Dear Families,
Thank you for your attention to keeping our community safe. Since August we have run weekly COVID-19 pool tests on all K-8 students and our entire staff. Of the 1500+ samples we have sent to the lab, all have been negative. Pair this with our spotless testing record from last year, and the community deserves a huge pat on the back for their efforts.
The rollout of vaccines for younger children and a continued drop in local infection rates make us hopeful for the future, however holiday travel and family gatherings bring a bit of uncertainty. As we move towards winter here is our current thinking regarding COVID-19:
Vaccines for Students Ages 5-11
Many students in the lower school have already had their first dose. As more become vaccinated, we can start to look at tapering off some of the restrictions we have in place. After the Thanksgiving Break we will ask parents to voluntarily and confidentiality share their child's vaccination status. Having that information will give us a better understanding of how much we can ease our restrictions, and it will inform our procedures for quarantine in the case of a campus outbreak.
Travel Policy/Holiday Gatherings
As you recall, last year there were travel policies put forward by the CDC and the state of California that required quarantining of families who traveled. As vaccination numbers have gone up and infection rates have come down, the policies have been relaxed. We have not required families to quarantine after travel this year.
However, as we move into the holiday season, we expect to see an increase in the number of infections. If you do travel over the holidays or are part of a large indoor gathering, we request that you test your child for COVID-19 (a rapid test is acceptable) before they return to campus.
Beyond that, we hope that you continue to be mindful of the impact that your decisions have on our community. Your prudence has allowed us to remain open, to reinstate the mixing of classes and buddies, and to maintain some sense of normalcy for the past year and a half. Thank you.
In gratitude,
David
