Polo elementary enters two-week ‘adaptive pause’

Centennial Elementary School is located in Polo.

POLO — Centennial Elementary School in Polo is implementing a two-week “adaptive pause” starting Jan. 7.

Aplington Middle School and Polo Community High School students will continue in-person learning.

“We are taking this step due to increased cases of [COVID-19] symptomatic students and staff,” Superintendent Kelly Mandrell wrote in a Jan. 6 letter to district families. “Though we initially had hope to forgo a building-wide closure, through examination of the data and our local health officials, we have regretfully concluded that this is the appropriate course of action.”

The plan is for elementary students to resume in-person attendance on Jan. 24, according to the letter.

“We apologize for any confusion or frustration this announcement may have caused,” Mandrell wrote. “Having watched our numbers continue to increase since returning from break, the decision had to be made to keep everyone safe.”

Students will have work sent home to them for Jan. 7, the letter states. Teachers will send a schedule for students to start logging in on Jan. 10.

Households that require a hotspot for internet should contact Centennial’s office the morning of Jan. 7, so that a hotspot can be delivered along with lunches, Mandrell wrote.

Alexa Zoellner

Alexa Zoellner

Alexa Zoellner reports on Lee, Ogle and Whiteside counties for Shaw Media out of the Dixon office. Previously, she worked for the Record-Eagle in Traverse City, Michigan, and the Daily Jefferson County Union in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin.