Hawks,
We DO NOT have an active case of COVID in the HSD. Although, it seems to be all around us.
We continue the expectation for staff and students to follow the protocols set forth by the state of Maine. We remain "Green" in the state's DOE color coding system.
This note is to inform you of our reactive process, especially as cases are increasing in our area. We have been studying the steps taken by schools across the state. The scenarios differ based on student cohorts, travel, specific classes, athletics, friend groups, regional programs (UTC) and more. The scenario determines the number of close contacts and hence the school(s)/CDC reaction. Here are some definitions.
Active Case: Someone who tests positive for COVID-19. We will react per CDC guidance. This is a quarantine requirement and our highest level of reaction.
Close Contact: Close contact is defined as being within 6 feet for at least a period of 10 minutes to 30 minutes or more depending upon the exposure. This is a quarantine requirement.
• Stay home for 14 days after your last contact with a person who has COVID-19. (sometimes by the time a close contact is determined they are already into the 14 days or quarantine at which time they must finish the 14 days in quarantine)
• Be alert for symptoms. Watch for fever, cough, shortness of breath, or other symptoms
• If possible, stay away from others, especially people who are at higher risk for getting sick
Second Contact: A person who has contact with a Close Contact person. There is no quarantine requirement.
Presumed Positive: A presumptive positive result is when a patient has tested positive by a public health laboratory, but results are pending confirmation at CDC. For public health purposes, a presumptive positive result using the CDC test is treated as a positive.
A person who has been in contact with a Close Contact and is showing symptoms will be asked to not work or attend school until quarantine has ended and a negative COVID test is received.
Possible reactions to active cases in HSD include:
- a two-day reset for cleaning and tracing at one or more schools
- cohort specific quarantines (depending upon your hybrid day)
- periods of time for remote learning (2 days to 2 weeks) for an entire cohort or school(s) based on quarantine and or positive totals
- requiring quarantine for ALL CLOSE CONTACTS in any scenario
Tomorrow our teachers and edtech's are practicing a remote day to be best prepared should we need to move to any remote learning.
Should we receive an active case in our schools, our school community will be informed using our text/call system. We will continue to get through this together with hopes of a vaccine in the near future.
On a more positive note, our students have shown academic gains, attendance is very high, rates of sickness are low, we are 1:1 with technology with all staff, we are 1:1 with technology for grades 6-12 (soon to be K-5) and have greatly enhanced our online learning systems (Google Classroom, SeeSaw, iXL and RazKids). We call our new preparedness REMOTE 2.0. We are ready for anything.
If you have any questions please contact your school nurse, principal or me.
Thanks for your time and have a great week.
Jim Chasse