It is April 16, which means we are nearing the end of an (another) unimaginable school year. We have had many successes to celebrate:
- Keeping K-4 in school for the entire year - a feat not accomplished by most districts.
- Bringing middle and high school students back to in-person learning quickly.
- Athletic teams celebrating not only wins for their craft but wins in the classroom as well, i.e. Girls Basketball with the top GPA in the conference.
- Strong academic performances from our students with 322 students celebrating Honor Roll status this year.
- Teachers and staff, pivoting from in-person learning experts to online learning experts - balancing in-person attendees, online attendees, and the workload that comes with hybrid learning.
You are likely aware of the complications and even the changes regarding how schools implement contact tracing. To some degree, Pierz has tried to be as pragmatic as possible relative to the rules that all schools are supposed to be following. At the same time, we also know that the way in which certain schools follow the rules might be different than how some others do it. It is a bit complicated, but we will try to provide a general overview of the items we are required to address.
What is a Close Contact?
When we started the year, it was anyone who is within 6 feet of any other person for 15 minutes. For the first half of this school year, that meant 15 uninterrupted minutes. But during the school year, CDC and MDH changed that rule to any 15 minutes over a 24-hour period. Obviously, that change made it much more challenging to manage.
Another confusing twist to this was that MDE announced a few months ago it was okay to have students three feet apart during the day. But, that did not change the Close Contact Rule. So, we, and all schools, are still supposed to identify any students or adults within six feet for 15 or more minutes throughout the day.
The main areas we look at are:
Transportation
This is a time when there is very likely to be close contacts. If students are driving or riding to school, we have to find out who they may have been in the car with.
If students are riding the bus, it ends up impacting seven seats around the contact: two in front, two behind, and three across. That is why we are doing everything to assign seats, keep siblings together and spread out whenever possible.
Lunch
We have tried to space apart children and the added lunch shifts at both Healy and Pioneer have helped. But again, the close contact rule still applies—and to some degree it is a little more critical during times when the children are not wearing masks, like during lunch. We are required to trace where the student ate, who ate near them, and then meet with staff supervising lunch to confirm the information.
Classrooms
Some classrooms are set up so they can avoid close contacts. In some cases, there are not any classroom-based close contacts. This number changes from grade to grade, depending upon the class, how many students are in that class, and the size of that classroom. The nurse in each school contacts the teachers based upon that child’s schedule, and then those teachers report if there were any close contacts.
Activities
Again depending upon the activity, there may or may not be close contacts. Coaches have strived to structure their practice routines to assist in limiting contacts, but in some cases, it is simply unavoidable. Our staff interview the students and then confirm with the coaches or advisors if there were students who were grouped with the individual who has tested positive for Covid.
What is the return to School Process?
We went through most of the year with what was the ‘14-day rule’. Since then, MDH allowed other options that schools could choose to implement. Because it is a way to get students back in the building sooner, Pierz is determined to try to implement these new options. The explanation of the new processes is complex but worth understanding:
Options to return to school:
- If your child remains healthy and tests negative, then it is a 7-day absence and they can return on the 8th day after exposure. The test must be a PCR test. The rapid or antigen tests are not allowed by MDH for this early return option.
- If your child remains healthy and does not take a test, then it is a 10-day absence and they can return the 11th day after exposure.
- If your child develops any symptoms like fever, body aches, etc., please monitor and communicate with your own physician and the school nurse to discuss the symptoms. We cannot start the clock regarding returning if there is evidence that the student could be developing Covid.
As always, it is our intention to provide the best education possible in the safest space possible for all of our students and staff. These are difficult times for everyone. We are proud of our students, parents, staff, and community members for your ongoing support and understanding of the above-and-beyond tasks we are all faced with every day.
