NO SCHOOL FEB. 16 and FEB. 17

​Due to the winter storm, and the resulting hazardous conditions, we are canceling school for Tuesday, Feb. 16 and Wednesday, Feb. 17. Both days will be NTI days, with in person learners connecting remotely with their teachers, and virtual learners continuing to work on their Pathblazer and Edgenuity platforms. Everyone, stay safe and warm!

NO SCHOOL FEB. 15

Due to continued icy conditions and predicted winter weather, there will be no school on Monday, Feb. 15. This will be another remote learning day, with in person learners working remotely and virtual learners continuing work on Pathblazer and Edgenuity platforms.

NO SCHOOL FEB. 12

Due to continued icy and hazardous conditions, there will be no school in Crittenden County on Friday, February 12. This will be another remote learning day, with in person learners working remotely and virtual learners continuing work on Pathblazer and Edgenuity platforms.

NO SCHOOL FEB. 11

There will be no school in Crittenden County on Thursday, Feb. 11, due to continued icy and hazardous conditions. Thursday will be another NTI Day, with in person learners connecting remotely with teachers, and virtual learners continuing their Pathblazer and Edgneuity work. Thank you, and please stay safe.

NO SCHOOL FEB. 10

Due to the anticipated freezing rain and ice expected to fall overnight and tomorrow, we are canceling school for Wednesday, Feb. 10. This will be a remote learning day for our students. In person learners will connect with their teachers via Google classroom or other means as instructed by their teachers, and virtual learners will continue their work on Pathblazer and Edgenuity. Everyone, stay safe.

SCHOOLS ON 2-HOUR DELAY, TUESDAY, FEB. 9

We will have school today on a 2-hour delay to allow for improved visibility and road conditions. School will begin at 9:55 a.m. It’s important that students report today, so we can get them their Chromebooks and lessons, since there is more pending weather on the way. All virtual and remote learners should complete their work as usual. There will be no AM preschool.

Special Called-Working Session

BOE Meeting Set For Feb. 9

There will be a special called-working session Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 9, at 5:30 p.m., at Rocket Arena Conference Room

No School Feb. 8

​Due to icy side roads and continued freezing temps, we are canceling school tomorrow, Monday, Feb. 8. This will be a true snow day, so stay safe, have fun, and we hope to see our in person learners back in our buildings, and our virtual learners back online, on Tuesday!

View Our School and District Improvement Plans

Access our Comprehensive District Improvement Plan (CDIP) HERE . The district's Executive Summary can be accessed HERE .

View Crittenden County Elementary School's Comprehensive School Improvement Plan (CSIP) HERE . The school's Executive Summary can be accessed HERE .

View Crittenden County Middle School's Comprehensive School Improvement Plan (CSIP) HERE . The school's Executive Summary can be accessed HERE .

View Crittenden County High School's Comprehensive School Improvement Plan (CSIP) HERE . The school's Executive Summary can be accessed HERE .

BOE Meeting Set For Jan. 29

Crittenden County will have its regular Board of Education meeting on Thursday, Jan. 28, at 5:30 p.m., in the Rocket Arena Conference Room.

Updated Feeding Plan Shared As CC Schools Go All Remote Dec. 14-18

There will be no In-Person learning this week, Dec. 14-18, in Crittenden County Schools. We will resume our bus route lunch deliveries, as well as the daily drive thru at the back of CCES. Please check your email, or visit our social media pages or website, for updated route information, including times and locations.

The CCES drive thru will operate daily, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Any student may receive a hot lunch and a breakfast for the following day.

Dec. 18 will be the final day of remote instruction until we resume school in January. We will share more information about the return to school on Jan. 5 as we near that date. Again, we appreciate your patience and flexibility as we close out a challenging year, to say the least, and we wish each of our Rocket families health and happiness in the coming year.

For details, visit https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sHXd9U2uZvREt7jCJvMTX8x3x51NWuUc_4zkjhOGngM/edit?usp=sharing

BOE meeting set for Dec. 17

The next Crittenden County Board of Education meeting will take at 5:30 p.m., on Thursday, Dec. 17, 2020, at Rocket Arena Conference Room.

Elementary To Return To In-Person Learning Dec. 7-11; Feeding Plan Updated

​Crittenden County Elementary School will resume regular, in-person learning next week, December 7-11. Please note all students and staff must follow the Healthy At School guidelines, issued by the Kentucky Department of Public Health. These guidelines are part of the governor's executive order, which states that all staff and students must social distance and wear a mask at all times at school and on the bus, unless eating or drinking. Exceptions are made for Kindergarten and pre-school students while at school, and those with medical waivers. Middle and high school students will remain on remote learning through December 18. We will evaluate our status on Thursday, December 10 (as required by the order), and communicate our plan at that time for the following week. We plan to welcome all students back on January 5, after the executive order expires on January 4.

With elementary school students returning to in-person learning the week of Dec. 7, we have made some changes to our feeding plan for all Crittenden County students.

First, bus route deliveries will not be running next week, since drivers will be transporting elementary school students to and from school each day.

The Drive Thru will continue to operate, but it has been relocated to the CCMS/CCHS campus and will be open from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily. Parents or students will need to park behind the middle school and come to the Multipurpose Room door to pick up meals.

Lunches will be served hot, and breakfasts will be given with instructions for prep at home. Please remember the Drive Thru service is for all middle and high school students and only virtual/remote students at CCES. If your child is attending in-person at CCES, please do not pick up food from the drive thru, as in-person students will be eating breakfast and lunch at school.

Thank you for your patience and flexibility as we adapt to continually serve all of our Rockets.

Community WiFi Locations

Just a reminder that free WiFi is available at the following locations. Thanks to our community partners for working together for our Rockets!

All school parking lots

CC Public Library

McDonald’s

Marion Baptist Church Family Life Center parking lot

Kentucky Farm Bureau parking lot

Kenergy parking lot

Salem Baptist Church

Tolu Volunteer Fire Dept

Caldwell Springs/Frances Volunteer Fire Dept

Shady Grove Volunteer Fire Dept

Mattoon Volunteer Fire Dept

Fredonia City Hall

Feeding Schedule During Remote Learning Period

Rocket Families: We are pleased to share our feeding plan with you during our period of remote learning. All sites are available to children, ages 1-18:

Monday, Nov. 23: CCES Drive Thru (rear of building), 1-2 p.m. Each child will receive a Thanksgiving hot meal plus breakfast and lunch bags for the week, while supplies last.

Nov. 30-Dec. 4: CCES Drive Thru will be open from 12:30-1:30 daily for hot lunches and sack breakfasts. Additionally, our transportation department will deliver mobile meals to nine routes in the county daily, providing breakfast and lunch bags. Please click the following link to view locations:

Feeding Routes

We appreciate your patience as we work, together, to take care of our students during this time.

Remote Learning Set To Begin Nov. 23 For All CC Students

Crittenden County Schools will close all in-person learning on Nov. 23, following an executive order issued by Gov. Andy Beshear on Wednesday. The order mandates that all middle and high schools across the state transition to remote learning through Jan. 4. Elementary schools may return to in-person learning on Dec. 7, if the county is not “red” according to the Kentucky Department of Public Health on the Covid-19 website at https://govstatus.egov.com/kycovid19 and if the school follows all expectations in the KDE Healthy at School Guidance on Safety Expectations and Best Practices For Kentucky Schools.

Friday, Nov. 20 will be the last day of class for in-person learners in Crittenden County schools, as students begin remote learning during the extended closure. Each student in grades 3-12 will be provided a district Chromebook in order to remotely work during the closure. Students in grades Kindergarten through second, who do not already have a device at home, will be issued a district-provided device to use during the closure, as well. Both virtual and in-person teachers will be in contact with their students to provide additional information about instruction and expectations during the closure.

Virtual learners will continue their learning platform as normal, working through assigned lessons in Pathblazer (at the elementary level) and Edgenuity (at the middle and high school levels). In-person learners, however, will transition to remote learning during the extended closure, where they will be connected with their in-person teachers via Google Classroom, scheduled Google Meet sessions, and other planned learning activities. High school students attending Senior Academy through Madisonville Community College will continue their virtual instruction, as usual.

A plan to offer meals to students during the extended closure will be announced and shared later this week, along with extended internet access opportunities. Currently, free internet access is available at the following locations for students: parking lots of all schools, McDonald’s, Kentucky Farm Bureau, and Kenergy; Crittenden County Public Library; Salem Baptist Church (call to schedule appointment); Fredonia City Hall; volunteer fire departments at Tolu, Caldwell Springs/Frances, Shady Grove, and Mattoon. Students are able to use WiFi to download work and then work offline on the assignments on their Chromebook. Once work is completed, it can be uploaded and shared with teachers once they again connect using WiFi.

Superintendent Vince Clark praised students and staff for their diligence and effort thus far during the pandemic and is hopeful for the future of the school year.

“Our students, staff, and families have been incredible,” said Clark. “They’ve followed all of the health and safety guidelines to the letter, and that’s why we have successfully had school--both virtually and in-person-- since Aug. 25. By taking this time for remote learning now, I’m hopeful that we can contribute to controlling the spread of the virus in our community and get our students back to class in January.”

The district will provide updates regarding instruction, feeding, internet opportunities, and other resources on its website and social media outlets.

CC Schools To Initiate Remote Learning

Nov. 30-Dec. 4

After consulting with school and district administrators and supervisors, as well as the Pennyrile District Health Department, Crittenden County Schools Superintendent Vince Clark says that all students will learn remotely from home the week following Thanksgiving break, Nov. 30-Dec. 4. In-person learners will return to school on Monday, Dec. 7.

According to Clark, the decision was made to protect the health and safety of students, staff, and their families following the Thanksgiving holiday. “We know that with holiday gatherings of any size, there is a risk of someone contracting the virus,” said Clark. “By extending the time students are out of the building, we feel we can better mitigate the spread and protect our students, staff, and community.”

Virtual learners will continue their learning platform as normal, working through assigned lessons in Pathblazer (at the elementary level) and Edgenuity (at the middle and high school levels). In-person learners, however, will transition to remote learning for the week, where they will be connected with their in-person teachers via Google Classroom, scheduled Google Meet sessions, and other planned learning activities. High school students attending Senior Academy through Madisonville Community College will continue their virtual instruction, as usual.

Each student in grades 3-12 will be provided a district Chromebook in order to remotely work during that week. Students in grades Kindergarten through second, who do not already have a device at home, will be issued a district-provided device to use during that week, as well. Those without internet access or with poor internet reliability will have the opportunity to download lessons prior to leaving school for the extended period on Tuesday, Nov. 24. Additionally, free internet access is available at the following locations for students wishing to connect online: parking lots of all schools, McDonald’s, Kentucky Farm Bureau, and Kenergy; Crittenden County Public Library; Salem Baptist Church (call to schedule appointment); Fredonia City Hall; volunteer fire departments at Tolu, Caldwell Springs/Frances, Shady Grove, and Mattoon.

Athletic practices and games will continue with extra precautions and safety measures as outlined by each head coach and approved by both Superintendent Clark and Athletic Director Sean Thompson. Specific communication will be shared with student athletes by their coaches.

A plan to offer meals to students during the remote learning week will be announced and shared later this week, along with internet access opportunities. More information will be shared on social media outlets, as well as our website.

BOE Meeting Set For Nov. 19

The Crittenden County Board of Education will meet Thursday, Nov. 19, at 5:30 p.m., in the CCHS Library.

Substitutes To Cover 5th Grade Classes Amid Positive Staff Member Case

Today, Crittenden County Schools learned that a 5th grade teacher tested positive for Covid-19. Due to being close contacts of the teacher as a result of planning time together, the other 5th grade classroom teachers are being quarantined. No students, however, have been deemed to be close contacts by the Pennyrile District Health Department, as the teacher rigidly followed the rules of not being closer than 6 feet of a student for more than 15 minutes on Friday, Oct. 16.

Substitute teachers will be in 5th grade students’ classrooms during the 14-day quarantine period, but the 5th grade teachers may be able to engage children remotely, as well. They will be coordinating plans with substitute teachers to continue learning with minimal disruption.

Additionally, the district will deep clean the building and continue its daily disinfecting and sanitizing practices will be forthcoming. We appreciate all parents’ and students’ understanding as we work closely with our local health department to keep all of our students and staff members safe.

BOE Meeting Set For Oct. 22

The next regular Board of Education meeting is set for Thursday, Oct. 22, at 5:30 p.m., in the CCMS Bridgeway room.

Riley To Lead CCES

Bringing with her more than 20 years of educational experience, Sarah Riley has been named the new principal of Crittenden County Elementary School. Riley replaces Jenni Gilkey, who recently transitioned to the district’s director of special education and preschool.

Having served as the school’s assistant principal since 2017, Riley previously taught 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade for 17 years and also served as an instructional assistant for three years. Relationship building among all stakeholders is one of Riley’s top goals in her new role. “I want to develop a positive school climate that ensures trust between students, parents, faculty, and leadership and creates an environment where our Rockets can thrive and grow into 21st century thinkers and learners.”

Riley added that she is excited about her new role in the district and looks forward to leading CCES. “I genuinely love our school,” said Riley. “It is my heart and soul. I see a prosperous future for lifelong learners, including myself and our teachers, staff, and students.”

A graduate of Crittenden County High School, Riley earned a bachelor’s degree from Western Kentucky University, a master’s in education from Indiana Wesleyan University, and a master of arts in school administration from Murray State University.

Along with husband Todd, and sons, Paxton and Payton, Riley enjoys boating and traveling with family and friends.

State Releases School Report Card Data

On Wednesday, Oct. 14, the state of Kentucky released its annual School Report Card information. Each year, data regarding proficiency, separate academic measures, growth, transition readiness, and graduation rates are calculated and shared publicly for the state’s 172 school districts. Due to the closure of in-person classes last March to help contain the spread of Covid-19, the Kentucky Department of Education applied for and received a waiver from the U.S. Department of Education for assessments, accountability and school identification, and reporting requirements under the Every Student Succeeds Act.

Information on Star Rating, federal classification, significant achievement gaps, and accountability scores are, therefore, not available for 2019-2020 reporting. The district’s cohort graduation rate is available and includes the high school graduation rate, advanced coursework success, dropout, and retention rates. Crittenden County’s 4-year average is 91.8 percent, while its 5-year average is 93 percent.

Additional information on demographics, safety, culture and climate, and more can be found at https://www.kyschoolreportcard.com.

BOE Meeting Set For Sept. 24

The next regular Board of Education meeting is set for Thursday, Sept. 24, at 5:30 p.m., at Rocket Arena.

Updated Internet Access Information

Update! Hot spots are now in place at these volunteer fire departments: Shady Grove, Tolu, Mattoon, and Caldwell Springs. Access is available daily from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Additionally, our friends at Salem Baptist Church are offering free internet access to our Rockets. Parents just need to contact the church office Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at 270-988-3538. A church worker will schedule a time and a room where students can come inside and have internet access. Students also can use the parking lot after they have met with someone at the church, signed an AUP for the church, and had the password entered in their device.

FRYSC Meetings Set

FRYSC Advisory Council meets 5 times a year and is open to the public. We discuss our programs and possible programs. Our dates for the 2020-2021 school year are:

September 24, 2020 at 9:00am

November 19, 2020 at 9:00am

January 21, 2021 at 9:00am

March 25, 2021 at 9:00am

April 22, 2021 at 9:00am

These meetings will be held at the Heart to Heart Center. We are requesting that you wear a mask and maintain a safe social distance. If you would like to participate but do not wish to come in person, you can email Crystal Wesmoland, FRYSC Coordinator, for a google meet link.

Email: crystal.wesmoland@crittenden.kyschools.us

Special Called BOE Meeting Set for Tuesday, Sept. 8

There will be a special called BOE meeting at 1 p.m., on Tuesday, Sept. 8, at Central Office, to approve parent waivers to transport children on school-related trips due to Covid-19 restrictions. The agenda follows:

Crittenden County Board of Education

Special-Called Meeting

September 8, 2020

1:00

Central Office

1. Welcome

2. Approval of September 8, 2020 Agenda

3. Approval of emergency reading of Policy 09.36 school-related student trips

4. Approval of Procedure 09.36 AP.22 - Authorization and request for transportation by parent or legal guardian in a privately owned vehicle and release of liability

5. Other discussion

6. Adjournment

No School in Crittenden County Schools On Friday, Sept. 4

Sept. 4, 2020...Marion, Ky-Crittenden County Schools will cancel all classes on Friday, Sept. 4. The announcement comes in response to the Pennyrile District Health Department’s report of a positive Covid-19 case of a Crittenden County Elementary School staff member to the school district on Thursday evening.

Superintendent Vince Clark said all schools in the district will be closed in order to allow for deep cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting, and for contact tracing to be completed. Only administrative teams and custodial teams at each school should report to their respective buildings to work.

The closure simply will be a non-school day. In-person students will not be participating in remote learning. Virtual students have the option to continue their online assignments if they choose. Senior Academy students should report to their Madisonville campus as usual. Finally, all afterschool practices are canceled.

As with any school closure due to a Covid-19 positive report, if your student is determined to be a close contact, you will be contacted promptly by the Pennyrile District Health Department. Clark said schools will be closed through the Labor Day holiday.

Letter Regarding KDE's New Masking Requirements

Good afternoon Rocket Nation,

After careful consideration of the new guidance shared by the Kentucky Department of Education yesterday with superintendents across the Commonwealth, stating that all students and staff should wear masks when in the building, except when actively eating or drinking or if medically waivered, I recommend that Crittenden County Schools continues the #HealthyAtSchool plan we spent all summer developing and that was successfully implemented last Tuesday, which states that students must mask when moving and when social distancing is not possible.

Along with our Board of Education, it is my belief that disrupting the efficient process we now have in place (and that students and staff resolutely follow daily) will create more distraction than benefits. Through personal observation, along with feedback from staff in all buildings, it is clear that our students and staff have embraced our current plan, and it is working.

We will continue enacting the guidelines of masking while moving and when social distancing is not possible, but students may choose to lower masks inside the classroom when they are socially distanced from peers and staff. Masks also may be lowered while eating and drinking and when socially distanced outside. Additionally, preschool and Kindergarten students, along with those with medical waivers, are not required to wear masks. Of course, any student may choose to mask all day if he or she chooses.

As with every decision we make at Crittenden County schools, we will continue to evaluate the Kentucky Department of Education and Department of Public Health’s new guidance regarding masking in the midst of an ever-changing and fluid situation. While we continue to diligently implement our #HealthyAtSchool procedures in our buildings, we encourage our Rocket families to continue to practice #HealthyAtHome habits, including checking students’ temperatures and monitoring for any symptoms each morning, practicing good handwashing and hygiene, and staying home if sick.

We thank our community for your continued support and confidence as we continue to educate, feed, and take care of our Rockets while they are with us.

Sincerely,

Superintendent Vince Clark

Meal Registration for Virtual Learners

To register for weekly breakfast and lunch pick-up, please use the following form:

https://forms.gle/C46t4VT4duJrQYSC8

The first pick-up will be Sept. 8, from 10:45 am to noon, at the rocket in front of the CCMS/CCHS campus. Pick-ups will then begin their usual Monday schedule, on Sept. 14, from 10:45-noon at the rocket. We ask that you register the Tuesday before using this form.

BOE Meeting on Thursday, Aug. 27

The Crittenden Co. Board of Education meeting will take place on Thursday, Aug. 27, at 5:30 p.m., at Rocket Arena Conference Room.

2nd Local Planning Committee Meeting And Public Forum

The Crittenden County Schools’ Local Planning Committee (LPC) will conduct a second PUBLIC

MEETING on September 8, 2020, at 5:30 PM CDT at the Crittenden County Rocket Sports Arena,

519 West Elm Street, Marion, Kentucky 42445. A Public Forum for public comment will follow

this meeting at approximately 7:00 PM CDT. This is the second of a series of meetings and public

forums to develop a District Facilities Plan for Crittenden County Schools. The Kentucky

Department of Education, the fiscal agent, the district architect, and local school officials will

provide information for the LPC members. This meeting and future meetings will be informal

gatherings to encourage local participation through community suggestions relative to future

utilization of existing school facilities and construction of new school facilities. These community

suggestions or recommendations will be closely monitored by the Local Planning Committee in the

development of a proposed District Facility Plan for the Crittenden County School District.

For additional information contact Vince Clark, Superintendent of Crittenden County Schools, at

270-965-3525.

The public is welcome and invited to this series of meetings and public forums.

Covid-19 Related District and State Resources

KDE-Re opening guidance

https://education.ky.gov/comm/Documents/Reopening%20Considerations%20Workplace%20Health%20and%20Safety%20FINAL.pdf

Healthy at School guidance

https://education.ky.gov/comm/Documents/Safety%20Expectations_FINAL%20DOC.pdf

Reopening Plan

#RocketRelaunch Reopening Plan

#RocketRelaunch Info and FAQs

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ImllYGlSXD3YylJrooRrieU4vOSYaL0r/view

More Resources: Here are some helpful links to resources you might find useful:

• Kentucky Department for Public Health's COVID-19 webpage

• COVID-19 Hotline (800) 722-5725

• KDE's COVID-19 webpage

• KDE’s COVID-19 Reopening Resources webpage

Virtual Orientation Sessions Now Open For Registration

If your student is enrolling as a virtual learner to start the 20-21 school year, please register for an orientation session to learn more about Edgenuity/Pathblazer, how to progress monitor your child's work, and how to access your student's virtual teacher. Please complete a separate survey for each of your students at their respective schools:

CCES: https://forms.gle/Lz8E7JvsiK81Qxau5

CCHMS/CCHS: https://forms.gle/S2ZmjcXW2yrHkZg67

ONLINE REGISTRATION NOW OPEN THROUGH AUG 3

Rocket Families, ​​Online Registration (OLR) is NOW OPEN through Aug. 3! To register, go to your Parent Portal at https://kycde6.infinitecampus.org/campus/portal/parents/crittenden.jsp. After updating routine information, you will select either in-person (in the classroom) or virtual (learning online from home) for your student(s). You can learn more about both options by visiting: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IzjaedeSJSLdutCEdm0sTxIyOYoAc38J/view?usp=sharing .

Your prompt responses are needed, so we can plan accordingly for both in-person and virtual learners, including bus routes and student spacing in physical classrooms.

If you have forgotten your portal credentials, instructions for retrieving those are on the Infinite Campus log-in page. If you need further assistance registering, phone your student's school or central office. CCES: 270.965.2243; CCMS: 270.965.5221; CCHS: 270.965.2248; Central Office: 270.965.3525

New Website Coming! We can't wait to share a cleaner, more user-friendly Rocket Website with you!

Crittenden County Schools Mission

To empower every student to become a productive, lifelong learner who contributes to the community in meaningful and positive ways.