• Links to Important Information and Resources

    Update: March 22, 2020

    Dear Amphitheater District Community:

    The recent weeks have demonstrated how incredibly unpredictable these times are, and how important it is that we all stay very aware of the very latest developments and their impacts upon our lives.  That is certainly true with respect to our schools and the education of our children.  I am therefore writing to provide you with another update on the near future in our District.

    Just a few days ago, Governor Ducey extended the closure of Arizona’s schools until April 13, which will constitute three weeks of closure for Amphitheater after our scheduled Spring Break this past week.  We realize the obvious challenges this presents for your families, just as it presents growing challenges for our schools, teachers and other staff as we work to maintain educational continuity and high-quality learning opportunities for your children.  To meet this challenge will require a wholly different approach which is focused on remote learning.  We ask for your patience as we make this shift, because it will require substantial adjustments in teacher planning and student differentiation.  We also recognize that remote learning carries its own inherent burdens for families, so we will be doing our very best to concentrate our efforts on lessons which provide the most important learning impacts.

    For this coming week, March 23 to 27, our focus will be to help you keep your students engaged in the learning process through educational enrichment activities and programs.  You will find a significant number of resources available to support your students on our District website, and we will also be making allowances for students who have limited access to technology.  In addition, your child’s teacher or school may also post suggested resources on their individual school or classroom websites.  In the weeks that follow this coming week, we will begin implementation of remote learning strategies.

    Please also be aware that we care about all of your child’s needs, and we are mindful that some students will need the assurances of our school breakfast and lunch programs.  Our website contains additional information about how students can obtain free meals each school day throughout the system-wide closure at each of 12 specific school sites, whether they attend school at those sites or not.

    For generations, we have not seen a moment like the one we find ourselves in together right now. I have every belief that we will weather this time and emerge on the other end all the stronger for it.  It remains our honor, privilege and sacred obligation to help you care for your children now more than ever. 

    Yours sincerely,

    Todd A. Jaeger, J.D.
    Superintendent

     

    Update: March 20, 2020

    The Governor of Arizona has extended the statewide school closure through at least April 10. All Amphitheater schools will be closed to students in accordance with this directive.

    Teachers will be providing learning materials throughout the closure. You may see some materials provided for your children as soon as early next week. We will build on this as teachers return from Spring Break and have more time to develop lessons and activities.

    The District has online programs that students use regularly in the classroom, and we will provide some of those resources for use at home for students who have Internet access and devices. For students who don’t have Internet access, teachers will prepare materials to be sent home.

    You can expect to hear from your schools and teachers next week with more specific information. It’s important that you monitor the channels that your teachers typically use to communicate with you regularly.  These may include email, texts, phone calls, etc.

    We will continue to offer free meals to children 18 and younger. Please find information about sites and times at here. Please also check this website for updates as things change. You can also find helpful resources, including educational resources for families, here.

    Please also feel free our email hotline, answers@amphi.com, for questions and concerns.

    Thank you once again for your patience and understanding as we work to provide everything we can to help our students through this crisis.

    Phone/email message for Amphitheater families from March 19, 2020

    Dear Amphitheater Families:

    We want to remind you that the Governor of Arizona has ordered that all schools in the state be shut down next week due to the COVID-19 virus. Schools are closed March 23 to March 27 under the Governor's directive.

    Please be assured that Amphitheater leadership, principals and teachers are working hard to ensure every child receives educational experiences during the mandated closure. We will share specifics on this when staff members return from Spring Break next week.

    The District will also be providing free meals for children 18 years and younger at several school sites. The grab-and-go meal services will begin on Monday, March 23. Please see www.amphi.com for a list of locations and times.

    If you would like to pick up medications your child has stored in the health office, our staff will be available at each school site Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 7:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. 

    Once again, we thank you for your patience and understanding. We are doing our best during this unprecedented time, and we know you are, too.

    If you have questions or concerns, please email them to answers@amphi.com. We will do our best to help.

    Please note that this message can also be found at www.amphi.com.

    Amphitheater Employees: Please see the Employee Information section for updates. If you are on a desktop, the section is on the left. If you are on another type of device, you will find it by tapping the three bars at the top of your page.

    Information about ACT and SAT testing:

    ACT: The ACT test scheduled for early April has been pushed back to June 13 over coronavirus concerns. The organization that administers the test announced the decision to reschedule on Monday. Arizona high school students registered for the April 4 test will receive more information from ACT in the next few days, according to the organization.

    SAT: College Board has canceled the May 2, 2020 SAT administration. Makeup exams for the March 14 administration (scheduled for March 28) are also canceled. Students who already registered for May, whose March test centers were closed, or who do not receive March scores because of any irregularities will receive refunds. In the coming days, College Board says, it will share additional information and details directly with registered students and test centers.

    Superintendent Letter:

    March 16, 2020

    Dear Amphitheater Public Schools Community,

    Since the announcement by Governor Doug Ducey yesterday directing all schools in the state to close, the Amphitheater School District has been working to address the immediate issues created by the decision, and we have been looking to the future as well. We don’t have all of the answers at this time. We are seeking policy and legal decisions from the Governor, legislators and the Arizona Department of Education to help us with some of our instructional and employment practices.

    We will continue to communicate with you as we receive new information. This is what we know for now.

    Impact to students and families

    • School, athletics, clubs, before and after-school programming and other in-person, school-related activities are suspended until after March 27. This includes athletic and club practices and meetings.
    • Starting Monday, March 23, we will provide boxed takeaway breakfast and lunch meals for all children 18 years old and younger at 12 sites. Please click here for details. We also sent this information to parents by email in English and Spanish.
    • We are reviewing potential mechanisms for providing learning resources to our students. These will not be a substitute for classroom instruction but will help students practice their skills and learn independently.
    • We are working on a plan to allow parents/guardians to retrieve student medications from their school health offices. We will follow up with more information.

    Impact to staff

    Because we are on Spring Break this week, our focus is on the extra week we will now be closed. We understand that this closure may cause stress to many of our employees. Please know that you are a top priority and our goal is to minimize the impact of this decision on our employees’ personal financial situations.

    We will notify all employees about when they should report to work as soon as we have the information we need to make those decisions. Again, we are anticipating additional information from our state government to guide us on what we can do legally in both employment and educational issues.

    We are grateful for your patience and understanding as we continue to work through this challenging time together. Please check www.amphi.com for the latest information. We will also continue to email you and post on our social media platforms. If you have questions or concerns, remember that you can use our email hotline to reach us: answers@amphi.com.

    Thank you,

    Todd Jaeger, J.D.

    Superintendent
    Amphitheater Public Schools