(Note: All parents should have received this message via phone call and email)
I am emailing to share with you several items. One is a notice of positive cases within our District. We have a very high number of positive cases to report this week. 24 confirmed positive cases since Sunday, January 16. Finally, I need to share with you that we will be placing our entire 1st grade, 5th grade, and 7th grade on an adaptive pause (which includes sports & after school activities) until January 31. This pause comes with the recommendation of the Stephenson County Health Department and applies only to 1st grade, 5th grade, and 7th grade classes. At this time, all of the remaining grades will remain in person.
If your child is a close contact in or out of school, the Stephenson County Health Department is recommending that they quarantine for 5 days. It is highly recommended that testing be done on day 5 after a close contact. We need your help. If your child has any symptoms, which include fever/feeling feverish, chills, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of smell and taste, sore throat, nasal congestion, runny nose, nausea, stomach ache, vomiting, or diarrhea, please notify the nurse and keep them home, Home tests are not able to be a "confirmed case," as it cannot be registered with the IDPH and the Stephenson County Health Department. It is recommended that after a positive home test, that a follow up test be done that can be registered with the IDPH.
I feel it appropriate to share with you that we are currently struggling trying to maintain adequate contact tracing. As she is able, our nurse is working on determining the date of recent positive cases and date of student vaccinations and boosters to determine the eligibility of an earlier return date for 7th grade students. Melissa Walsh and I will continue to be in contact with our local health officials and share any relevant information with you as we get it. However, given the current numbers we are experiencing, we are in a very tentative position district wide.