Some statistical information relative to this table:

• 26% of our student body have tested positive for COVID-19.

• 58% of our total cases are from the first two weeks of January.

• One positive case in January represents a COVID reinfection from November.

• 51% of the school’s positive cases were not infectious while in school; thank you for keeping students home when they’re not feeling well!

• We began our Test to Stay program on December 15; to date, over 300 student absences have been prevented in 16 instructional days.

• While 75% of our positive cases have been unvaccinated students, please note that we are observing breakthrough cases, especially this month.

Please email us at hotlunch@bjams.org to let us know if you would like meals for your children. The meals will be similar to what we served during our distance learning period in the spring of 2020. Each student will receive one breakfast and one lunch for each day of distance learning. Please keep cold items refrigerated and follow directions for heating up meals. Please note: your student will not receive the meals that are listed on the breakfast and lunch menus and we cannot offer a choice of milk. Each student will receive the same unitized meal, containing all the required food components.

Meals will be ready for pick up on: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday: between 8:00am - 9:00am

• On Monday you will pick up breakfast and lunch for Monday and Tuesday.

• On Wednesday you will pick up breakfast and lunch for Wednesday and Thursday.

• On Friday you will pick up breakfast and lunch for Friday.

Students do not need to be present in order to pick up food. Please pull your car up to the front of the school and we will bring your meals out on a cart.

We are happy to help; please reach out with any questions.

Heather Gentle, Nicole Fisher, and Tese Ziminsky

If you haven't done so yet, please remember to register your student(s) for the month of January.

Now that snow has finally decided to have a stay, we are all back out in the snowbanks, on the trails, and in the back country skiing, snowshoeing, generally horsing around or plain old just trying to shovel the walkway. Those who have neuropathy concerns can be especially affected by colder weather. Cold-weather injuries can range from very mild and easily reversible to severe and potentially fatal.

Cold weather causes muscles to lose heat even when just standing around. Muscles contract and lose range of motion, joints tighten, nerves can become more easily pinched. Prolonged exposure to cold temps causes circulation to slow in hands and feet as the body tries to preserve its heat. This reduced blood flow can make neuropathy symptoms worse and cause more damage to peripheral nerves already affected. The longer the cold exposure continues, the greater the potential damage – organs including the heart and lungs can fail as blood thickens and the water in it crystalizes.

Signs of cold injuries can include:

· changes in skin color like white-ish/pale, grey or even blue colorations.

· Skin will be cold to the touch by others, possibly hard feeling when lightly pressed with fingertips.

· The victim may report loss of sensation, or in severe cases present with reddened or peeling skin, blisters, or darkened skin. Shivering, fatigue, confusion, loss of coordination (“acting drunk”) are all signs of moderate to severe cold injury, and can be bad enough the victim may not know they are in trouble and won’t seek care.

Levels of severity/types of cold related injuries include:

Chilblain, immersion/trench foot are examples of non-freezing cold injury.

· Frost nip- mild injury involving heightened coloration and reduced flexibility.

· Frost Bite – the stage after frost nip, liquids in the body cells begin to freeze which causes them to rupture and die-much like any plant you have seen left out uncovered on a chilly night. Can take up to 6 months for skin/tissues to recover.

· Hypothermia is the most severe injury related to freezing, and can be fatal.

Prevention:

· Dressing in loose, light, comfy layers, helps to trap warm air.

· Cover your feet, hands, and head, shake out/brush off any snow that might get into footwear or stuck to clothing

· *Stay hydrated*

How to care for a cold injury:

· *Slowly* re-warm the affected area(s) with blankets, extra layers

· Drink non-carbonated beverages at room temp

· Seek medical help if any moderate-to-severe symptoms are experienced.

January 17 - No school, honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

January 18 - Superintendent Gearon visits BJAMS

January 26 - Clear the Halls drill