Dear Families,
This past Wednesday was Administrative Professionals Day. In Howell, we have an outstanding team of administrative professionals who keep our school and district offices running smoothly. In a typical year, this is a difficult job, and even more so this year, as our staff has been tasked with additional responsibilities related to COVID-19 protocols. I am so thankful for their dedication to our students, families, staff, and community.
It has been a rough few weeks regarding the number of COVID-19 cases among our student population. While the Livingston County Health Department continues to see very little evidence of in-school transmission, the number of students required to quarantine due to this increase in cases dramatically impacts our schools. The number of COVID-19 cases are also impacting our Transportation Department. While we are currently able to maintain all of our bus routes, there may come a time that we need to temporarily pause routes due to staffing shortages. We must continue to follow our safety protocols, keep students home when showing any signs of illness or with COVID-19 test results pending, and be sure that we are following required quarantines. Thank you for your continued support in following these safety protocols.
With COVID-19 vaccinations now available to all Michigan residents ages 16 and older, the Livingston County Health Department has asked local school districts to help share information about vaccine availability with our families. Next Thursday and Friday, April 29 and April 30, the Howell Meijer location will be hosting COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics. Meijer will have the Pfizer vaccine at the clinics, which is approved for ages 16 and older. If your child is 16 or older and you would like to register them for this clinic, you can do so by texting COVID to 75049 or at https://clinic.meijer.com/. Additionally, several pharmacies and health care providers in the area also have available vaccination appointments. To view additional locations offering the COVID-19 vaccine, please visit https://bit.ly/3epnLO7. According to the Livingston County Health Department, once a person has been fully vaccinated, they will no longer be required to quarantine if they are in close contact with an individual who has COVID-19.
Team KRASH, one of our middle school FIRST Tech Challenge teams, has advanced to the FIRST Robotics Innovation Challenge semifinals. KRASH is one of only 40 teams worldwide to move to the semifinals. In the Innovation Challenge, teams identify a real-world problem, design a solution, create a business model, and pitch their idea to other FTC teams for judged awards. Additionally, Team KRASH has advanced to the FIRST in Michigan FTC state competition. To read more about this incredible accomplishment, please visit https://bit.ly/2RY8uMS.
Howell High School’s annual Senior Survivor week starts this Sunday. This year’s Senior Survivors will be raising funds to build Senior Survivor Park, an inclusive playground at the Genoa Township Park. This playground will also appeal to children of various ages and abilities and will foster socialization among groups of children who might not otherwise interact. To learn more about Senior Survivor Park or to support this year’s fundraiser, please visit https://bit.ly/2SLq3NI.
Starting next week, we will only be hosting one weekly meal kit distribution. Due to low usage, we have ended the Thursday meal kit distributions at Three Fires Elementary. Meal kits will continue to be distributed at the Howell High School Loading Dock each Tuesday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. through the end of the school year.
Sincerely,
Erin J. MacGregor, Ed.S.
Superintendent
Howell Public Schools
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