Dear Seward Elementary families and staff,
When 2022 arrived, the omicron variant did too, and it is affecting our school and community with an increase of positive COVID-19 cases. To keep as many people as possible working and attending school in person, as an added safety measure, our school will join other KPBSD schools, and begin universal masking on Thursday January 13, 2022 for two weeks.
This will help slow in-school exposure to COVID-19, and keep students in school without a need to quarantine if they are exposed to someone who is positive for COVID-19.* Factors that impact this decision include positive COVID-19 cases in schools; the number of identified close contacts who need to quarantine; absenteeism rates; high community transmission; and local health care capacity. You can read about the decision-making process that was followed in the KPBSD Mitigation Plan to make his temporary change. In the conversation with Superintendent Holland and Assistant Superintendent Dendurent we discussed the metrics occurring at our school.
Seward Elementary will require face coverings for all students and staff while indoors at school, beginning Thursday January 13, 2022. This will be reevaluated on Thursday January 27, 2022. Face coverings continue to be required for everyone who rides a bus.
In addition, in December KPBSD added a Close Contact Monitor, Test, and Stay Protocol so close contacts can leave their quarantine and go to work or school if they have no symptoms and wear a mask for 10 days. On January 12, 2022, a new COVID-19 Positive Monitor, Mask and Return Protocol for people who test positive and never have any symptoms was added, so isolation can end early and they can return to school or work on day 6.
I am asking us all to do our part to help keep everyone safe during this trying time. Wearing face coverings will help us keep more students and staff at school by adding one more layer to help stop the spread. Universal masking in our school will help us keep the doors open so we do not have to go remote. Superintendent Holland supports this temporary change. Thank you for your consideration and help in this trying time.
Thank you all for understanding,
Principal Haskins, Seward Elementary