Dear Zizzer Students, Parents, & Staff,

The year 2020 has been challenging and full of change, but I am proud of how our students have successfully navigated this uncharacteristically trying time. I also commend our parents, and dedicated faculty and staff who ensure that our children's education continues. Thank you.  

I am excited to welcome all of our students back on January 4, 2021, for a full five-day learning environment. When we enter the spring semester, we will continue the measures that have helped minimize the risks to our community: required face coverings for grades 5-12, hand-washing, temperature checks, restricted visitors, and social distancing. The significant changes impacting day to day operation are:

• If a building has a positive case on campus during school hours, but all parties (positive case and close contacts) involved have masks on, the close contacts do not have to be quarantined from school. Students will no longer miss school based on being a close contact while in school. However, the student will be quarantined from everything other than the school day, including extracurricular activities. 

• In addition, the Howell County Health Department has decided not to modify the length of quarantine from 14 days to the possibility of 7 days with a negative test. The positivity rate in our community currently remains too high. More information on this topic will be released as it comes available. 

• Social distancing on the school bus cannot be guaranteed.  Due to this fact, all students are required to wear a face covering while riding the school bus.  

For more information on the Spring Semester Students Return to School Plan, click here. 

Thank you for your continued support, and should you have any further questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me by calling 256-6155. We look forward to seeing you back on campus in January! 

Happy Holidays,

Lori Wilson
Superintendent of Schools
West Plains School District

The West Plains School District plans for grades 7-12 to return to school in traditional, 5 day seated classes on January 4, 2020. (pending additional guidance, COVID cases in the area, etc.) Grades 7-12 will continue learning in the hybrid model through the end of the first semester. Grades PreK-6 will continue to learn in a 5 day seated classroom environment. The district is continuing to work through preparations, but the following information is available. If additional changes are made, the district will update parents and staff as soon as possible. 

2nd Semester Reentry Information 

1. No changes are being made for grades PreK-4 at this time. PreK-4 students are not required to mask, will continue to attend school as normal, and social distance as much as possible.
   
   
2. Grades 5-12 will remain masked, and the current opt-out mask clause will change. Only students with a medical excuse or those with disabilities can opt-out of wearing a mask. Because social distancing will be difficult with all of our students on campus, the district will strictly enforce masking policies.  Masks will be required on all busses.  Specific information regarding masks has been provided here.
   
   
3. The significant change impacting day to day operation is the change to quarantine requirements for students during the school day. If a building has a positive case on campus during school hours, but all parties (positive case and close contacts) involved have masks on, the close contacts do not have to be quarantined from school. Students will no longer miss school based on being a close contact while in school.
   
   
4. The exception to quarantine is only relevant to the school day.  If a student is a close contact at school, but all parties involved were masked, the student may still come to school assuming they have no symptoms. However, the student will be quarantined from anything other than the school day, including extracurricular activities. The only quarantine exception is the student can attend school during regular school hours.
   
   
5. All buildings will continue to take temperatures of students and staff before entering the building.
   
   
6. Entry into schools will continue to be restricted to staff and students. Other visitors and volunteers must receive pre-approval from the principal and must wear a mask.
   
   
7. For parents and students who wish to continue or enroll in virtual/online classes, please visit www.zizzers.org. 

Thank you for your continued support, and should you have any further questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me by calling 256-6155.

Sincerely,

Lori Wilson
Superintendent of Schools
West Plains School District

Dear Zizzer Families & Employees,

Last week Governor Mike Parson, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), and the Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) announced the state made a change to the quarantine guidelines for schools. The full press release can be read HERE, but in essence, those who are properly wearing a mask during their exposure to a person who has tested positive to COVID19 may be exempt from quarantine. The district is still working through the guidelines, but the following update is available:

1. District procedures will remain the same through the end of this semester, with 7-12 grades remaining hybrid.
2. Masking rules will not change at this time. More information on the masking rules can be found at www.zizzers.org/returntolearn.

Spring Semester Return to Learn Update

Currently, the district plans for all grades to return to school in regular seated classes on January 4, 2020. (pending additional guidance, COVID cases in the area, etc.) 

1. Grades 5-12 will remain masked, and the current opt-out mask clause will change. Only students with a medical excuse or those with disabilities can opt-out of wearing a mask.
2. To comply with the quarantine guidance, specific information regarding masks has been provided here.
3. No changes are being made for grades PreK-4 at this time. PreK-4 students are not required to mask, will continue to attend school as normal, and social distance as much as possible.
   

Faculty & Staff Quarantine Assurances 

With the support of the Howell County Health Department, the board approved changes to the current faculty return to work procedures and will be made effective immediately. If a district employee has been in close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 or the 48 hours prior to symptoms and has been quarantined by the Howell County Health Department:

• District employees must stay home for five days (120 hours) and then must receive a negative test to return to work. If the employee provides documentation of a negative test, they may return to work but must wear a mask for the 14 days after exposure. The procedure does not change for faculty and staff who test positive for COVID-19 or are presumed positive.  
• Return to Work Expectations 14 days after exposure.

•       Remain masked at all times, no exceptions
•       Will eat/drink in isolation (non-group or co-worker settings)
•       Come to work and leave work at prescribed times.
•       Perform daily personal home wellness checks
•       Perform two (2) temperature checks with the building nurse
•       Will isolate immediately if demonstrate any COVID-19 related symptoms.
•       If symptoms appear, the employee must remain at home.

Thank you for your continued support, and should you have any further questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me by calling 256-6155 or by email at lori.wilson@zizzers.org.

Sincerely,

Lori Wilson
Superintendent of Schools
West Plains School District

Beginning Monday, June 1, the West Plains School District’s Bus Stop Meal Service will change to Grab & Go Pickup only. Meals will be distributed from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Monday through Thursday with double meals on Thursday. The distribution locations are OMC Thrift Store, high school tennis courts, United Freewill Baptist Church parking lot (Lanton Road), and the South Fork Elementary parking lot.

The meal service is open to all children 18 years of age and under. No ID or paperwork is required to participate. The program is designed to ensure students have access to healthy meals while school is not in session.

The West Plains School District and Missouri schools faced unprecedented times this spring with Covid-19. For the first time in history, we closed our doors for almost one quarter of the year, in accordance with state and city guidelines. Despite the challenges presented, we educated our students to the best of our ability through distance learning. We accomplished this by providing paper Learning Plans due to technology limitations for many of our students and teachers in our area. This is not the way we would like to educate our students going forward in case we face another challenge of this nature. We have been tasked by the Missouri Commissioner of Education to make contingency plans for next year and to develop an alternative method of instruction in case it’s needed. This is a state mandate for public schools, not an option, but I’d like to emphasize the district plans for students to return to school in the fall and operate as close to normal as we can. We need to plan for the worst-case scenario while remaining optimistic for the best.

Several people have asked about using mobile phones in distance learning since most students have access to smartphones. However, the educational curriculum provided by third party companies utilizes a tablet, notebook, or desktop format that does not translate to the operating system used by phones. Therefore, access to Chromebooks or similar devices is necessary. 

For students to receive distance instruction during the next school year due to Covid-19 or any other unforeseeable circumstance, all students need to have access to a device. The terminology is called 1:1, meaning each student will have a device to enhance learning. For several years, our younger students have been utilizing devices which were purchased through federal funds that covered only elementary and middle school students. We are using a portion of the CARES funding we will receive to purchase 1,100 devices for our high school students, who have not previously had access to individual devices. We are also using this money to upgrade our infrastructure and teacher devices.

Unfortunately, access to reliable Wi-Fi is a very real problem in this area and affects students, teachers, and parents. We have purchased hotspots for some of our teachers because we have had to continue services for some students via online meetings. If we need to have a hybrid model of instruction next year, online and seated, we need to find ways to make Wi-Fi accessible for our students. We are currently upgrading Wi-Fi coverage to cover all our parking lots. We are investigating placing Wi-Fi on the busses and parking them throughout our district so our students can access the internet when they are within range. We are purchasing hotspots for our teachers and students to use, but some do not live in areas where hotspots will work to access Wi-Fi.

As we worked on these challenges, we identified our task as “Learning Reimagined,” with the tagline “Learning Forward. Future Ready.” This does not change our commitment to traditional education, but rather gives our students and teachers the tools for an equitable education should we be forced to move to an online format due to Covid 19. Going forward, we are focusing on three goals: create educational equity for our students; provide professional development for our teachers to use technology as an instructional tool and as our method of instruction if we are forced to close school again this fall, and teach digital citizenship to each of our students.

Because of continuing COVID-19 restrictions, we will not have seated summer school in June, and are working on piloting an online summer school. This will provide an opportunity for our teachers to develop online lessons which will allow instructions to our students through technology. The district is continuing to evaluate if a traditional seated summer school will be an option in July as we monitor state and municipal reopening guidelines.

Finally, I wish to comment on the Missouri School Board Association (MSBA) guidelines for the fall, which are concerning, but let’s keep in mind this situation continues to develop. Quite a few of MSBA’s suggestions are not feasible for most schools, such as drastically limiting the number of students on busses, and limits on athletics, choir, band, and other group activities. I want to assure you we have no intention of discontinuing band, choir, extracurricular activities, etc. The district is committed to educating our students, and we will continue to keep community patrons aware of the district’s response to the Covid-19 challenges. Thank you for your continued support, and should you have any further questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me by calling 256-6155 or by email at lori.wilson@zizzers.org.

Sincerely,

Lori Wilson
Superintendent of Schools
West Plains School District

UPDATE 4.9.2020 3:00 p.m. - Based on an order from the Missouri Governor, Mike Parson, the West Plains School District will be closed for the remainder of the school year. The district will continue to provide 5 Day Learning Plans in an effort to meet the educational needs of our students. We appreciate the support of our community and the support of our parents as your child completes learning plans throughout the rest of our calendar year. More information will be released at a later date.

 Bus Stop Meal Service & Grab-and-Go Food Pickup

****Please note: In observance of the holiday weekend, the district will not distribute meals on Friday, April 10, or Monday, April 13. To ensure children will receive meals for Friday, two breakfasts and two lunches will be provided on Thursday through our Bus Stop Meal Service and Grab-and-Go Pickup. No meals will be served on Monday, April 13. Meal services will resume as normal on Tuesday, April 14.

All children 18 and under can receive meals through our Bus Stop Meal Service & Grab-and-Go Food Pickup. The meals will be in one bag and delivered between 9:45 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. (Please visit www.zizzers.org for the exact times and locations for your children). If you are unsure of your delivery location or have issues obtaining meals from the bus stops, please call the district transportation office at 256-7525.

Bridges

The Bridges Program is closed Friday, April 10, and Monday, April 13. The program will reopen on Tuesday, April 14, from 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. at 1013 North College Street (across from the district transportation department). Bridges helps to provide for families in need of food and hygiene items.

 5 Day Learning Plans

The next round of 5 Day Learning Plans will be available via email and accessible online (www.zizzers.org) on Tuesday, April 14. For parents and students, without access to email or the internet, the learning plans will be available at each building on Wednesday, April 15. Please see the times below for individual building pickup.

West Plains Elementary

• 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

South Fork Elementary

• 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

West Plains Middle School

• 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

West Plains High School

• 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

West Plains High School Grades, Graduation, Prom, and Scheduling Information

I would like to begin by saying I hope you all are safe and sound during these tough times.  I hope to provide you with some important information on a weekly basis until we return to normal operations.  Our High School faculty has worked very hard to continue to provide learning opportunities for our students.  Hopefully this newsletter will address questions you may have currently.  If I can be assistance to you, please do not hesitate to reach out to me, my email is below.  To all you students: I want you to know we miss you all very much. 

Dr. Jack Randolph

Principal

jack.randolph@zizzers.org

Continued Learning Opportunities

Because of the recent and local Covid19 developments, the next round of 5 Day Learning Plans will only be available by logging into Zizzers.org and clicking on the COVID 19 tab. The 5 Day Learning Plans can be downloaded beginning Tuesday, April 14.  For parents and students, without access to email or the internet, the packets will available for pickup on Wednesday, April 15 at the high school from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.   Packets will be picked up on the following dates, times and locations:

• Wednesday 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
• Those students with last names starting A-M at the front entrance of the High School
• Those students with names starting with N-Z at entrance B behind the building near the cafeteria.  Please enter through the bus lot on Howell
• Thursday 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.  All those who have not pick up packets will be able to pick their materials up from the front entrance (this will be all remaining regardless of alphabet).

Signs will be placed on Howell directing parents where to go.

Parents or students will pull up and the attendant will get the student(s) name/ names. Please stay in your vehicle and we will deliver your packet(s) to you. Be patient with us during busy times we will work to get your student packets to you as quickly as possible.

Students
There have been many questions regarding the learning plans, and will these be counted toward an overall grade?  The answer is that these packets can only improve a student’s grade and cannot hurt the student’s semester grade.  We are encouraging all students to complete the plans.  Because learning does not stop just because we are not in the high school building.  The work from the plans can be turned in different ways:  the drop box that will be placed in front of the High School office by Monday afternoon, emailed back to the teacher, screen shot of the work and sent back to the teacher or scanned and emailed back to the teacher.  Students who cannot print off packets can write out the responses on notebook paper and turn them in the drop box or via screen shot or scan. 

Students who have a deficient grade in an elective class will be contacted by their teachers and will be given the option of doing additional work to improve their grade in that course. In the event the student has not been contacted by the elective teacher by April 10 please contact the office.  Students check your grades if you would like to see your grades improve complete the packet in the core area and in the case of an elective email your instructor.

If you would like to request a hard copy of your learning plan, please email Dr. Randolph at jack.randolph@zizzers.org

Prom and Graduation

Because of the city ordinance limiting gatherings of 10 people or more, we are unable to host our Prom and graduation on the original dates of April 18th and May 8th.  We know both events are very special, so we have moved the dates to June.  Prom will be held on Friday, June 5 at the West Plains Civic Center Exhibit Hall from 8:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. Graduation will be held on Saturday, June 6 at the West Plains Civic Center at 7:00 p.m.

Jostens Graduation Orders:

With the postponement of graduation to June 6 we will be working with Jostens to get graduates their cap and gown orders sometime in May.

Summa Cum Laude Banquet

At present we will postpone the Summa Cum Laude Banquet until further notice we hope to reschedule to a later date.

Senior Make-up hours

Due to the “stay at home” order and the closure of district facilities and on-campus activities until at least April 24th, a decision has been made to forgive all attendance hours that were owed.  This means that any 9-12 grade level student who had hours to make-up will not be required to do so.  Seniors will have all remaining hours forgiven and will be allowed to participate at the Graduation ceremony.

A+ Program for Class of 2020 Seniors

In response to multiple school closures as a result of the COVID-19 virus, the Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development is issuing the following guidance for 2020 high school seniors’ A+ Scholarship eligibility. This guidance is temporary and only applies to 2020 seniors. All other high school students will be required to meet the A+ Scholarship requirements outlined in Section 160.545, RSMo and the A+ administrative rule, 6 CSR 10- 2.190.

1. Grade Point Average. To be eligible for the A+ Scholarship, students must graduate from high school with a 2.5 cumulative grade point average. Since school closures may negatively impact seniors’ spring 2020 GPA and thus the cumulative GPA at graduation, 2020 seniors who have a 2.5 cumulative grade point average at the end of either the fall 2019 or spring 2020 semesters will be eligible.
2. 50 Hours of Unpaid Tutoring/Mentoring. The A+ Scholarship requires students to complete 50 hours of unpaid tutoring or mentoring. For the 2020 seniors, the number of tutoring/mentoring hours has been reduced temporarily to 25 to accommodate those students who are unable to complete 50 hours prior to high school graduation. The high school’s A+ policy should outline acceptable methods of meeting this requirement. Schools may add temporary exceptions to their policies, or permanently amend their policies, to allow for a broader range of ways for students to complete their tutoring/mentoring hours. In addition, high schools may utilize the six-month exceptional circumstances provision outlined in the administrative rule for 2020 seniors who are unable to complete 25 hours prior to graduation.
3. Algebra I EOC. DHEWD is working with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to develop guidance about how this provision might be affected and will provide that guidance as soon as it is available.

There are no deviations from standard policy for the following eligibility criteria:

95% Attendance. Students must have 95% attendance overall for grades 9-12 as calculated per the high school’s A+ policy. The attendance percentage is based on the total coursework in which the student was and is enrolled in at the high school, regardless of the delivery method. High schools have always had, and continue to have, the ability to take student health issues into account when calculating attendance for A+ Scholarship purposes through an appeal process. In this unprecedented situation, schools may develop a written blanket policy for calculating attendance for the spring 2020 semester rather than requiring individual student appeals. Any blanket policy must be applied consistently to all A+ students.

Attend an A+-designated high school for two years. Students must attend an A+ high school for at least two years. As a reminder, students must be enrolled in at least 80% of the instructional days included in the two-year period to meet this requirement. This requirement is separate from the 95% attendance requirement, which must also be met.

Any other information may be obtained by going to the following website:

https://dhewd.mo.gov/ppc/grants/aplusscholarship.php

End of Course Exams:

All Missouri standardized tests have been canceled for the 2019-2020 school year. Any senior who has not taken a required EOC for graduation have been exempted from those requirements. Any other student enrolled in a class that had an EOC associated with it, will also be exempted from those exams.

Note: Seniors who did not take and pass the Missouri and US Constitution exams are exempt from those graduation requirements.

Message for the Senior class of 2020

Seniors, I am sorry that you are missing out on the complete “senior year experience.” I know that for many of you spring sports season is very important and you have worked hard to prepare for a complete season.  I also know that many of you have worked very hard for the various state contests in Choir, Band, Theatre, Speech and Debate, FFA, and so many other springtime activities.   Hopefully we will be able to salvage a part of the remaining sports and activities season if we return to school. You are also missing out on walking the halls with your friends and seeing your teachers, coaches and other staff members who care so much about you.  I want you all to know we are committed to you and doing everything we can to provide you with a graduation ceremony in June.  I also want you to know I appreciate all of you and I want you all to your best to pass all your classes and finish Zizzer Strong!  Remember Zizzers are special and Zizzerland is a special place!  Take care and be safe, if you need something please reach out to me at jack.randolph@zizzers.org.  Miss you all the class of 2020.

Counseling Office Information

LAUNCH, AP and Dual Credit Classes:

Any student enrolled in these courses should be in direct contact with their teacher. Their policies still apply, and each student must fulfill their requirements. If at any point you have an internet issue or difficulty communicating with your instructor, please reach out to Ms. Fox.

2020-2021 Schedules:

The counselors are working on scheduling for the 20-21 school year. If you have not submitted your requests for courses, please email those to your respective counselor. If you are an incoming 9^th grader, make sure that you have completed your enrollment paperwork and email your schedule requests to your counselor (listed below). We will reach out via email or phone with questions, if any arise. If you have not submitted your enrollment paperwork, please call the enrollment office (417-255-8676 ) or email amy.ross@zizzers.org or tracy.whisnant@zizzers.org and they will schedule a time to gather enrollment paperwork from you.

Naviance:

All 9^th- 12^th grade students have access to Naviance, our college and career readiness website. It is located on the school website under the parent resources tab (https://student.naviance.com/westplains). Naviance has tons of career and college information on it. It also has ACT test prep. This is a great time to study ACT. You will log in with your student id number (not email, as the screen says) and your unique password. Seniors, this is where you will find all scholarship applications and deadlines. This is also the site you will use to request transcripts be sent. We do all of this electronically, so you need to request them through Naviance.

If you have not logged in since January, your password has been reset by Naviance. Email Ms. Mefford (collegeadviser@zizzers.org) to get your temporary password.

Senior Scholarships:

Seniors, there are still several scholarship applications available. They are all listed on Naviance, with the application. Completed applications can be mailed directly to the donor or to Ms. Fox. Ms. Fox will submit all completed scholarships to their respective committees.  If you choose to submit scholarships to Ms. Fox, please email them the day before the posted deadline, so they can be signed, printed and delivered on time.

Send a list of all awarded scholarships to Ms. Fox before May 1. Please send all institution awards, local scholarships, any scholarship money you have received. Also, please let her know the college you have chosen to attend.

At this time Class Day will not be held. However, Ms. Fox is working on a way to celebrate all your successes and honors. Please send the requested information so this celebration will be complete.

Please reach out to your respective counselor with any questions.

Counselors:

Raegan Fox (Last Name A-F) raegan.fox@zizzers.org

Whitney Orchard (Last Name G-O) whitney.orchard@zizzers.org

Jennifer Edgeller (Last Name P-Z) jennifer.edgeller@zizzers.org

Extracurricular Activities and Sports:

All activities and sports are postponed indefinitely, once school resumes, a plan for activities will be developed.  Retuning students please remain diligent with completing and passing your spring semester classes so your next year eligibility for fall MSHSAA activities will remain intact.

Career Center News

• We have had several students and parents calling regarding certification exams.  At this moment, we are not planning to have any special sittings for exams prior to the lifting of the stay at home order.  DESE has also granted an extension until August 31^st for these exams.  Once the order has been lifted, we will reach out to seniors about testing options.  This will be voluntary on the student’s part.  There is one potential exception to this decision: we have received permission from the Department of Health & Senior Services and the City of West Plains to test seniors in the CNA program.  Mrs. Wheeler and Mrs. Heidy are working with to determine if we can test those seniors in small groups in our lab.  They will coordinate with students if we are able to accomplish this testing.  This exception was granted due to the need for healthcare personnel.  Of course, if the stay at home order is lifted and we return to school, testing in the other programs would be done prior to the end of the year.
• We do not plan to send students packets or other work from home activities for SCCC courses.  The nature of our classes is such that the hands-on portion dominates what the students need to be doing this time of year. 
• If we do not return this school year, all seniors that were in good standing when we left for spring break will receive an SCCC completion certificate.  If a senior was not in good standing (grade and attendance), teachers will be reviewing those deficiencies and Mrs. Holloway will get in touch with the sending school counselor.
• If we do not return this school year, we will make arrangements for all students to get their “personal” items from SCCC (such as welding helmets, etc.).

Meals and Bridges Program:

Lunch distribution is still being performed by bus delivery on normal routes, The West Plains School District and our food service provider OPAA will continue to serve meals to ALL children 18 and under. Every child will have the opportunity to have breakfast and lunch delivered at their regular bus stop, Monday through Friday. The meals will be in one bag and delivered between 9:45 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. If you are unsure of your delivery location or have issues obtaining meals from the bus stops, please call the district transportation office at 256-7525. The district will also continue to provide Grab-and-Go Food pick up at the high school tennis courts and the OMC Thrift store from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.  Bridges is still open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30. 

• West Plains School District
• Junction Hill C-12
• Richards R-V
• Fairview R-XI
• Howell Valley R-1
• Glenwood R-8
• Willow Springs School District
• Mountain View - Birch Tree Schools
• Dora R-III
• Couch R-I
• Thayer R-II
• Koshkonong R-III
• Alton R-IV
• Bakersfield R-IV
• Gainesville
• Lutie 
• Ozarks Christian Academy

In response to the “stay at home” order issued for our area, the West Plains School District will join other schools in extending our closure through April 24.  

Parents & Students,

Beginning March 26, the West Plains School District and our food service provider OPAA will start serving meals to all students through our bus routes. Every West Plains School District child will have the opportunity to have breakfast and lunch delivered at their regular bus stop, Monday through Friday. The meals will be in one bag and delivered between 9:45 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. (Please click here for the exact times and locations for your children). We ask that everyone is patient, especially in the first few days, while we are figuring out the logistics. We will adjust the delivery times and routes if necessary. If you are unsure of your delivery location or have issues obtaining meals from the bus stops, please call the district transportation office at 256-7525. 

The district will also continue to provide Grab-and-Go Food pick up at the high school tennis courts and the OMC Thrift store.

Thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,

Dr. Lori Wilson
Superintendent of Schools
West Plains School District

Dear Zizzer Families & Employees,

The following is an update from the district regarding the plans being put into place to assist families and employees during the COVID-19 situation. At the time this was distributed, there are no confirmed COVID-19 cases in our community. As a reminder, the district will be closed through April 3, 2020. We invite you to visit www.zizzers.org/covid19 for the latest information from the West Plains School District.

Below you will find new, updated and repeated information from the March 19 communication. 

Continued Learning Packets

Teachers and staff around the district developed review learning packets for students. We understand that school cannot be replicated, and we realize this is not a substitute for classroom instruction. Still, we hope it will provide structure and normalcy, as well as continuity of learning and connection to our students.

Continued Learning Packets pick up was available this week.  If parents were unable to pick up packets this week, please call 256-6155 to make other arrangements.

Please note – We are working to make the packets downloadable on our district website.  We hope to implement an online Continued Learning Page early next week.  We will communicate this information once it is available.

Grab-and-Go Food Pickup
The West Plains School District has made preparations for free, daily grab-and-go food pick-up for families who need this service at the below locations.  The program is for children ages 18 or under and will be available Monday through Friday. Each grab-and-go bag will contain lunch as well as breakfast for the following day and delivered together at the same time each day. The Boys and Girls Club will provide a grab-and-go snack and dinner pick up each evening. First come, first serve. Please look for district buses at each distribution center.

Breakfast & Lunch Pick Up Locations from 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. 

• High school tennis courts - gravel parking lots
• South Fork Elementary parking lot.
• Southern Hills Shopping Center
• Ozarks Medical Center Thrift Store
• Boys & Girls Club - 613 West 1st Street 
  
  Snack & Dinner Pickup - 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

• Boys & Girls Club - 613 West 1st Street 

Visitor Restrictions
All West Plains School District buildings are currently closed until future notice. For assistance, please call 256-6155.  Please visit www.zizzers.org for updated information regarding the extended closure.

Kindergarten Screening & Preschool Enrollment Postponed
Preschool and kindergarten screening dates scheduled to begin next week are postponed. When new dates are determined, we will communicate the information to you.

 Virtual Spirit Week March 23-27

Dear Parents,

On March 19, the district was informed by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) that required statewide assessments (MAP, End of Course Exams, etc.) are canceled for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year. We want to reassure you that even though the state has canceled mandated testing, the district will continue to provide educational resources. Detailed information will be available early next week. Details regarding required assessments for graduating seniors are still being explored. As soon as we have additional information, we will communicate the information with you.

DESE also informed us that school districts are not required to make up the calendar hours lost through April 3 due to the extended school closure caused by COVID-19.

The district will continue to communicate regularly with the entire Zizzer family throughout this extended school closure. We will send frequent updates with information and resources via our website, district app, email, text messages, and social media channels.

Thank you,
Dr. Lori Wilson
Superintendent
West Plains School District

March 19, 2020

Dear Zizzer Families & Employees - 

The spread of COVID-19 in our region requires school districts to be flexible and make decisions in the best interest of public health.  The district understands that this is a very uncertain time for everyone, but our community can be certain of one thing: the district is focused on protecting the safety and well-being of students, staff and their families.  Based on guidance and collaboration with the Howell County Health Department and area schools, the West Plains School District is closed until April 3.   

What this means for the West Plains School District

- All West Plains School District buildings will be closed through Friday, April 3
- Effective Monday, March 23 all athletics, activities, practices, events and school building rentals are canceled through April 5.  

We know that in addition to education, our schools provide vital support to our communities and that this closure will have a major impact on our families. Children count on the reliable routine that a school day offers, from the classroom to the many people at school who know them and care for them. We know our families, too, count on the knowledge that children are cared for and supervised during the school day.

Please know that we are doing our very best to make decisions in the best interest of our students through this time. We may be closing our school buildings, but we will continue to support our students, staff, and families.  Over the next few days, we will communicate our plan to support our community including:

Meal Options: 
The West Plains School District has made preparations for free, daily grab-and-go food pick-up for families who need this service beginning on Monday, March 23, at the below locations.  The program is for children under the age of 18 and will be available Monday through Friday.  Each grab-and-go bag will contain lunch as well as breakfast for the following day and delivered together at the same time each day. The Boys and Girls Club will provide a grab-and-go snack and dinner pick up each evening.  First come, first serve. Please look for district buses at each distribution center. For planning purposes, please click here if you plan to use this service.  

Breakfast & Lunch Pick Up Locations from 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. 

• High school tennis courts - gravel parking lots
• South Fork Elementary parking lot.
• Southern Hills Shopping Center
• Ozarks Medical Center Thrift Store
• Boys & Girls Club - 613 West 1st Street 
  

Snack & Dinner Pickup - 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

• Boys & Girls Club - 613 West 1st Street 

Bridges Program Availability:
The Bridges Program will be available Monday through Friday - 10:00 - 11:30 at 1013 North College Street

Learning Preparations:
Teachers and staff will be meeting next week to develop alternative learning options for students.  Once a plan is in place, we will notify parents. We realize this is not a substitute for classroom instruction but we hope it will provide structure and normalcy, as well as continuity of learning and connection to our students.

Visitor Restrictions:
All school buildings and facilities will be closed to visitors through April 5.  If you need to visit the school for any reason, please contact the school to arrange a time.  

Upcoming Events:
The district is looking at upcoming events and will be making decisions on those as we can.  We will update you as decisions are made. These notifications may come from the district or only from your building.  Buildings will send information via email, website, and the district app. To get instant notifications and updated information download the “West Plains Schools” app in the Google Play store and on the iTunes store. 

We will continue to send frequent updates with information and resources via our web, email, text messages, and social media channels. 

Families play an important role in protecting individuals from the spread of COVID-19 and are encouraged to follow the guidance of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The West Plains community is a special place, I am positive we will each do our part during this unprecedented time. Knowing the strength and power of our community, I am confident we will work together to help one another in the days and weeks ahead.

Thank you for your ongoing support,

Dr. Lori Wilson
Superintendent
West Plains School District

Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS)

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website

During times of uncertainty keeping our mental wellness top of mind is difficult to do! That said, we hope you can find some helpful resources on this site our awesome school counselors created for your entire family. https://bit.ly/2VFDZuv

Your children/students watch and learn from what you do and say. They will parrot and model the same behaviors you use in dealing with stress, conflict, relationships, and daily tasks.

CASEL (Collaborative for Academic and Social-Emotional Learning) suggests the five SEL (Social-Emotional Learning) competencies: self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision-making, relationship skills and social awareness should be taught intentionally in both content and practice. School Counselors are currently looking for ways to provide a positive SEL culture and climate through virtual means. While there is great value in the explicit instruction of SEL skills, there is equal value in providing students and families resources focused on social-emotional learning as a wraparound support. Providing SEL supports to families, school counselors are helping to broaden real-world experiences for students to put social-emotional skills into practice. Now more than ever, it is vital that school counselors assist in extending socialemotional learning into the homes of their students. It is all about “relationships” and connecting with your students and families and helping them connect with each other. Empowering parents to address SEL at home will help them use life’s daily opportunities to help their child grow.

Click Here for resources

If you are looking for fun, educational resources and activities for your children, here are some programs we use in the West Plains School District along with the login information. These resources are not required for students but may help occupy the time. Please be aware; there are many companies currently offering free subscriptions during COVID-19. This is great, but watch out for companies that may begin charging as soon as the pandemic is over.