Update on COVID-19

Monday, March 30, 2020Arizona Schools Closed Through End of School Year

Legacy Parents, Guardians, and Employees,

Today, Governor Doug Ducey and Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman announced the extension of Arizona school closures through the end of the school year. The extension follows updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and an announcement from the White House extending social distancing guidelines until April 30, 2020.

Despite the extended closures, we are steadfast in our commitment to providing a high level of instruction to our school communities. We are exceptionally thankful for the partnership with you, our dedicated Legacy families and employees, who have remained engaged and committed to offering learning opportunities at home. You are all vital to the academic and social growth of our school communities and we could not be more proud of your efforts through these difficult times.

In fact, just last week at Legacy, more than 3,000 virtual classroom sessions were held, 10,000 students and teachers participated in online posts, and a total of 37,100 files were uploaded across all Legacy schools!

We are also proud of the efforts from the Governor’s office, which signed legislation to support schools during closures. On March 27, Legacy, and schools throughout the state were informed that school letter grades would be unchanged from the prior year, statewide testing would be suspended, school days would not be extended into the summer, learning opportunities should be made available for continued education, and teachers and staff will see no disruption in pay as a result of COVID-19.

What this means for our Legacy school communities

We will continue to press diligently to provide relevant grade-level lessons on pace with classroom curriculum and state standards. Fortunately, through the technology of Google Classroom, and packets available for pick-up, you and your child(ren) have already formed strong relationships with your teacher(s) to understand the routines of lessons, homework and how to communicate via Google Classroom, phone and email.

Additionally, while in-person events are canceled through the end of the school year, we are actively exploring ways we can host virtual events for our students and families. As we start to plan these virtual events, we will share more information with our school communities.

We are committed to being a strong and resilient school community made of parents and teachers who know that the safety, health and education of our most treasured asset, your children, is our mission to accomplish, together.
For additional information regarding Legacy’s online learning initiatives, please visit our COVID-19 website, LegacyTraditional.org/coronavirus

Student Meal Accommodations 

Legacy will continue providing meals for in-need families as part of the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), which provides free or reduced-price meals for families in need. Breakfast and lunch are distributed in grab-and-go bags and will be available for pick-up Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

During the extended closure, seven NSLP campuses across the east and west valley are offering all Legacy students, regardless of their location or campus, grab-and-go meals at the following locations:

  • Avondale (12320 W Van Buren St, Avondale, AZ 85323)
  • Casa Grande (1274 E O’Neil Dr, Casa Grande, AZ 85122)
  • Goodyear (16060 W Lower Buckeye Pkwy, Goodyear, AZ 85338)
  • Glendale (13901 North 67th Ave, Glendale, AZ 85306)
  • Laveen (7900 South 43rd Ave, Laveen, AZ 85339)
  • North Chandler (1900 North McQueen Road, Chandler, AZ 85225)
  • Phoenix (4545 N 99th Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85037)

Talking With Children About Coronavirus

During the extended closure, children may worry about themselves, their family, and friends getting ill. Parents, family members, school staff, and other trusted adults can play an important role in helping children make sense of what they hear in a way that is honest, accurate, and minimizes anxiety or fear. Please refer to the following website developed by the National Association of School Nurses and the National Association of School Psychologists, who have created guidance to help adults have conversations with children about COVID-19.

For the most up-to-date information on the outbreak, please refer to the following public health resources.

As the Governor has instructed, it is imperative that we follow guidelines and do all we can to limit the virus’ spread so health care workers and first responders on the front lines may stay well and tend to those in need. Thank you for all that you do in support of Legacy and the health and safety of our school communities.

Sincerely,
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Nicole Kirkley
Superintendent
Legacy Traditional Schools