Dear Parents/Guardians:
The District was informed of the following cases of COVID-19 within our school community:
- A junior high school student who was last present in school on March 2nd. Based on the last date of attendance and the date of symptom onset, no school contact tracing was required.
- An elementary school student who was last present in school on March 1st.
- An elementary school student who was last present in school on March 2nd.
- An elementary school student who was last present in school on March 8th.
Please note that three of the above cases are connected to a single exposure that occurred outside of school and not due to spread within the schools. Please be assured that schools and buses are thoroughly cleaned regularly and the in-person learning environment remains safe for students and staff.
We have been in communication with the Columbia County Department of Health to conduct contact tracing related to the three elementary student cases. All individuals who were identified as contacts were notified and asked to quarantine. 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.
We have all worked hard to bring the county positivity numbers down since the holidays. Even so, now is not the time to ease up on our efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19 in the community. We urge families to stay diligent about the health and safety protocols including social distancing, avoiding gatherings, wearing masks and practicing good hand hygiene. If you have questions or need to report a COVID-19 related health issue, please contact your child’s principal or school nurse.
Your continued partnership is appreciated and we thank you for supporting our goal of providing in-person instruction to as many students as possible.
Sincerely,
Dr. Maria Lagana Suttmeier, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools