West Ada School District Update
August 13, 2020
CTEI Teacher of the Year for Secondary Grades
Upcoming Events
Class lists will be available in PowerSchool for students in grades K-8 on August 19, rather than the previously noted August 14. The date change allows West Ada School District more time to balance teaching staff at schools due to enrollment changes.
August 17 – Athletic practices begin
August 19 – Class lists, team designation for alternating schedule available in PowerSchool for K-8
August 21 – Last day for parents to submit reopening survey
August 25 – Board meets to decide school opening category, Election Day
August 26 – Virtual School House enrollment closes
September 1 - Team designation for alternating schedule available in PowerSchool for 9-12
September 7 – West Ada School District offices closed for Labor Day
September 8 – First day of school
Successful Remote Programming for Kindergarten Readiness
Staff increased their instructional competence through this summer's remote learning opportunities. Families appreciated the learning support for their young children and the relationships created with the school community.
Letter from Student Health Services
Dear Parents and Staff,
The West Ada School District Student Health Services Department is working in partnership with Central District Health to develop systems in the school setting that keep students, staff and patrons as safe as possible. This letter will answer questions about what the year will look like as we move through the ever-changing landscape of this global pandemic. We will update our plan as needed to address the safety of students, staff and patrons of our district. Using all the precautions listed below will help reduce the risk of transmission of Covid-19. All health information related to Covid-19, including positive test results or probable cases, will be directed through each building’s health office.
Precautions in the buildings
- Frequent hand washing or hand sanitizing
- Physical distancing of six feet
- Face coverings
- Teaching the importance of not touching our faces, coughing/sneezing etiquette, hand washing and appropriate ways to greet our friends
- Monitoring for symptoms (including staying home when symptoms are present) regardless of face coverings
- Custodians disinfecting more frequently and targeting high touch areas
Things Families Can Do to Help
- Stay home if you have a temperature of 100.4 or more (without fever reducing medications), cough, runny nose or feel sick
- Wash your hands frequently
- Wear a face covering
- Practice physical (social) distancing by staying six feet apart. According to health guidelines, people should not be within six feet of one another for longer than 15 minutes regardless if face coverings are worn
- Update your contact information in PowerSchool
- Know and implement strategies for meeting the social/emotional needs of our students
- Reach out to counselors and social workers for help
- Parent pick up in 20-30 minutes max. to limit possible exposure for others in the building
Health Office Visits and Symptoms of Illness
Plans in place for each school health office to limit interaction between students with symptoms and those without symptoms. We will work to limit unnecessary health office visits (i.e. nosebleeds, minor abrasions, etc.) to limit possible exposure in the health office.
Symptoms of Covid-19 that will be considered when it comes to the need for student pick up by parents include:
- New onset cough or shortness of breath
- Fever of 100.4 or above without fever reducing medications
- Body chills
- Muscle soreness unexplained by recent activity
- Sore throat
- Loss of taste/smell
- Gastrointestinal symptoms of diarrhea/vomiting/nausea
- Some of these symptoms might look like other illnesses/disease processes, but until we get to know your student these will be considered need for parent pick up
In addition to the above planning, principals and leadership teams from each building are creating building-specific “Health and Safety” plans for meeting the safety precautions identified by the State Idaho Back to School Framework and Central District Health recommendations. Our custodians play an integral part in disinfecting the schools. We hope you have a chance to thank them for all they did over the summer, and all they are preparing to do to keep us safe.
Thank you to the parents/guardians, students and staff of West Ada School District for being partners in the health and safety of our students. We will get through this together if we are flexible, patient and kind as we navigate the unknown together as a team.
Be well,
Tracey Garner, Supervisor of Student Health Services