School Updates

CCSS SCHOOLS UPDATE:
CCSS Press Release
    Thank you for your outpouring of support for our school system during this devastating flood event.  We appreciate your patience as we have assessed and are now restoring Tanglewood Elementary School. Nearly 40% of our employee workforce has been impacted by this flood and have been working to get their homes restored.  Thank you for understanding how important it is to allow our employees time to begin the restoration process on their homes before returning to work.  The road ahead of us will be difficult and challenging, but we are confident that we have a solid plan in place. 
    Our plans at this time are for students to return to school on Tuesday, September 6th.  All CCSS employees will return to school on Thursday, September 1st.  Our school calendar will have to be adjusted to compensate for missed days and to remain in compliance with state law and the Louisiana Department of Education required instructional minutes.  These additional instructional minutes will be added to the remaining school days which might change the start and/or dismissal times for students. The revised calendar will be posted on our website along with the adjusted school hours. 
    The restoration process at Tanglewood Elementary will likely take a minimum of 8 – 10 weeks.  Students that attend Tanglewood Elementary will be relocated to the Central Intermediate / Central Middle School campus during this transitional time. Temporary classrooms will be set up in the multipurpose room and gymnasiums.  All student supplies will be provided for the first and second grade students that attend Tanglewood. There will not be a need to replace the supplies that were previously purchased and lost during the flood.  Logistical information about the operation of Tanglewood Elementary while on the CIS / CMS campus will be posted on our website and on our Facebook page.  This will include information about our before and after-care, carpool, visitors on campus, and other questions that you may have.  
    Due to generous donations of people in our community and from across our state and nation, we will provide opportunities for families in our community to obtain uniforms and school supplies at no cost. This will be held Saturday, September 3rd at the Central High School gymnasium – hours of operation will be from 9:00AM to 4:30PM. 
The Central Office building was also damaged during the flooding event.  The staff from Central Office has been relocated to various school building sites during this restoration process.   
    Parents of currently enrolled students that are temporarily displaced due to the flood will have an opportunity to make a bus stop change request on August 29 or August 30th at the Central Intermediate School office area between 8:00 AM and 4:30PM.  The bus stop change request form can be found online and completed ahead of time.  As a reminder, CCSS buses will only run routes that are within the Central Community School System boundaries.  Currently enrolled students that are temporarily displaced outside of the Central Community School System boundaries that wish to continue attending school in the district will have to provide their own transportation to and from school.  
    Students that are now residing in Central due to the flood event who were not previously enrolled will need to complete the registration process.  Registration for new students will be held on August 29th and August 30th at the Central Middle School front office area between the hours of 8:00 AM and 4:30 PM  
    Bellingrath Hills Elementary School will hold Open House for Pre-K and Kindergarten on Thursday, September 1st.  Pre-K Open House will take place from 1:00 – 2:30 PM, Kindergarten Open House will take place from 3:00 – 5:30 PM.  Pre K and Kindergarten boys (only) will attend school Tuesday, September 6th.  Pre K and Kindergarten girls (only) will attend school Wednesday, September 7th.  All students will attend on Thursday, September 8th. 
    Please continue to visit our Central Community School System website at centralcss.org and our Facebook page for continued updates. 

CENTRAL PRIVATE SCHOOL UPDATE:
Dear CPS families,
    The recent flooding disaster has directly affected many of our school families and caused extensive personal loss. This is an event the scale of which our community and school has never experienced.
    This has also been devastating to our school facilities. Our staff who were not personally affected are working feverishly on contingency and recovery plans. Our intent is to get our facilities in working order and resume classes as soon as possible. This will be a monumental undertaking.
    Many school families have offered assistance with the restoration and recovery. THIS IS DIRELY NEEDED.
    Every school building and classroom experienced flooding and are in need of cleanup and repair. Every building was inundated with water from 1 to 3 feet.
    In order to expedite the recovery, we are now asking all available volunteers to assist with the cleanup process.  Again, this is a greater job than only a few can undertake, and this will not be nearly completed in a day or even several days.
    We have received offers for assistance from other MAIS schools, and we are coordinating their efforts as well.
    We continue to assess the possibility of hiring a professional contractor to undertake parts of this effort; however, given the scope of devastation in our area, we must rely on our staff and volunteers to get as much done as soon as possible to get children back in the classrooms.
    We will continue to send all official CP communication through ParentsWeb email and text.
    If you are able to help, please bring any available cleaning supplies, mops, brooms, squeegees, shop vacs, flat nose shovel/scrapers, fans/blowers, pressure washers, and water hoses.
    Please continue to pray for our school and school families through this trying time.
Brennan Easley
CPS Board President

ST. ALPHONSUS SCHOOL UPDATE:
    With approval from the Diocese of Baton Rouge, we will be resuming classes on Monday, August 29th for all grade levels. The school is being cleaned by Belfor, a national property and restoration company and will be fully inspected by the Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health (CTEH). All inspections, including air quality and mold will take place before we reopen. After reopening, some of the facilities will continue to need refinishing and painting. These repairs will not impact the school day. Please be patient as we make progress.
    Buses will be provided, however, we do know that many of you are displaced. Please contact your bus drivers and/or First Student if you are relocated in an area served by First Student. We will be allowing students, faculty and staff to dress down the first two weeks. We will have used uniforms available (at some point) for those in need and uniform guidelines will be relaxed until further notice.
    We are working with the Diocesan Office of Child Nutrition to assess our ability to provide cafeteria lunch. Students may initially need to bring their lunch to school. We will communicate details when we get word from child nutrition.
    We are also working to assess our ability to provide extended daycare depending on the availability of workers. This information will also be communicated as soon as possible.
    Lastly, please join me in praying for our St. Alphonsus staff, faculty and families and the families of other Diocesan schools who were flooded. We are assessing your needs and working to get the generous donations from around the state and country to our affected families.
    We will be in touch soon with further details. God bless you all, and please let us know how we can support your family by emailing me at [email protected]. The school phones will be back online early next week.
God Bless and Keep You,
Cindy Ryals

VICTORY ACADEMY UPDATE:
The following was posted on the Victory Academy Facebok page on Monday:
Dear Victory Families,
    We hope and pray that you are all well and successfully moving forward with the restoration process. Our Lord is faithful, and I fully believe that He will restore what we have lost. Victory Academy is moving forward in an effort to open school as soon as possible. We have ordered very nice school unit buildings which should be here in a week. We have people lined up for site installation and inspection. Please know that we are taking every precaution to assure the safety and welfare of your children as we begin this new school year. We greatly appreciate all the volunteer help that we have received and understand that many have not been able to help because of work needed at your own homes or those of your family. We also appreciate the outpouring of support and prayer we have received from all of you. With the Lord’s help, we are hoping to open school on September 6, or soon thereafter. We are praying for all of our families, and we hope that all of our students will be able to return. We shall rebuild our homes, churches, schools, and communities. We look forward to seeing you soon.
In Christ, Sue Cashio
God can restore what is broken and change it into something amazing. All you need is faith.” – Joel 2