Canby School District News
Health and Safety Precautions
Message from the Superintendent
I want to follow up on the message I sent you on Friday night, after learning about the state's first case of coronavirus, or COVID-19. We are in regular contact with the Clackamas County Public Health Division. the Oregon Health Authority, and the Oregon Department of Education as information about new COVID-19 cases is released. At this point, there are no links between our district and any cases. We are continuing to stay as informed as possible and working hard to educate our students.
Whether it's the flu, COVID-19, or even the common cold, our district takes regular health and safety precautions to prevent the spread of viruses. This newsletter contains information on how you can keep your family healthy, what Canby School District would do in the event of an outbreak, and how local health officials are preparing.
Please take a moment to read through the information we're providing. We want to ensure you know when you should keep your student home if they're sick and how you can teach good hand hygiene, which is critical to prevent the spread of germs.
Thank you for your commitment to keeping our learning environments as healthy as possible!
Superintendent
Canby School District
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What Would Canby School District Do?
Clackamas County's Public Health Division contacted the district to let us know if there is any virus exposure in our school community, leaders will work with us to implement a proper containment and response plan.
District administrators, nurses, and facilities leaders are closely monitoring information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Oregon Health Authority, and Clackamas County Public Health. The district has a pandemic flu plan that was developed during the H1N1 flu outbreak in 2009. It is being updated in partnership with our local health departments and the latest guidelines from the CDC. The plan includes information about when a school closure might be needed and how to support staff and students throughout the process. If a school closure became necessary, the district would not be able to provide supervision for your student. Now is a good time to make plans for childcare, just in case!
The bottom line: the district is prepared to collaborate with public health leaders and the Oregon Department of Education to determine the appropriate steps to mitigate health risks, ensure continuity of educational services, and support affected members of our community.
Canby School District is not putting restrictions on activities, athletics, or field trips at this time. We will continue to follow the guidance of health officials, the Oregon Department of Education, and the Oregon School Activities Association. If anything changes, you'll be notified.
Taking Precautions
- Ensuring there are extra supplies, including soap and paper towels
- Reviewing proper cleaning, disinfecting, and sanitizing techniques with custodians
- Preparing for a deep clean of all schools during Spring Break
Student Transportation of America is also disinfecting and sanitizing our buses.
What Can I Do?
If you are contacted to pick up your student from school due to illness, please do so as quickly as possible to avoid the spread of germs. Please ensure your emergency contact information is up-to-date with your school's office so we can reach someone right away in the event of a student illness. Be sure to designate someone to pick up your student in the event that you are unable, and include that information in your emergency contact update.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
THE RIGHT WAY TO WASH YOUR HANDS
- Wet your hands (to the wrist) with clean, running water (the temperature doesn’t matter). Turn off the tap, and apply a good amount of soap.
- Lather up the soap by rubbing your hands together. Don’t forget to spread that lather to the backs of your hands up to your wrists, between your fingers, and under your nails.
- Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Doctors recommend humming the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning-to-end twice to get the timing right. “Before surgery, surgeons have to stand at the scrub sink for 5 full minutes, and use an under-the-nail brush, and a very strong soap with a scrub brush on each finger, both sides of their hands, and scrub all the way up to their elbows. No one expects the rest of us to scrub as much, but that gives you an idea of what is needed to really kill most germs,” Laird says.
- Rinse your hands thoroughly under clean, running water.
- Dry your hands using a clean paper towel (best bet), hand dryer (OK), or let them air dry (in a pinch).
Talk to Your Student About Preventing the Spread of Germs
Stay Up-to-Date
All students. All abilities. All opportunities.
Email: autumn.foster@canby.k12.or.us
Website: www.canby.k12.or.us
Location: 1130 South Ivy Street, Canby, OR, USA
Phone: 503-266-7861
Facebook: facebook.com/canbyschooldistrict
Twitter: @canbyschools