Dear Parents,
As you might have heard yesterday evening on the news, El Paso County is moving to level "Orange" on the COVID-19 dial (effective Friday, November 13 at 5:00 p.m.), which places us in Safer-at Home Level 3 due to the significant rise in COVID cases within our county. Although the county’s metrics position us firmly into Stay-at-Home levels, the Governor and Colorado Department of Public Health (CDPHE) are balancing economic considerations and have not assigned this elevated order.
Many schools and school districts in our community announced transitions to e-Learning within the last few days, and more than 30 schools are currently experiencing school outbreaks. Humbly, our mitigation efforts to date have kept us off the county’s outbreak list. We have experienced exposures, but an outbreak is defined by two or more related cases, not within the same household.
As we transition into e-Learning, I encourage you to continue to watch for symptoms in your household. If anyone within your home is experiencing symptoms suggestive of COVID, please let me know, and I will assist you through the recommendations of the public health department and with contact tracing. While the campus is closed, school is not. Our staff is actively working to support our students, families, and teachers. Voicemail is captured, and audio messages are forwarded to the recipient’s email. Email is accessed remotely, and mail is checked daily.
Our plan to go to e-Learning starting Monday, November 16, 2020, aligns with the newly released guidelines:
a) Preschool - Grade 12 schools are advised to go remote/hybrid/limited in-person with considerations for vulnerable populations of students (i.e., food insecurity and special need therapies).
b) Group sports are advised to go virtual or outdoors in groups of less than 10.
c) Indoor gatherings at 50% capacity with a 25-person max.
d) Outdoor events with 50% capacity or a 75-person max.
e) There are no eligible variances, so we are doubtful that the Colorado High School Athletic Association variance that they had and were using to get basketball started will remain valid.
f) Businesses, restaurants, and personal services will operate at 25% capacity.
g) Personal gatherings are limited to no more than 10 people from 2 different households.