7/28/20: Board Approves Recommendation to Begin Year Online

Dear UPSD Community - 

At tonight’s virtual Special Board Meeting, the Board voted to approve the recommendation from district administration, with support from the faculty, to begin the 2020-21 school year fully virtual through at least November 20, 2020.  For some students with an identified disability who are eligible for an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), IEP teams will begin to discuss potential participation in partial in-person instruction based upon their identified needs and at the discretion of the IEP team. 

This decision came after numerous discussions over the last several weeks, in response to new and revised guidance from state and local entities, as well a surge of COVID-19 cases in Pennsylvania. Additionally, as we’ve worked with our colleagues at other area districts, it has become clear that more and more districts are considering a fully virtual start to the year.

I encourage you to check out this presentation, which is also available on the district homepage, for more on the information that was presented to the Board by Dr. Farina, Mrs. Bast and me.

Please know that our team realizes that there is no “right” decision for how to return to school this academic year. We know that there are a great many benefits to in-person school, including continuity of instruction, the opportunity for students to interact with peers and staff and much more. However, given the pandemic and the health and safety risks to students, staff and families that are inherent in the resumption of any in-person instruction, with the support of our faculty, the recommendation made to the Board on behalf of the administration was to move to a fully virtual model for the start of the year--and the Board supported that direction.

Of course, as the academic year progresses and the situation with COVID-19 evolves, our hope is that we will be able to reevaluate this model, eventually moving to a hybrid model and/or full face-to-face instruction.

As this decision was only finalized this evening, we will continue to refine our plan as we move forward. Please watch your inbox for another update from me in the coming days, with additional details about the plan for full virtual instruction to begin the 2020-21 school year.

Dr. Allyn J. Roche 
Superintendent of Schools

7/15/20: 2020-21 Parent Declaration Reminder

Dear UPSD Community - 

Given the approaching July 17 deadline for completing the required 2020-21 Parent Declaration, in lieu of my typical Friday email, I wanted to send a mid-week update. As of this morning, we’ve had about one-third of our student population complete the parent declaration form to indicate whether their student will attend school in-person or in the Upper Perkiomen Online Learning Academy to begin the 2020-21 school year, as well as whether or not they plan to utilize district transportation. 

As a parent, and as an educator, I can understand why many of our Upper Perk families may be having a challenging time making the decision to either send their students to school in-person or take advantage of the Upper Perkiomen Online Learning Academy. There are many factors to consider and our teams will continue to work on all the specifics of our Health and Safety Plan for both the current Green Phase and the potential Yellow Phase for our county.

We realize that we are asking for this declaration early in the summer, and that the situation with COVID and schools reopening may likely look different by August 31. Some families may change their minds about their choice between now and then, whether for personal reasons or a broader change in circumstances. We are asking you to make the best, most informed decisions you can by this Friday, based on the information we have at this time, so that our team can continue to plan for the year ahead. In order to accurately plan and prepare for teacher assignments, class rosters and bus routes to be released the third week of August, we must have a more accurate idea of the number of students that will be participating in online and in-person education.

If you need more information in order to complete your parent declaration, please review the Frequently Asked Questions document, which we continue to update, or watch the video on our plans for reopening (NOTE: the mask information in this video is now outdated, but accurate in the FAQ).  If you have additional specific questions, please send them to questions@upsd.org and we will do our best to reply, and possibly add them to the FAQs.  

Please be sure to log in to your Skyward Family Access account no later than this Friday, July 17 to complete this required form, using the steps outlined here. Families needing assistance with their Skyward accounts may contact the main office of the school their child attends. I can’t say this enough: Having this information is vital to our continued planning efforts, so please complete this form to the best of your ability given the information we have at this time.

On another note, as promised in last week’s email: The Upper Perkiomen Education Foundation is selling child and adult-sized spirit wear masks and gaiters. A portion of the proceeds from the #UPStrong Store will be used to help supply students with masks, should they need this assistance. All USPS orders will ship for direct delivery the week of August 24.  All other orders will be available for contact-free pick-up at UPSD locations the week of August 24. The distribution and location details will be emailed the week of August 10.

As always, thanks for your flexibility as we navigate this uncertain time and constantly changing circumstances together. Back in March and April, I spoke a lot about being in uncharted waters, and that remains the case today. The plans and decisions we make will continue to be in the best interests of our students, staff, families and community as a whole. I hope you are having a great week and an enjoyable summer.

Dr. Allyn J. Roche
Superintendent of Schools

7/10/20: Return-to-School FAQ and Information

Dear UPSD Community - 

As noted in last week’s update email, our team has been hard at work refining our ever-evolving plans for the 2020-21 school year. As we know, the situation with COVID-19 is always changing, as is the guidance from governmental entities. For example, many of you noted that last week’s video message did not address the new mask guidelines announced by the governor’s office last Thursday, which were further clarified for schools on Friday. The reason for that is simple: we recorded the message and prepared associated materials before the announcement had been made, with the most up-to-date information we had available to us at the time.

Return-to-School 2020-21 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
With the goal of keeping our district community as informed as possible always at the forefront of our minds, our team has prepared a Frequently Asked Questions document related to the 2020-21 school year. As has been the case throughout this COVID-19 pandemic, we know there are more questions than answers, and our plans will have to be somewhat fluid as things change. However, we felt it was important to do our best to address many of the common themes that have been discussed and questions that have been raised in the district of late. We will continue to update the FAQ regularly as our plans come into greater focus and we receive additional guidance from state and local governmental agencies.

Welcome to New UPSD Families!
I also wanted to take a moment to welcome the many new families that may be receiving my weekly update for the first time. This week, our systems rollover took place, officially transitioning us from the recently completed school year to the upcoming 2020-21 year. So for families of incoming kindergarten students without an older sibling in the district, and other new registrants, this may be one of the first times you’re hearing from me, or learning more about what the coming year could look like in the UPSD.

Resources on the 2020-21 School Year
For our new families, and as a reminder for existing families, there are a number of resources available, many of which we shared one week ago, to help educate you about our plans for the coming year. Dr. Farina, Mrs. Bast and myself recorded a video message outlining our plans for reopening Upper Perk schools, including details about the two learning options the district is offering for the coming year: in-person school and the Upper Perkiomen Online Learning Academy (for students who are unable to or uncomfortable with returning to in-person school). I strongly encourage all UPSD families to watch this message, as it nicely spells out our planning to this point, our current situation and our plans for the year ahead. The slideshow presentation that is used in the video is also available here. One note: as mentioned above, the information on face coverings included in these materials is slightly outdated, but is updated in the FAQ. Additionally, recent email updates are available on the Coronavirus Information & Resources page of the district website.

Next Steps for All UPSD Families
You may be wondering what the next steps are for you as the parent/guardian of an Upper Perk student. As of now, we are asking all families (of both existing students and new registrants) to review the information we’ve released (such as the video, presentation, email updates and FAQ noted above). After you have done that, we are asking all families to consider the options, and let us know by Friday, July 17 whether their student(s) will be returning to our schools for face-to-face instruction, or if they prefer to take advantage of the Upper Perk Online Learning Academy. This choice will be indicated by completing the required 2020-21 Parent Declaration Form in Skyward Family Access. We recognize that we’re asking families to make this initial declaration early in the summer, however having a good idea of the number of students enrolled in in-person school vs. the Upper Perkiomen Online Learning Academy will aid in our planning and help facilitate getting our Health & Safety Plan approved by the Board in August.

Instructions for Completing the REQUIRED 2020-2021 Parent Declaration Form in Skyward Family Access (with screenshots) are available here. 

Families with questions about logging in to their Skyward Family Access account should contact the main office/secretary of the school their child attends from Mon-Thurs during business hours:

• Hereford: 215-679-4151 or Kristal Bitner (kbitner@upsd.org)
• Marlborough: 215-541-7299 or Tanisha Bates (tvbates@upsd.org) 
• 4th & 5th Grade Center: 215-679-6288 or Anna Hannon (ahannon@upsd.org)
• UPMS: 267-313-4800 or Patricia Keller (pkeller@upsd.org) 
• UPHS: 215-679-5935 or Michele Martin (mmartin@upsd.org) 

UPEF Face Coverings Store Information Coming Soon
We anticipate that next week we’ll be sharing information on behalf of the Upper Perkiomen Education Foundation regarding the sale of UPSD face coverings. This sale will be a fundraiser for the Foundation, with proceeds benefiting our district, and will provide our community with the opportunity to purchase face coverings with Upper Perk colors and logos. Stay tuned for more information on this sale soon!

In Closing
On behalf of the entire Upper Perk team, thank you for your patience as we continue to work through the plans to provide the best educational program for our students, while taking precautions to protect the health and safety of our staff, students and community at large. We have many steps ahead of us in this process, and knowing the plans for each student will be extremely helpful as we continue to plan. Our Task Force and Work Groups will continue to meet during the summer and their recommendations will be incorporated into the UPSD Health and Safety Plan. 

We do not have all the answers at this time, but we will continue to update the Frequently Asked Questions document as we move through this process. Email updates will continue to be sent to our district community throughout the summer. If you have additional questions after reviewing the FAQ and other resources, please direct them to questions@upsd.org, or contact Mrs. Bast (kbast@upsd.org) with questions specific to the Upper Perk Online Learning Academy or academics in general. Your continued support and flexibility is very much appreciated. I hope you have a great weekend, and are enjoying the summer.

Dr. Allyn J. Roche
Superintendent of Schools 

7/3/20: Action Required: 2020-21 Parent Declaration

Dear UPSD Community - 

I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the first part of the summer. Last week, I sent out an overview of the preliminary plans for the reopening of schools for the 2020-21 school year, which were shared with the School Board on June 25 (recent email updates can be found here). Today, I would like to share additional details with you, as well as provide an update on the ongoing work during this summer for our plans to welcome our students back to school on Monday, August 31.

Dr. Farina, Mrs. Bast and myself recorded a video message outlining our plans for reopening Upper Perk schools, including details about both in-person school and the Upper Perk Online Learning Academy. While the video message is a bit lengthy at 23 minutes, I strongly encourage all UPSD families to watch it, as it nicely spells out our planning to this point, our current situation, and our plans for the year ahead. The slideshow presentation that is used in the video is also available here.

We are currently organizing our plan with consideration to our physical spaces, staffing and available resources so that we can offer as close to a typical start of the school year as possible. Upper Perk Online Learning Academy will be for students who are unable to, or uncomfortable returning to face-to-face instruction for the 2020-21 school year, and will include: 

• Students engaging in virtual learning from home with a UPSD teacher
• A mix of live teaching and independent work
• The UPSD Curriculum being utilized (with greater use of supplemental digital content)
• Assessment continuing to be robust part of the learning cycle
• Students maintain all advantages of being a UPSD student (activities, sports, clubs, events, Western Center)
• Ease of transition back in to face-to-face instruction
• Providing all K-12 students utilizing the Online Academy with a device

After watching the video at the link above, and reviewing the information that we have shared about the 2020-21 school year, we are asking ALL families of UPSD students to consider the options, and let us know before Friday, July 17 whether their student(s) will be returning to our schools for face-to-face instruction, or if they prefer to take advantage of the Upper Perk Online Academy. This choice will be indicated by completing the required 2020-21 Parent Declaration Form in Skyward Family Access (see instructions below). At this time, we are asking parents of students heading to grades 1-12 to complete this form; parents of incoming kindergarten students will be able to access the Parent Declaration Form July 8-17.

Instructions for Completing the REQUIRED 2020-2021 Parent Declaration Form in Skyward Family Access

**You can also view the step-by-step instructions with accompanying screenshots here.**

1. Login to your existing Skyward Family Access guardian account. 
2. On the left side menu, click Online Forms
3. When your student’s name(s) appear in the pop-up box, click Fill Out Form
4. Click View Full Screen
5. The form has two questions, and both require you to select a response from the drop-down menu. Once you have made your selections, click the Complete Step 1 Only button at the bottom of the screen
6. Click the Next Step button on the right side of the screen
7. Click the Submit 2020-21 Parent Declaration button at the bottom of the screen
8. Your form has now been submitted! If you wish to go back and review your responses, click Go back to review completed steps, or if you need to go back and make changes, click Mark 2020-21 Parent Declaration as not completed and make changes to go back and repeat the process.
9. If you choose to go back and make changes, click the Edit Step 1 button at the bottom of the screen and then repeat Steps #5 through #7 above.

On behalf of the entire Upper Perk team, thank you for your patience as we continue to work through the plans to provide the best educational program for our students, while taking precautions to protect the health and safety of our staff, students and community at large. As you can see from our timeline, we have many steps ahead of us in this process, and knowing the plans for each student will be extremely helpful as we continue to plan. 

We do not have all the answers at this time, but we will be sharing a Frequently Asked Questions document in the next week to help address and answer questions as we move through this process, and this document will be regularly updated. Email updates will continue to be sent out to our families and the community throughout the summer. If you have specific questions that would help you make your decision for your students, please direct them to questions@upsd.org, or contact Mrs. Bast (kbast@upsd.org) with questions specific to the Upper Perk Online Academy. Your continued support and flexibility is very much appreciated. I hope you are enjoying the summer, and Happy Independence Day weekend!

Dr. Allyn J. Roche
Superintendent of Schools 

6/26/20: Planning for the 2020-21 School Year

Dear UPSD Community - 

While I know that we have only recently closed the book on the 2019-20 school year, as I said in my end-of-year update email, we are already well into the process of developing our Health & Safety Plans related to the reopening of all Upper Perkiomen schools for the 2020-21 School Year. As we continue to work on the specific details of what school may look like next year for our students, families and staff, I want everyone to know that we are keeping student and staff safety top-of-mind, along with maintaining the integrity of the school day/curriculum.

Over the last several weeks, a number of meetings and conversations have taken place to ramp up our planning efforts for the year ahead. Our administrative team has reviewed and synthesized the results from the Parent Survey, Staff Survey and Curriculum Readiness Survey that we conducted in Spring 2020. We’ve also assembled a COVID Taskforce and COVID Work Groups, including representatives from our stakeholder groups, to help think through and plan for the challenges we may face when reopening schools. An impressive amount of work has already been done on these topics, including at a full day administrative retreat led by Dr. Farina and myself last week.

At last night’s virtual Board Workshop, Dr. Farina and I shared a UPSD Health & Safety Plan Update presentation with the Board and those in attendance. Our slideshow can be accessed at the link above, or via a link on the district homepage. I encourage all of our community members to take a few moments to review this presentation, as it nicely summarizes where we are with planning, and where we need to be to safely reopen our schools.

As of now, we are preparing to welcome back all students to school on Monday, August 31, 2020, barring any unforeseen closures or restrictions on traditional, in-person school provided on site by our faculty.

We are currently organizing our plan with consideration to our physical spaces, staffing and available resources so that we can offer as close to a typical start of the school year as possible. While using guidance from multiple sources, we are including preventative measures where and when reasonable and appropriate. We are making classroom and building configuration changes to promote social distancing and safety without compromising the learning environment. In addition, in cooperation with Mr. Kenwood, our facilities director, we have developed a plan and invested in the necessary resources to enable our custodial staff to thoroughly and efficiently clean individual classrooms, common spaces, materials, equipment and entire schools throughout each day. 

Additionally, we will also have an alternative to the in-person return to school. In response to the surveys conducted at the close of the 2019-20 year, as well as anecdotal feedback that has been gathered, UPSD will offer the Upper Perk Online Learning Academy for students who are unable to, or uncomfortable returning to face-to-face instruction for the 2020-21 school year, which will include: 

• Students engaging in virtual learning from home with a UPSD teacher
• A mix of live teaching and independent work
• The UPSD Curriculum being utilized (with greater use of supplemental digital content)
• Assessment continuing to be robust part of the learning cycle
• Students maintaining all advantages of being a UPSD student (activities, sports, clubs, events, Western Center)
• Ease of transition back in to face-to-face instruction
• Providing all K-12 students utilizing the Online Academy with a device

At last night’s Board Workshop, our Board approved the first (of many) return to school plans: our Athletic Health & Safety Return to Play Plan. We anticipate another Board meeting being scheduled the week of July 13th to consider phase one of our Health & Safety Plan.

Please look for more information on the 2020-21 School Year in coming weeks, with my next email update being sent next Friday, July 3, 2020. In that email, I will share more about the Online Academy, as well as what in-person school may look like beginning August 31. At that time, we will be asking ALL families to let us know before July 17 whether their students will be returning to our schools for face-to-face instruction, or if they prefer to take advantage of the Upper Perk Online Academy. In addition, we will also be asking about student transportation and if students will be riding the school buses, or if parents are able to provide transportation. Parents providing transportation will reduce the bus ridership each day, which will help us to determine bus rosters and social distancing while traveling to and from school. So, as much as you are able to with the information we have at this point, please begin thinking about these decisions as they relate to your student(s).

In closing, as always, I want to thank our students, families and staff for their patience and flexibility. While we’re already well into planning for the reopening of Upper Perk schools, as we know, the situation related to COVID-19 changes quickly, as can our outlook and plans for the year ahead. 

As a reminder, we are always here to support our students and their families, even during the summer months. Our Pupil Services team recently updated the Strategies for Supporting Students and Families document. Additionally, to help keep our students learning over the summer break, our Curriculum & Instruction team developed some Summer Resources for Families. Links to both of these are available on the district homepage. I hope you are enjoying the start of summer break!

Dr. Allyn J. Roche
Superintendent of Schools

6/15/20: End-of-Year Update from Dr. Roche

Dear UPSD Community - 

It has been an unforgettable school year, but here we are - the 2019-20 school year has officially come to a close. I could have never imagined what the past 12 months would look like when I joined the Upper Perk family nearly a year ago. The past year has been filled with trials and tribulations, but I hope you’ll join me in the sentiment that our community weathered the storms together, and we are even stronger for it.

I know that this was a challenging year for all of us: faculty and staff, community members, families, and most notably, our students. During my Superintendent’s Report at last week’s virtual Board Meeting, I took a moment to directly address our students, and I wanted to share those sentiments in this email, for everyone who was unable to tune in on Thursday evening:

If I may just speak to our students for a moment--to all Upper Perk K-12 students--YOU DID IT! Your time and dedication during these last three months has been simply amazing. We know it was not easy, nor was it perfect for everyone, but with the love and support from your family and your teachers, you have reached the end of the school year. You are ready for the next grade level and you are truly the success story of the pandemic. You also learned a life lesson of never giving up and being resilient through a difficult situation. On behalf of the administration, faculty and staff and the School Board: we are extremely proud of you! Have a wonderful summer--you earned it, and know that we will be planning all summer in hopes of everyone returning to our classrooms and hallways as safely as possible!

Over the last weeks, and specifically on Friday, we honored, celebrated and bid farewell to our senior class. For those who attended Friday’s Farewell Celebration & Diploma Pickup, I’m sure you’ll agree that the atmosphere was simply electric. From the music to the presence of first responders to the creative decorations to the beautiful weather--the evening was the perfect way to celebrate, given our current circumstances. I want to again say “congratulations to the Class of 2020, you make us all Proud to Be UPSD!

Below you’ll find some highlights related to the Class of 2020 and graduation, as well as other topics relevant to the end of the year and summer break.

Congrats, Class of 2020!
In recent weeks, we’ve taken many opportunities to honor the Class of 2020. These students, unfortunately, were robbed of many of the traditional senior year celebrations, due to COVID-19 closures. Dr. Carpenter and his team at UPHS, as well as many of us throughout the district, wanted to ensure that our graduates were properly recognized for their accomplishments, and sent off in the best way possible, given the social distancing guidelines that are in place.

Please take a few moments to check out our Congrats, Class of 2020! page on the district website for highlights of graduation-related events and activities, photos and videos, including:

Class of 2020 Farewell Celebration & Diploma Pickup Photo Gallery & Video
Watch the video from the June 12 Farewell Celebration, and check out our photo gallery.

2020 Graduation Video
Premiering June 12, the graduation video includes a compilation of pre-recorded individual graduation ceremonies and the typical graduation remarks. 

Class of 2020 By the Numbers
In his graduation address every year, Dr. Carpenter provides a snapshot of the graduating class. You can also check out our Class of 2020 By the Numbers story for an overview.

School Board Proclamation Honoring the Class of 2020
At its May 29 Workshop, the Board of School Directors unanimously approved a proclamation honoring the Class of 2020, and declaring June 12 a day of celebration in the class’ honor. 

Class of 2020 Senior Profiles
In the days leading up to the June 12 UPHS Class of 2020 Farewell/Diploma Pick-up Ceremony, we featured every graduating member of the Class of 2020 as part of the Class of 2020 Senior Profiles Series. While every graduate’s name and photo was featured, we gave students the opportunity to add to their profiles and share a little bit about their experiences at Upper Perk, as well as their future plans. Find out more about our graduates!

Remembering Our Posthumous Diploma Recipient, Andie Clutter 
We wrapped up our Class of 2020 Senior Profiles Series with a tribute to Andie Clutter, a member of the Class of 2020 who passed away suddenly on November 18, 2018 at the age of 16 from SUDEP. The Upper Perkiomen School District is honored to present Andie’s diploma posthumously.

2020 UPHS Baccalaureate Video
The 2020 UPHS Baccalaureate video features musical performances and more. 

2020 UPHS Senior Awards Video
Find out more about the accomplishments of members of the senior class by watching the 2020 Senior Awards video.

Blue & Gold Scholar Athlete Awards Presentation
Watch the annual Blue & Gold Scholar Athlete Awards Presentation video.

Elementary Parades
Friday morning at the district’s three elementary schools, teachers and staff lined the driveways on what would have been the final day of in-person school for the 2019-20 academic year. The elementary farewell parades gave teachers and students alike the opportunity to say goodbye, and wrap up the year in a socially distant manner. Many teachers were adorned in festive outfits or UP spirit wear, and held signs, danced, cheered as students, with their immediate families, drove through school grounds. Similarly, many families decked out their vehicles with special ways to say thanks to teachers, who went above and beyond during at-home learning, after their typical year was cut short. Have a great summer, students! We hope to see you all in the fall! Check out photos from the events on our Facebook page.

End-of-Year Signs
We started the year with an enthusiastic response to our first day of school signs, so we thought it was only fitting for us to mark the end of the year with something similar. Please feel free to download and print the end-of-year sign templates and snap a photo or two of your student (maybe even with their favorite at-home learning teacher), sending them to communication specialist Mrs. Nikki Gum (ngum@upsd.org) and/or posting them to social media using #Proud2BeUPSD! We’ll share the photos we receive on district outlets this summer.

Summer Resources for Families
Summer is the perfect time for fun and relaxation, and we wish that for you and your family!  We want students to unplug and enjoy the outdoors- to be safe, and curious, and happy this summer.  Considering that this school year ended very differently than most, we also want to provide you with a variety of options to keep students engaged and learning during the summer months. If you’re interested, please check out the robust list of Summer Resources for Families to help support your child’s growth. Enjoy the summer, we can’t wait to welcome you back!

Wrapping Up the Grab and Go Meals Program
Last week concluded our Grab and Go Meals Program for this academic year. Thanks to all who participated in and contributed to the program. Kudos go out to Mrs. Germinario, Mr. McFadden and the Food Services, Maintenance and Custodial Teams along with many volunteers for the success of the program. I’m proud to share that over the last 12 weeks, our program provided a total of 7,019 meals to our students. No one was ever turned away, and often the team had to quickly make up a few more bags if some extra students showed up on a given day. The joy and satisfaction that was apparent on the faces of students and families was just as big and warm as the joy and satisfaction in the hearts of our staff that prepared and distributed the meals. Thank you again to everyone for the success of the program. See below for information on The Open Link’s Grab and Go meals program that will take place during the summer months.

The Open Link’s Summer Meals Program
The Open Link is offering a Grab and Go meals program in place of Summer Lunch Bunch this year!  The program runs June 22-August 14 at five locations: Mondays and Thursdays at Treichler’s Mill Park in Hereford from 11:30am-noon, Bieler Park in East Greenville from 12:15-12:45pm; and Tuesdays and Fridays at Pennsburg Commons in Pennsburg from 11:30am-noon, Hope Valley Community Church in Red Hill from 12:15-12:45pm and Isaac Smith Park in Green Lane from 1-1:30pm.  Open to all kids 18 and under, and FREE.  Each child will receive two breakfast and two lunch meals.  The Open Link staff and volunteers look forward to seeing you! Call 215-679-4112 or check out this flier for more info. 

School Board Changes
In my June 5 update email, I addressed the social media posts and comments, and the broader conversations that have taken place within our community, in regards to comments made on the personal Facebook account of a UPSD School Board member. I’ve connected with a number of individuals within the UPSD community on this topic in recent weeks, and I again want to thank everyone who took the time to share their thoughts and concerns with me. 

The broader conversation related to the social media posts continued at our virtual June School Board Meeting last Thursday evening, with community members sharing their thoughts for over two hours during the public comment portions of the meeting.  At the end of the meeting and after three additional agenda items were added to the meeting for Board consideration on this topic, Dr. Kerry Drake was elected the new School Board President.    

Upcoming Committee Meetings & Board Workshop
There will be a number of virtual meetings of the Board held throughout the remainder of June. A list can be found below, and details will continue to be updated on our Virtual School Board Meetings webpage.

• Finance Committee – Monday, June 15 at 6:30 p.m. 
• Policy Committee – Monday, June 15 at 8 p.m.
• Facilities Committee – Wednesday, June 24 at 7 p.m. **This is a change from the previously advertised date of 6/18**
• Board Workshop – Thursday, June 25 at 7 p.m.

Montgomery County COVID-19 Testing Resources
Given the changing nature of COVID-19, I want to share some resources provided by Montgomery County on the virus. Montgomery County’s drive-through COVID-19 testing location on the Central Campus of Montgomery County Community College is now open during the week from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., by appointment only for any individual who needs or wants to be tested and as testing supplies allow, weather permitting. Effective immediately, the site will operate from Monday to Friday only and will be closed on Saturdays and Sundays. For more information, to find out if the site is open or closed for the day, and to register for an appointment, visit www.montcopa.org/COVID-19 or call 610.631.3000, starting at 8 a.m. Information on walk-up testing sites can be found at the link above, as well, under the County Testing Information button. More information is also available on this flier.

In Closing
Thank you again for your continued support of our district, and of me as your superintendent. Our fingers are crossed that the situation will be such that we are able to resume in-person school in the fall, and we can see our students’ smiling faces again. As I shared previously, we have a team of staff members and other key stakeholders working on the plans for the start of the 2020-21 school year and as soon as we have our plans ready to share, we will communicate them to you. Thank you to the 1,150 families that completed the Parent Survey as this is valuable information in reflecting on the past three months and in planning for the 2020-21 school year. I will continue to update you throughout the summer months as the COVID-19 situation evolves, we receive guidance from the PA Department of Education (and other entities) and the picture for the return to school becomes clearer. I hope everyone has a fantastic, well-deserved and restful summer.

Dr. Allyn J. Roche
Superintendent of Schools

Over the course of this school closure, we’ve received a number of inquiries from community members and businesses asking how they may lend support to our students, especially in regard to our Grab and Go Meal Program. First and foremost, thank you to everyone who has reached out in that regard. Your generosity and genuine concern for Upper Perk students’ well being is heartwarming! 

At this time, the district, like many other community organizations, is not able to accept donations of food or other products. This is to ensure the safety of our staff and our students/families. Volunteer opportunities are also very limited in an effort to help contain the spread of COVID-19. 

If you would like to help UPSD in a tangible way during this time, providing financial support is the best method to help ensure that we are able to continue to provide meals to our students in need of food.

If you would like to support the Grab and Go Meal Program, which is available to all students K-12, please make your check payable to the UPSD Cafeteria Account and mail it to the Upper Perkiomen Education Center 2229 East Buck Road Suite 2 Pennsburg, PA 18073. Thank you for your support!

Additionally, we’d like to remind you that community organizations and resources, such as The Open Link, are being heavily relied upon during this unprecedented situation. For those who wish to help the students and families of the Upper Perkiomen Valley, providing support to community organizations is crucial during times like these to help ensure that supplies are available to those who need it most.

Meaningful Learning Activities - March 2020
With the help of our faculty and administrators, we have compiled a robust list of meaningful learning activities that families may use during this break to keep students learning and active.

2020 School Closure Meals
UPSD Food Services will be offering grab-and-go meals for any students in need of food during this break, beginning Monday, March 23. Those in need of food may also contact The Open Link.

Strategies for Supporting Students and Families
Check out some great resources from the Pupil Services team.

HS School Counseling Office Newsletter March 2020
This newsletter includes helpful information related to the school closure.

Student Assistance Counselors
Student Assistance counselors are available to connect students and families to community supports and resources, for individual & group counseling and much more.

INFORMATION ON COVID-19:

Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services Coronavirus Fact Sheet

Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services Coronavirus Infographic

PA Department of Health - Coronavirus General Information

CDC - Coronavirus Information

CDC - Coronavirus Fact Sheet

CDC - Stop the Spread of Germs

Marsh - Coronavirus Resilience Fact Sheet

Healthgrades - Coronavirus Symptoms and Complications

Healthgrades - 10 Things to Know About Coronavirus

Healthgrades - Questions and Answers About Coronavirus

ExpressScripts - Should I Order My Meds Early?

ExpressScripts - Coronavirus Response

ExpressScripts - Pandemic Information

PA DEPT OF HEALTH SPANISH LANGUAGE RESOURCES (EN ESPANOL):

CORONAVIRUS

INFORMACIÓN SOBRE EL COVID-19 PARA NEGOCIOS ESENCIALES

GUÍA SOBRE EL EQUIPO DE PROTECCIÓN PERSONAL (EPP) PARA EL COVID-19

LIDIAR CON LAS PREOCUPACIONES POR EL COVID-19

¿CÓMO HABLAR CON LOS NIÑOS ACERCA DEL COVID-19?

GUÍA PARA CLÍNICAS DE WIC PARA EL COVID-19

PARENT/EDUCATION RESOURCES:

NASP - Talking to Children About COVID-19

CDC - Talking with children about Coronavirus Disease 2019

PBS - 10 tips for talking about COVID-19 with your kids

Five Ways to Become Closer with Social Distancing

Supporting your Child

PA Department of Health - Coronavirus Information for Schools

PA Department of Health - Coronavirus K-12 Fact Sheet

Jefferson Health - COVID-19 Family Resources

Daily Schedule for Parents During School Closure

Hand Washing Poster

Social Distancing Poster

Helpful Tips Poster

BrainPop - Coronavirus Video for Kids

NPR - Just For Kids: A Comic Exploring The New Coronavirus

Little Puddins: The Autism Educator - Coronavirus Social Story

Two Way Street – Communication Therapy Solutions and Resources - Talking to kids about Coronavirus

COMMUNITY & MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES:

The Open Link - Variety of Local Resources
The Open Link is available to help with a variety of community needs:

• Their food pantry and our meals on wheels are operating well with dedicated crews of both staff and volunteers from their two locations. 
• They are also doing benefits acquisition, rental/utility/other assistance, domestic violence counseling, other emergency assistance primarily over the phone. 
• Although open for business, both sites are closed to the public. Please email them at info@theopenlink.org or call us at 215-679-4112 M-F, 8-4 with any needs or questions. 
• Volunteers: Fortunately their volunteer corps is still healthy. People that would like to be part of our backup for food pantry or meals on wheels can send their information to Tammy Styer at volunteers@theopenlink.org.
• Donations: The Open Link is accepting financial donations. They are accepting food and personal care donations including disinfecting wipes and hand sanitizer at the 452 Penn Street, Pennsburg location. There are bins outside  to put donations, and they will then quarantine the donations for 72 hours to ensure non-transfer of virus. Financial donations can be made through the DONATE link on their website.

MontCo Anti-Hunger Network - Food Pantry List

Montgomery Country Department of Health - COVID-19 Contact Information

Montgomery County Department of Health - COVID-19 Testing Information

Montgomery County Suicide Prevention Task Force - Suicide Crisis and Prevention Resource Guide 

PMHCA and Youth MOVE PA - Virtual Drop-Ins to Reduce Social Isolation

NAMI - Online Mental Health Support Groups

SAMHSA - Taking Care of Your Behavioral Health

SAMHSA - Coping with Stress During Infectious Disease Outbreaks

SAMHSA - Tips for Taking Care of Your Behavioral Health During Social Distancing and Quarantine

BE A PART OF THE CONVERSATION (substance use, misuse & addiction) - Online Resources
Every Tuesday at 7pm Be a Part of the Conversation will host an Online Program addressing substance use, misuse and addiction and its impact on individuals and their families by building a culture of awareness and support. Registration required.

PA Works - Simplified Unemployment Compensation Information