LOCS Superintendent Marion Ginopolis will regularly share thoughts and updates about district-related topics in The Lake Orion Review.

Anyone who doesn’t understand what “Dragon Strong” means only has to review how Lake Orion Community Schools staff, students, and families are bravely coping and making it through the current COVID-19 crisis.

Despite school closure until fall 2020, the Lake Orion Community Schools administrators, teachers and other instructional staff have rallied to develop educational opportunities for students that they can do from home while under Governor Whitmer’s Executive Order to “Stay at Home”. For weeks, they have met virtually to create methods to instruct students remotely and remain connected through the use of virtual environments.

With a concern for those students who do not have technology equipment to complete their lessons, the district conducted a survey to identify those students who needed devices. Once that data was collected, district devices were gathered and distributed to those in need.

Parents have accepted their new role as “home teacher” by laboriously helping their children with their lessons. Certainly not an easy task!

Most important, to ensure that children have meals, an immediate meal preparation and distribution process was developed by the food service department, providing meals to hundreds of children.

And, by honoring stay–at–home orders, LOCS Dragons will come out of this terrible pandemic, not only Dragon Strong, but also Dragon Proud.

I am proud of the empathy displayed to those in need and especially thankful for the support everyone is providing to each other. I am grateful to our community residents who have come forward to support the district, even those who no longer have children in our schools.

And, I am appreciative of Orion Township and Lake Orion Village leaders and local businesses who are offering assistance for the needs of our students and families.

So, yes, we are coming through these past months stronger than ever because we are Lake Orion Dragons!

Marion Ginopolis, Superintendent, Lake Orion Community Schools