Superintendent starts video series, schedules virtual meetings for parents

Warren County School District Superintendent Amy Stewart speaks during the first in a series of videos designed to give students, parents and staff a better idea of what policies and procedures will be implemented to combat the spread of COVID-19 in WCSD buildings. Stewart has also scheduled a series of Zoom meetings so parents can get answers to specific questions. (Screengrab of WCSD Facebook video)

During the Warren County School District Superintendent Amy Stewart has started a video series to help parents and students better understand the district’s new COVID-19 policies.

Stewart announced during the WCSD Board of Directors meeting July 13 that she would be starting the series as a way to let parents know what certain parts of the districts Health and Safety Plan for Phased Reopening “look like” when practically applied.

“We will be putting snippets of parts of the plans on social media,” she said during the meeting.

The first video appeared on the WCSD Facebook page July 15, and seven more have been posted in the two days since.

“I want to make sure we are getting messages out regarding school opening,” Stewart said in the introduction. “This is the first of many sessions that we are going to be doing to answer your questions and get you the information that you need to make decisions about what you want to do regarding the opening of the 2020-21 school year.”

The additional videos have covered a range of topics, including: strategies for maintaining social distance, face coverings, classroom changes, recess, nursing and screening and transportation.

Stewart had also announced a second round of focus group meetings, this time based on attendance area instead of classification (parents, teachers, etc.). The plan was to hold the focus groups in person, but Gov. Wolf’s July 15 announcement that indoor gatherings are restricted to 25 people forced a change.

“As we have learned along the way with COVID-19, we need to pivot as the Governor pivots,” Stewart said in a video. “All those parent meetings…will have to change to Zoom meetings. We’ll have to do those online.”

Those focus group schedules are as follows:

Central Attendance Area – Monday, July 20 6-8 p.m.

East Attendance Area – Tuesday, July 21 6-8 p.m.

West Attendance Area – Wednesday, July 22 6-8 p.m.

North Attendance Area – Thursday, July 23 6-8 p.m.

The Zoom link for the Central Attendance Area meeting has already been posted on both the WCSD website and Facebook page.