Update 4-22-2020

Update 4-11-2020

Next week we will be transitioning our food distribution from Jack’s Fresh Market to MAS Middle High School. Pick-up of meals and homework drop-off locations will be at MAS Middle High School (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.), Gulliver Crossroads (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.), Germfask Community Center (Monday and Wednesday 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.), and Little Bear West Arena (Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.). If your child/children have completed school work please make sure their name and their teacher’s name is on their work and bring it to the food distribution locations. Please contact your child/children’s teacher via email for additional supplemental work.

Update 4-7-2020

Notes from the desk of Howard Parmentier, MAS Superintendent.

Please see an announcement from our local Health Department.

Talk to your teens about the importance of social distancing

MANISTIQUE — Being away from friends, extended family, and social activities can be hard on teens and kids. Many communities across the nation, including our own, are seeing teens still getting together, in person, to socialize. Teenagers may feel that social distancing rules does not apply to them, as data shows that COVID-19 is less severe for their age group. However, it is important for parents and caregivers to reiterate that youth can be carriers of the virus, even if they don’t feel sick. Taking a car or bike ride with friends, hanging out at the park or playing games is against the social distancing guidelines

and against the law with Governor Whitmer’s Shelter-In-Place order in effect.

Parents must keep their teens and kids’ home while the Shelter-In-Place order is in effect. Talk to them about the importance of social distancing in an age appropriate way. Ask them what they already know about the guidelines and ask them what questions they have. Stick to the facts, be honest and use terms they understand.

There are several tips the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have outlined to help teens and families during this difficult, uncertain time.

1. Stay calm. Be mindful about how you talk about the pandemic. Your children will remember what you say and how you say it. Talk to them in a calm and reassuring manner.

2. Children and teens benefit from having a schedule. With schools closed, the daily routine is different. Adding some structure will help the days feel more normal. Following meal, school and other activity schedules will help keep boredom at bay.

3. Consider what your children can control and provide them with choices. Can they choose which schoolwork to do first or which to save for last? Can they choose what’s for dinner?

4. Plan family activities. Taking a walk or a hike or riding bikes (with people who live in the same household) are great ways to get out and get active without having physical contact. If you go to parks, keep kids off of communal equipment (stuff that lots of kids use, like jungle gyms) and maintain at least six feet of space between your family and others.

5. Ease up on screen time restrictions so kids and teens have more time to talk with friends and extended family. They can still be social, just in different ways.

Help managing stress during this unprecedented time is available. Local counselors and therapists may be available via telephone or video. You can call the Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990 or text “Talk With Us” to 66746. Stay Home. Stay Safe. Save Lives.

LMAS Update 4/3/2020

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Update 4/2/2020

Good afternoon! I'm sure you all have heard that Gov. Whitmer most recent Executive Order has officially closed schools for the balance of this year. At this point, we are going through the order to make sure we have a good understanding of it. We also have virtual meetings today and tomorrow to get clarification. We will be sending out an update to our students, parents and staff, we hoping tomorrow afternoon.We will send an update tomorrow regardless to let you know where we are.

Additional info 3-26-2020

Important info from OSF to share:

We are recommending patients go to www.osfhealthcare.org to utilize our chatbot Clare, a digital assistant capable of educating and triaging people who are concerned about COVID-19. Additionally, community members can use OSF COVID Companion, which is a free text messaging tool that provides guidance about COVID-19. The text messaging program links users with critical recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. To subscribe, users can text OSF to 67634. People also have a third digital option, which is to call the triage line directly at (833) OSF-KNOW. Please consider sharing our Facebook posts about Clare and OSF COVID Companion, as they have proved to be very helpful. Most importantly, these screening services limit the number of people unnecessarily entering our facilities during this time.