April 14th, 2020

As you are aware, the afternoon of April 9th, Missouri Governor Mike Parson announced in his daily press briefing that Missouri schools shall remain closed through this school year. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), along with several school superintendents from across the state made the recommendation to Governor Parson.

This announcement does have some impact on our current method of instruction. Our school year was set to end on May 21st. We will provide academic opportunities and food service through May 21st. Food service information will be released in the following days. We will provide more opportunities for students to review what they have learned, build on skills they have already developed, and reinforce the important connections with their teachers. Mr. Hall and a few select staff will deliver packets of school work to home addresses on April 20th, May 4th and May 18th by bus. Work sent home is NOT required per the recommendation of DESE. Packets will be delivered by school personnel in a school bus. All packets will be left on the front porch or other areas deemed appropriate. Please stay in your homes when the bus arrives so that school personnel aren’t exposed to more people.

Students wishing to check out books and have them delivered in their packets may do so by communicating with Ms. Dowis. Specific instructions are located on the school website and Facebook page.

We were able to complete 3rd quarter before dismissing for the COVID-19 Pandemic. Third quarter grades will be duplicated for fourth quarter. All Dual-Credit work must be completed in order to receive credit for those classes from the college/university.

Although the Governor gave no warning that he may close schools for the year, the administration has been planning for this possibility of school closure and will continue to communicate our plans. This announcement brings with it a number of additional questions. Will there be summer school? What will the re-entry to school look like? While we don’t have all the answers yet, we promise to begin relaying information to families as we receive it.

To the Class of 2020, I know these uncertainties do not make your final year what you may have envisioned, but we are working on solutions to ensure that you do get a celebration of your accomplishments and a chance to have the experiences we all want you to have. The current TENATIVE plan is to hold Prom on Friday, July 10th 6:30PM and Graduation the following day, Saturday the 11th at 1:00 PM. Please continue to monitor our Facebook page for any updates. As for any non-senior activities to be conducted in the summer (i.e. athletic camps, band clinics, cheer, club/organizational meetings) we have set June 1st as our first possible day of contact; again please stay in communication with your coaches and sponsors as well as the Facebook page.

As always, our district’s first priority is the health and safety of our students and families. Our teachers, staff, and administration are working hard to maintain strong and productive relationships with our students and continue to provide meaningful and relevant learning opportunities during the school closure.

The Keytesville R-III School District is much more than the physical buildings we attend; rather, it is the students, staff, and families that make us a community. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have questions or would like more information.

Thank You,

Josh Shoemaker
Superintendent
Keytesville R-III School District.

Libary Information can be found here https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yxwrQy6gkZLtdDMMYKBgab_YNvxPVl0C/view?