Dear Shorewood Families,
Last week you received a health update on Influenza and COVID-19 from our District Nurse, Kelly Barlow. This communication is a follow-up to that update as we continue to monitor the situation with COVID-19.
The United States Center for Disease Control (CDC) is advising that schools, businesses, and families across the country prepare for the potential spread of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the United States and we want you to know that we’re working on specific plans in response to Coronavirus. These plans would cover two scenarios if the disease spreads to our community:
- Schools remain open while we take health precautions directed by federal, state, and local health officials.
- Schools close with a plan to continue the learning for students and critical operations for the District.
The safety of our students, staff, and families is always our top priority when making decisions. The District is working closely with the North Shore Health Department in monitoring Coronavirus, as we always do for all communicable diseases. Our District nurse also receives regular reports from the Wisconsin Department of Instruction related to communicable disease and follow trends closely.
The risk for Coronavirus remains low for Wisconsin residents at this time, with one confirmed case. We are monitoring the CDC’s real-time updates on the status and we will follow all State and CDC guidelines if there are any Coronavirus cases within our community.
At this time, the CDC is recommending that any travelers returning from countries with a Level 2 or Level 3 Travel Health Notice follow the voluntary self-quarantine and self-monitoring instructions. If your student is traveling to China, South Korea, Japan, Italy, or Iran, we ask that you contact the District Nurse at [email protected] or your child’s principal, prior to returning to school.
We all play a role in reducing the likelihood of a coronavirus outbreak in our school district community. We encourage everyone to practice good habits including:
- Wash your hands regularly, especially after using the restroom, coughing or sneezing into your hands, and before preparing or consuming food. Wash for 20 seconds, using soap and hot water. Be sure to also wash your fingertips.
- Avoid coughing or sneezing into your hands or in the air. Always try to cough or sneeze into a tissue, and then throw the tissue away. If you don’t have a tissue, cough/sneeze into your arm.
- As much as you can, avoid touching your eyes, mouth, and nose.
- If children are feeling sick, please keep them home from school. Allow them some time to feel better so that they do not risk infecting others. Families should have a plan in place for keeping your child home, picking up your child if they are sent home sick, and if schools are closed.
Stay informed with factual information by visiting the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website, which includes “Need to Know” info from symptoms, prevention, and FAQS, as well as the State Department of Health Services website: https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/outbreaks/index.htm.
Should you have questions about any of the above, please contact our District Nurse, Kelly Barlow at [email protected].
We will continue to keep you updated as we learn additional information in the coming days and weeks, and as details of our plans for the above potential scenarios are finalized.
Sincerely,
Bryan Davis, Superintendent, Shorewood Schools