COVID-19 (Novel-Coronavirus)

River Rouge, even in the midst of a pandemic, still found a way to celebrate the graduating class of 2020.

WXYZ Channel 7 in Detroit had remote coverage of the event.
WXYZ Channel 7 Drive-Thru Commencement in River Rouge

On behalf of the Beaumont Teen Health Center, please read the information below.  

Hello Students, 

We have been out of the clinic for over a week now and wanted to check in with you to make sure you are doing well and have what you need.  We also wanted to send out some resources that may be helpful while we are dealing with this pandemic. Know that we are thinking about you and hoping that you are well.   

Here are a few things that you might want to consider doing while you have some time off school:

Practice your breathing at https://giphy.com/search/breathing

Visit Storyline Online’s YouTube Channel and allow a celebrity to read you a book (Yes, I realize they are children’s books, but we are all kids at heart, right?) 

Get outside and take a walk, jump on the trampoline in the backyard, play tag with your siblings. I realize that we are under quarantine, but moving your body is essential for both physical and mental health. Be creative, just avoid close contact with any humans you do not live with!   

YouTube has some excellent exercise options if you would like to stay indoors. I highly recommend yoga as it is great for quieting your brain and stretching your muscles. 

Visit YouTube for assistance and guidance in practicing deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, guided meditation or guided imagery and mindfulness. There are also some great therapists who have created videos to help you understand and combat anxiety and depression.  And some really adorable animal videos that will likely help you smile. Smiling is really important during times of stress. Just the act of smiling all by itself stimulates a happy response in your brain. Try it. Go ahead… ;) 

Turn off the news and social media for a bit and give your brain a break. Practice mindfulness with the Headspace App or HelloMind (also helpful in redirecting negative thoughts). 

Learn something new about your family. Pretend they are not your mom, dad, or sibling and find out who they are outside of being your relative. (Interview grandma over the phone!) 

Do puzzles, play board games, read books, create art. Get rid of clutter, clean out closets and dressers. Now is a great time to keep a journal!  Teach your animals some new tricks!

Get out of bed!  Seriously. Shower, put on your make up (if you wear it), get dressed.  Your brain loves a routine, so create one that works for you and keeps both your brain and body active. 

If you need to talk to someone I am available via phone only @ 313-843-1639. Currently, I am at the Beaumont Teen Health Center-River Rouge Monday-Friday. It is entirely possible that could change in the future, however I will be checking my voice and e-mail daily regardless. Feel free to reach out and check in via e-mail if desired @ Justin.follebout@beaumont.org .  Nurse Murphy is currently operating out of Taylor Teen Health Center and able to see some youth for specific medical purposes if need be that are non-Coronavirus related.  She can be reached @ 734-942-2273. Feel free to call and inquire about setting up an appointment if need be.  

Take care of yourselves,

Justin Follebout, LMSW (and the rest of the staff of the Beaumont Teen Health Center- River Rouge).  We miss you!!!  

https://communityresource.beaumont.org/

Hello Again Panther Families:

As we are all becoming aware, things are changing very quickly due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  As we previously stated, packets would be available at both River Rouge City Hall and River Rouge Library after hours.  Unfortunately, as many libraries and other businesses are closing, we are informed that these are included in these closures.  Teachers will be communicating with all students throughout the day tomorrow with virtual online learning and packets will be available for those without connectivity.  Packets will still be available at the high school on Tuesday, March 17 and Wednesday, March 18 from 9am-3pm.  

Once we have the virtual and hard copy packets, it is our goal to upload to our website for accessibility to both formats.  In addition, below are a list of links that can support student learning during this time: 

ONLINE LEARNING:

Khan Academy - Independent practice and guided learning for: K-12 Mathematics and Literacy; 9-12 Science and Social Studies, AP, and SAT

Newsela - News and events articles at a range of reading levels.

Discovery Education - online learning for Science, Math, Social Studies, and other streaming media

Big Ideas Math - common core Math resources

Delta Math - online supplemental Math resources

Edmodo - Distance learning toolkit

Daily practice SAT app - app with daily Sat preparation practice 

In addition, we ask you to consider setting a schedule for your student.  Student structure is very important and students are used to receiving it during a traditional school day.  Once this is communicated to students, expectations will be set for learning to continue during this time.  

The high school staff will hold office hours daily from 9-11am and 1-3pm for students and families to receive support from our staff.  Teachers will communicate the best way to reach them via emails tomorrow to all students.  

In closing, we understand that during this time of uncertainty, students, as well as families, may have questions.  Below you will find resources about the science and spread of the COVID-19 virus as well as dealing with anxiety during this time.  

The Corona Phenomena

Myth Busters: The Safe Sneeze

How Coronavirus Hijacks Your Cells

Helping Children and Teens Deal with Anxiety About COVID-19

Care for your Coronavirus Anxiety

As a reminder, the best defense against any contagious illness is frequent and effective handwashing and seeking immediate medical assistance if experiencing symptoms.

Below are other recommendations:

Washing your hands with soap and water.

Avoiding touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.

Covering your mouth and nose with a tissue or upper sleeve when coughing or sneezing.

Avoiding contact with people who are sick.

Staying home if you are sick and contact your healthcare provider.

If there are further questions or concerns, please feel free to contact the teachers or school administration.  

Hello Panther families:

In an effort to keep our students and families informed, please read the following updates as it relates to the COVID-19 virus.  

As you may or may not have heard, the Governor has mandated for closure all of K-12 Michigan schools.  Administration has been meeting to plan for the continued education for our students.  Staff are working to provide units of instruction for the next few weeks via Google Classroom.  If you do not have connectivity, hard copy packets can be picked up at the High School during the following times:  Tuesday, March 17, 9am-3pm and Wednesday, March 18, 9am-3pm.  In addition, if after hours are needed, packets will be available at the River Rouge Library from 12-7pm as well as River Rouge City Hall.  We are also awaiting more information for food options during the time off. 

As a resource, Comcast is FREE FOR 2 MONTHS, beginning Monday 3/16/20, for low income students.  There are some parameters, the biggest two being:

You must be low income (Students eligible for school lunches qualify), and

You live in an area where Comcast Internet service is available but have not subscribed to it within the last 90 days. 

 The website is www.internetessentials.com/covid19.   

Further communication will come out on Monday, March 16 to keep you informed of further steps and to detail academic specifics and office hours for teachers.  As always, if you have any questions, please contact the high school office which will be open from Monday, March 16 through Wednesday, March 18.  We will continue to keep our families informed as we receive it.  

Greetings Panther Families,

The safety and health of the students, staff and River Rouge community are our priority. In an effort to protect our students and families, we will work proactively with Federal, State and County health officials to contain COVID-19. 

As we consider recommendations from the experts and navigate this unprecedented situation surrounding the coronavirus (COVID-19), we want to share key points of what RRHS is doing:

• Continue promoting good hygiene habits! This is incredibly effective at slowing transmission.
• Bringing on additional custodial staff and expanding disinfection work to include frequently touched surfaces, such as doorknobs, handles, and light switches daily.
• Please keep your child home if they’re sick. While illness might be mild for one individual, that may not be the case for all you come in contact with, especially those who have compromised immune systems and those who are elderly. 
• Rescheduling/canceling events, including assemblies, where large groups are expected to attend. (Such as Grammy’s, Market Day, etc.)
• Preparing academic plans and resources for students in the event of an extended closure.  We realize that “online learning” is not an option for all of our students and families.  We are working as an organization to make sure all students are provided with needed support.
• Preparing plans for contingent services, such as social emotional support or food services, in the event that closure becomes necessary.
• Canceling all field trips
• Canceling all domestic and international travel
• Adding instant hand sanitizer to the high school on each floor
• Limiting (postponing/canceling) large gatherings of 100+ people. We are following the direction of governing organizations such as MHSAA that canceled all events and activities including basketball, track, baseball, soccer etc. 

Please know that we share your questions and concerns regarding your safety and health in relation to the virus. At this point, we are following the guidance of Federal, State, and City health officials regarding the status of school operations. However, we continue to evaluate our short and long-term strategies regarding the status of school to ensure everyone’s health and safety. We will provide continuous communication with you directly, regarding our plan. There are many questions that we cannot address as we await guidance from the federal and state government, education and health officials. Please know that we are working aggressively on your behalf to ask those questions and press for answers. 

I want to end this communication with informing you all that we do not have a confirmed case of the COVID-19 virus at RRHS or River Rouge, so we are being very proactive because your child’s safety is our first priority!

Principal Davis