Submitted
On Thursday, Governor Eric Holcomb extended school closures through the end of the 2019-20 school year. Following Holcomb’s announcement, Noblesville Schools issued the following statement:
The Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction announced today [Thursday] that all schools in the state will now be closed through the end of the 2019-2020 school year. This includes the cancellation of all school activities, events and field trips (Flat Rock, Washington D.C., etc.) Schools will follow up with more details regarding trip cancellations. Any events scheduled by outside organizations in our buildings or on grounds are also canceled.
While we knew this was a real possibility, and important for the health and safety of our community, it’s still sad and difficult for many of us to hear. Students may find this news upsetting so we encourage parents to provide emotional support, including utilizing our counseling resources, if needed.
As a reminder, we will use eLearning days Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays in April following spring break. Mondays and Fridays will be teacher work days with no student lessons. We will provide information on the school schedule for May once it’s finalized.
eLearning is not designed to be used for these long periods of time and we realize that student academic growth this spring may be different than it would be in a typical year. This is true for students throughout the country. Please be assured that we will adjust curriculum plans in the 2020-21 school year in order to identify and address any academic needs that may exist.
We’ve just received the state’s specific guidance regarding seniors and graduation and are currently evaluating next steps. We are committed to recognizing the accomplishments of our seniors and are still considering plans to celebrate graduates, including the possibility of moving our June 6 commencement date. We’re also working on plans for what high school summer school will look like. NHS will be in contact with students and parents to provide additional details on these items.
Our summer camp programming, including Miller Explorers, is on hold for now pending additional state guidance on gatherings this summer.
Following spring break, we will continue to provide food for those in need via Monday pick-ups at Noblesville High Schools (noon to 2 p.m.) and pre-scheduled Tuesday delivery routes. Additional food resources throughout Hamilton County can be found on our website.
Teachers and support staff employees will continue to be paid throughout the school year as they would be if school were in session.
We are unfortunately not able to allow anyone in buildings to clean out personal items at this time. Once restrictions are lifted, we will coordinate plans to pick up items.
We know there will be additional logistical questions and we’ll continue to provide updates and information as it becomes available. Please reference the COVID-19 information area on the front page of our website for Q&As and resources.
Thank you for your ongoing patience and commitment as we all work together through this challenging time. Please be safe and ensure you are following the advice of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including practicing appropriate social distancing.