Letter from Superintendent Tompkins regarding school closure for the remainder of the school year.

Dear McKenzie Students, Families and Community,

By now, I’m sure you have heard the news that Governor Brown has extended the school closure order through the end of this school year. Although the announcement that our campus will remain closed was not unexpected due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, it is difficult to come to terms with the sudden realization that the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year will not physically occur at McKenzie.

The physical school is closed, but Distance Learning for All will begin Monday April 13th and continue through the rest of the school year. I’d like to commend our students, staff and parents for embracing something new. As the year goes on, we will all grow and continue our learning journey together, and will continue to embody the spirit and values of MRCS.  Our food service deliveries will continue for the remainder of the year as well. Please give a big thank you to Kelly Hiddleston and her crew of staff and volunteers getting our students and their younger siblings fed!

ODE also released new guidance around graduation. This lengthy new document will take a bit of time for us to unpack. Seniors, expect to hear from the school early next week about your status. Know that we are committed to supporting all of our Seniors in gaining their diploma and moving on to college and career. We want to celebrate your accomplishments and are weighing potential scenarios ranging from delaying the graduation ceremony until later in the summer when things might be improved, to doing a virtual ceremony. We plan on collaborating with the Senior Class and their families to find solutions so we can safely recognize your success!

We are awaiting further guidance from ODE around supporting 9th-11th graders to ensure they stay on track to graduate in spite of this closure. We will pass this along to you as soon as we learn more details.

On the sports front, the OSAA has canceled all Spring Activities and State Championship contests. 

Now that the closure extends until the end of the year, we are planning a locker and personal belongings clean out for early next week. This will allow students to get needed textbooks as well as personal belongings that have been inaccessible to them since March 12th. Times will be staggered to ensure social distancing recommendations. Stay tuned for more details. 

When I have the pleasure to tell people from around the state about our community, I always hit this point home.  The McKenzie Community is resilient. We've rebounded from wildfire, snowstorms, and a major shift in the economy.  We are resilient because in times like these we bind together and take care of each other. I have full faith that during these challenging times our community will demonstrate support, patience and compassion for one another as we always have. 

Go Eagles!

Lane Tompkins

Superintendent

McKenzie School District

McKenzie River Community School