Dear VPS employees and families:

Yesterday evening, Governor Jay Inslee announced an order for Washington residents to stay at home except for essential activities. As the governor said, now is a critically important time for all of us to realize that we can help slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus by complying with his order to “Stay Home, Stay Healthy.”

The governor also has affirmed that schools play a vital role in getting communities through this crisis. Our schools provide essential services that support not only the daily nutritional needs of students, but also the ability of our healthcare system to fight this virus as we care for the children of people working on the front lines.

To that end, our Nutrition Services staff will continue to distribute grab-and-go meals for students at eight school sites this week and during spring break (March 30-April 3). Our Family-Community Resource Center coordinators will continue to reach out to families in need to help them access food provided by our community partners, and food pantries will continue to operate around Vancouver. And, as Governor Inslee has mandated, starting March 30 we will offer free childcare services for healthcare workers, first responders, pharmacy workers and grocery store workers. To request child care, please contact Educational Service District 112 Child Care Resource and Referral at 360-952-3466.

In addition, as we informed you last Friday, VPS is developing a plan for online/remote learning that we intend to roll out after spring break. Instructional activities may be delivered to homes through digital technology tools, paper copies of learning packets or a combination of both. Your student’s principal will be sending a letter later this week with more details.  

We are committed to doing our very best to educate students during this statewide school closure, while recognizing that the COVID-19 crisis continues to evolve. It could affect our staff and community in ways that we cannot anticipate fully, so we need to remain vigilant and flexible with our plans.

Most importantly, we need to take care of ourselves and our loved ones during this increasingly difficult time. Following the physical distancing guidelines doesn’t mean that we must lose our social connections, which are vital to everyone’s health. I encourage you to reach out to students, families, friends and neighbors often to ensure that they are doing alright and not feeling alone.

Please consider donating food or money to the Clark County Food Bank. The food bank provides VPS with food for students and families as well as many other Clark County partners and organizations. Donations also can be made to the Foundation for Vancouver Public Schools, which supports our students’ basic needs. 

Thank you for all you are doing and will continue to do to keep yourself safe and our community strong. Students and families are depending on us like never before, and we will be there for them.

Sincerely,
Steve Webb, Ed.D., Superintendent

To our VPS community:

Thank you for your patience as we continue working through details related to the statewide closure ordered by Gov. Inslee. While we are still refining many areas of support, here’s what we know:

Food availability
As announced last week, we are offering sack lunches at several locations. We’re also expanding the offerings to include food boxes while supplies last. Regardless of which school your child attends, you and your family are welcome to pick up food at no cost to you. Identification is not required.

Sack lunches are being given out Monday through Friday between 10 a.m. and noon in front of the following schools.

• Anderson Elementary, 2215 NE 104th St.
• Fruit Valley Elementary, 3410 NW Fruit Valley Rd.
• Ogden Elementary School, 3200 NE 86th Ave.
• Roosevelt Elementary, 2921 Falk Rd.
• Washington Elementary School, 2908 S. St.
• Discovery Middle School, 800 E. 40th St. 
• Jason Lee Middle School, 8500 NW 9th Ave.
• McLoughlin Middle School, 5802 MacArthur Blvd.

In addition, food pantry boxes will be provided while supplies last from 10 to 11 a.m. via drive-through or walk-up at the following locations:

• Anderson—Wednesday, March 18
• Minnehaha—Wednesday, March 18
• Harney—Thursday, March 19
• Walnut Grove Church (across the street from Walnut Grove Elementary)—Thursday, March 19
• Ogden—Thursday, March 19

Clark County Food Bank has compiled a list of additional resources:

• Food pantries: https://www.clarkcountyfoodbank.org/foodpantrysites
• Hot meal sites: https://www.clarkcountyfoodbank.org/preparedmealsites

Medications
Additionally, school offices will be open on a limited schedule through Friday. If your child has medication at their school, please contact the school’s office to arrange a pick-up time. School staff will follow social distancing protocols to return the medication to you safely.

Learning resources
VPS has created a list of online resources that are posted on its website. Use of these resources is not required. The purpose is to provide access to resources for all students away from the school setting.

We will remain in communication with you and continue to post information on our website.

Vancouver Public Schools is closing all its schools Monday, March 16, through Friday, April 24. Gov. Jay Inslee has directed all Washington state public schools to close to help our state and nation combat the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19).

We take any decision to close schools very seriously, recognizing that closures can pose difficulties for families and disrupt children’s education.

Please review the following important information:

• Effective at the end of school today and throughout the closure, ALL athletics and morning/afternoon/evening and weekend school activities will be canceled. 

• VPS will provide meals to all students affected by emergency school closures beginning Monday, March 16. Sack lunches will be distributed to students between 10 a.m. and noon at the front of the following schools:

  • Anderson Elementary, 2215 NE 104th St.

  • Fruit Valley Elementary, 3410 NW Fruit Valley Rd.

  • Ogden Elementary School, 3200 NE 86th Ave.

  • Roosevelt Elementary, 2921 Falk Rd.

  • Washington Elementary School, 2908 S St.

  • Discovery Middle School, 800 E. 40th St. 

  • Jason Lee Middle School, 8500 NW 9th Ave.

  • McLoughlin Middle School, 5802 MacArthur Blvd.

• Educational Service District 112 childcare centers will continue to operate in VPS.

• Missed school days will be made up at the end of the school year. The make-up days will be: June 11, 12, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19. The state will issue waivers for the balance of the missed days. Graduation dates will not be impacted. 

• We know that students, families and staff will have questions. We will continue to provide updates via several methods:

  • Email

  • Text message

  • Phone call

  • Mobile app notification

  • VPS website updates

  • Social media: Facebook, Twitter

  • Info line: 360-313-1401

Thank you for your understanding and patience as we address this unprecedented situation. We are committed to the safety and well-being of our students, their families, our staff members, volunteers and community.

Please continue to take care of yourselves and one another. We are a resilient community, and I know that we will get through this challenging time together.

Sincerely,

Steve Webb, Ed.D.
Superintendent

A Vancouver Public Schools steering committee met Thursday to hear a consultant's preliminary report on recommended actions that the district should take to improve equity in its student disciplinary practices. Daniel Losen of the UCLA Center for Civil Rights Remedies delivered the report after working with district staff for several months to gather and analyze information.

VPS formed the steering committee in December to seek input and guidance from staff and community members in response to the Washington State Attorney General's Office investigation of disproportionate discipline in the district. The AGO found that VPS had higher rates of discipline for special education, African American, Native American and Hawaiian/Pacific Islander students.

The consultant's recommendations include the following:

• Review all out-of-school suspensions greater than three days, and identify ways for suspended students to continue their learning;

• Provide training and support to assist with culturally responsive teaching, classroom management and restorative justice practices;

• Employ an educational program ombudsman to support and advocate for students and families affected by disciplinary matters;

• Refine systems and reporting processes related to student discipline, including arrests by law enforcement, to ensure appropriate and timely information;

• Modify the application of the code of conduct and the use of exclusionary practices, and consolidate the discipline codes;

• Increase support for teachers and staff to ensure compliance with special education discipline and behavior intervention plans; and,

• Continue to collaborate with the UCLA Center for Civil Rights Remedies to provide data, progress monitoring reports and longitudinal results regarding disparate treatment and administration of the settlement agreement and improvement action plan.

"This work is about providing a safe and supportive learning environment for all of our students," said Superintendent Steve Webb. "We are committed to understanding the factors that may contribute to disparities in student discipline and, ultimately, reducing those disparities."

VPS will continue to work with Losen over the next two and a half school years to ensure that the action steps are implemented and discipline equity is improved at all schools within the district.