Greetings MPH Families!
After months of planning and preparation for the 2020-2021 school year, we were so pleased to welcome our students back to campus for the first time since mid-March. Acknowledging understandable concerns about how this would work, I am proud of my colleagues for their courage and commitment to our students and their education. Everyone here is doing more than usual, and I am inspired by the dedication and determination of our MPH team. And we have all been pleased to see how well our students have made this transition. There was palpable joy and excitement among students, returning and new members of our community, which suffused these early challenging days with a “can-do” spirit. With that said, I’d say the energy level necessary to launch this year was probably ten times the usual requirement, and I’m sure everyone is ready to rest and recharge over the weekend.
To all of our families, I extend a big thank you for your support and cooperation. By all accounts, we had a successful first week and we even made the local news! And yet there are plenty of details to attend to and wrinkles to iron out. To that end, please see this short video message, which focuses on our Daily Health Assessment (DHA) process. We have added some information about the DHA, which we trust will shed further light on this process and how it will better ensure a healthy and safe environment for our students and all members of the MPH community.
Each week we will highlight a couple of the most-frequently asked questions and continue to add to the FAQ section on MY MPH.
Q. How is everyone doing on submitting the Daily Health Assessment (DHA)?
A. We are doing remarkably well adopting this new requirement! An overwhelming majority of parents/guardians and employees have successfully completed the DHA before 7:15 a.m. every day this week, including our students learning via simulcast access. The few individuals who arrive on campus without a completed DHA are not allowed to begin their school day. Instead, they are held in a waiting area where MPH personnel contact parents, take each student’s temperature, and troubleshoot to ensure that each family’s app is working correctly.
Note: Students whose DHAs are completed after 7:15 a.m. are not included in the All-Clear list that is generated and distributed to the many members of the Arrivals Welcome Team each morning. Please be advised that if your child(ren)’s DHA is/are submitted after 7:15 a.m., it is likely that they will not arrive on time for their first class. This is because our staff must first process DHAs for close to 400 people, and the vast majority of the community whose names are on the All-Clear list will be processed first. Once we have completed the first part of this process, we will then go back and work with students and families on a case-by-case basis. Our expectation is that the DHA is completed by parents and guardians only and that the student’s temperature is checked daily. Students are not permitted to complete their own DHA.
Q. How does MPH use the information in the Daily Health Assessments?
A. MPH’s Pandemic Response Team (PRT) meets every morning to monitor information pertinent to the health and well-being of our community. The PRT reviews the Daily Health Assessment submitted by members of the community in order to record who will be on campus each day and who will not. Nurse Christine Civello tracks absences due to illness and follows up whenever necessary to ensure that we have an understanding of the overall health of our community on any given day. The PRT also monitors the daily COVID-19 positivity rate for Onondaga County, as well as for the surrounding counties in which our students and employees live. The PRT monitors data and guidance from local, state, and national health and government officials to ensure that our Health Protocols reflect current best practices. The PRT also monitors the new procedures – everything from arrivals to lunch delivery to cleaning protocols to departures – and recommends adjustments as necessary to promote and sustain the healthiest learning environment possible.
Q. How are the new lunch procedures going, and where can I find the week’s menu?
A. Our nutrition program is a key component to our MPH educational program, and with healthy snack and lunch options and hydration stations all around school, we are making sure that every child is nourished and hydrated. Lunches are individually packaged and delivered to students in their classrooms to reduce density and to keep students safely distanced. As everyone learns the ropes of this new system, we are starting with a sandwich and salad option each day. Note: We have asked families to submit dietary restrictions (e.g., allergies, gluten free, dairy free, vegan, vegetarian), and the daily lunch options are modified to suit individual students’ needs. These customized meals are labeled with the students’ names and confirmation of the dietary accommodation in order to ensure that each student’s needs are met. For more information on how the daily menu options are modified, please refer to the week’s menu on MY MPH.
If you have any concerns about the documentation of your student’s allergies, please email our school nurse. If you have any concerns about the documentation of your student’s dietary preferences or restrictions, please email Chef Christine.
Best for a great weekend!
Dave McCusker
Head of School
