Dear Shorewood Families,
It’s almost Winter Break, and I want to ask for your support in staying safe and COVID-free during this time and in the coming months. This is a high priority.
We want all students to come back to school COVID-free on January 4, and we need your assistance to do so. As part of our commitment to safety, expanded COVID-19 testing will be available beginning next week and continuing through January 10. We ask that if you travel or are gathering with people outside your household, you please have your child tested prior to returning to school. More details about this, additional holiday and travel information, and quarantine and contact tracing reminders are provided below.
Expanded COVID-19 Testing During Winter Break
Our partners at Summit Clinical Labs and the Shorewood Village Center have arranged expanded COVID-19 testing hours over the upcoming Winter Break. Knowing that there will be gatherings of family and friends, we hope the expansion of free COVID-19 testing will help keep the holiday season safe for everyone.
All testing will be conducted in the Village Center (lower level of the Shorewood Public Library). Please pre-register at: register.covidconnect.wi.gov before arriving; Entry and exit is at the Murray Avenue entrance.
Tuesday, January 11th *Regular testing schedule resumes
*Regular testing schedule is Tuesdays and Fridays, 7:30-9:30am and Thursdays, 3:30-5:30pm
Holiday and Travel Reminders
The winter holidays are a high-risk time for the spread of COVID-19. Travel, social gatherings and other activities pose significantly less risk if you and your eligible family members are fully vaccinated. Now is the time to schedule vaccinations or a booster, if needed.
Even if you are fully vaccinated, if you plan to gather for the holidays, please be mindful about attending or hosting gatherings and limit gatherings to only vaccinated individuals. Please review this link to determine if you, your child(ren) and any other individuals who will be attending a holiday gathering are considered “fully vaccinated.”
If there are young children or people who are not eligible for vaccination to consider, please limit the number of people at the gathering and utilize masks. Please review this link for more information on safe ways to celebrate the holidays.
If you are traveling, please follow the CDC guidelines for safe travel. Post-travel quarantine and testing are not required before returning to school, but are strongly encouraged. View the CDC travel guidance here. Please also review the COVID Self-Screener here.
Your continued commitment to health and safety - wearing a mask, practicing social distancing and staying home with any signs of illness - will help us maintain in-person learning and teaching in the second semester.
Quarantine and Contact-Tracing Reminders
It has come to our attention that some families have delayed testing for their symptomatic children. If your child is ill, please have them tested promptly at a CLIA-certified lab.
There has also been a recent increase in the number of students returning to school with a pending COVID-19 test. If your child was tested for COVID-19 and you have not received the results, please keep your child home until the negative results are received! Delays in communications from the North Shore Health Department are frustrating for all of us, and we appreciate your cooperation with these procedures.
Lastly, there has been an increase in use of rapid home tests for COVID-19 detection and not reporting the results to the schools until well after the infectious period has ended. If you are using a home test, these are the required follow up steps:
If POSITIVE:
- Report the positive results to the District immediately by sending a photo of the positive test to [email protected]
- Locate a CLIA certified lab and obtain a test. All PCR tests are free at any laboratory. Rapid antigen tests may have a cost at certain labs. A PCR test is strongly recommended.
- Please keep all children in the household (who are not fully vaccinated) home from school to begin quarantine. Review this information to determine if family members qualify as “fully vaccinated.”
If NEGATIVE:
- The District strongly recommends that a PCR test be performed to confirm the negative home test, especially for symptomatic individuals.
- Home tests cannot be used for approval to return to school if a child has 1 high risk or 2+ low risk symptoms, nor can they be used for the 7-day test-out option for quarantined close contacts. A test at a CLIA-certified lab is required.
These issues and a high volume of calls to our Health Offices are causing significant delays with contact tracing, so your cooperation is appreciated and necessary to keep our students/staff healthy and safe.
Have a great weekend - and Winter Break!
JoAnn Sternke