Friday Message
February 28, 2020
Coronavirus basics: How is hand washing currently enforced, especially before lunch? Can children be required to wash their hands when arriving at school? It's not enough to say it's their individual choice; this needs to be a community practice to be effective. Note that the CDC recommends hand washing over sanitizer. We will continue to direct students to wash their hands. We will continue to offer hand sanitizer throughout the day. Washing hands when they arrive is an excellent suggestion.
The next 2 questions are very detailed and I do not have all these answers. I want you to know that I have passed these detailed questions to the school district for their response. As a school district we will take all of our direction from the CDC and the Department of Public Health. Both of these agencies have information available on their websites:
https://dph.georgia.gov/novelcoronavirus
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
For a minor outbreak: What are the procedures the school will follow when one or more students are diagnosed with coronavirus, in regards to staffing, decontamination, and communication? What kind of support are teachers getting? If there is a possibility a teacher may have coronavirus, what kind of sick leave do they get? Is the standard sick policy going to be modified in light of the current outbreak, considering the recommended isolation period is 14 days? What are the contingency plans if a student has to be out of school for an extended period of time? Specifically what symptoms indicate that a child should stay home from school? The AAP says that the common cold is also not a reason to keep children home. Since the coronavirus symptoms are very similar to a standard cold, is that recommendation still accurate?
Continued! For a major outbreak: What are the contingency plans if a large number of students have to be out of school for an extended period of time? What staffing plans are in place if teachers are calling out sick in great numbers? During an outbreak, what major steps will be taken to reduce the spread of disease short of closing the school? If the school is completely closed, what resources will be provided to continue educating our children?
It seems likely that the US will see an increase in cases of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and it could potentially make its way to our community. Do both campuses have an adequate supply of hand sanitizer, antibacterial soap, and disinfectant wipes? Would it be helpful for parents to contribute some extra hygiene supplies for teachers and the school? We would appreciate donations of antibacterial soaps, disinfectant wipes, and disinfectant sprays. We will share these donations with art, music, PE, STEM and the Learning Commons. We would also appreciate antibacterial soaps for staff restrooms and the staff lounges.
Not a question, but I appreciate you and all y'all do to grow our children on a daily basis!
#KSECOMMUNITYFIRST
Staff Recognition
Is there a KSE staff member that your child and/or your family really loves? You can use the QR code or the link to share the good news.
https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=-x3OL5-ROEmquMR_D8kYLVCkMArdwDBIuc18TeYwdD1UMDdMT0JHNDMzNE9RWUJaNVZQUkxURkhUQi4u