Woods Covid-19 Update
Continued Mitigation Strategies
Mask Requirements
The Geneva Joint 4 School District will continue to require face coverings for all students and staff in grades 4K-12 until further notice. This is consistent with school board action taken to reopen our schools and is not dependent on legislative action.
In consultation with the school board, it has been determined that employees and students of Woods School will continue to wear masks until the end of the school year. One of our goals for the fourth quarter is to relax many of the mitigation strategies we had in place and move to a more regular schedule. Continuing to wear masks allows us to make these changes, therefore it isn’t prudent to eliminate masking at this time.
The administration and the board will reassess wearing masks prior to the 2021-22 school year. The lack of vaccinations for children coupled with the relaxation of masks and other personal protective measures in other settings are of concern. More importantly, our success in utilizing this important mitigation measure has allowed us to keep our schools open. Wearing a mask may be the best way to prevent outbreaks in schools amongst students and staff that could cause unnecessary transitions to at-home learning.
Current CDC, DHS, and AAP guidance recommend the use of facemasks in schools.
We, therefore, will continue to follow all of our mitigation guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19 including:
● Wearing a mask or face covering; and
● Keeping a physical distance of 3-6 feet from those not in your household; and
● Washing hands frequently with soap and water or use hand sanitizer; and
● Staying home if you are ill; and
● Getting the COVID-19 vaccine when you are eligible
The World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services consider masks, in conjunction with other personal protective factors above, as an important step in preventing COVID-19 spread. CDC and DHS guidelines state that fully vaccinated individuals should continue to wear masks around those not vaccinated. An Evidence Review of Face Masks Against COVID-19 (below) provides additional information on the science related to wearing a mask.
We believe that the continuation of wearing a mask is an essential safety measure to protect the staff, students, and community. Therefore, Woods Public School will continue to require a mask be worn by all individuals in their buildings for the remainder of this school year.
We appear to be turning the corner on this pandemic, but we need to continue to work together to do our part to stop the spread. We appreciate your cooperation in keeping our schools open and Woods healthy and safe.