Thursday, Jan. 6, 2022 

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Merkle’s Mental Health Moment – Dealing with uncertainty in the face of omicron Dr. Erich Merkle, Pupil Adjustment Program, Office of Special Education, Akron Public Schools 

Since December, and throughout our holiday season, we have all heard that another COVID-19 variant called omicron is  spreading across our communities. Many of us are questioning how to avoid getting sick, what will happen to schools, if  there will there be shutdowns or if other measures will need to be implemented again. All of this happens when pandemic  fatigue and our patience have worn thin. The Child Mind Institute offers us guidance to tolerate this uncertainty and stay  positive when we are facing the same pandemic challenges again. 

Learn new COVID-19 protocols and updates from the Ohio Department of Health The Ohio Department of Health released new protocols and guidelines to follow if you or someone you know has been  exposed to or has COVID-19. The department released this document to help community members know how long to  quarantine, when and how long to wear a mask and additional information.  

As of Monday, more than 6,000 Ohio hospital patients were COVID-19 positive — the highest number since the beginning of  the pandemic. Currently, 87% of Ohio’s ICU beds are occupied, of that number, 29% are COVID-19 patients. The rise in  cases is most likely due to the omicron variant. Learn more.  

Attend APS and Akron Children’s Hospital’s upcoming vaccination clinic 

APS and the Akron Children's Hospital Roll Up a Sleeve vaccination campaign is hosting another vaccination clinic on Jan.  14 from 3-7 p.m. at North High School. The clinic is for students and staff who attended one of the APS clinics on Dec. 11,  16 or 18 and need their second vaccination and for APS students and staff who want a booster vaccination. First  vaccinations will not be provided. Learn more about age requirements, eligibility for booster vaccinations and other  information. 

Akron Emergency Overnight Shelter beds available  

Akron Emergency Overnight Shelter is providing free shelter beds, food and clothing for community members when the  temperature is 15 degrees or cooler. The shelter is open from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 a.m. and is located at 111 East Voris Street.  Sign up to receive email updates or call 211 of United Way of Summit & Medina Counties at 330.376.6660 to discover if the  shelter is open.  

Salvation Army food distribution 

The first Salvation Army food pantry distribution of the year will be held on Jan. 12 from 9-11 a.m. at their new location at  1033 Bellows St. Food distributions will be held on the second Wednesday of each month throughout 2022. Click here for a  complete list of dates.  

APS plus After-Hours Support for students and families 

APS plus After-Hours Support assists students and families with K-12 tutoring and academic support, family support  services, social-emotional urgent support, technology and Google Classroom troubleshooting. This service will reopen  Jan. 10, 2022. For more information, visit akronschools.com.  

All the resources below have clickable links for your convenience. 

General resources 

• Akron Summit County Library 

• APS Covid-19 Dashboard 

• APS District Website 

• APS Family Resources  

• Get 2 School/Stay in the Game • Ohio Department of Education (ODE) • Summit County Public Health 

• United Way 2-1-1 Resource Referral 

Forms and downloads 

• Help Desk Form 

Educational and mental health resources  • 5 Things Parents Can Do to Support Learning at  Home 

• 9 Tips for Parents Navigating Online Learning • 22 Remote Learning Tips for Parents 

• CDC: Help Children Learn at Home 

• Online Learning Tips for Families