Family Update

Dear Students, Staff, and Families,

As we approach the start of the third week in our 2020-21 school year, I would like to send out a reminder on health and safety, and quarantine protocols for all of you.  These protocols have been in our Return to Learn Plan since it was released.  

HEALTH AND SAFETY

Students, staff, and families are required to self-monitor for symptoms related to COVID-19 PRIOR to getting on the bus or arriving at school. Families will perform the COVID-19 Self-Screener daily PRIOR to their arrival at schools or offices or boarding a school bus or district vehicle.  Please review this Parent/Guardian Acknowledgement

Symptoms Requiring Absence

●COVID-19 symptoms with no other confirmed diagnosis, cause, or explanation for the symptom(s) warrants reason to not attend school.

    1. ANY one “High Risk” COVID-19 Symptom

      1. New Cough

      2. Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

      3. New loss of taste or smell

AND/OR

    1. Any two or more “Low Risk” COVID-19 symptom or symptoms are not within the person’s “norm”

      1. Fever of > °100 or chills- do not come to school if you have a temp > °100 regardless if you don’t have other symptoms

      2. Headache, Muscle/body aches (myalgia), Fatigue, Sore throat, Runny nose, Congestion, Sinus pain, Nausea, Vomiting, Diarrhea

●Please see the guidance from the state (State of Iowa, IDOE, IDPH) linked here:

  1. Return to Learn - Reopening Iowa’s Schools Safely and Responsibly

  2. Evaluating Sick Students and Staff - Reopening Iowa’s Schools Safely and Responsibly - In Spanish

●If you have given your child ibuprofen, acetaminophen, or other fever-reducing medication within 24 hours of school starting, closely evaluate the reason the medicine was given; if it was given for possible symptoms of COVID-19, the student should stay home. 

●Parent(s) /guardian(s) must call the school office to inform of a positive test result so contact tracing can take place. Per CDC and IDPH guidelines, parents of students who were diagnosed of having COVID-19 must keep a child home for 24 hours from resolution of fever without fever-reducing medication AND 10 days must have passed after symptoms first appeared.  

●All West Liberty Community School District employees must perform daily the Self-Screener for COVID-19 symptoms PRIOR to arriving for their job assignment.

●If a staff member is concerned about a student that student will be sent to the nurse for evaluation. Staff will complete visual checks of students throughout the day.

●Staff will also be expected to self-monitor their temperature and any symptoms related to COVID-19.

●Face coverings are required for all students, staff, and visitors, in the buildings and on school buses, unless a medical contraindication is verified by a physician.

●We are also implementing the following consideration and mitigation strategies such as social distancing, hand washing, and regular cleaning and disinfecting.

●The district will supply students with a face covering. Students are asked to bring a mask to school with them daily.

●The district will provide education on hygiene practices. 

QUARANTINE PROTOCOL

When a student or staff member tests positive for COVID-19 the school will dismiss the students and classroom(s) that have been in contact with that student. Across all settings, students and staff will be quarantined by classroom(s). Meaning, if one student tests positive, the entire class(es) that student was in (students and staff) will be notified and instructed to quarantine for 14 days. Please see this link for Staff Leave Scenarios.

In collaboration with Muscatine County Public Health, we cannot guarantee that students have or have not been in contact with classmates within 6 feet for more than 15 minutes. For the health and safety of all of our students, staff, and community we will err on the side of caution in determining recommendations for quarantine. We understand the frustrations and uncertainty of these times and are doing what we believe, with the guidance from CDC, to be the best way to not spread the virus more.

  1. Call your child(ren)’s doctor.

  2. Ask to have your child(ren) tested if indicated.

  3. Follow the doctor’s instructions.

  4. Stay in quarantine until the test results are given to you.

Close contact is defined as being within 6 feet of someone for 10-15 minutes. Being in close contact with someone who is positive for COVID-19 puts you at a higher risk of getting COVID-19. (Other examples of close contact are-sharing the same drinking glass or straw,

sharing the same eating utensil, touching the person or things that may have that person’s germs on them, like a dirty tissue, or the person coughing or sneezing on you)

Casual contact is defined as passing by someone briefly. A casual contact puts you at a lower risk of getting COVID-19.

●Employees should contact the building principal/administrator or supervisor immediately if they experience any of the above symptoms and not report to work. Contact tracing will be initiated by the school administrator, school nurse in collaboration with the Muscatine County Public Health and Iowa Department of Public Health.

●Parent(s) / guardian(s) must call the school office to inform them if their child(ren) test positive for COVID-19. Contact tracing will be initiated. The areas used by the sick person will be closed. Areas will not be used until proper cleaning and disinfection procedures have been completed.

●If a classroom or multiple classrooms are required to quarantine due to a positive test, impacted students will transition into remote learning during the quarantine period.

School Reentry

Symptoms related to COVID-19 (see above)

  • If presenting with COVID-19 symptom(s), one high risk, and/or two low risk as indicated above, a written note from your primary care provider must be provided before returning to school.

  • If you test negative for COVID-19 you must stay home until symptoms have improved, no fever for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications and have a written note from your physician that it is ok to return to school.

  • Persons with confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis:

1. At least 1 day (24 hours) have passed since recovery defined as resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and improvement in respiratory symptoms (e.g., cough, shortness of breath);

AND

2. At least 10days have passed since symptoms first appeared

We thank you for helping us to ensure that we are able to continue to provide hybrid and virtual learning for our students in a safe and healthy environment.  We all have to work together to monitor our symptoms and communicate any issues, in order for all of our students and staff to stay as healthy as possible during this pandemic.  

Thank You,

Dr. Diego F. Giraldo