Several local schools are going to be closed and other organizations are canceling events due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19).
Madison School District has decided to extend spring break beyond next week and have schools closed until further notice. District Superintendent Kenneth Baca in a message to families said, “We believe this will give families time to plan for child care and other disruptions as a result of school not being in session.” Baca added, “This decision has not been made lightly. As a Madison community, we must do our part to prevent our medical system and first responders from being overwhelmed with COVID-19 cases.” To learn about updates, including when schools will be reopened, visit madisonaz.org/covid-19-information.
Osborn School District has decided to close all its schools, starting Monday, March 16, until further notice. In his letter to parents and guardians, Superintendent Michael Robert said, “It is not a matter of if this virus will spread, it’s a matter of when, and we wanted to take proactive measure to ensure our families remain healthy.” For updates, visit www.osbornschools.org/District/5631-COVID-19-Update.html.
Glendale Union High School District told parents via email that it is going to suspend all out-of-state travel until further notice. Trips and athletic events within Arizona will continue as planned. For more updates, visit guhsdaz.org.
Phoenix Union High School District also is suspending all out-of-state and international travel for students and staff through the first week of April. The district will keep monitoring the spread of the virus, as well as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines to determine travel plans beyond early April. To learn more, visit phoenixunion.org/coronavirusinfo.
Brophy College Preparatory is canceling all out-of-state travel for any school-related activity, including athletic events, immersion experiences and faculty professional development. Athletic and co-curricular events will continue in the state except for the choir concert Tuesday, March 17 in Brophy Chapel. Parent-teacher conferences that had been planned for Thursday, March 19 are canceled. All student service work also is suspended through March 27 and the Community of Concern events scheduled for March 24, 25 and 26 for freshmen and parents have been postponed. The SAT test taking set for Saturday, March 14, will still take place.
Hospice of the Valley’s AAHA! An art, food and wine experience scheduled for Saturday, March 14, at JW Marriott Camelback Inn, has been postponed but you may still bid online on items in the organization’s auction at https://aesaz.co/AAHA2020. You may bid on items through March 31.
LUNAFEST, a festival that shines the spotlight on female filmmakers around the world, scheduled for Sunday, March 15 at Madison Center for the Arts also has been postponed. For updates, visit themadison.org.
The Arizona Tennis Classic, the ATP Challenger Tour, scheduled for March 16-22 at Phoenix Country Club has been postponed until 2021 because of increasing health and safety issues arising from the virus.
Beth Ami Temple of Paradise Valley has cancelled its Speakers Series event for March 22 that would have featured TV broadcast veteran Kent Dana and the state’s first news pilot and reporter Jerry Foster, due to the outbreak of the virus.
To learn more about the Coronavirus, including how to try to protect yourself, visit https://www.cdc.gov/.
