Message from the Superintendent

UPDATE: March 26, 2020

Letter from the Superintendent

Families- 

In times like these, all we can do is the next right thing.  This sentiment might be most recognizable to many of our parents as the recent theme of Frozen 2, but I cannot think of wiser words in times of such uncertainty.  This afternoon, I would like to share with you several important updates.

Regarding our meal program- Monday evening, I came to you to announce that we were suspending our current food program in light of the Governor and our Parish Presidents calls to “stay-at-home.” We have spent the last several days reassessing our program to find a way to continue to provide this service to our families while keeping our staff safe.

Upon further review and with guidance from state leaders and health officials, we have decided to reinstate the meal program with some modifications.

Starting Monday, March 30^th, we will be opening three school sites. Those sites are Chalmette Elementary, Chalmette High School, and Smith Elementary. They will be open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for that week. On Monday and Wednesday, families will be receiving two days’ worth of breakfasts and lunches. On Friday, families will receive a single breakfast and lunch per child.

We will still be serving these meals in a drive-through style starting at 11:00 A.M. and closing at 1:00 P.M.

Paper-based materials will be available for families to pick up at those sites as well.

Regarding academics – I want to begin by hopefully providing some relief to our families and students. State testing for the 2019-2020 school year has been cancelled for all 3-8 grade students and for most high school students. Juniors and seniors who are currently on track to receive college credit through either our duel enrollment program or Advance Placement courses, will still have the opportunity to take the necessary assessments to advance. As more information becomes available regarding the high school assessment calendar over the next several weeks, we will keep our families informed on our Chalmette High School website.

We have also received several questions regarding students being promoted to the next year amidst this crisis. I want to reassure families that we as a system will do everything we can to assure that students are able to advance to the next grade. Parents who have questions regarding grade promotion should contact their school principals.

There is still much uncertainty in the weeks to come. We are still waiting to make final decisions about graduation and end-of-year ceremonies. We do know that many of the events for the graduating seniors have either been cancelled or postponed, and more information will be available on our school websites as we are able to process the gravity of this crisis in the coming weeks.

Information is constantly changing, and we are committed to continue to do the next right thing for our students and our employees in the weeks to come.  Please check your school websites and our Facebook pages for more information in the weeks to come with the latest information.

As always, stay connected. Stay informed. And stay well.

Thank you.