District News

First Energy Foundation donates $2,000 to the Towanda Elementary School STEM Outdoor Classroom. Jody Place from First Energy is presenting a check to Dennis Peachey, Superintendent. Missing from the photo is Dr. Susan Higley, Elementary Principal and Project Coordinator.

The ongoing pandemic continues to impact communities and schools, both in our district and throughout the country. The need for entire schools and/or select students to pivot to virtual learning periodically is providing challenges for teachers, students, and parents. In an effort to assure that all students’ needs are met, we will be revising our 2020-2021 school calendar. We are revising the calendar to include early dismissal for students on Wednesdays during the second marking period. With this revision, our staff will be provided the ability to refine and support how we provide both in person and virtual instruction for our students. Also, this will allow teachers the time to work collaboratively to be successful in the new learning options that we are offering.

Please see the revised calendar below for more information. The first early dismissal will be Wednesday, November 11. We will use our regular early dismissal times: 12:50 (JAM), 1:00 (TAES), 1:10 (TJSHS). NTCC students will remain at the center for the entire afternoon, with transportation being provided. Thank you for your understanding as we continue to navigate through this difficult time.

Please note that this revision of the 2020-2021 school calendar is pending school board approval.

A special thank you to Tim and Jolena Bartholomew for their generous donation of these two wonderful Black Knight statues. With the one we already have, this will allow us to have one in each of our three buildings. Thank you, Tim and Jolena!

Dear Black Knight Parents/Guardians, Students, and Community,

The intent of this communication is to notify our school community of recent Covid-19 situations involving staff members in our district.

Yesterday, October 29, 2020, we were notified that a cafeteria staff member at the Jr/Sr High School has tested positive for Covid-19. The staff member’s last day in school was Wednesday, October 28. The staff member was asymptomatic, but tested positive on October 29, prior to a medical procedure. Contact tracing has begun by the district and the Department of Health. As a precaution, we have immediately quarantined our cafeteria staff. Due to the staffing issues this caused with our food service program, we decided to move the Jr/Sr High School to a virtual day on Friday, October 30. We are currently working on a means to provide breakfast and lunch to our students at the Jr/Sr High school, so students are able to return in person on Tuesday November 3.

That same evening, we were notified that a member of our business office staff tested positive. Once again, this individual was asymptomatic, but tested positive on October 29, due to possible exposure outside of school. The district is working with the Department of Health on this situation as well. We are confident that no students were in contact with this individual. Also, social distancing is possible with our business department based on the layout of that office.

The Towanda Elementary School continues to remain virtual. The plan is for students in that building to return in person on Tuesday, November 3.

With no current cases at J. Andrew Morrow, that school will continue with in-person instruction. As always, we will continue to monitor the situation in that building and adjust, as necessary.

As a community, the key to our success is to continue working together as we strive to keep our students, faculty, and staff safe and healthy. Thank you again for working collaboratively with the district as we navigate through this public health crisis together. Stay safe and stay healthy.

The Towanda Area School District would like to make you aware that beginning with the 2020/2021 school year we will be altering the way we conduct parent/teacher conferences. Conferences will be held on two separate days, November 2 and March 22. These are Act 80 days, and students do not have school. We felt it was important to add a conference day in the spring closer to the end of the school year. Fifteen-minute time slots will be available on both days from 8:00 AM – 6:15 PM. For the November 2 date, we are asking that the conferences be held via zoom or phone call due to Covid-19 concerns. In-person conferences can be held if absolutely necessary, with masks and social distancing followed. We will reevaluate the situation leading up to the March 22 date. If you have an issue with either of those dates or the time frame, please contact your child’s school. We will do our best to accommodate any scheduling conflicts.

Conferences with your child’s teacher(s) can be scheduled by calling the building they attend. The numbers are as follows:

J. Andrew Morrow: 570-265-4991
Towanda Elementary School: 570-265-6131
Towanda Jr/Sr High School: 570-268-2059

Collaborative message informing the community of a NTCC staff member testing positive for COVID-19.

This letter is to inform you that a staff member at the Northern Tier Career Center (NTCC) has tested positive for COVID-19. The staff member is recovering safely at home and following the necessary procedures related to COVID-19. Please understand that the health information, including the names of the positive cases, is confidential to protect their privacy. Administrators at the NTCC are working closely with the Department of Health to identify if there are any students or staff that would be considered a close contact to this staff member. Administrators from both the home district and NTCC will make contact with any individuals who may be deemed a close contact and need to quarantine for a period of 14 days. ALL NTCC students and staff have been notified of the COVID-19 positive case.

Everyday protocols are in place to keep NTCC students and staff as safe as possible. NTCC facilities are cleaned daily, including high touch and traffic areas multiple times a day. We ask that students and staff continue screening daily before coming to the Career Center and please stay home if you have any COVID-related symptoms.