Opening of School UPdate
Dear School Community,
As we approach our 14th day of instruction, I wanted to thank the school community for assisting us in achieving our goal of providing 5 day a week, in-person learning for all students for the entire 2021-22 academic year. As a result of our health precautions, we are making great progress and our students are fully engaged in their academic and extracurricular pursuits. Having been in each building multiple times during the start of the year, it’s been great to see and hear our students and educators engaged in teaching and learning.
Case Counts:
To date, we have not had any incidences of in-school COVID transmission. Since the first day of school on August 31st we have had 12 positive student cases, 2 positive building based employee cases, and 1 district level employee case. For context, the district has 4,507 students and 796 professional and support staff employees.
For those who wish to view the data, the district maintains its Covid Data Chart which is on our website. You can find it by clicking here. It is updated daily and reports all newly positive (or probable) cases of COVID-19 present in our district schools. Cases are added based on the last date in school during the contagious period. Due to the reporting of probable cases, numbers may fluctuate in the event an assumed positive case tests negative.
We ask parents to continue their diligent efforts in symptom screening their children prior to sending them to school. To access an overview of the district’s symptom screening protocols, click here. Most importantly, if your child exhibits symptoms, have them stay home. If you'd like to get tested to receive a diagnosis, contact your healthcare provider or schedule an appointment at a publicly accessible testing site. If you do not wish to be tested, it is imperative you stay home, isolate and avoid contact with others, rest, and drink fluids. If you feel worse, call your healthcare provider.
Vaccinations:
Some parents have inquired about the vaccination status of our employees and students. Based on current data, our employee group which consists of professional, support, and administrative staff is approximately 95% vaccinated. Although we are also still receiving data from our families, we have 840 respondents who have vaccinated eligible students. Of that group 712 responded that their child was vaccinated and provided the proof of a vaccination card. 74 responded that their child was vaccinated but did not report the verification. We ask that parents continue to complete the survey that can be found by clicking here. This information can greatly assist us in the event that we have to contact trace and quarantine individuals.
We are making progress and it is because of your flexibility, cooperation, and support. Thank you!
Dr. Marc Bertrando, Superintendent