SUPERINTENDENT'S MESSAGE - September 17, 2021
Posted: September 3, 2021
SUPERINTENDENT'S MESSAGE
A communique was sent this week from Governor DeWine to the public school superintendents in Ohio. The below request was included within the governor’s message from the Ohio Children’s Hospital Association:
“We are asking and urging all Ohioans to do what you can to stand with us to help protect our state’s children by using the tools that we have, including:
- If you are eligible, please get vaccinated;
- Please wear a mask, particularly during school and while attending large gatherings;
- Please adhere to proven safe practices of physical distancing and hand washing.”
The CDC has established a one barrier standard to avoid a contact tracing quarantine. Any individual with one or both barriers does not need to quarantine:
- Vaccination
- Wear a Mask (covering nose and mouth)
Isolation and quarantine have been used by public health for decades. The purpose of isolation and quarantine is to identify people who are sick or who have been exposed to someone who is sick and keep them from spreading the virus to others by limiting their contacts.
Direct contacts for COVID-19 are those individuals who are identified as being directly exposed to a person with COVID-19. In schools, a direct contact is defined as an unmasked, unvaccinated individual within 3 feet of the person with COVID-19 for at least 15 minutes.
Currently in Waynesville Schools, both vaccination and masking are a family choice; however we strongly recommend families consider receiving the vaccination and/or masking to slow down the spread of COVID-19 and to avoid the need to quarantine because of close contact. Your family will want to discuss and may want to consult your family doctor or a trusted health provider.
Earlier this week, our administrative team spent considerable time reviewing our protocols.
Dr. Amy Edwards, Infectious Disease Specialist at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, recently contributed to an examination of eight (8) parts of the typical school day.
As we learn more about living with COVID-19, we continue to adjust our operations; Wayne Local Schools want to keep our students safe and in school.
One particular area we looked at closely is lunch because it is an area of the day where contact tracing has created quarantines. Both buildings have worked hard to spread out lunch similar to last year. The elementary school with the operable wall allows us to distance students. While the weather cooperates, Mr. Cook is moving physical education outside so the entire lunch and gym areas are used for tables and chairs. The Junior/Senior High will use the cafeteria, gym and stage for lunches.
The mask mandate for bus riders has been extended throughout the remainder of the 2021 calendar year. Each bus has disposable masks, in case a student forgets a mask. Masks are required for all trips to and from school, field trips and school transportation for extracurricular activities.
We are re-emphasizing clean hands with our students. We're enhancing our spray, sanitize and clean rotation in high touch areas.
Daily Self-Monitoring: Students and staff should monitor their own temperatures and their health on a daily basis before coming to school. By staying home when you are not feeling well, you will not only help protect others from COVID, but will also help stop the spread of illnesses such as the flu.
Visitors are welcomed in our schools. Each school will share opportunities and protocols for their families. However with increased numbers, at this time, we are now requiring masks be worn by visitors inside our buildings.
We anticipate releasing an update on the Ohio Department of Health Pilot Quarantine Project in the next week or two.
