Dear Seward Middle School families,
When 2022 arrived, the omicron variant did too, and 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 Jan. 18th, 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; 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 this temporary change.
Seward Middle will require face coverings for all students and staff while indoors at school, beginning Jan. 18, 2022. This will be reevaluated after 2 weeks. 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 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. Superintendent Holland supports this temporary change. Thank you for your consideration and help in this trying time.
Sincerely,
Matt Potter
SMS Principal