Dear Seward Elementary families and staff,
Thank you for your effort the past two weeks to keep as many people attending school in person. Our school will join several other KPBSD schools, and continue universal masking for an additional two weeks through Friday, September 24, 2021. Factors that impact this decision include positive COVID-19 cases in schools; the number of identified close contacts who need to quarantine; continued high community spread; an absenteeism rate of over 25% at the three Seward schools; a staffing shortage and lack of substitute teachers.
This action and your help will continue to 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*.
KPBSD requires universal masking for all students and staff at Seward Elementary while indoors at school, and this action will be reevaluated on Friday, September 24, 2021. Face coverings continue to be required for everyone who rides a bus.
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 in school because students will not be considered close contacts if both the student who tests positive is wearing a mask and the students sitting close to them are also wearing a face covering. Universal masking in our school will result in less students needing to quarantine. While this was a tough decision, our main goal is to see as many kids as possible in person and avoid the necessity for quarantine, or even the possibility of transitioning to remote school. If you have any questions please give me a call at (907) 224-3356. Superintendent Holland supports this temporary change. Thank you for your consideration and help in this trying time.
Sincerely,
Alan Haskins, Principal 907 224-3356
PS: You can help protect your family and community: if you or someone you know has any symptoms of illness, stay home, and get a free COVID-19 test. Everyone 12 and older can receive a free vaccination to help prevent serious illness or death.
For more information about the KPBSD mitigation plan, close contact action steps, and symptom-free school protocol, visit the COVID-19 in KPBSD Hub. Please call Nurse Lyndsay or me, with questions.
*Universal masking close contact: when both students are wearing well-fitted face coverings, a close contact is someone who was within 3’ of a student who is positive for COVID-19 for more than 15 minutes in 24 hours.