Superintendent's Update
11/18/2020
Hello CSD Parents/Guardians and Faculty/Staff:
Potential Change In Instructional Model - November 23, 2020
If the update received from the PA Department of Health on Friday, November 20, 2020, shows the following metrics:
Then, effective November 23, 2020, Centennial School District (CSD) will move to a full-virtual instructional model for the 17 days of instruction (9 days or 8 days for each cohort) from November 23, 2020, through January 1, 2021.
Primary Indicators:
- Incidence Rate Per 100,000 greater than 100
- PCR Positivity Rate at 10% or greater
- Community Transmission Rate listed as Substantial
Secondary Indicators for Consideration
(may impact the District’s ability to implement instructional models):
- Ability to continually and successfully implement mitigation strategies (ex: face coverings, social distancing, hand washing, cleaning/disinfecting)
- Staff/Operational Capacity
We will send a communication this Friday, November 20, 2020, should the decision to move to full-virtual on Monday, November 23, 2020, becomes necessary.
Special Education and English Language Students:
Additional support and services may be provided to students who receive English Language Development and Special Education support and services. The Student (Pupil) Services Department will communicate directly with the families of students who receive these supports.
Background Information
As you may recall, on Friday, November 13, 2020, I sent the following as part of an eAlert, "Given that we have moved closer to the instructional model metrics for virtual shown above, today the administration met to discuss the planning process for the possible implementation of full-virtual or the stratified/targeted mitigation strategy model recently suggested by health experts. Everyone must begin to prepare for the possible change in the instructional model that could occur the week of November 23rd."
Like many school districts across the country, CSD continues to try and operate our schools while many uncertainties remain. Our school district administrative team has attempted to draw on experience and guidance from others (health officials at the national, state, and local levels) to create plans for operating schools safely during the current COVID-19 pandemic.
The American Academy of Pediatrics said that to operate schools safely,
- It is vitally important that communities take all necessary measures to limit the spread of the COVID virus.
- Schools must take a multi-pronged, layered approach to protect students, teachers, and staff. By using different approaches, these layers of protection will make in-person learning safe and possible.
- It is critically important to develop strategies that can be revised and adapted depending on the level of viral transmission and test positivity rate throughout the community and in the schools, recognizing the differences between school districts, including urban, suburban, and rural districts.
The Center for Disease Control shared that, "School officials should make decisions about school reopening based on available data including levels of community transmission and their capacity to implement appropriate mitigation measures in schools to protect students, teachers, administrators, and other staff. Schools should also consider other aspects of students’ risk and well-being when schools do not reopen for in-person classes. This includes the potential adverse impacts on students’ social-emotional, behavioral, and mental health, as well as the critical services provided to students to help mitigate health disparities and serve children in need, such as school lunch programs, special education services, after-school programs, and mental health services."
As part of our decision-making process, CSD presented metrics to guide which instructional model would be used based upon the recommendations from both the CDC and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, which included: 1) incidence Per 100,000, PCR Positivity Rate, Community Transmission Rate, Mitigation Implementation, and Staff/Operational Capacity.
Additionally, Bucks County Superintendents consulted with Dr. Rubin, CHOP, and Dr. Damsker, Bucks County Health Department. Bucks County Superintendents expressed a shared frustration that the variances in data and recommendations from health officials make it challenging to accurately relay information to our community and staff members when there is such disparity. As of the last school board update, based upon all the information from above and what we have reviewed, we should continue in our current instructional model and follow our metrics at this time. When reviewing our metrics on Friday, CSD is trending toward a full-virtual instructional model with an increase in every area of the identified metrics. On Friday, November 13, 2020, Montgomery County Health Department directed all schools to move to full virtual instruction beginning Monday, November 23rd. This directive may pose additional challenges to our schools' ability to staff and successfully implement our mitigation strategies.
Why the Possible Change?
Health and State officials are now recommending that schools or families voluntarily revert students to online learning in areas with rapidly accelerating transmission rates (such as the Philadelphia region). We also have officials who recommend keeping schools open in full- or hybrid- instructional models. Communities, both internal and external to schools, are split on the best course of action. Given the information that we have gleaned that is consistent and knowing there is an absence of individual and/or group agreement on the best course of action, CSD administration believes it is prudent to follow our established metrics, which were used to bring students back to in-person instruction. In reviewing the relevant information and data from health officials, it is also believed that this approach as we move into the upcoming holiday season could balance the risk of introducing larger numbers of infected children/staff into school. It provides local officials the opportunity to work with our local health departments to strategically use time-limited virtual learning windows to respond to community transmission rates and lessen pressure on local health care systems.
Until recently, health officials said protocols that reopened schools have been successful in preventing linked in-school transmission. Unfortunately, the overall infection rates in children are rising in many areas of the country. Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia indicates the PCR test positivity rates during the previous weekend surpassed 15%, a number that nearly doubled in a week. CHOP said, "It is likely that many of these youth who are students were exposed to COVID outside of school, at informal gatherings or other non-school-related activities. We assume that Halloween weekend events led to many breaches in social distancing, fostering rapid viral transmission between children, teens, and adults." We know that many parents and students wish to continue in-school learning because they are appropriately concerned about the negative consequences of keeping youth out of schools, such as the inability to learn virtually and the psychological effects of isolation. We share those same concerns. However, with the approaching holidays and families wishing to travel and/or gather, we may be vulnerable to increased in-school transmission. The reality is that this is a no-win situation. Still, it is vitally important that we attempt to balance providing in-person instruction and creating a safe and learning environment for both students and staff (who may also be at risk).
By following our established metrics and making these decisions, we hope to do our part to reduce community transmission. Health officials advise, "this will take time, as this wave has built a head of steam—much like it did in the spring—to subside. But should people agree to hunker down for a bit, it will alleviate the rapid pace of increasing COVID-19 hospitalizations, as well as potential flu infections, this holiday season." Our administrative team remains optimistic and hopeful that our pediatricians, infectious disease experts, and public health professionals have given us meaningful guidance as we deal with this rapid spread.
Additional Mitigation Strategies and State Mandates
1) Travel:
- Effective November 20th in compliance with the Order of the Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Health for Mitigation Relating to Travel, individuals traveling into and returning to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania from any other State or Commonwealth or an international location must produce evidence of a negative SARS-CoV2 (COVID-19) test from a specimen collected within 72 hours before entering the Commonwealth, or quarantine for 14 days upon entering unless they qualify for one of the exemptions specified in Section 4.
Section 4: Exemptions The following individuals are exempt from this testing and quarantine order but shall conduct travel with attention to social distancing and wearing masks when in contact with other individuals.
a. Individuals traveling to and from the Commonwealth for work. (CSD employees are to report the work but also complete the Employee Wellness Check each morning by 7 a.m.)
b. Individuals traveling to and from the Commonwealth for medical reasons, including individuals providing comfort and support to the patient.
c. Military personnel traveling to the Commonwealth by order or directive of a state or federal military authority.
d. Individuals in transit through the Commonwealth to another destination provided that the time spent in the Commonwealth is only the amount of time necessary to complete the transit, make use of travel services, such as a highway rest stop, or make any necessary travel connection.
e. Additional exemptions may be issued in guidance documents issued by the Department.
- CSD Employees
CSD employees, effective November 23, 2020, you will be required to complete the Employee Wellness check by 7 a.m. each morning before starting/coming to work using the employee portal on your computer or the Skyward app. Additional information will be provided.
- CSD Students
By Order issued November 17, 2020, the Wolf administration is requiring that travelers entering Pennsylvania from other countries and states, as well as Pennsylvanians who are returning home from other countries or states, have a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours before entering the Commonwealth or quarantine for 14 days upon entry into Pennsylvania.
All students returning to PA from another country or state must participate via virtual instruction for 14 days or provide a negative COVID-19 test before returning to school within the 14 day quarantine period.
2) Visitor Check-In: Raptor Visitor and Staff Check-In to CSD Schools and Administrative Building
Effective January 4, 2020, all visitors and staff (not assigned to the work location) will be required to sign-in to CSD buildings using the touchless Raptor kiosk and answer the Wellness Check questions.
3) Mask
Effective November 18th, in compliance with the Order of the Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Health, the additional mask mandates include:
- Masks are required to be worn indoors and outdoors if you are away from your home.
- When outdoors, a mask must be worn if you cannot remain physically distant (at least 6 feet away) from someone not in your household the entire time you are outdoors.
- When indoors, masks will now be required even if you are physically distant from members not in your household. This means that even if you can be 6 feet apart, you will need to wear a mask while inside if with people other than your household members.
- This order applies to every indoor facility, including homes, retail establishments, gyms, doctors’ offices, public transportation, and anywhere food is prepared, packaged, or served.
CSD Current Model of COVID-19 Mitigation in Schools
REMINDER: Student and Family COVID-19 Scenarios
All documents are fluid and are changed when new information is provided or presented to CSD.
REMINDER: Guidance for Staffing Decisions Related to COVID-19.
Reminder: COVID-5
Dr. Dana T. Bedden, CAA
Website: https://www.centennialsd.org/
Location: 48 Swan Way, Warminster, PA, USA
Phone: 215-441-6000
Twitter: @Dr_Bedden