COVID-19 Information
Positive Case of COVID-19 in the District
Dear Parents of Dewey School Athletics:
Today, we received notification that a Dewey Public Schools student has tested positive for COVID-19. While we must protect the privacy of the person involved, we believe it is best to communicate transparently with you so you can make well-informed decisions for your family.
We were notified on June 10th that a student had possibly been exposed to someone testing positive for COVID-19 while off campus. At that point, coaches informed the student's family that the student should remain away from the Dewey School campus for at least 14 days or until tests results showed a negative response. In the meantime, we continued to follow our daily safety and cleaning protocols at all summer activity facilities. Once we received the news of the positive COVID-19 test today, we again have informed the family that the student must continue to remain away from the Dewey campus for an additional 14 days or longer if any symptoms persist beyond the 14 day isolation period. We are currently working on notifying families of students who were present on June 10th within our Football, Basketball, and Baseball programs.
There is nothing more important to us than the safety and health of our students, our staff and their families so we are placing a pause on any scheduled football, basketball, and baseball summer activities for today, June 22nd. To our knowledge, this is an isolated case and the pause is simply put in place to allow our coaches to provide the necessary information to the students and families of the affected programs. Please know that we believe that our facilities are safe for athletes in all 3 affected programs to return to regularly scheduled activities as of June 23rd. However, we fully understand that the decision to have your student participate in summer activities are strictly your choice and you must do what's in the best interest of your child and family.
COVID-19 is transmitted through person-to-person contact and through the exchange of respiratory droplets. Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough and shortness of breath. If you or any member of your family exhibit these symptoms, please contact your medical provider for advice immediately. Symptoms usually appear 2-14 days after exposure.
The CDC recommends the following best practices to help prevent the spread of COVID-19:
· Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
· Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are
not available.
· Avoid close contact with those who are sick.
· Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your sleeve.
· Avoid touching your eyes, mouth and nose.
· Disinfect frequently touched surfaces and objects.
· Stay at home when you are sick.
· Practice social distancing, leaving at least six feet between
you and other people.
· Wear a cloth mask in public when you cannot social distance.
Our greatest priority is the safety of our students, staff and community members. It is important to remember that children are greatly influenced by the reactions of adults when facing difficult circumstances. I encourage everyone to remain calm and to be empathetic and respectful to anyone affected.
We are grateful for the opportunity to serve you and your family and thank you for your support of Dewey Public Schools.
Sincerely,
Vince Vincent
Superintendent