March 12, 2020

Coronavirus UPDATE: Field Trip Cancellations

Dear families of Battle Ground Public Schools,

The last two days have seen many state announcements that greatly impact schools in the Puget Sound area of Washington, and we want to share what this means for our families and staff in Battle Ground Public Schools.

Field trip cancellations
Yesterday, the governors of Washington and Oregon prohibited events involving more than 250 people in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties in Washington and in all of Oregon state at least through the end of March to limit the spread of coronavirus.

As a result of these announcements, most trips to these regions have been canceled by event organizers. The district is also evaluating other school activities and will inform parents if there are any changes to planned school events.

The district’s postponed or canceled trips include:

  • March 13-14, Clackamas Community College Jazz Festival, Oregon City, OR (Prairie High School, Battle Ground High School, Chief Umtuch Middle School, Pleasant Valley Middle School, Tukes Valley Middle School)
  • March 13, JROTC Fitness Competition, Tacoma, WA (Prairie High School)
  • March 17, AFROTC Shadow Day, University of Portland (Battle Ground and Prairie High Schools)
  • March 17, Teens Care Youth Summit, WSU Vancouver (Chief Umtuch Middle School)
  • March 17, LCRMEA Regional Band Festival, Vancouver, WA (Chief Umtuch Middle School, Laurin Middle School)
  • March 18, LCRMEA Regional Band Festival, Vancouver, WA (Prairie High School)
  • March 19, Youth Employment Summit, Clark County Events Center (Prairie High School, Summit View High School)
  • March 19, The Winningstad Theatre, Portland, OR (River Homelink)
  • March 20, Portland Roadster Show, Portland, OR (Prairie High School)
  • March 21, Commencement Bay Jazz Festival, Tacoma, WA (Battle Ground High School)
  • March 23 & 26, Rice Museum, Hillsboro, OR (Pleasant Valley Primary)
  • March 24, Youth Leadership & College Opportunities, WSU Vancouver (Battle Ground and Prairie High School)
  • March 25, Microsoft Store, Portland, OR (River Homelink)
  • March 26, Portland Center Stage, Portland, OR (Prairie High School)
  • March 28, Chicago, IL – (Prairie High School Band)

If you have questions about athletic competitions or activities not listed here, please contact your child’s coach, school principal or athletic director.

School closures
In a press conference today, Governor Inslee declared that all schools in King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties will be closed for at least six weeks. He identified several factors that led to this decision, including the number of coronavirus cases in these counties, unparalleled student absences in Puget Sound school districts, a lack of staffing due to absences, and that health agencies can no longer map contacts of infected individuals with reliability. Read the School Closure FAQ.

Clark County currently does not meet these criteria for school closures. At this point, there are no known cases of COVID-19 among students or staff in Battle Ground Public Schools. Should the situation change, the district is making plans for providing support to families as outlined by the governor.

Monitoring and prevention
The district continues to monitor the situation, communicate with public health agencies, and plan for contingencies. We will continue to provide immediate updates as information becomes available.

In the meantime, parents can help keep students and staff safe by following the family preventative steps listed on the coronavirus information webpage. Perhaps most important, please stay home when you are sick. If you are showing signs of a respiratory illness (fever, cough, and/or shortness of breath), stay home until you have been fever-free for at least 72 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication and your other symptoms are better.

Thank you,

Battle Ground Public Schools

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