The Monroe County School Board voted to suspend their current mask policy and instate optional masking throughout the district for teachers, staff and students. This new policy requires a discussion with the Monroe County Teachers’ Union who negotiate for both teachers and school related personnel. The district will endeavor to meet with them as soon as possible to discuss how to implement the Board’s direction. Although that meeting will provide additional procedural methods of implementation, the Board’s decision takes effect immediately.
Monroe County School District is aware of dangerous Tik Tok Challenges on social media and will pursue the greatest extent of the law against any student who hits or smacks a staff member. This current Tik Tok Challenge is very dangerous and goes against our policies for the dignity and respect each person in our school family deserves.
Thank you to our local Winn Dixie for your floral donation to Horace O’Bryant’s Art Class. With your donation, the middle school art students engaged in an art form linking them to artists and artworks through the ages. They learned how to create and analyze the uses of lines while creating beautiful still-life floral artwork.
Monroe County School District Press Release September 23, 2021 The Monroe County School District is aware of the new Emergency Rule issued by the Florida Department of Health Wednesday afternoon regarding changes to quarantine rules for students. The rule, which can be found at https://floridahealthcovid19.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/64DER21-15.pdf, gives parents a choice whether or not to quarantine a student exposed to Covid-19 who is not exhibiting symptoms of the disease. MCSD will comply with the Emergency Rule, signed by State Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo. The district urges all parents, particularly those with students who are known to have been exposed to Covid-19, to continue to monitor those students closely for symptoms of Covid-19 and to keep them home if they show any symptoms at all. "Our main goal is to keep students and school staff safe from disease so they can continue to attend school every day," said Superintendent Theresa Axford. "We need everyone to work together toward that goal. We encourage everyone to continue to wear masks while indoors, practice safe-distancing, cleanliness and to be vaccinated if eligible. These are the steps we know will help us to reach our goal of keeping our schools healthy and operating at their full capacity."
HOB would like to thank our local AARP chapter for their generous $250 class sponsorships of the classrooms of HOB teachers Krishna Lowe, Cicley Holliman and Sam Hall. Our HOB students and teachers appreciate your generosity!
A big thank you to Jill Campbell with the Autism Society of the Keys, a local nonprofit 501c3 that help children and families locally affected with autism, who provided autism sensory boxes to HOB classrooms!
If you or someone in your family is feeling sick or tests positive for Covid that means everyone who has had close contact with the infected person may very well be carrying the virus. It is important for those who are symptomatic, or who have been exposed to the virus to stay away from others until the danger of spreading the virus is over. This means staying away from school until the danger of infecting others is past.
In addition to the standard supply list, masks are optional for all students. K-8 must have their own headphones or earbuds and need to bring a non-glass water bottle with a lid. All middle school students will need a backpack which will be stored in lockers throughout the day.
MCSD is committed to providing a world class education with support for our families and our students through this unusual time.
