Thank you in advance for reviewing this district update. We hope the holiday season brings much joy to you and your family and best wishes for good health in 2021!

Mike Winstead

Director of Schools

The Tennessee Department of Health issued new Covid isolation and quarantine guidelines last week, which we adopted as required. These new guidelines follow revised guidance from the CDC affecting our students and staff in the following ways:

1. Asymptomatic individuals will isolate for 10 days instead of 14 days.
2. Asymptomatic individuals in isolation can reduce the 10 day isolation period to 7 days with a negative test. (contact your school nurse for details

To clarify:

• Day #1 of quarantine is the day after you were last exposed.
• If you have no symptoms after exposure, you are released from quarantine after day #10.
• If you have no symptoms after exposure AND your PCR test is negative after day #5, you are released from quarantine after day #7 (rather than day #10).

This new guidance is now incorporated into our management plan, decision trees, FAQ document, and various notification letters. If you wish to review these revised documents, please use the links below.

As you know, our last day of instruction before winter break is December 15. However, we will not hold classes on campus on December 14th or 15th. Instead,

• students in grades 4-12 will be DIGITAL LEARNERS on December 14th and 15th.
• students in grades K-3 will receive enrichment and intervention materials and resources to work on at home.

MCS will discontinue close contact tracing between December 11 and January 4. The Health Department will conduct tracing during winter break.

Digital devices will be sent home with all 4-12 grade students, including day users, during the Winter break. Students in grades K-3 will not require a device for home use.

Adventure Club will be OPEN on December 14th and 15th.

Again, no ON-CAMPUS classes will be held on December 14th and 15th. Instruction for grades 4-12 will be DIGITAL ONLY during these two days. Elementary teachers will provide specific directions and plans for K-3 students, who will also be at home on December 14th and 15th.

Students in grades 4-12 will return on Tuesday, January 5th as originally planned, but in a STAGGERED SCHEDULE. Students at MHS, MJHS, CGIS, and MRIS will stay on the staggered schedule through Friday, January 8th. Each school will communicate specific details regarding the staggered return schedule, but this information will help.

• Last Names A-K will attend school (in person) on January 5th and 7th.
• Last Names L-Z will attend school (in person) on January 6th and 8th.

Students in grades K-3 will NOT stagger their January schedule but return on January 5th to their assigned instructional model and daily schedule. NO STAGGERING!

We will continue to monitor COVID and attendance data to determine the best instructional model for all students and greatly appreciate your flexibility and understanding as we work to respond to this ever-changing situation.

PARENTS ... Please review!

1. INSTRUCTIONAL CHANGES: Each student in grades K-9 is allowed one instructional delivery change in the school year. (MHS, as a block schedule school, has a provision in place to allow for two changes per year.) The next opportunity to request an instructional change is before noon on December 11th in grades K-9 and November 24 in grades 10-12. Please contact your school to switch from digital back to traditional or from traditional to digital.
2. IMPACTED BY COVID: Following the winter break, parents should notify the school of any positive cases or close contact quarantines during the break. This information will further inform instructional and scheduling plans. PLEASE contact the school by January 4th if your student(s) or family was impacted by COVID during the winter break.

MCS is currently reporting 26 active student cases and 10 active staff cases.

Please CLICK the link above or on the photo below!