Thomson-McDuffie Chamber of Commerce

McDuffie County Residents: We want you to be aware you will see people around and on your property taking pictures and measurements. They are a group with the Tax Assessor’s Office called GMASS. They have proper identification on them and the vehicle should have county sticker on it.

PRESS RELEASE December 7, 2020 Due to increases in positive COVID-19 cases among students and staff, a significant number of students and staff in quarantine, a...n excessive number of students absent, and a concerning number of pupils sent home ill today, the McDuffie County School System has made the decision to close all McDuffie County schools until January 5, 2021. All face-to-face pupils will transition to at-home learning until the end of the semester (December 16, 2020) during this temporary closure. INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS Face-to-face students received directions to continue their learning during this time of temporary school closure. Chromebooks and hotspots were reissued to face-to-face learners last month. These devices can be used to access assignments, which will be posted in Google Classroom. Questions about assignments may be directed to your child’s teacher via email. Learn from Home students, who will continue to receive their instruction and assignments through Google Classroom, are not impacted by this change. Internet access points remain available at the locations listed on the system website. MEALS Grab-and-go meals are available from any McDuffie County school using the schedule below on these dates: Tuesday Thursday, December 8-10, and Monday Wednesday, December 14-16, 2020. Delivery will continue as scheduled on Friday, December 11, for those families who previously requested services. Meal services for this semester will conclude December 16. Dearing Elementary School Front Entrance Breakfast: 7:45 8:15 Lunch: 11:30 noon Maxwell Elementary School Cafeteria (Rear of School) Breakfast: 8:15 8:45 Lunch: 11:30 noon Norris Elementary School Bus Ramp Breakfast: 8:15 8:45 Lunch: 11:30 noon Thomson Elementary School Bus Ramp Breakfast: 8:15 8:45 Lunch: 11:30 noon Thomson-McDuffie Middle School Bus Ramp Breakfast: 8:00 8:30 Lunch: 12:00 12:30 Thomson High School Bus Ramp Breakfast: 7:45 8:15 Lunch: 11:30 noon THS END-OF-COURSE TESTING Winter 2020 End-of Course testing is suspended, and make up sessions will be re-scheduled in January 2021. Questions about the testing schedule can be directed via email to Assistant Principal Sonya Strong at Thomson High School ([email protected]). REQUESTS TO CHANGE INSTRUCTIONAL MODELS FOR SECOND SEMESTER All McDuffie County schools are accepting instructional model change requests for the second semester December 7-10, 2020. During this time, parents may request to change from the virtual/Learn from Home model to face-to-face learning or vice versa, depending on their student’s current instructional model. If your student is satisfied with their current instructional model, no action is required. If you would like to request a change of your student’s instructional model, please contact your school’s assistant principal. Contact information is listed below. Maxwell Elementary Keturah Hoskins 706-986-4800 [email protected] Thomson Elementary Jamie Maddox 706-986-4700 [email protected] Norris Elementary Patricia Stripling 706-986-4400 [email protected] Dearing Elementary Sonya Thomas 706-986-4900 [email protected] Thomson-McDuffie Middle Renee Askew 706-986-4300 [email protected] Thomson High Sonya Strong 706-986-4200 [email protected] McDuffie Achievement Center Angie Roberts 706-986-4070 [email protected] The commitment to the Learn from Home model is for one nine weeks for grades PK-8 (ending March 10, 2021) and one semester for grades 9-12 (ending May 21, 2021). Instructional model changes cannot be made during this commitment. When you request a change of your student’s instructional model, please be prepared to communicate your student’s transportation method (bus or car rider) and whether technology is needed. RETURN TO SCHOOL FOR FACE-TO-FACE LEARNERS The district will continue to monitor public health as well as student and staff attendance data with a plan for face-to-face students to return to campus on January 5, 2021, as previously announced. Should the closure need to be extended, families will be notified as soon as possible. The district sincerely appreciates the understanding of its families as we strive to keep students, staff, and our community safe.

Thank you to all that came out tonight to help us light the Town's Christmas tree. Great turn out and we even had Santa and Mrs. Clause on hand! Thank you to all the volunteers and those that performed.

The small businesses in our community fuel our local economy. Now, more than ever, they need our support! Please share this message with all you know.

Department of Family Children's Services