Hearst Family Update
January 22, 2022
Principal's Message
Happy Saturday, Owls!
As a reminder, the PTA and individual families have generously donated high quality KF94s and KN95 masks for students and we are very appreciative of having these masks in addition to the surgical masks for kids that we've had since last year. Please see below for an FAQ document about these masks that was created by the Hearst Public Health Group for use by Hearst Elementary families & staff.
If your child is not using a KF94 or KN95 mask and you'd like for them to have one because you don't have a supply at home, please let your child's teacher know. The masks have arrived at school and if you let your child's teacher know you'd like your child to have one, we'll be sure to give your child one. Alternatively, if your child is unable to tolerate wearing a KF94/KN95 all day and you'd like them to continue wearing the masks they have been, please do let your child's teacher know this as well.
Thank you for your continued support and please reach out with any questions,
Jen
About Us
Email: attendance@hearstes.org
Website: www.hearstes.org
Location: 3950 37th Street Northwest, Washington, DC, United States
Phone: (202) 282-0106
Facebook: facebook.com/hearstes
Twitter: @hearstes
News and Announcements from Hearst
Upcoming Key Dates
- January 19 - LSAT Meeting, 430-5:30
- January 26 - Records & Planning Day (no school for students)
- February 7 - Term 2 Reports Cards Published in Aspen Parent Portal
- February 21-25 - Mid-Winter Break (no school for students and teachers)
Quick Updates
- As a reminder, all PK3 and PK4 students must upload negative test results here: https://securelink-dc.powerappsportals.us/en-US/sta/ in order to be allowed in the building Monday morning. It is strongly suggested but not required for K students to upload their results as well. Per DCPS, if a family chooses not to test (opts out), they then must quarantine for 10 days. If they continue to not test, they must continue to quarantine for 10 more days with each test not taken and submitted.
- Because PK students are now participating in weekly rapid testing, they will no longer participate in asymptomatic testing at school.
- Individuals who were positive for Covid 19 should not participate in asymptomatic PCR testing within 90 days of the initial infection, as the virus may continue to be detected within the body. However, if someone was positive for Covid 19 does participate in asymptomatic testing, DC Health is requesting that we submit a DC Health consult so they can investigate further and confirm whether the positive results are a new exposure and new infection. The individual would need to quarantine until that determination is made by DC Health. Because of this, if your child tested positive in the past 90 days and you haven't already done so, please email kestaganer.johnson@k12.dc.gov, noting the date they tested positive and when they would be able to resume asymptomatic testing. Doing so will ensure that we do not pull your child for asymptomatic testing during their 90-day period.
- Updated - Pepco will be replacing light poles on 37th Street and Tilden starting this coming week and wrapping up before we head out on February break. I met with the Pepco team on Thursday to get a better sense of the impact of their work on us and they will be doing everything in their power to ensure that their work doesn't impact us, including starting their work after arrival and ending before dismissal. While there are Emergency No Parking signs on the streets around Hearst, the Pepco team has said that they will cover the signs in the areas in which they're not working each day, meaning those spots will be available for arrival and dismissal.
- We have selected someone for hire for the ECE CES role but given the delays in getting new hires cleared, it's likely the person will not start until after February break. A huge thank you to everyone who is supporting Ms. Forbes and Ms. Kendra in the interim, particularly Ms. Geppert, Ms. A, Ms. T, Ms. Noonan, Ms. Beech, and Ms. Morales!
Reminder: FAQs on KN95/KF94 Masks
Put together by the Hearst Public Health Group for Use By Hearst Elementary Families & Staff
Can I reuse these masks?
Yes! KN95 and KF94 masks can be worn multiple times - even up to 5 days/40 hours – unless they become wet, soiled, damaged, or harder to breathe through.
When reusing masks it is recommended that you alternate masks or keep 1-3 different masks in rotation instead of reusing the same one daily. Keep the used masks that are in rotation in a paper bag when they are “resting.” Do NOT wash these masks.
How do I properly fit my child’s mask?
Securing a tight fit is extremely important. You can have the best filtering mask material in the world, but if there are gaps where air can come in and out, you are breathing air that is not filtered. Please take 30 seconds before dropping your child off to adjust their mask properly. Don’t assume this is something your child’s teacher will do.
Masks must cover your child’s nose AND mouth. The mask should fit snugly and there should be no gaps where air can escape.
If your child can feel their breath coming out of the sides or their glasses fog up, you do not have an adequate fit.
Make sure you adjust the metal nose clips to secure a tight fit by shaping the metal to the shape of your child’s nose.
You may have to try several styles/brands before finding a good fit. In our experience, the KF94s seem to fit younger kids better (ages 4-9), while the KN95s can be used by older kids.
What’s the difference between an N95, KF94, and KN95?
All have similar filtration efficiency. KF94 is tested and approved by the Korean FDA. KN95 is the equivalent from China. N95 is approved by US NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health).
Because of the way masks are regulated in the U.S., there are no children’s N95 masks available or made in the U.S. This is why we are using KF94s and KN95s for children’s masks. If a mask is advertised as an FDA-approved N95 for children, this is a false claim.
Beware of buying masks off Amazon, as many of them are not legitimate, especially those labeled as KN95s.
What are some useful resources?
Our favorite masks include the Tiger Blue KF94s (https://behealthyusa.net/collections/blue-industry-1/products/blue-kf94-kf80-tiger-3d-masks-small-kid-size) and the Powecom KN95 Kids’ Masks (https://bonafidemasks.com/powecom-kn95-sm-respirator-mask-10-masks-per-pack/). Many masks are out of stock at the moment, but keep checking back.
The Mask Nerd Google Doc spreadsheet also lists other great KF94/KN95 kids’ masks: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1i06OAItoOwIUaMjElr8mhh0Rw-it6WL-ODIQMZUOQxE/htmlview?usp=sharing&pru=AAABflU8eYc*CnowSzdnL8Qid_ZuB4HJGw
CDC’s Guide to Masks: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/about-face-coverings.html
FAQs From Families
No questions submitted this week.
Reminder: The Return of the Hearst Auction- Volunteers Needed!
Reminder: Asymptomatic Student Testing on Wednesdays
Starting the week of 11/8, our asymptomatic testing time will move to 9:45am on Wednesday. During a typical week, we will pull test a random sample of approximately 25% of students who have not opted out of testing. Knowing that some students in this group will not be able to produce a sample or their saliva sample will be rejected, this will allow us to ensure we are hitting the goal of testing 20% of our students each week. Know that we will attempt to test at least one student from each homeroom each week. Here are a few things to know about asymptomatic testing :
- Teachers will be provided with names of students to be tested and those students will be escorted by staff to our testing location.
- Because the test is a saliva test, students identified for testing cannot eat, drink, chew gum, or have on chapstick an hour before their testing window.
Families of kids who are tested will receive notification that their child was tested and information on how to access the online portal where they will be able to view results. Your child may indicate that they were pulled for testing but they were not given a letter with online portal log in information. If this is the case, this means that your child did not produce enough saliva to fill the test tube. Please reach out to Ms. Johnson (kestaganer.johnson@k12.dc.gov) with any questions and/or if you would like to opt your child out of asymptomatic testing. If you wish to opt-out your student from receiving any COVID-19 test at school, you must complete the available at osse.dc.gov/page/school-based-covid-19-testing and email it to the school at kestaganer.johnson@k12.dc.gov.
The website to access results is: https://shieldt3k12.pointnclick.com/ and our Agency Code is: HearstES and the website . As a parent, you should be able to enable notifications be sent to you if a testing result is available for your child.
We believe that the email you use to register on site has to be the primary contact's email used to enroll your child. You will also have to wait at least 12 hours until after the student was tested for the agency code to work.
News and Announcements from DCPS
Reminder: DCIAA Athletics - Closed Athletic Events (No Spectators)
Due to the rise in COVID-19 cases across the city and region, spectators will not be permitted at athletic programming at schools. We recognize that this is disappointing news for families and supporters. The health and safety of our students remains our highest priority. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
DCPS Athletics
News and Announcements From Other Organizations
Reminder: Food & Friends information - meal delivery service for individuals with life-challenging illnesses
I hope this message finds you well! My name is Maggie Snow. I am the Client Services Coordinator at Food & Friends, an organization that delivers medically tailored meals and groceries to individuals with life-challenging illnesses, including HIV, cancer, diabetes, and others. Food & Friends was founded in 1988 and to date, has delivered more than 23 million meals to more than 37,000 children and adults in DC, MD, and VA. There is no income or insurance coverage requirement for our services, which are free and based solely on an individual’s diagnosis. In addition to delivering meals or groceries, Food & Friends provides nutrition counseling, virtual social hours, recipes, and a Thanksgiving meal for clients.
I have attached a flyer that explains our eligibility requirements in detail in the hopes that you might be able to share this with your school community. Please feel free to contact me with any questions and or share my contact information with families who may be interested in learning more about our programs. Thank you in advance for your support!
Best,
Maggie
Maggie Snow (she/her/hers)
Client Services Coordinator
Food & Friends
219 Riggs Road NE, Washington, DC 20011
Phone (202) 269-6822 Fax (202) 635-4261
www.foodandfriends.org | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube