Coronavirus Update - March 13, 2020

March 13, 2020

Coronavirus Update

Dear Members of the APS Community,

Thank you for your ongoing patience and support as we navigate through the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) crisis together. As always, supporting our students and families is our primary concern. As you know, the response to this pandemic has been very rapid and ever-changing by the hour.

After conferring with local and state officials throughout the day regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, the decision to close the Auburn Public Schools for two weeks, effective Monday, March 16th through Friday, March 27th, has been made. We hope to return to our regular operations at the end of this two-week period, but we will evaluate conditions at that time and communicate our plans to you about next steps.

The decision to close school was not made lightly or in isolation. This is an ever-evolving and unprecedented situation that will have a tremendous effect on all of our families, and we feel strongly that this step is necessary for the protection of our community.

All school activities and events planned for the next two weeks are canceled - no exceptions. We hope to reschedule as many of these events as possible to a future date. Our school facilities will be closed to the public and, with only a few exceptions, to our employees.

It is important to understand that closing schools is only a part of the broader solution to prevent community spread of the virus. If students and families continue to meet together in large groups outside of school, this initial two-week closure may not have the desired impact. It is critical that students and families do their best to refrain from meeting in large groups and practice social distancing as recommended by the CDC.

Please be advised that I will be in touch again early next week with an update. Our intention is to provide supplemental materials so that your children can engage in activities that will reinforce learning during this two-week period. To that end, please continue to monitor your emails and our website as we communicate about these and other topics.

As always, we remain deeply committed to student and staff wellness. Working together - home, school and community - we will continue to do our very best to keep everyone safe and healthy and we thank you for your continued support.

Yours in Education,

Maryellen Brunelle, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools