School Update

To all South Bend Students, Families, & Community Members-

Today at a special press conference, Governor Jay Inslee announced his decision to extend the school closure mandate through the rest of this school year.  We will not be coming back to school like we had hoped.  Though I think many of us nervously anticipated this possibility, the actuality of this decision is unprecedented in our school district and in this state.  Washington now follows suit with about a dozen other states, with more to come in the next few days to weeks as our nation copes with the covid-19 pandemic.

This news is difficult and tough for us to comprehend, but also devastating to so many of our students.  From the younger kiddos who can't fully comprehend the reasons as to why they can't see their friends and teachers they love, to the older students who have had to miss out on athletics, school activities, and the many other social aspects at school, to our seniors who are facing the harsh reality of a senior year that is everything but typical.  There is no easy way to explain any of this, but I think we all have both unique and shared struggles in dealing with the fallout of this school year closure.

I expect everyone to have questions, and we will do our best to provide answers as we navigate forward.  The good thing is that our principals, teachers, and staff have done a tremendous amount of work to get us to a solid point in being able to continue an academic program.  Though it may not be perfect and there are some individual challenges, we have a good base on which to continue to improve. Our school staff is working tirelessly to stay connected to our students, to continue education, to provide needed access to food, and we will not stop--we will only get better and more efficient.

Finally, thank you for your continued patience.  We are doing our best under tough circumstances.  We do not expect perfection from our students and we all realize the challenges families are facing as they try to maintain some level of normality in these abnormal times.  Please know that we are here for you, and we will continue to do our very best work to meet the needs of our students.  I expect to have more information available for students, families, and community members within the next day and coming week.  Please stay tuned and stay safe.

Jon Tienhaara
Superintendent