||| FROM ERIC WEBB, ORCAS SCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENT |||
Dear Students, Staff, Families, and Community,
OISD strives to offer and implement as many mitigating measures as possible to keep our students and staff healthy and safe, all the while refining procedures on how to co-exist with this virus going forward.
This past Saturday morning, PCR test results confirmed that we now have three siblings positive with COVID. The source of the contact has not yet been confirmed, although it is unlikely that these cases are linked to the clusters of the previous two weeks.
In an effort to keep COVID from spreading, OISD and San Juan County continue to work together to keep our students and staff safe and healthy. OISD continues to practice the many mitigating measures initiated months ago and, most recently, expanding our COVID testing program and identifying students that are close contacts and students that are test-to-stay. Identification of students is done in collaboration with OISD’s health services team, administration, instructional staff, and support staff in collaboration with San Juan County Health and Community Services.
Close Contacts have been within three feet of a positive student for greater than 15 minutes within a 24-hour period. Close contacts are placed in quarantine at home for 10 days and checked on by San Juan County staff daily. From Saturday’s three positive cases, we have identified approximately 22 close contacts from the classroom, cafeteria, recess, bus, and FunHouse. Close contact students may return to school after 10 days with a negative COVID test, or after 14 days without a COVID test.
Test-to-Stay students are not close contacts, but have had possible contact with a positive student. If asymptomatic, these students are allowed to attend class. They are not allowed to participate in activities after school. Students are tested every few days over the next 10 days, at which time they can return to after-school activities with a negative COVID test.
In light of the newly identified cases, the district will offer batched/pooled testing to all elementary school students on Thursday, October 28 and November 4.
In addition, OISD will now offer batched/pooled testing to all middle school and high school students on a weekly basis as more middle school and high school activities move indoors during the winter months. Detailed information on batched/pooled testing will be shared by building principals.
Please note that we continue to offer symptomatic testing by appointment, and asymptomatic testing every Wednesday from 3:30-5:30 pm.
Thank you for your continued compassion, tolerance, and kindness during these challenging times,
Eric Webb
“And once the storm is over, you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm’s all about.”― Haruki Murakami
Well done Orcas Schools! Thanks for telling us what’s up – and what measures you’re taking to keep everybody safe!
Thank you, Eric, you and the team are doing a great job on keeping our kids safe and in school – kudos on the testing strategy! Thank you also for keeping us informed.
Very informative and comforting, Mr. Webb. It is especially interesting to get the OSD definition of close contact. This may help us older folks figure out what is effective safety protocol. Thank you.