Coronavirus (COVID-19) AND OUR SCHOOLS

. . . an insiders view during preparation and response to Coronavirus (COVID-19) at Loveland Schools

SPECIAL FEATURE to the Loveland Beacon

Written by: Judy Leamy, Loveland Schools District Nurse (24 years)

LOVELAND, OH – Crisis reveals leadership.  I wish I could capture the commitment for kids, compassion for our community, and leadership of our administrators over the last few weeks.  

COVID-19 hit our beautiful country like a category 6 hurricane and now is in our region.

Although we as a team in Loveland, administrators and staff alike, stood ready with preparedness plans in place fine-tuned over the last month  anticipating this virus would be a major issue, what has played out at lightning speed over the last week is unprecedented.

The levy has loomed large on the hearts and minds of Loveland City Schools especially with one failed levy and knowing if this one fails, the cuts/ loss of programs will be overwhelming and deep.  But this did not matter these last weeks.  Our kids and community needed us to be calm, focused and prepared and we will always be there for them.

Our vision and interventions we put in place since the last levy (thank you Loveland for believing in us!) are needed now and we are grateful to have the tools to try and meet the need.  The infrastructure and personnel we put in place for technology now allows us to try and continue education at home knowing it can never replace a teacher who knows her/ his students and provides for all their individual needs.  But we have the capacity now to try and make a difference for our kids and families with virtual learning.

Dr. Crouse was steady as our leader; managing, delegating, anticipating, bringing teams together, including community partners, honestly communicating,  and staying focused on the goaL – keeping Loveland students, staff, families and community members safe and their basic needs (ie: food- thank you NEST and LIFE Pantry for partnering with us) met.

We had the vision of purchasing our T360 Clorox machines four or five years ago which has been a game changer in keeping our absenteeism down since then and our family (staff and students) healthy. Right now, and moving forward, as we try to mitigate our risk in Loveland, these machines are crucial.

As a District Nurse, I am grateful for this honest, hard-working committed team of administrators, for a Board of Education who has vision, for colleagues who exemplify professionalism to be part of the solution for any crisis, and for a community who rally together to be the “Love” in Loveland.  More than ever, this is why I am voting YES for Loveland Schools and hope you will join me.

Judy Leamy RN, BSN, LSN

Loveland City Schools

District Nurse 24 years in Loveland

Community member 30 years

EDITOR’S NOTE: While this “first-hand personal account” of what is happening within the Loveland Schools administrative response to the current health and safety crisis in our community, State, and Nation also offers an opinion on the upcoming levy vote Tuesday, March 17, it was the editor’s decision to include this as a FEATURE for Loveland Beacon readers to gain some insight to the process of the school in preparedness and response to this, and any crisis which may confront the students, staff, faculty and even community of Loveland at large.