Day: August 20, 2021

The Butler Bears will take the field for the first game of the season on Friday, August 27th against the Adrian Blackhawks. 

The game will take place at The George Bruto Sports Complex in Adrian with kickoff at 7:30 pm.  FM 92.1 will be covering and broadcasting this game live with Sports announcers Major Black and Eli Brockman. 

If you can’t to make it to the game, tune your radio to FM 92.1 or listen as we stream live from our website, www.921news.com. 

Butler Bears vs Adrian Blackhawks, Friday, August 27th in Adrian.

Harrisonville Parks and Recreation will host Pawpalooza on Saturday, September 18^th from 8am to 2pm at the Harrisonville City Park located at 706 Ash Street in Harrisonville.

Pawpalooza is a local fundraising event to help raise funds for the Harrisonville Animal Shelter and Dog Park!

Pawpalooza attractions consist of a 3k, Food Trucks, Sponsorship Booths, Raffle for gift baskets, Pet Contest, Pet adoptions, Pet Microchips, City Licenses, Dog training Presentation & lots MORE!

Dogs are welcome at this event; Pets must be always friendly and on a leash.

You must register for the 3K walk/run by Monday, August 30^th.  Cost per walker/runner is $30.00.  You can register two ways by phone at 816-380-8980, Dani Dalton extension 5991 or by email at ddalton@harrisonville.com

There are no statewide health mandates related to school operations at this time, with the exception of school transportation.  The Butler R-V School District will continue to follow local health guidelines and recommended guidelines from governing agencies, such as the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.  Each building in Butler School district will have the latitude to make decisions that may impact the daily operations of school with regards to things like seating charts, field trips, assemblies, lunch procedures, etc.    Butler Schools will focus on both proactive and reactive strategies, as suggested in the Missouri School Guidance document created by the Department of Health and Senior Services and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.   

Proactive Strategies

• Screening – students and staff will continue to screened as necessary 
• Physical Distancing – physical distancing of 6 feet will continue to be encouraged at all grade levels during the school day as much as possible
• Masks/Face Coverings – masks/face coverings will continue to be encouraged, but optional for students and staff when physical distancing cannot be achieved
• Hand Washing – frequent hand washing will continue to be encouraged for all students and staff 
• Per federal mandate, masks are required on all district transportation
• Community use of facilities must be pre approved
• Visitors will be limited as necessary

Reactive Strategies 

• When an Individual Presents Symptoms at School – continue to follow guidelines in place using the school nurse algorithm, including isolation of symptomatic individuals until no longer in the building
• Positive Cases – continue to follow protocol provided by the Bates County Health Center
• Contact Tracing/Investigation – continue to follow protocol provided by the Bates County Health Center

Staff Members Health & Safety Precautions

• Prior to reporting to work daily, employees should self-assess their health and not report to work if they have a temperature more than 100 degrees, feel sick , or have symptoms of COVID-19.
• The district will continue to support vaccination efforts by working with the BCHD and local agencies to provide vaccines for staff that wish to be vaccinated 

Protocol for Students or Staff Who Test Positive

• The BCHD will provide official notification to the district of any positive COVID-19 case, and provide guidance on the level of concern, potential for classroom or school closure, and length of closure.  The BCHD will be responsible for and conduct contact tracing of individuals who may be at-risk of exposure to the virus, and will be in contact with those individuals regarding recommended next steps. 

Student and Staff Illness

• Students and staff who are ill or experiencing COVID-related symptoms should not report to school and should notify the school AND contact their local health provider for additional instructions
• If students or staff become ill once they arrive at school, they will be isolated from others and sent home as soon as possible.  Parents should plan to pick up students quickly (preferably within one hour) to avoid prolonged exposure.  
• Symptoms of COVID-19 may include: cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fever, chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, new loss of taste or smell, runny nose or congestion, or other flu-like symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea

Special Needs Students

• Decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis for students with special needs (it may not be feasible to meet the individual needs of students outlined in this document)
• Defer to Ms. Stacey Lawson, Director of Special Services

Custodial

• Use of approved disinfectant will be utilized for disinfection of frequently touched surfaces throughout the day
• At least one custodian will be on site during the day while students and staff are present; evening custodians will complete cleaning procedures in all rooms on a daily basis and will sanitize high traffic areas

Closures

• The district will continually monitor COVID-19 cases and work with the BCHD when reviewing the level of localized spread
• IF it is determined by the Butler R-V School District and the BCHD that a specific site or classroom needs to be closed for a specified period of time, students and families will be informed of the closure and students will have access to virtual learning for the time the site is closed

Virtual Education Guidelines & Information

• District policies and MSHSAA guidelines will be followed for all student activities

Dear Midway Families,

We’re excited to return to school in less than two weeks and we know families have many questions and concerns about how things will look this year.

We know that the best place for students to learn is in our classrooms. We also want to do what we can to keep our students safe and healthy.

Last night, the Board of Education met to approve a re-entry plan for the 2021-22 school year. Here are the main outcomes…

Masks in school. Masks are encouraged for all individuals when social distancing is not possible and may be required when directed by a staff member. Families are asked to have conversations with their children about their wishes regarding the wearing of a mask and to also talk about mask wearing as a choice for their friends. We expect all to show grace and respect everyone’s individual/family decisions on this matter.

Masks on buses. Masks will be required for everyone on all buses as buses are considered public transportation by federal guidelines, just the same as airplanes, at this time.

Close contacts. Contact-tracing with isolation and quarantine for exposure to COVID will continue and be done through the local health department. Support and assistance will be provided by our district nurse. Per the CDC, those who have received the vaccine and who do not show symptoms will NOT be required to quarantine if exposed to a positive COVID case. Also if it can be determined that both parties (the positive individual and the exposed individuals) were both properly wearing masks, quarantine will not be necessary for the exposed individual if he/she shows no symptoms.

Visitors. No parents or visitors will be allowed in the buildings when school is in session outside of emergency situations, by scheduled appointment, or invitation. Meetings that can take place online or on the phone will be done that way. Student sign-in and sign-out will occur at the front door. Parents should have their photo ID ready to show at the door camera when they buzz in. School staff will “sign in” or “sign out” the student in our iCampus system. The parent will not enter the building. Parents will wait outside if they are picking up a student. Staff will escort elementary students to the door.

At this time, there will be no limits on attendance at extracurricular events as these take place outside the school day and are voluntary to attend for fans. Masks are still encouraged at these events. More information on ticketing/admission fees/processes for events will be posted soon.

Layers of Protection.

Virtual Learning

It is a family’s choice to have their students participate in our virtual learning opportunities. If this is a decision that you feel is best for your child, please contact your student’s building principal by Friday, August 20, 2021.

The full plan is available on our website (https://www.midwayk12.net) and should be considered a “live” document. It may need to be updated as circumstances, recommendations, and guidelines change. The Board plans to re-address the plan at least once a month at their regular meeting.

With a school population of 500 students and staff members, it is impossible to meet everyone’s expectations. These decisions are difficult for all involved and are not taken lightly.

I would ask that we all continue to offer grace to our friends, families, and community members who may not share the same opinions as we do. Please remember that we face possibilities of change as the virus progresses and hopefully regresses. As those changes occur, we will continue to communicate with you.

Sincerely,

Angela Gibson