COVID-19
.jpg)
Launch the media gallery 1 player03-16-2020 - In conjunction with the North Central District Health Department and our ESU #8 schools, O'Neill Public Schools will be closing all schools in our district until after March 31st. Your child should have access to learning enrichment activities, either through on-line resources or paper and pencil packets to work on during that time. We will continue to evaluate the situation and update you throughout this 14 day closure. We encourage all families to stay home at this time. This is not intended to be a vacation. The CDC has recommended limited social and community gatherings, please respect this suggestion. We will get through this together! Stay tuned and stay healthy!
03-15-2020 - O’Neill Public Schools will be open tomorrow. District administrators have participated in a variety of meetings, and online conferences and have worked with our local health Department, the Nebraska Department of Education, and other state officials to remain current on developments relating to the COVID-19 virus. We have also worked to prepare for a possible school closure, and hope that you are doing the same. Teachers have developed plans to offer educational enrichment opportunities for all students during a school closure. These enrichment opportunities will not be required or graded, but strongly encouraged. It is important for parents to develop a plan for daycare in the event that O’Neill Public Schools does close in the coming days/weeks. Please be prepared. There is a survey on our school website concerning the need for breakfast and lunches should school be closed. Students with health concerns and students who have parents or guardians with health concerns are encouraged to stay home until this threat to their health has passed. These absences will not count toward truancy issues. There is a form to fill out if your child is staying home for this reason. The final decision about sending children to school is always up to parents and guardians. As we continue to monitor this public health crisis, we will continue to do all we can here at school to assure a safe environment for students and staff.
This includes but is not limited to the following:
- Enforcing precautions in our schools that are focused on reducing the spread of germs including a more frequent use of hand sanitizer and washing our hands.
- Continuing to clean and sanitize school facilities and equipment frequently.
- Continuing to follow recommendations from the Department of Education, Center for Disease Control (CDC) and North Central District Health Department (NCDHD) as they relate to individuals exhibiting symptoms of the COVID-19 Coronavirus.
All school extra-curricular and co-curricular competitions have been suspended indefinitely. Spring activities practices will continue. No activities will be hosted on O’Neill Public School campuses involving students or staff from other schools, but cooped classes with St. Mary’s will continue. Activities and field trips at the Elementary School are also suspended. We will revisit this protocol on a daily basis. If you have questions please feel free to contact O’Neill Public Schools at 402-336-3775 or by e-mailing amyshane@oneillschools.org any time. Thank you for your patience and support as we work collaboratively through these challenging times. We will continue to do our best to keep you informed on a daily basis.
03-11-2020 - O'Neill Public Schools is staying in close contact with our local health department, North Central District Health Department (NCDHD), in regard to monitoring the virus. We are doing everything to the best of our abilities to ensure all precautionary measures are in place. Should the need arise for school closure, plans are being discussed so as not to disrupt the education of our students. At the time of this form release, there have been no confirmed cases in the Holt County area, so continuing to practice good hygiene (frequent hand washing, the use of hand sanitizer, deciding if traveling somewhere is worth risk, staying home when ill, etc.) is critical to maintain your health/safety along with those you come in contact with.
As with other viruses/illnesses, people with compromised immune systems are encouraged to remain out of the public/stay home to protect their health. Should you feel your student has a health condition/compromised immune system AND/OR someone they reside with does, please know it's at your discretion to keep your student home, without penalty. We do not want to place anyone at risk. Your student will be responsible for communicating with their teacher(s) to stay current on homework.
Please fill out the bottom of the form, detach it, and return it to the school office by noon of the first day your child will be absent. If you have any questions, please feel free to call school nurse, Steph Prouty, at the O'Neill Elementary school at 402-336-1400 or at O'Neill High School at 402-336-1544 or via email communication at stephprouty@oneillschools.org.
Click here to print the form. Or here for the Spanish version.
03-08-2020 - Concerns over the new COVID-19 virus can make children and families anxious. While we don’t know where and to what extent this disease may spread here in Nebraska, we do know that it is contagious. As our families return from spring break, we ask that you remain watchful in yourself and children when it comes to symptoms of illness. If you know you have been exposed to sick contacts and you begin to experience symptoms of fever, shortness of breath, and cough we ask that you contact your healthcare provider on next steps. It is very important that we keep each other healthy and safe, so please stay home if you are sick. We encourage anyone who may feel the need to be seen at your doctor’s office or emergency room that you call ahead first, so staff can be prepared for your arrival.
Easy ways to keep yourself and others healthy include: wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and warm water, cough and sneeze into your elbow or tissue and throw the tissue away, clean or wipe down frequently touched surfaces and objects, eat healthy, get plenty of sleep.
As a reminder we are still in the middle of a busy cold and flu season, so please be on high alert for signs and symptoms of illness. If you have any questions or concerns regarding COVID-19, please contact North Central District Health Department.
CDC Fact Sheets
English
Spanish
