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Contents:
 View the OSDE Reporting Requirements Calendar for upcoming deadlines and reporting details.
Districts that received funding from the Oklahoma Schools COVID-19 Prevention Program Grant (Project 723) have until Feb. 15 to submit mid-year evaluations.
Mid-year evaluations must include the following:
Submit mid-year reviews to Chelsea Hunt at chelsea.hunt@sde.ok.gov.
All funds must be spent by June 30. There will be no carryovers allowed.
Final claims must be submitted in the Grants Management System (GMS) for reimbursement by July 31.
Find additional information and resources on the Project 723 webpage.
If you have questions, contact Chelsea Hunt at chelsea.hunt@sde.ok.gov.
OSDE and the Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) are working together to develop resources and professional development to support school districts and teachers as they implement the provisions of the Health Education Act (effective: 2023-24 school year).
To better support schools and teachers, OSDE and OSDH have developed a survey to better understand the needs that currently exist within districts. The survey should take no more than 15 minutes to complete and all responses are anonymous.
Access the survey
The survey will be sent out directly to health and physical education teachers today via various OSDE newsletters. However, feel free to share the survey link with staff members who might teach health education now or in the future.
The deadline for completing the survey is Feb. 28.
If you have questions, contact Shana Classen at shana.classen@sde.ok.gov.
OSDE has partnered with SWIFT Education Center to provide online communities of practice for district leaders and teachers. These communities provide a space for Oklahoma educators to come together, build on collective experience and knowledge, and support one another during the school year.
This free online series will provide an opportunity to connect with Oklahoma colleagues who understand the current weight of meeting student needs while recognizing the need to also prioritize educator wellness.
All participants will leave with ready-to-implement strategies to enhance student and adult social and emotional well-being.
View an event flyer.
Access more information, session dates and registration links here.
Together we can ensure that children of Oklahoma get the nutritious meals they need this summer through SFSP or Seamless Summer Option (SSO) under the National School Lunch Program (NSLP).
Schools are ideal Summer Food Service Program sponsors. Increasing the number of schools participating as sponsors in the SFSP or SSO will help move toward the goal of having at least one summer feeding program in every county. Please consider sponsoring a site for SFSP this summer.
Required Training
Once it is determined that a school or organization qualifies to become a sponsor, a representative must attend an SFSP training.
Due to COVID-19, trainings will be conducted via Zoom.
All trainings begin at 9 a.m. Available training dates:
Thursday, Feb. 3
Thursday, Feb. 10
Thursday, Feb. 17
Thursday, Feb. 24
Thursday, March 3
Thursday, March 10
Register for a training here.
After registering, a confirmation email will be sent containing information about joining the meeting.
If you have questions, contact Dee Houston at dee.houston@sde.ok.gov.
The Oklahoma Schools COVID-19 Prevention Program Grant (Project 723) provides free, in-school COVID-19 screening and testing to students, faculty/staff, volunteers, etc., who opt-in to the program. Districts can receive anywhere from $50,000 to $1,000,000 in funding, depending on the student population size. The deadline for applications has been extended until all funds are allocated. The Project 723 grant is on a first come, first served basis.
Federal Pilot Project: Rapid Testing Supplies
The Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) is participating in the federal pilot project that will supply rapid testing supplies directly to five school districts in two-week increments. OSDH will submit a request to the CDC for additional tests for high-need schools that can put these tests to immediately use. School districts interested in participating in the federal pilot project can email chelsea.hunt@sde.ok.gov to be added to the weekly district selection list.
A few important things to remember about these additional tests:
- They are point-of-care tests and must be performed at the schools. They cannot be sent home with students and staff.
- Their intended purpose is to be used for screening testing and to help keep schools open.
- The tests will be drop shipped directly to the school district's main address sometime next week via UPS.
- The school districts will need to use the majority of their tests before we are allowed to submit an additional request to the CDC.
To learn more about the free, 5M rapid test per month program, view FACT SHEET: COVID-19 Testing.
OSDH has also provided new guidance on who to test (asymptomatic or symptomatic), rapid antigen testing, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing, alternative rapid testing options. School districts will need to email clia@health.ok.gov to request a Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment (CLIA) Lab Test List. Make sure to include the name and CLIA ID in the top section of the form and the increased test volume for all waived tests at the bottom of the page. Once completed, return the form to clia@health.ok.gov.
For more information, view Onsite Testing Guidance for Schools and Resources for Oklahoma Schools to Provide COVID-19 Testing.
For additional Project 723 resources, visit the Project 723 webpage.
If you have questions, contact Chelsea Hunt at chelsea.hunt@sde.ok.gov.
School Counseling: Better Together
National School Counseling Week aims to focus public attention on the unique contribution of school counselors and highlight the tremendous impact school counselors have in helping students achieve social, emotional, academic and college and career success.
We encourage school counselors to use National School Counseling Week as a way to advocate for their school counseling program. It is a week dedicated to showing students, caregivers, educators, administrators, school boards, the community and other stakeholders the vital services and supports provided by school counselors.
It is also a week that administrators can show appreciation and support of school counselors. Administrators can show support to their school counselors the week of Feb. 7-11 by:
- Encouraging school staff to write letters of appreciation to the school counselor(s)
- Encouraging teachers to let students write letters of appreciation or draw pictures for the school counselor(s)
- Honoring the school counselor(s) at a school assembly or during morning announcements
- Learning more about the appropriate role of the school counselor
- Learning more about the new Oklahoma Comprehensive School Counseling Framework published in October 2021
- Sharing about the role of the school counselor and the value of your school’s school counselor(s) on your school social media, website and/or newsletters
- Asking the school counselor(s) how they would like to celebrate National School Counseling Week
NEW: To honor all that school counselors have given to Oklahoma students and their school community, Supt. Joy Hofmeister has proclaimed Feb. 7-11, 2022, as National School Counseling Week in the State of Oklahoma.
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