Special Edition
Coronavirus COVID-19 news & updates
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Cedarburg School District Readiness Plans
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The uncertainty over the spread of the Coronavirus means CSD must prepare for small and large scale responses to this developing situation. Work has been ongoing in updating our Pandemic Plan in the event school would need to be cancelled for an extended amount of time. We believe proactive preventative measures are appropriate in minimizing any outbreak. We will continue to monitor the activity of our students and staff.
To date, we’ve had two CHS events cancelled by the organizers; the GAPP exchange program where we planned to host students from Germany in April and the SMART Team International Conference in April that was to be hosted in San Diego. More events and activities may be cancelled as this situation develops. We will consider all options to maintain planned activities and events, but know the health and welfare of our students is our priority. Plans are underway to manage a disruption to our current daily practices.
The most extreme portion of these plans include online learning opportunities for our students in the event school is cancelled for an extended period of time. Current response precautions include planning for shortages of staff, preordering cleaning supplies and equipment, deeper cleaning of all school areas (see
Role of Schools
below), intensified disinfecting of school buses and planning for food service interruptions.
We are working in a new reality that has caused the support systems within the district to think differently about how to maintain our services during a potentially lengthy disruption to our routines.
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Dear Cedarburg Families,
The health and safety of our students, staff and the entire learning community is our top priority. We will act out an abundance of caution to protect everyone’s health and wellbeing. We know we are in the midst of the cold and flu season and the Cedarburg School District is continuing to monitor illness-related absences district wide. At this time, there is no known case of Coronavirus in our community or school district. However, it is the time of the year when illness-related absences do occur; and we closely monitor absentee numbers.
As many of you know, updates regarding the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) continue to be a daily feature in the news. Though we are seeing an increased number of cases of COVID-19 world wide, according to the
Wisconsin Department of Health Services
(DHS) and the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC), the immediate health risk to the general public in Wisconsin remains low at this time. With that being said, all indications suggest that Wisconsin cases will be identified in the coming weeks. We will continue to be diligent in monitoring this very fluid situation.
All reports of COVID-19 continue to be closely followed by the CDC, Wisconsin DHS,
Washington Ozaukee Public Health Department
(WOPHD), and the
Cedarburg School District
. We will continue to update our District Emergency Response Plans in accordance with those previously listed entities. However, it is important to note that Influenza continues to be the dominant respiratory virus affecting our students and our community.
Once you have read through the information below and should you have any specific concerns or questions, please contact our district nurse or your family’s healthcare provider for additional information. The coming weeks are likely to bring more information, and the Cedarburg School District will continue to update all of our school families as we learn more about COVID-19.
Thank you for your continued support in keeping our students, staff, and community healthy.
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Todd Bugnacki
Superintendent
262-376-6115
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Ted Noll
Director of Student Services
262-376-6142
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Nicole Cofta, RN
School District Nurse
262-376-6149
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The following information has been provided by the Washington Ozaukee County Public Health Department, CDC and Wisconsin DHS as a resource for schools and families. We all play a role in reducing the likelihood of a Coronavirus outbreak in our school district community. We encourage everyone to take an active role in preventing the spread of illness.
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- Perform routine environmental cleaning of all of our schools, which includes cleaning of restrooms and sanitizing touch points on a nightly basis, deep cleaning all rooms regularly, and utilizing UV light sanitation on a rotational basis with rooms getting sanitized at least once per week.
- Enhanced cleaning procedures increasing the use of the UV light sanitation system in areas affected by student illnesses along with utilizing an electrostatic sanitizing sprayer system allowing for large scale sanitizing and disinfecting in a small amount of time.
- Follow reporting protocols and work with the local health department, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, as well as follow the guidelines recommended by national resources like the CDC and WI DHS to support the health of our staff, students and community.
- Provide additional guidance as recommended by the District Nurse for health-related education and direct service to students.
- Educate students and staff regarding best practice in not spreading germs.
- Staff members who are ill are encouraged to stay home.
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- Reinforce preventative actions, such as good hand hygiene, covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue or using one’s elbow, clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces, avoid touching one’s eyes, nose and mouth, maintain reasonable physical distances, get plenty of rest and stay hydrated.
- When calling school to report your child is ill, please be as specific as you are comfortable and share any signs or symptoms of illness that your child is experiencing, such as: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever and/or signs of any respiratory illness including cough, runny nose, and/or malaise. These details are valuable for school staff to track our student illness-related absences. The information shared will be handled very sensitively.
- Notify the school if a medical provider has confirmed your child to have influenza, coronavirus or any other concerning respiratory illness.
- Get a flu vaccine and take flu antivirals if prescribed. Contact your child’s health care provider to determine if a flu vaccine is right for your child.
- Get adequate amounts of rest, stay hydrated, and consume nutritious foods.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched household objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
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When to Keep Your Child Home
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Keep children home for the following reasons
:
- if they have a fever above 100.4 F, are experiencing diarrhea, vomiting and/or a severe cough; for at least 24 hours after he or she no longer shows signs of a fever (chills, feeling very warm, flushed appearance, or sweating) without the use of fever-reducing medications. A fever indicates that your child may be fighting an infection and may be contagious meaning that he or she can spread the infection to others, including those already immunocompromised at risk, and may slow your child’s restorative processes.
- any type of gastrointestinal issue such as vomiting and/or diarrhea;
- cough is deep and uncontrollable (even without a fever);
- complaints of a sore throat that is severe, white spots are present on the tonsils or in the back of the throat, or if a headache and/or upset stomach is also present.
- if they are experiencing signs and symptoms of influenza, which also includes severe fatigue, body aches and/or muscle aches. Rest is imperative for healing, and your child will benefit from the additional rest if any of the above or previously listed symptoms are present.
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As always, take an active role in preventing the spread of illness by frequently washing your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water, using hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available, cover your coughs and sneezes, and stay home when you are sick.
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Sp
ring Break is right around the corner and many of our students, families, and staff travel during that time. We urge you to weigh the risks and potential consequences for yourself and others in traveling abroad. Further, as new outbreaks occur and government travel restrictions shift, be aware that, if you choose to travel outside the United States, you may encounter difficulties in returning.
Out of an abundance of caution, it is currently recommended that any travelers returning from countries with a Level 2 or Level 3
CDC Travel Health Notice
follow
THESE
CSD voluntary self-quarantine and self-monitoring instructions.
The Cedarburg School District will continue to re-evaluate this recommendation as additional guidance from CDC becomes available. Please see the
CDC Travelers’ Health website
for up-to-date information on travel advisories and risk levels.
If your student is traveling to China, South Korea, Japan, Italy, or Iran (CDC Level 2 or 3), we ask that you contact the District Nurse at
ncofta@cedarburg.k12.wi.us
prior to returning to school
.
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2019 Novel Coronavirus COVID-19
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While the immediate risk of this new virus to our community is believed to be low at this time
, everyone can do their part to help us respond to this emerging public health concern.
Heed any travel advisories recommended by the CDC taking special note of any areas under a travel advisory.
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Stay informed with factual information regarding COVID-19 by visiting reputable sources such as the
CDC
or
Wisconsin DHS
websites.
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