BUSD Health and Safety Update
January 2, 2021
Dear BUSD Families,
2022 is here and we are excited for the great things our students will do this year. I hope this message finds you well and rested from our Winter Break. I also want to wish everyone a healthy and safe New Year. Furthermore, as we approach our return to school on January 3rd, we want to assure everyone that we are prepared to safely welcome back our students. We are excited to have you back on campus this new year.
We will continue to follow all of our safety protocols and diligently track the spread of COVID-19 in our schools. As you are likely aware, case rates continue to rise in San Diego County.
Considering these circumstances, I would like to take this opportunity to provide you with some important information to help ensure a safe return for all. Much of this information is being provided to students in schools throughout California, and we have been asked by the California Department of Education to share it with our community, as well.
Home Screening is critically important: We need our students and parents to home health screen for symptoms every day - To stop the spread and keep our schools open, we need our families to health screen each and every morning before sending your child to school. Students with any of the following symptoms should stay home from school until a negative COVID test can be confirmed and the symptoms improve:
Fever (100.4°F/38°C or higher) or chills
Cough
Headache
Sore throat
Loss of taste or smell that started in the last 10 days (Children may say that food "tastes bad" or "tastes funny")
Feeling out of breath or having a hard time breathing
Diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting
Fatigue
Muscle aches or body aches
- How are the symptoms different between the Delta variant and the Omicron variant?
Unlike the Delta variant, many patients with Omicron are not losing their taste or smell. Omicron patients describe a bit of a scratchy, sore throat as an early symptom. Contact your child's doctor and have your child tested for COVID-19 if they present in this manner. We also ask that you contact your child's school. Keep your child at home until you get their test results and please report them to the school as soon as possible. Students who exhibit symptoms will be sent home until the school has evidence that the child's condition is not due to COVID.
- Will I be required to test my child prior to returning to school?
While it is not required to get your child tested prior to returning to school, we are encouraging parents and staff to test prior to returning to school.
- Will BUSD be providing at-home testing kits?
Yes, BUSD will be providing at-home testing kits for K-12 schools soon. Please continue to check your emails and notifications, as we will share the information as soon as we receive it.
- Where can I access testing?
Please visit the California for ALL website to locate a testing location near you: https://covid19.ca.gov/
- Recently the CDC updated their guidelines for isolation and quarantine times, does this change how many days my child must quarantine if they test positive?
When we return to school on January 3, 2022, we will follow the same guidelines currently in place to protect our students, families, and staff. We plan to realign our protocols, if necessary and appropriate following the updated guidance from the California Department of Public Health.
- Will parent volunteers and/or visitors be allowed to support our classrooms?
Considering the recent surge of COVID-19 cases, we will " hold" on having additional visitors and volunteers on campuses as we adjust plans and protocols for them. More information on this will be forthcoming.
As we prepare to return to campuses next week, please take this opportunity to remind your child about good school hygiene practices, including how to securely wear their face masks on campus. The success of our schools during the first semester is due to our incredible families and staff. Let's continue to work together to ensure the safety of everyone.
In closing, thank you all again for your cooperation and support as we continue to provide the safest learning environment possible.
Stay healthy and Happy New Year.
Joseph Clevenger
Superintendent