November 16, 2020

Dear TRCS Parents/Guardians-

Last evening the Director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services issued a new Emergency Order which has impacted our TRCS schools.

After meeting with the Principals, TREA Leadership, and District Directors, we have decided to suspend in-person instruction for TRHS and TRMS for three weeks. Remote learning will start on Wednesday, November 18th, with a return date for in-person instruction on Wednesday, December 9th. 
There will be no school for MS/HS students on Tuesday, November 17th, as teachers/staff and students prepare for this transition. More details regarding this transition to remote learning will follow later today.

Our PreK-5 students will continue with in-person instruction, which is allowed by this new emergency order. The PreK-5 students are best served by in-person instruction. GSRP and our early childhood special education classes will continue with in-person instruction.

Through all of our contact tracing, we had determined so far that not one of our student or staff positive cases originated at school. The consistency in which we monitor face covering wearing, and the sanitizing that is being done on a frequent basis during the day, and in the evenings also contributes to our ability to keep the transmission of COVID outside of our school system. 

We will continue to frequently consult with our health department and monitor the close contacts, and positive cases that impact our elementary, and PreK-5 programs. My hope is that this targeted emergency order is successful in flattening the rise in positive COVID cases so that we can continue in-person instruction, not only at the PreK-5th grade level, but being able to bring back our secondary students after the three weeks.

On behalf of all of our students and staff, I am asking that we all do what is required of us regarding this new emergency order from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). The MDHHS has provided some key pieces of information regarding what is open and not open during this temporary/targeted emergency order. They have also provided guidance for social gatherings as we head into the holiday season. I am sharing these three documents with you so that together we can do what is necessary to flatten out the rise in COVID19 positive cases.

The alternative to not following this emergency order will result in more COVID positive cases, additional lives lost, and a significant loss in learning for our TRCS students that will take years to recover.

Sincerely,

Ron Moag