Dear Archway Trivium West Faculty and Families:

I am writing to you with a health update for our community. We have received confirmation of two positive COVID-19 cases on our campus this week. The Maricopa County Health Department (MCHD) requires us to notify you that these two cases have been identified as an outbreak. When we use the word “outbreak”, according to the MCHD, it means:

• Two or more students or staff who have tested positive for COVID-19 within a 14-day period; and
• Could have had some close contact such as in a classroom or on a school sports team;
• Do not live in the same household; and
•  Were not identified as close contacts of each other in another setting during a Public Health case investigation (e.g., friends who play together in each other’s homes).

We have notified all close contacts of each positive case and have asked them to watch for symptoms. Out of an abundance of caution, we are following the guidance issued by MCHD in notifying you.

If you would like to stay informed of the number of active cases we have at our school you can find our Covid Tracker on our website under Parent Resources. The tracker is updated every weekday at 6 pm.

Medical experts generally agree the best way to keep you and your family safe from respiratory diseases like COVID -19 and the flu is to:

• Clean your hands often, either with soap and water for 20 seconds or a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Put distance between yourself and other people (at least 6 feet).
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces daily.
• Get a flu and Covid-19 vaccine.

If you/your child or a family member is experiencing COVID-like symptoms (fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, sore throat, headache, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, muscle/body aches, and/or a new loss of taste or smell), do not attend work/school, and consider either seeking healthcare or getting a COVID-19 PCR test, depending on the severity of symptoms.

At this point, 2 cases represents (0.003%) of our students and faculty. We will continue to monitor the situation. Our Covid Response Team tracks all Covid positive cases and all of their close contacts. If we see that many close contacts are getting sick or spread is happening across sections or grade levels, we may quarantine a section, grade level, or the entire school.

For additional questions related to our school, please feel free to contact me, your respective Academy COVID Response Coordinator, Ms. Uphoff, or our school nurses, Mrs. Schooley. Additional information also can be found at Maricopa.gov/Covid19.

Sincerely,

Clay Scott

Headmaster

Archway Trivium West