I hope you all had a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving. I know that for many of us, this was the first opportunity in a long time to gather with extended family and friends, which is certainly something to be grateful for.
As falling temperatures force us indoors, as we gear up for more holiday gatherings in the coming weeks, and as we learn more about the new Omicron variant of the virus, it will be crucial to remain vigilant in our fight against COVID-19. We are seeing a rise in cases right now, which is what we would expect after a holiday, and it is a good reminder NOT to let our guard down!
Families can also access many vaccine opportunities beyond CPS:
The BEST defense against the virus is vaccination, and we hope that you are being met with this reminder everywhere you look! You may have seen vaccine advertisements popping up on public transportation and on billboards around the city. We are posting similar materials around our school to remind everyone that the vaccine is free, safe, and effective, so you can expect your children to begin seeing this messaging regularly in the weeks ahead.
If you have any questions about the vaccine, I encourage you to review this flyer and Frequently Asked Questions handout, then make a plan to get yourself and your children vaccinated as quickly as possible. Please also be mindful of Chicago’s Travel Advisory, especially if you will be traveling with your family during the holidays. For a map of current COVID hotspots, click here.
Along with vaccination, testing is a key part of preventing the spread of the virus in our schools. I am glad to report that the District’s testing capacity now matches the number of students who are registered for testing, and that CPS was able to conduct more than 18,000 over just two days in school last week. If you have not done so already, please consent to have your child regularly tested for COVID-19 at school by visiting color.com/readycheckgo-cps.
I thank you for your continued support as we work to manage the pandemic. With our ongoing commitment to testing, mitigation strategies, and most importantly, vaccination, we can work together to ensure our school becomes an even safer learning environment and give our children the healthy and joyous holiday season they deserve.
