday, Nov. 2:

•  A decision will be made regarding the model of instruction and families will be notified.

●      Monday, Nov. 9:

• Students transition from virtual learning OR remain in the virtual learning model based on district criteria.

As always, we encourage you to reach out if you have any questions that you feel we can help you with. It is our sincere hope that as we continue to bring more students together we will soon be able to have our students back face to face as we did in September. Please continue to gather safely, wear face coverings and wash hands often. Our practices outside of school are the key to being able to have students face to face once again.

Stay well,

Allison Space

PCSD Superintendent

Oct. 16, 2020

Hello PCSD families, 

It is my sincere hope that all families are doing well and staying healthy in this time of closure. As you know, it is our goal to bring students back in a face-to-face learning model. As we keep our students in the center of all of our decisions, it is not yet feasible to do this. Our numbers in our community continue to grow and in consulting with health advisers, the health department and neighboring districts, it is in the best interest of our students and staff to remain in the virtual environment. Remember that in our original closure letter we stated we would assess the health of the community and look at the “bring us back” factors that closed us originally. Those factors are still in the high risk areas for transmission of COVID-19 in schools.

Though the Red Raider Health Report for students is currently paused during the closure period, we still have almost 200 students who have been reported in need of quarantine due to symptoms or a positive test result. At this time, we have 20 staff members who are requiring quarantine.

This letter is to inform you of the extension of the current school closure through Friday, Nov. 6, with an expected return date of Monday, Nov. 9, 2020. We readily acknowledge the frustration that many families are experiencing during this time and we want you to know that many of the factors in bringing our students and staff back to school are out of our control due to the spread of COVID-19. We have received many positive comments about the structure of our virtual learning for this fall closure versus our spring closure. Based on the changes made between the balance of synchronous (live) and asynchronous (self-paced), our student engagement and learning has increased.

We have initiated a process of defining data-based criteria for reopening our schools to in-person learning. A subgroup of the Brown County superintendents will hold its next meeting today, Oct. 16, to define reopening criteria. The superintendents have come to a broad consensus that aligning our dashboards with the same data source is an important first step.

From there, individual districts can define the points at which to shift instructional models in-person or toward virtual learning, as necessary, in response to changing community health conditions.

We understand that virtual learning can bring about stress for planning and so we would like you to have a timeline of communication for future planning.

• Monday, Oct. 26:
  • Communication to families with updates on transition from virtual learning
• Friday, Oct. 30:
  • Review current COVID and staffing data to determine safety of reopening to a hybrid model of instruction. (Both face to face and virtual)
• Monday, Nov. 2:
  •  A decision will be made regarding the model of instruction and families will be notified.
• Monday, Nov. 9:
  • Students transition from virtual learning OR remain in the virtual learning model based on district criteria.

During this virtual learning time, we appreciate the effort you as families have put forth working with your children and our staff. We encourage you to continue to reach out when you need support. As it is our ultimate goal to have all students back to in-person learning, It is our responsibility as a community and as a school district to lead by example. Collectively, by working together to slow the spread of COVID-19, we can focus our efforts on mitigating the spread and remembering we are #RaiderStrong together!

Stay well,

Allison Space

PCSD Superintendent

With the extension of the closure, we want to update you on our meal service moving forward for the next few weeks.  We are coming up on the end of October, and with the end of October, there is no school on Oct. 22 and 23.

To give our staff a much-needed break, we will not serve meals on either Oct. 22 or 23. Meals provided at Sunnyside, Hillcrest and PCMS during the day on Oct. 21 will provide three-days’ worth of meals to cover Oct. 21-23. We will resume our regular curbside service as we have over the last two weeks on Monday, Oct. 26.

Meal service will be available at the following building locations and times for the week of Oct. 19:

• Sunnyside (Main Entrance): Meals available Oct. 19-21 between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
• Hillcrest (Main Entrance): Meals available Oct. 19-21 between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
• PCMS (Door 2): Meals available Oct. 19-21 between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

*Daytime meal pick up on Oct. 21 at the above locations will include three-days’ worth of meals to cover Oct. 22 and 23.

Bulk meals (includes seven-days’ worth of meals) will continue to be available on Wednesday Oct. 21.  Sign-up is required for bulk-meal pick-up and must be completed by noon on Tuesday, Oct. 20.  Complete this form to order meals for pick up on 10.21. 

Meal service will be available at the following building locations and times for the weeks of Oct. 26-30 and Nov. 2-6:

• Sunnyside (Main Entrance): Meals available Monday through Friday, between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
• Hillcrest (Main Entrance): Meals available Monday through Friday, between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
• PCMS (Door 2): Meals available Monday through Friday, between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Bulk meals will continue to be available on Wednesdays, Oct. 28 and Nov. 4, from 3 to 5 p.m. Again, sign up is required for this pick-up option and must be completed by the Tuesday prior no later than noon.  Here is the form for bulk meal sign up.

Thank you,

PCSD Food Services

Due to district closure and move to virtual learning, PCSD has adjusted the district calendar. 

Wednesday, Oct. 21, will be now be a Student Attendance Day Virtually rather than a Professional Development Day with No Students.  Thursday, Oct. 22, and Friday, Oct. 23, will remain as no-school days for students as indicated on the 2020-2021 District Calendar. 

Dear parents, students and staff of the PCSD, 

The health and wellness of our students, families and staff is always a top priority within the Pulaski Community School District.  In response to our ever-changing environment, we have created a hotline to address any questions or concerns related to COVID-19. This will continue to be available throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. We have added the COVID Connections Hotline  (920-822-6003) to our district website.

The hotline is a confidential automated messaging system that will gather information and disseminate it to the appropriate staff member for next steps and follow-up if necessary. 

This hotline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for your convenience. 

Families should call in regards to: 

• Questions regarding exposure protocols, test results and quarantine dates.
• Reporting of positive results. 
• Reporting of an individual with COVID-19 or student who is considered close contact. 
• General COVID related questions.

This information is more important than ever so we can track student’s needs and support our families. This data will be used to help us continue to inform our families with the Raider Health Report and will help us make informed decisions moving forward. 

Stay healthy!

PCSD Student Services

Free Meals to be offered from PCSD Food Services

With news released regarding moving to full virtual learning at this time, we are reminding everyone of our plan for meal service available during the closure.  Meals will be available to all 18 years of age or younger for free.  These meals may be picked up by parents or guardians, children do not need to be present.  All meals need to be taken and consumed off site as there is no congregating at our District buildings during this time.

Meal Service for 9/30, 10/1 and 10/2:

Wednesday, September 30, Hillcrest Elementary will be open for meal pick up from 10:45 am -12:00 pm.  Three days worth of meals will be provided, no meal service will be available at Hillcrest Thursday, October 1st or Friday, October 2nd.

For the remainder of the week where students are not in session (Thursday, October 1st and Friday, October 2nd) meals will be available for curbside pick up at Sunnyside (main entrance) and Pulaski Community Middle School (Door #2).  Meals will be available from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. No sign up is required.

Beginning October 5th, there will be two opportunities to access meals:  

Option one- meal pick up during the day, we will have three meal pick up sites; Hillcrest (main  entrance), Sunnyside (main entrance) and Pulaski Community Middle School (Door #2).  Meals will be available Monday through Friday from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm and no sign up is required.  

Option two- bulk meal distribution once a week on Wednesday afternoon/early evenings from 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm at Pulaski Community Middle School, Door #2. For bulk meal distribution, this form will be required to be completed prior to pick up so we can prepare appropriately 7 days worth of meals will be provided during this time.  Heating instructions will be available on our website for meals to be prepared appropriately at home.  

Again, all meals will be served to kids 18 years of age or younger for free.  If picking up meals during the day, no sign up is required.  If choosing to use our bulk meal distribution, please complete the form prior to pick up.  

PCSD Moves Students to Virtual Learning

Superintendent Allison Space shares a message for moving to full virtual learning. See the video here.

Sept. 28, 2020

PCSD families,

The difficult decision to move all PCSD students to virtual learning has been made. Virtual learning will begin Monday, Oct. 5, and will continue until we have a better idea of the health of our community. The decision was not an easy one and many factors went into making it, including our current community spread of COVID-19, our increasing number of students and staff who are becoming symptomatic or positive, the hospitals being close to capacity as well as the overall safety of our students, staff and community members. A timeline below is included for the transfer to full virtual learning. We do understand the great burden of closing school as families will have to make arrangements for childcare and the adjustment to virtual learning. 

I am so very proud of our students and staff. Opening our doors this fall felt like such an accomplishment. Our plan is still solid, it is just a plan better suited for a time when our community is at a healthier place. Students have done an amazing job of following the safety protocols of mask wearing, hand sanitizing and distancing to the best of their ability. Staff have been upbeat in a time that is less than normal, and I appreciate that. We couldn’t ask for a more dedicated family of educators doing whatever it takes to help all our students. It is now up to the community to work together to stay safer at home, and help mitigate the spread by pulling together so we can recover as a community and return to school. Our goal has always been to have all students back face to face and in our schools. In order for this to happen, we need you to help mitigate the spread by continuing to wear face coverings, physically distance as much as possible, stay home from large gatherings and remain home when sick.  This is up to all of us now.  

Schedule for this week: Elementary Schools

Monday-Wednesday, Sept. 28, 29 and 30: School full day, no early release on Wednesday, Sept. 30

Thursday and Friday  Oct. 1 and  2: No school for students Virtual Planning Days

Monday, Oct. 5-Friday, Oct. 23: All students move to virtual.  

Hillcrest Elementary will continue on the virtual learning schedule this week as planned previously. Following this week, Hillcrest students will be on the district elementary schedule.

Lannoye will not have school on Monday and Tuesday for teacher virtual planning and will move to virtual learning for Wednesday through Friday. Following this week, Lannoye students will be on the district elementary schedule. 

Schedule for this week: Grades 6-12 

Cohort A: Monday and Tuesday

Cohort B: Wednesday, Full Day (This is normally a virtual day for all 6-12 students but Cohort B students would be in attendance and report for a full day of learning and to gather resources for the district closures virtual learning.)

Thursday and Friday,  Oct. 1 and 2: No school for students Virtual Planning Days

Monday, Oct. 5- 23: All students move to virtual.  

Important things to remember moving forward:

Virtual learning will continue through Oct. 23 at minimum and we will re-evaluate at that point by consulting with our local health agencies and our school nurses.  

Please continue to report illness to school while in the virtual learning mode so we can monitor our health levels of students and staff.

Free breakfast and lunch will be served for all students. Communication will be forthcoming this week about pick up times.

Our online learners will continue in their learning platform and program

We will update families about the school calendar regarding Oct. 21 and 22 in the next week or two. 

Specific information pertaining to virtual learning will be sent to you from each building principal. Expectations will be shared again with you regarding virtual learning. Our Technology Department will help troubleshoot as well as provide support with hotspots for learning connectivity for any student/family who needs it.

Co-curriculars and activities at this time will be canceled during the closure time frame.

Again, I would like to thank you for your patience and support for our students and staff during this time, as they are working tirelessly to educate each student every day in whatever platform we are in. What makes PCSD so #RaiderStrong is working together, and the decisions we make in our community will affect how quickly we can get our school doors back open to serve our children face to face. Thank you for that continued Raider attitude!

Stay well!

Allison Space

PCSD Superintendent

A message from the PCSD Food Service Department,

With news from the PCSD administrative offices of Hillcrest Elementary's closure, the Food Service Department will begin offering curbside meal pick-up on Sept. 21, available at Hillcrest Elementary, for the next two weeks. These meals are free for any children 18 years of age or under.

Curbside meal service will be offered two days a week and will provide multiple meals for the week to all children.  Hillcrest curbside meals will be available on Mondays and Wednesdays throughout the building closure: Sept. 21, Sept. 23, Sept. 28 and Sept. 30.

Please see specific details listed below for meal pick-up at Hillcrest Elementary:

Where: Main entrance at Hillcrest Elementary

When: Monday and Wednesday during school closure: Sept. 21, Sept. 23, Sept. 28 and Sept. 30.

Time: Pick up will be available between 10:45 a.m. and noon on dates indicated above

All meals may be picked up for free for any children 18 and younger.  At this time, we are not requiring pre-registration for meals.  Parents and/or guardians are allowed to pick up meals for children.  

Please note, there is no congregating allowed at Hillcrest Elementary when consuming meals.  Meals must be taken offsite to be consumed.  We also remind families of proper food safety when taking meals back home; any food not consumed within 30 minutes of pick-up should be stored in the refrigerator until consumed.  Cook all hot items to a minimum of 165 degrees F and keep all cold items refrigerated below 40 degrees F and above 32 degrees F.

For any additional questions, please contact our offices at 920-822-6009.

Important Information for Lannoye Elementary families.

As we always take the health and well-being of our students and staff seriously, at this time we are implementing a building closure at Lannoye Elementary.  Please read the following information.

Sept. 27, 2020

Dear families,

This letter is to notify you that due to the increased number of positive cases and exposures of COVID-19 at Lannoye Elementary,  the building will be closed from Monday, Sept. 28, through Friday, Oct. 9, 2020.  Classes will resume face to face on Monday, Oct. 12, 2020. This closure will be for 14 days to allow for recovery of all positive cases and quarantined students and staff.  The vital functions of the building can not be carried out without a school closure due to securing staff for multiple positions within the school.

During this 14-day period, we will be moving from a face-to-face learning model to our virtual learning platform.  Virtual learning will begin Wednesday, Sept. 30, and is dependent on the health of our staff. Communication around expectations for virtual learning were shared previously via district communication.  Jen Sommers, Lannoye principal,  will share more information about the specifics for virtual learning with you on Tuesday, Sept. 29.   

We are actively working with the overseeing health department to quickly identify, notify, and quarantine any students or staff who may have come into close contact with them and who may be at risk of getting sick. This notice is part of our current District plan to mitigate risks for our students, staff, and families.  While exposure to COVID-19 can occur in any community setting, it is important for families to know when there has been a medium risk exposure brought into the school setting. Notification and information helps us continue to be diligent in our efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19 in our schools and community.    

If your child had close contact with the individual who tested positive for COVID-19, you will receive a separate letter with special instructions about monitoring symptoms, quarantining, testing, and how to keep others in your home from getting sick. The school nurse or the local health department will be contacting you with additional information. Close contact is defined by DHS as "living with an individual who is positive for COVID, coming in contact with respiratory secretions of an infected individual (coughed/sneezed on, shared glasses/food/personal items), having physical contact with an infected individual, or being within 6 feet of an infected individual for more than 15 minutes’. If you are notified as a close contact, someone from the overseeing health department may reach out to you with questions. Please assist them as they work to investigate and control COVID-19 in our school. 

The symptoms of COVID-19 are similar to the regular seasonal influenza and include fever, coughing, and shortness of breath. Some have reported additional symptoms, such as a runny nose, sore throat, nausea, lethargy, lack of appetite, vomiting, and diarrhea. Parents of students exhibiting flu-like symptoms or staff exhibiting flu-like symptoms are asked to contact their healthcare provider for further guidance.

We are closely monitoring this situation and will provide you with updates as we know more. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact the District Offices at 920-822-6001.

Sincerely,

Allison Space, Superintendent

Pulaski Community School District

Dear families,

This letter is to notify you that due to the increased number of positive cases and exposures of COVID-19, PCSD 4K programming located at Peaceful Beginnings, will be closed from Monday, Sept. 21  through Friday, Oct. 2, 2020. 4K will resume face to face on Monday, Oct. 5, 2020. This will be a 14-day closure to allow for recovery of all positive cases and quarantined students and staff. The vital functions of the 4K programming can not be carried out without a classroom closure.

During this 14-day period we will provide learning opportunities for the 4K students. We will be mailing the 4K packets learning to begin Thursday, Sept. 24, but this will depend on the health of our staff. Students that receive special education services such as speech and language programming will receive a phone call from the therapist within the next few days to set up virtual services at this time.

We are actively working with the overseeing health department to quickly identify, notify, and quarantine any students or staff who may have come into close contact with them and who may be at risk of getting sick. This notice is part of our current District plan to mitigate risks for our students, staff, and families. While exposure to COVID-19 can occur in any community setting, it is important for families to know when there has been a medium risk exposure brought into the school setting. Notification and information helps us continue to be diligent in our efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19 in our schools and community.

If your child had close contact with the individual who tested positive for COVID-19, you will receive a separate letter with special instructions about monitoring symptoms, quarantining, testing, and how to keep others in your home from getting sick. The school nurse or the local health department will be contacting you with additional information. Close contact is defined by DHS as "living with an individual who is positive for COVID, coming in contact with respiratory secretions of an infected individual (coughed/sneezed on, shared glasses/food/personal items), having physical contact with an infected individual, or being within 6 feet of an infected individual for more than 15 minutes". If you are notified as a close contact, someone from the overseeing health department may reach out to you with questions. Please assist them as they work to investigate and control COVID-19 in our school.

The symptoms of COVID-19 are similar to the regular seasonal influenza and include fever, coughing, and shortness of breath. Some have reported additional symptoms, such as a runny nose, sore throat, nausea, lethargy, lack of appetite, vomiting, and diarrhea. Parents of students exhibiting flu-like symptoms or staff exhibiting flu-like symptoms are asked to contact their healthcare provider for further guidance

We are closely monitoring this situation and will provide you with updates as we know more. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact the District Offices at 920-822-6001.

Sincerely,

Allison Space, Superintendent

Pulaski Community School District

Dear Families,

This letter is to notify you that due to the increased number of positive cases and exposures of COVID-19 at Hillcrest Elementary, the building will be closed from Monday, Sept. 21, through Friday, Oct. 2, 2020. Classes will resume face to face on Monday, Oct. 5, 2020. This closure will be for a 14-day quarantine to allow for recovery of all positive cases and quarantined students and staff. The vital functions of the building cannot be carried out without a school closure, as we are unable to secure subs.

During this 14-day period, we will be moving from a face-to-face learning model to our virtual learning platform. We anticipate virtual learning to begin Wednesday, Sept. 23, but this will depend on the health of our staff. Communication around expectations for virtual learning were shared previously. Kris Wells, Hillcrest principal, will share more information about the specifics for virtual learning with you early next week.

We are actively working with the overseeing health department to quickly identify, notify, and quarantine any students or staff who may have come into close contact with them and who may be at risk of getting sick. This notice is part of our current District plan to mitigate risks for our students, staff and families. While exposure to COVID-19 can occur in any community setting, it is important for families to know when there has been a medium risk exposure brought into the school setting. Notification and information helps us continue to be diligent in our efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19 in our schools and community.

If your child had close contact with the individual who tested positive for COVID-19, you will receive a separate letter with special instructions about monitoring symptoms, quarantining, testing, and how to keep others in your home from getting sick. The school nurse or the local health department will be contacting you with additional information. Close contact is defined by DHS as "living with an individual who is positive for COVID, coming in contact with respiratory secretions of an infected individual (coughed/sneezed on, shared glasses/food/personal items), having physical contact with an infected individual, or being within 6 feet of an infected individual for more than 15 minutes". If you are notified as a close contact, someone from the overseeing health department may reach out to you with questions. Please assist them as they work to investigate and control COVID-19 in our school.

The symptoms of COVID-19 are similar to the regular seasonal influenza and include fever, coughing, and shortness of breath. Some have reported additional symptoms, such as a runny nose, sore throat, nausea, lethargy, lack of appetite, vomiting, and diarrhea. Parents of students exhibiting flu-like symptoms or staff exhibiting flu-like symptoms are asked to contact their healthcare provider for further guidance.

We are closely monitoring this situation and will provide you with updates as we know more. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact the District Offices at 920-822-6001.

Sincerely,

Allison Space, Superintendent

Pulaski Community School District

PCSD parents and staff,

The Red Raider Health Report has been updated.

The district will be posting the Red Raider Health Report to share the most current information about our students and staff.

Please check this out at https://www.pulaskischools.org/reopening/red-raider-health-report

Nicole Borley  

Director of Student Services 

Title IX Coordinator

Pulaski Community School District

Hello, Pulaski Community School District families, 

We are sending out our family resource guide, once again, with our September resources for families. 

As we continue to come across new information and resources, we will communicate those items to our families.  If there are specific topics you'd like addressed or specific resources you're interested in, please do not hesitate to reach out. 

Once again, we are all in this together and thank you for all of your support in reopening our schools safely physically and emotionally.  Stay #RaiderStrong

SEL Family Resource

Lara Kuchenbecker 

Assistant Director of Student Services 

lbkuchenbecker@pulaskischools.org 

920-822-6026

Good morning, 

Late Monday afternoon, the USDA issued a press release titled, “USDA extends free meals for kids through December 31st, 2020.”

According to the press release;

“USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is extending a suite of nationwide waivers for the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and Seamless Summer Option (SSO) through the end of 2020, or until available funding runs out. This includes:

• Allowing SFSP and SSO meals to be served in all areas and at no cost;
•  Permitting meals to be served outside of the typically-required group settings and meal times;
•  Waiving meal pattern requirements as necessary; and
• Allowing parents and guardians to pick-up meals for their children.

Collectively, these flexibilities ensure meal options for children continue to be available so children can access meals under all circumstances. USDA is taking this unprecedented action to respond to the needs of its stakeholders, who have shared concerns about continuing to reach those in need without enlisting the help of traditional summer sites located throughout communities across the U.S. While there have been some well-meaning people asking USDA to fund this through the entire 2020-2021 school year, we are obligated to not spend more than is appropriated by Congress.”

What this means for PCSD is that all meals served to students including breakfast and lunch will be free of charge beginning Sept. 1 and going through Dec. 31, 2020, or until funding runs out. Meals will be counted and recorded at our Point of Sale Cashier stations as students come through, but they will be free of charge. Meals picked up curbside by online learners or families will also be free of charge to anyone 18 and under.

Other important notes:

• Students must select a full complete meal for breakfast or lunch to be free.
• If a student brings a cold lunch and would like to purchase a milk, that milk will be 35 cents. For a meal to be free, the student will need to choose a complete breakfast and lunch. 
• Meals will be free to those students learning in person or online learners. Online learners may pick up free meals at Door #2 at PCMS Monday-Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. If picking up meals curbside, please complete our Google Meal order form that was previously sent out.

Other program offerings outside of breakfast and lunch:

• Snack Milk: We will continue to have Wisconsin School Day Milk available to students in K-5, however this program will still be charged based on your child’s payment status (Free/Reduced/Paid).
• A la Carte Sales: Limited a la carte sales will be available at PCMS and PHS only and will be expanded as the school year progresses. 

Please remember we are asking students to limit cash on hand transactions. We will still accept cash, however, we are asking these be kept to a minimum. 

Feel free to reach out to our Food Service Offices for any additional information at 920-822-6009.

Caitlin Harrison, NDTR

PCSD Food Service Director 

District parents and staff,

Due to Governor Tony Ever’s state-wide mandate for face coverings and additional requests for online learning, the Pulaski Community School District has extended the window to opt in for online learning to 5 p.m. Aug. 7.  In order to opt-in, you must complete the form in Skyward for each child you intend to opt-in for our full online learning.  There are no exceptions to missing the deadline or not completing the Skyward form for each child.  PCSD will be on a tight timeline to adjust district staffing, hire online teachers, change class lists, rebuild master schedules, obtain licenses for the online learning program, roster students in the program, course selection for students and provide quality training for staff for the online learning program. 

As a reminder the current plan for our return to school is as follows but will need to be flexible and fluid with guidance from the Department of Health Services and Department of Public Instruction:

• 4K-Grade 5 (Elementary): Face to Face with five days in person and early dismissal on Wednesday.  4K will not have an option to opt in
• Grades 6-8 (Middle School): Hybrid/Blended model with students attending 2 days in person in A or B cohort (Monday/Tuesday or Thursday/Friday)  and three days in virtual learning
• Grades 9-12 (High School): Hybrid/Blended model via flex mod schedule and students attending 2 days in person in A or B cohort (Monday/Tuesday or Thursday/Friday)  and three days in virtual learning

In terms of the Full Online Learning Option, we are able to provide specific information on what the program will look like for your child’s grade level.

Grades K-2: 

Students will engage with the PCSD curriculum created and facilitated by PCSD teachers.  The PCSD teacher will facilitate and work with students from across our district in English Language Arts,  Math, Science and Social Studies using our district-adopted resources.  PCSD teachers will create and post course content both synchronous (online at same time) and asynchronous (at own pace), grade student work, communicate with students and provide assistance as needed. Currently, there will be a section of Kindergarten, first grade and second grade, each with their own PCSD teacher.  The teacher will be from our current staffing and will cover all students who have signed up for online learning from across all five elementary schools. This will look similar to Spring virtual learning with changes based on feedback from Spring.

Grades 3-5:

Students will engage in Acellus curriculum facilitated by one of our PCSD teachers.  The PCSD teacher will facilitate and work with students from across our district in English Language Arts,  Math, Science and Social Studies and two specials of your choice (Foundations of Music, Discover Spanish and/or Introduction to Coding).  Our teacher will facilitate the learning through the Acellus curriculum and platform by grading, assisting students with questions and doing student progress checks and connections.  PCSD teachers will not be creating course content, but will be using that of Acellus which is Common Core Standards aligned.  The learning of students in grades 3-5 will be facilitated by one PCSD teacher.  This will look different from Spring virtual learning as it will be more self-directed and self-paced.

Grade 6-12:

Students will engage in Acellus curriculum facilitated by two of our PCSD teachers.  The PCSD teacher will facilitate and work with students from the middle and high school in English Language Arts,  Math, Science and Social studies and two electives of the student’s choice.  Our teacher will facilitate the learning through the Acellus curriculum and platform by grading, assisting students with questions and doing student progress checks and connections.  PCSD teachers will not be creating course content, but will be using that of Acellus which is Common Core Standards aligned.  Each teacher will facilitate Acellus for about 50 students each.

General reminders for the PCSD K-12 full online learning programs:

• Students are committed to full online learning for the entire semester and are not able to attend school face to face (K-5) or hybrid/blended model (6-12) or move between learning models until the start of the semester 2.
• If outbreaks require students in the face to face or hybrid model to move into virtual learning, online learning students will not be able to transition to the districts’ virtual learning. They will continue to learn in their online environment.
• Students will make a decision for Semester 2 of the 2020-21 school year at a later date.
• Students will be able to use their district issued iPad for online learning.  Insurance for the iPad device for full online learning will be $25 per device or may be declined with the family assuming 100 percent of the repair cost if the device is damaged or broken.  This can be paid as part of the online registration process.
• Attendance, participation and accountability checks will be enforced.  If checks are not favorable, this could result in failure of the course, partial repayment of the Acellus program or ineligibility for further online options.

Here are options for PCSD families which must be completed by 5 p.m. Friday, Aug. 7:

1. If your plans are for your child(ren) to return to school in the fall in either the face to face model (4K-5) or hybrid/blended model (6-12), then you need not do anything. Your child will be returning to school in the model that is suitable for attendance on Sept. 1, 2020
2. If during the last opt in window you completed the Skyward form and you want to continue with the full online learning you also don’t need to do anything.  You can check in Skyward to be sure that you completed the form during the last window.
3. If you opted in for online learning during the last window and you no longer wish for your child to do the full online learning and plan to do the face to face option (4K-5) or hybrid/blended learning you need to notify Sandy Boring, Technology Administrative Assistant  at sjboring@pulaskischools.org.
4. If you are opting in for full online learning during this extended window, you must complete the  Skyward form (no exceptions will be allowed) for each child(ren) you are agreeing that will be attending the Pulaski Community School District through the full online learning program.

If you have any questions or concerns on the plans not answered in our Reopening Schools FAQ, please email to contactpcsd@pulaskischools.org.