Dear Parents/Guardians:
The District was informed of the following new positive cases of COVID-19 within our school community:
- A remote junior high school student – The student is fully remote and has not been physically present on campus. No school contact tracing was needed.
- Two remote high school students – The students are fully remote and have not been physically present on campus. No school contact tracing was needed.
- An elementary school student – The last date of in-school attendance was Friday, January 8th. Based on the last date the student was in school and the date of the positive test result, no school contact tracing was required (as advised by the DOH).
- An elementary school staff member – The individual was last in school on Thursday, January 14th.
- An elementary school staff member – The individual was last in school on Friday, January 15th.
After working with the Columbia County Department of Health to complete contact tracing for the latter two cases (which are unrelated), the District notified all individuals who were identified as contacts and asked them to quarantine as a precautionary measure. If you did not receive a phone call from a representative of the school district or DOH, there is no further action needed on your part.
As you know, our custodial staff perform additional deep cleaning measures every Wednesday and Saturday. Please be assured that the in-person learning environment remains safe for students and staff.
Lastly, please remember that we all play an important role in keeping our schools open for in-person learning. We are committed to providing a safe in-person learning environment and we must continue working together to help stop the spread of COVID-19 in the community. We ask that families continue to follow all safety guidelines outside of school hours including wearing masks or face coverings, washing your hands, practicing social distancing, avoiding gatherings, and staying home if you/your child are sick or awaiting test results. Know the symptoms of COVID-19 and how to identify them in yourself and others, particularly the loss of taste or smell as that is considered a primary indicator of COVID-19 in asymptomatic individuals. Anyone with questions or who needs to report a COVID-19 related health issue should contact their child’s principal or school nurse.
I understand that you may want additional details, however privacy laws restrict us from disclosing or confirming any personally identifiable information. If you have other questions or need assistance, please contact the main office of your child’s school or your child’s principal.
Thank you for your patience and support during this especially challenging school year.
Sincerely,
Dr. Maria Lagana Suttmeier, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools