Dear Mirowitz Parents,
We hope you are enjoying this precious vacation time with your children and the opportunity to engage in imaginative play and exploration, to read books together and to make memories as a family. Most of all, we hope you are healthy!
Our medical advisory team has spent time this week working to interpret the new guidelines from the CDC and the St. Louis County Department of Health, and to ensure that our school guidance is up to date.
As we have all learned from experience, everything regarding COVID-19 can and will change. The Omicron variant is extremely transmissible, but probably less severe. Omicron is most transmissible 2 days before and 3 days after symptom appear.
Many people are asymptomatically carrying the virus, and you are likely to be exposed any time you leave your house.
With anticipated increases in regional cases of COVID-19, we also expect more cases at school. The goal of our public health community has shifted from preventing spread entirely to mitigating spread. Do not be surprised to receive emails in the coming months from the school informing you of a case of COVID-19 in your child's classroom, similar to the emails we send to notify you of strep, flue or headlice.
Mirowitz mitigation guidlines:
- We will continue masking.
- We will continue good hand hygiene.
- We will continue distancing when possible.
- We will continue activities outdoors or in large spaces when possible.
- We will require that all adults entering the building (staff and volunteers) to be fully vaccinated, including a booster dose if eligible, as boosters greatly decrease one’s risk of symptomatic COVID-19. Upon entering the building, adult volunteers will be asked to show vaccination cards to update our records.
- We will ask that you not send your children to school if they have any cold symptoms.
- We will follow CDC and local health department guidelines regarding quarantines and isolation which may change over time. Our current guidelines are described on the charts below.
- We do not plan to go to remote learning. There may be a situation in which we do not have enough faculty or substitutes to cover classes, but hope to maintain in person learning for the duration of the year.
A Word About Masks
- Medical grade masks are encouraged over cloth masks.
- Cloth masks with two or more layers of fabric are preferred over single ply. (You should not be able to blow out a candle through your mask.)
- Proper mask fit is important, especially if choosing an N95 type mask. Your children should wear masks that fit properly and that they will wear throughout the day.
- Masks with valves are not permitted.
- If your child’s mask does not fit properly, or is not being worn properly, you will be sent a notice from the nurse’s office and must return the next day with a properly fitting mask, and full compliance with mask wearing.
Covid Testing Guildlines
1. Covid testing will not be universally required for return to school at Mirowitz.
2. If students have a known exposure to the virus or have a positive case, we will follow the protocols on the charts below.
3. If the protocols require that your child be tested, please contact Nurse Beca with your verified negative covid test results. A verified covid test must be either performed by a health professional or witnessed by Nurse Beca at school. A test performed by another healthcare provider requires documentation from that provider to Nurse Beca. Tests performed at home are not considered verified tests unless tested by or in the presence of Nurse Beca.
4. If your child or a family member has a positive test or is exposed to COVID-19, please contact Nurse Beca.
