Dear CSD Families,

I wish you a safe and enjoyable Labor Day weekend and a healthy beginning to the school year ahead. Over the past few months, many of our students and staff continued enhancing their skills through CSD’s fun and effective summer school programs. This fall, we are delighted to be welcoming our students back to full-week, in-person instruction and are eager to partner with you throughout the year.

Over the past week, our buildings have been buzzing as teachers and staff have been busy preparing their classrooms and our facilities for your student’s arrival. During this time, our district kick-off and school in-service sessions have provided a wonderful opportunity to collaborate, reconnect and inspire one another with new ideas and energy.

As we begin the year, please know that your student’s health and safety have been central in our back-to-school planning process. With guidance from Oregon Department of Education’s (ODE) Ready Schools, Safe Learners Resiliency Framework, we are working closely with officials from the Oregon Department of Education, Lane County Public Health (LCPH) and the Oregon Health Authority to put mitigation strategies in place and follow rules mandated by state and national agencies, including those regarding face covering and vaccination requirements. Our Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Service Plan outlines measures that have been implemented to promote safety and wellness, and provide support for the mental, social, and emotional health of our students and staff. As positive or presumptive cases of COVID are identified, we will coordinate with Nurse Melissa Cole and LCPH to follow contact tracing protocols, notify families if quarantines or isolations are required, and keep the community informed.

As we have seen, the COVID situation remains fluid and we are ready to adjust if plans must change. You can help us keep students in class by doing your part. While regular attendance is key to student success, it is important for students and staff who have symptoms of infectious illness such as COVID-19 to stay home. If your child has been exposed or received a positive COVID test, please alert the school. Wearing face coverings and vaccinations for those who are eligible help minimize quarantines and time away from the classroom.

As we launch the 2021-22 academic year, I’d like to offer my thanks to the entire CSD team for working tirelessly to prepare our schools for a safe return and to you, our CSD community, for your continued, tremendous support. Working together, we will make Creswell School District the best it can be and create a healthy, enriching environment where students can thrive.

Sincerely,
Mike Johnson
Superintendent