February 19, 2021

Dear CH-UH Families,

It’s been a great week of welcoming students back to our buildings. I’ve really enjoyed visiting the schools; the energy is positive and students are truly happy to be with their teachers and friends. I hope that whether your student is in-person, continuing to attend school virtually, or participating in Ohio Online, that they are having a great semester of learning.

Black History Month event with Cleveland Heights City Council VP February 20
Tomorrow, 10 of our students will present poetry, quotes, and historical events relevant to the Black experience as part of the virtual Cleveland Heights/CH-UH Schools Black History Celebration. After the presentation, Board Member Beverly Wright, City Council VP Kahlil Seren, Pastor Anthony Mattox, Jr., and County Council VP Cheryl Stephens will join the students for a discussion on the pieces they presented and what Black History means to them.
 
The event begins at 10 a.m. and will be livestreamed on Mr. Seren's Councilmember YouTube Channel. I am excited to hear our students’ presentations and I invite you to watch along.
 
“No School” reminders
On Thursday, February 25, there is no school for preschool and elementary students only due to elementary parent-teacher conferences and Records Day. On Friday, February 26, there is no school for all students due to a staff Professional Development Day.
 
Staff receive first dose of vaccine
On February 17, staff who elected to receive the COVID-19 vaccine received their first dose at the Educational Service Center of Northeast Ohio. The process went smoothly thanks to the hard work of the Educational Service Center of Northeast Ohio and the medical professionals from Giant Eagle Pharmacy who provided excellent service and care for our staff. CH-UH staff will get their second dose on March 10.

Chromebook cases
Students learning in-person should bring their district-issued Chromebooks to school on their assigned days.  The devices should be completely charged each night and carried with students in their bookbags. Technicians are in the process of visiting classrooms and adding protective cases to the Chromebooks.

For all learners, if your student does not yet have a district Chromebook, or if the Chromebook needs repairs, the IT staff can help. They are open Monday through Friday, 8 am to 4 pm, and you do not need an appointment.

COVID-19 case summary for the week of February 15
Since Monday, February 15, we have received reports of two staff members and one student testing positive for COVID-19. One of the staff members and the student had been working/learning remotely. These cases are reflected on the District’s case reporting dashboard. The county remains in Level 3 “red” alert level status in the Ohio Public Health Advisory System. The data released by the Ohio Department of Health on Thursday show that three of the seven indicators are currently met.

When staff and students who have been in District buildings test positive for COVID-19, we send notices to the families whose children attend the affected schools and to the staff members of those schools. We also post the notices on chuh.org and our District app, available for Android and iPhone. All email notices now come from the COVID-19 Notification Team. This document contains the process following a staff or student testing positive for COVID-19.

Please contact your school's principal with any remaining questions or concerns.

Have a wonderful weekend and stay warm!

Sincerely,
Superintendent Kirby