Dear Parents/Guardians:
Today the District was notified of two positive COVID-19 cases in our school community:
- A staff member at M.C. Smith Elementary School – This individual has not been present in school since before Thanksgiving recess. As advised by the Columbia County Department of Health, contact tracing within the school is not required due to the length of time since the person was last in school. The DOH advised there is no impact on the in-person learning environment and operations at MCSES can continue as usual.
- A student at Hudson Senior High School – The student was last present in school on Tuesday, December 1st. As you know, Wednesday is a day of deep cleaning of all schools and surfaces at the high school were disinfected since the student was last on campus.
In regard to the positive high school student, today we worked with the DOH to complete thorough contact tracing. All students and staff that must quarantine have been notified. If you are not contacted by a representative of the District or DOH, there is no further action needed on your part.
The DOH has advised the District that in-person classes at HHS can continue as planned on Monday, December 7th. If anything changes, you will be notified as soon as possible.
We must continue working together to help stop the spread of COVID-19. Families and community members can assist our efforts by promoting healthy behaviors and following these practices:
- Know the symptoms of COVID-19 and how to identify them in yourself and others. The DOH has indicated that loss of taste or smell may be a primary indicator of COVID-19 in asymptomatic individuals.
- Stay home from school or work if sick, even if symptoms are mild.
- Wear a face covering in areas where physical distancing is difficult to maintain.
- Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue (or sleeve), and then throw the tissue in the trash. Immediately wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds. If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
- Avoid touching the eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Clean and disinfect surfaces that are often touched.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Avoid large group gatherings, especially where masks are not worn.
As a reminder, please monitor your child(ren) for signs of illness and report any absences to your child’s school, even if your student is fully remote. It is important for the schools to have student absence information on file due to the current COVID-19 safety protocols in place. The Reporting Student Absence Form, which should be completed any time your child is absent from in-person OR virtual school, is available in multiple languages and can be found on our website at www.hudsoncsd.org/parents. Monitor your family’s health and contact your healthcare provider if you notice new symptoms of COVID-19. Any positive COVID-19 test results should be reported to your child’s school as soon as possible. Anyone with questions or who needs to report a COVID-19 related health issue should contact their child’s principal or school nurse.
We appreciate your cooperation and partnership in the interest of everyone’s health and safety.
Sincerely,
Dr. Maria Lagana Suttmeier, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools