KSD Insider
Aug. 4, 2021
KSD Safety and Wellness Protocols for the 2021-2022 School Year
For the 2021-22 school year, we are pleased to welcome every student, every day in person. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect our community, our families and our schools, but we are working to ensure our classrooms are as safe as possible while maximizing opportunities for in-person instruction.
While there are still many health and safety protocols we need to follow to keep our students in the classroom, we are excited to get closer to “normal” for the school year. We’ve based these protocols on updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and feedback from the Kirkwood School District Health Advisory Group.
We will continue to monitor transmission in our community and review updated guidance from health officials. We will communicate any changes to our mitigation protocols and guidance as quickly as possible to ensure our staff, students and families know what to expect for their learning environment.
Thank you for your trust and understanding. Even in the face of this pandemic, we are committed to our mission to equip students with the skills, knowledge and understanding to be empathetic, successful, and to value all people.
David Ulrich, Ed.D.
Superintendent
K-12 Health and Safety Measures
Masks Required
All staff and students will be expected to wear masks throughout the day while indoors regardless of vaccination status. Masks are also required on all busses and other forms of public transportation. Social distancing or barriers will be utilized when masks cannot be worn (during snacks, meals, mask breaks). Masks will be optional outdoors.
Wearing masks while indoors will ensure we can keep the largest number of students in the classroom while maintaining a safe environment for students and staff.
Current CDC guidance states, "To reduce the risk of being infected with the Delta variant and possibly spreading it to others, wear a mask indoors in public if you are in an area of substantial or high transmission." St. Louis County's numbers are currently in the “high” transmission range. You can view the CDC Data Tracker at https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#county-view.
The protocols outlined may change with updated CDC or DESE guidance. Additionally, the District will monitor the level of community transmission for St. Louis County as displayed in the CDC Data Tracker. In the case that the tracker shows the level of community transmission at “moderate” for a total of seven consecutive days, the District will reevaluate the current health and safety protocols. The District will also consider additional local metrics. As of today, Aug. 4, the level of community transmission is “high”.
Vaccines
We continue to encourage all staff and eligible students to talk to their healthcare provider about getting vaccinated. The CDC advises that vaccination is currently the leading public health prevention strategy to end the COVID-19 pandemic.
If your child is 12 years of age or older, they can receive a COVID-19 vaccine. There are 3 brands of COVID-19 vaccines with different age requirements. You can view a list of upcoming vaccine events in St. Louis County or visit Missouri’s Vaccine Navigator to view local hospitals and pharmacies where a vaccine may be available.
KSD is committed to being considerate of students’ and staff members’ privacy related to their individual decisions about getting the vaccine. The Missouri School Immunization Requirements for students do not include the COVID vaccination. Additionally, as the COVID vaccine is currently approved for Emergency Use Authorization, it is not required for staff.
Visitors
Visitors will be permitted inside of school buildings. All visitors will need to adhere to the health and safety protocols in place for staff and students. This includes mask usage, and we encourage social distancing when possible. Individual schools may communicate specific guidance for visitors in their buildings.
Health Screenings
Please stay home and contact the school nurse if:
You are sick.
You are displaying COVID-19 symptoms.
You have recently had close contact with a person with COVID-19 and have been advised to quarantine.
Planning for Positive Cases
Communication
We will use the “inside out communication protocol.” The school will immediately communicate via phone call, text, and email with close contacts of a positive or presumed-positive case. When contacted, close contacts will receive information on what actions to take depending on the most current guidance and, when applicable, vaccination status.
COVID Dashboard
The COVID Dashboard will provide information about positive cases in the District. It will launch with regularly updated information by the start of the first day of school on Aug. 24, 2021.
When Someone is Sick - Download a Decision Protocol for Illness
Anyone not feeling well should stay home. If someone is sick at school, efforts will be made to isolate individuals and remove them from campus as quickly as possible.
Anyone who is sick will be advised to contact a healthcare provider if they exhibit symptoms or answered YES to any items on the screening questionnaire. The healthcare provider will be able to determine whether the symptoms are a result of COVID-19 infection or if there are other health issues.
Quarantine
The District contacts St. Louis County Health Department to obtain further instructions regarding contact tracing and quarantine requirements. We are expecting updated, school-specific guidance from the Health Department related to quarantine guidance, and will promptly communicate those updates when available.
In some cases, people who have been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19 will be required to quarantine. The length of the quarantine will be determined by the guidance of the Health Department. However, the following people with recent exposure may NOT need to quarantine:
People who have been fully vaccinated
People who were previously diagnosed with COVID-19 within the last three months
Kirkwood Early Childhood Center
Athletics and Activities
Many extracurricular activities will still be offered, however, students and staff must continue to utilize mitigation strategies. Students will be required to wear masks during extracurricular activities. Any extracurricular activities that can meet outdoors are encouraged to do so.
We also want to ensure our student athletes are as safe as possible while also gaining all the benefits of participating in our athletic programs.
Current protocols for athletics:
All students, visitors and staff entering the building must wear a mask
Student athletes engaged in physical activity (i.e. basketball, volleyball, wrestling) are not required to wear a mask. Once the physical activity is completed, ALL student athletes must put a mask back on.
All coaches must wear a mask at all times while indoors
Student athletes participating in outdoor activities are not required to wear a mask.
Frequently Asked Questions
Kirkwood School District
Email: news@kirkwoodschools.org
Website: kirkwoodschools.org
Location: 11289 Manchester Road, Kirkwood, MO, USA
Phone: 314-213-6100
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KirkwoodSchoolDistrict/
Twitter: @kwoodschools