Community Support
Communicable Diseases and our Schools
"If you are sick, please stay home"
Our district has been working for the past month to develop a policy that will meet the needs of the community and the schools to keep our doors open, students and staff safe and healthy, and keeping control over personal choices in the hands of individuals.
The school board approved the first reading of the amended Contagious Diseases Policy 3520 to include language that places the responsibility for personal health choices in the hands of parents or guardians of students. We are committed to working with our community to meet the needs of families and educational staff. In this process we had students, parents, and BGV staff provide input on what they felt was most important. Overall, the emphasis focused on people being able to have maximum freedom to chose, while respecting the perspectives and needs of others. We believe we have found a sound pathway that supports that desire.
First, we need parents to keep students home if they are sick. We'll work with you to help your student stay caught up, but we want to stop our students from feeling like they are "missing out" or falling behind when they stay home. We have excellent teachers and staff who will help when you contact them and make a plan to support your child. If students come to class sick, we have authorized our staff to send them to the office for a health check. We'll check their temperature, ask questions about how they are feeling, and call home to see if they are on any medications or have other explanations. Our administrators (or designated representatives) are authorized to send students home if they are exhibiting symptoms of sickness. Again, we'll work with you to support your student, but we want them healthy when they return. Once symptoms are gone, we would like students to return to school. Please let us know if your student is on any medication if you feel it is important for us to know.
Finally, if we have more than 20% of our students out due to illness, we will close the school and go to online learning for one day to allow for clinic visits, rest/recovery, and do a cleaning of the building. It will be very important for you to make sure your child gets the work assigned for that day completed so their learning momentum is not stalled. If we close for student illness no athletics can occur (practice or games), and no clubs or extra-curricular activities will be allowed. If we close due to staff illness, all athletics and extra-curricular can continue. If your son or daughter is an athlete and becomes sick, please keep them home so that the team won't run the risk of forfeiture.
This has been a lengthy communication, but we want to assure you that we are hearing you and value your input. We will continue to make hand sanitizer, clean facilities, soap and hot water in the bathrooms, and other personal protective equipment available to anyone who asks for it. You have many options available to you to get you and your family through these Covid, cold, and flu seasons.
Thank you for being part of a great community and caring about each other.