The General Education and Technology departments are collaborating to help you develop your digital classroom. Find instructions, demonstrations and links curriculum sites on the Educator Support Home Page.

Michigan Department of Education released Learning at a Distance Guidance, April 2020, to provide guiding principles in setting up your digital classroom.

The Eastern Upper Peninsula Intermediate School District (EUPISD) is working in cooperation with state and local partners to support the Executive Order 2020-16 issued by Governor Whitmer last night.  The EUPISD and the Upper Peninsula Regional Resource Center (Child Care Network) are working to ensure the following two priorities are addressed immediately. 

1. To ensure that local licensed child care providers respond to the survey from the Michigan of Health and Human Services- Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) in order for us to monitor the existing capacity of local providers who are able to provide emergency care to essential workers. This survey link was included in the email that was sent out last night by the Early Childhood Investment Corporation. Thank you if you have already completed the survey.
   
   
2. To connect local essential workers to child care providers who have the capacity to provide care for their children. Please direct employees of the essential workforce to Essential Worker Child Care Intake and their information will be routed to someone in our community who will help them find care. Thank you if your agency or staff have already communicated childcare needs to our ISD in the last couple of days. 

The EUPISD is also working with the local school district community to put in place contingency plans to open emergency child care centers in some existing licensed school facilities.  At this time, these facilities will only be activated if the pressure on the existing local child care capacity is exceeded. Our first priority is to support existing providers who have the capacity to provide care for the essential workforce. 

Please share this information with your licensed child care colleagues and partners and with all members of the essential workforce who may need child care as they support our community during this emergency. 

Thank you and wishing you calm and safety during this time.

EUPSchools: Drive-In Internet Access

Just like the drive-in movie theater our school networks have now become drive-up internet access!

We have enabled EUPSchools and EUPCommunity WIFI network access at 29 K-12 school buildings throughout the Chippewa, Mackinac and Luce Counties.

• EUPSchools for school staff and students who connect using their normal school network username and password.
• EUPCommunity is for all community members to use for access to the internet.

Drive-in, connect, enjoy the access from your car, and drive out. If you need help, information on how to get help is available on our website: https://www.eupschools.org/helpdesk

An interactive map with all the locations is available at the following link: https://arcg.is/0a5eH0

Astrea Connect: COVID-19 Connection Assistance Program

Astrea is offering assistance to K-12 families to get connected to the Internet in the following areas which they have Cable TV services. This would be in-town and some of the surrounding areas:

• Cedarville (also along M-134 to near the quarry and some of the islands)
• Curtis (primarily in town and along the lakefronts)
• Engadine (also north along M-117)
  • Astrea also offers a wireless service on a tower north of Engadine
• Hessel (also north along 3 mile road to Rockvew road and about 2 miles west along M-134)
• Naubinway – (primarily in town)
• Mackinac Island – (most of the island)
• Pickford (also south along M-129 to Rockview road and across to 3 Mile Rd) 

The form for application and to check availabilty is at the following link: https://go.astreaconnect.com/assistance

Charter Communications: Free access for new K-12 and college student households.

Charter is offering free access to broadband and wi-fi hotspots for 60 days for new K-12 and college student households. To enroll, call 844-488-8395, the installation fees will be waived for new student households. Charter is a service provider in Brimley, Dafter, Newberry, Rudyard, Sault Ste Marie, St. Ignace and Newberry.

During school closures resulting from the COVID-19 crisis, schools are able to establish a plan for serving meals to students in order to make sure kids receive nutritious meals during this time. These meals are available to all children at no cost.

The following is the most recent information we have about the availability of these meals. Last updated: March 16, 2020 3:00 pm.

Brimley Area Schools

Sign up for the breakfast and lunch meal program by calling Central Office at 906-248-3219 and asked to beplaced on the list. Visit Brimley's Facebook page for updates.

De Tour Area School District

Delivery via bus or van on Tuesday, March 17 and Thursday, March 19 for everyone who has 18-year-old or younger student(s) at home during the closure. Contact the district to indicate you want meals delivered. Visit DeTour's Facebook page for updates.

Ojibwe Charter School

Delivering packages by bus on Thursday, March 19 which include enough breakfasts and lunches for students and siblings who are 18 and under for 3 full weeks including weekends. Visit Ojibwe's Facebook page for updates.

Pickford Public Schools

All students and household children will receive meals free of charge regardless of eligibility status. You must sign up to receive these meals. Complete the online survey to enroll, or call 906-322-4987 and leave a message. Each student/child will receive enough breakfast and lunch meals for 7-day weeks plus spring break, through April 5, 2020. Visit Pickford's website for updates.

Rudyard Area Schools

Supplying students food that are in need. Drop off locations are Trout Lake Township Hall, Kinross Rec Center, and Rudyard Township Hall and will occur on Thursday, March 19 from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm and on Thursday, March 24 from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm. Visit Rudyard's Facebook page for updates.

Sault Area Public School District

Two distributions for families to receive a week's worth of breakfast and lunch. Complete this survey to indicate you want meals preapred for your children.

Visit Sault's website for updates.

• Distribution Dates: Thursday, March 19 and Thursday, March 26
• Distribution Times: 11:00 am to 1:00 pm
• Distribution Site: Sault Area High School parking lot

St. Ignace Area Schools

Register online for free food packages for any child in need to be deliverd on March 20 and March 27. Visit St. Ignace's website for updates.

Whitefish Township School

Food boxes will be packed and dropped off Wednesday, March 18 and Wednesday, March 25 to all families. Visit whitefish's Facebook page for updates.

Learning the facts can help ease your mind, and the mind of your child(ren). BrainPOP has a quick video to help you get the facts and get the conversation started.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Michigan Department of Health and Human Services

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has delivered this 9-page PDF on Communicating with Children During the COVID-19 Outbreak.

Documens found in this PDF include:

• Introduction / Resources for caregivers and families
• Starting the conversation
• Anticipated questions from children about COVID-19
• Helping kids cope with stress and worry / Creating a safe and nurturing home
• Activities to try while staying home
• Comic book activity