Snow, COVID factor in to return to school on Monday

Happy New Year from OISD!

Our New Year return to school brings with it some challenges, but nothing we haven’t successfully overcome in the recent past thanks to the support of our staff, parents, and community! A bit of extra planning and continued safety practices within our school district and community will ensure a successful return to school this next week.

Two-Hour Late Start Monday, January 3 to Serve Dual Purposes:

COVID Cases

As predicted, the number of COVID cases on the island has increased dramatically. Orcas currently has 48 (known) active cases; of these cases, ten are children age 18 and younger. We at OISD remain vigilant in our commitment to the health and safety of our students and staff by implementing a robust COVID testing program and proven mitigating measures to help keep the new variant at bay. Vaccinations, masks, hand washing, COVID testing, improved ventilation, and staying home when displaying symptoms of any kind continue to be our primary strategies. Students and staff displaying symptoms of any kind are not to come to school, but to report their absence and symptoms to their school office.

• OISD will hold a Rapid Testing Clinic for all asymptomatic OISD staff on Sunday, January 2 from 4pm-5pm.
• OISD will offer Rapid Testing to all asymptomatic students on Monday morning, January 3. This testing will take place as students arrive on campus and will provide results within minutes. We will need consent prior to testing each child, so (parents) please complete the form below:

Elementary (K-5th grade) https://forms.gle/Whg7t2FEAtMftdnW6,

Secondary (6 -12th grade) https://forms.gle/19gpwY7xTkXGYZuF7

• Symptomatic students and staff are not to attend the above clinics, but are encouraged to contact Cindy or Debbie to schedule an appointment for a Rapid Test.
• As an additional layer of protection, we will offer batch testing to all students later in the week to ensure all students and staff are COVID free as we all return from the holiday break.
• Please note that we continue to offer symptomatic testing by appointment by contacting Cindy (csapp@orcas.k12.wa.us) or Debbie (dburland@orcas.k12.wa.us), and asymptomatic Testing Clinics every Wednesday from 3:30-4:30 pm in the cafeteria.

The flu, common cold, allergies, and other viruses often have symptoms very similar to those of the COVID virus. Families, please continue to be proactive in keeping your children at home when experiencing any symptoms whatsoever and contact your child’s school office to report the absence and symptoms. Our staff continue to track and follow up with each and every student displaying symptoms and perform COVID tests prior to the student’s return to school.

Buses on Snow Routes Monday, January 3

This late start will allow parents and buses to take their time and safely transport students to school. SJC Public Works has done a remarkable job of clearing all primary roads, and the predicted warmer temperatures will help to thaw the secondary roads and driveways. Ultimately it is up to parents to determine whether or not they feel it is safe to send or transport their child to school in the event of inclement weather. If you do not feel it is safe to send or transport your child to school and choose to keep your child at home, the school will support your decision.

In Closing

A new wave of infections is predicted in the next weeks. The measures we have taken as a district and as a community have worked! Let’s not let our guards down; let’s keep up the safety practices that have kept Orcas safe. I cannot stress enough the importance of keeping your child at home if displaying symptoms of any kind; this will help Orcas weather this next wave of infections.

Thank you for your continued compassion, tolerance, and kindness during these challenging times,

“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