• Dec. 20-Jan. 3- Winter Break (Note: Staff Work Day on Monday, January 3)
• Jan. 5- Kindergarten Information Night for 2022-23 (parents only) @ 6-7 pm (Werner Gym)
• Jan. 6- Spelling Bee (4th/5th grade finalists) @ 2:00 pm
• Jan. 11- PTA Meeting @ 3:45 pm (Werner Media Center)
• Jan. 17- No School for MLK Day
• Jan. 20- In person 2022-23 Kindergarten Registration Day

Dear Poudre, Thompson and Estes school district communities,

As winter break comes to a close and we move into the new year, we are reaching out today to provide you with an update on the impact of COVID-19 within our communities. Our school districts continue to prioritize in-person education and the unique experiences students, teachers and staff have when they are together in school. We are steadfast in this shared commitment, even as COVID cases of the more contagious Omicron variant rise quickly.

Recently, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) released new masking, quarantine and isolation guidance to align with changes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Although CDPHE hasn’t yet issued new school-specific guidelines, we want to share what we currently know. Because this situation is so fluid, our districts have jointly developed interim protocols to make things as clear and consistent as possible for our students, families and staff. These steps have been taken in partnership with officials at the Larimer County Department of Health and Environment (LCDHE). As always, please note that adjustments to policies and procedures may become necessary due to health conditions and changes in guidance by health officials.

• Masks: Our districts will continue to require masks. We will also keep following the county’s current mask order. Based on updated health recommendations, we encourage the use of KN95 masks for optimal protection instead of cloth masks.

• Isolation: Those who test positive for COVID will receive orders from LCDHE to isolate from school settings for 10 days. This is different from CDC’s five-day guidance, which is intended for the general population and not specific to schools.

  • LCDHE says that students who test positive for COVID should isolate themselves for five days. If they are asymptomatic or symptoms are improving, they can join in regular public activities on day six but not attend school until day 11. This “policy is to continue to mitigate potential spread inside of our school settings and avoid disruptions while we await clarification to the CDC guidelines,” according to LCDHE.

  • If your child tested positive, please don’t send them to school until day 11. They may not return sooner.

• Quarantine: At this point, LCDHE is following the CDC and CDPHE guidelines for quarantine. Close contacts of a positive case now must quarantine for five days from the date of exposure, instead of 10. Quarantines and individual classroom shifts to remote learning minimize the potential for whole-school or district-level shifts to remote learning or closures. LCDHE determines whether something is a high-risk activity (i.e. athletics, band, choir, etc.) and could require these close contacts to complete the standard 10-day quarantine.

  • You are no longer exempt from quarantine if you have previously tested positive for COVID.

  • You cannot return to school if you are symptomatic and must communicate with your school health office to confirm your return date.

  • Close contacts in an Early Childhood Education-related case will still likely quarantine for 10 days from the date of exposure because students cannot as reliably wear masks.

  • Below are changes to exemption based on vaccination status.

• Change to definition of immunization and quarantine exemption: It is no longer enough to be “fully vaccinated” or to have previously tested positive for COVID to be exempted from quarantine. We anticipate more staff and students will have to quarantine as a result of this change. Only close contacts to a positive case who have met one of the following criteria are exempted from quarantine, according to new CDPHE guidance:

  • Have completed a full COVID-19 vaccination series AND have received a booster dose, OR

  • Are 14 days past and still within 180 days from their second Pfizer or Moderna dose (ineligible for booster at this time), OR

  • Are 14 days past and still within 2 months of their Johnson and Johnson dose (ineligible for booster at this time).

  • Note: If you have completed your full vaccinated series and are eligible for a booster dose but have not received it, you may need to quarantine.

  • Need an appointment? More info >>

• Don’t go to school sick: Please don’t go to school with ANY illness symptoms, no matter how mild. This includes a runny nose or scratchy throat. Everyone must follow CDPHE Return to Learn guidelines.

• Testing: We encourage testing if you or any member of your family is experiencing illness symptoms, traveled over winter break or was with a mixed-household group for the holidays. More info >>

The safety and security of each of our students and staff members remains our top priority. Although COVID-19 will continue to impact classrooms throughout our districts, we will keep taking the steps necessary to maximize in-person learning opportunities.

Your partnership and support is greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

Sheldon Rosenkrance

Superintendent

Estes Park School District

Brian Kingsley

Superintendent

Poudre School District

Dr. Marc Schaffer
Superintendent

Thompson School District

Note: This message does not apply to PSD-authorized charter schools, which manage their own operations. Families of PSD-authorized charters should contact their school directly with questions.

During the Information Night, you will get the chance to meet our current Kindergarten teachers and administration. There will be a short presentation and Q/A to give you an overview of kindergarten at Werner and then some time to view classrooms and speak with staff.

We are pleased to announce report cards will be available to you electronically in ParentVUE, by 4PM, Wednesday, January 12th. If you have forgotten your password, click ‘Forgot Password’ on the Account Access page. If you do not currently use the PVUE portal, please contact the school to receive an Activation Key to create your ParentVUE account. Note, PVUE can be accessed through a secure login using the web portal (http://www.psdschools.org/pvue) or app which can be downloaded from the iTunes Store for Apple (iPhone) devices or Google Play for Android devices. For additional information please see ParentVUE section found on the PSD website. Our teachers will also send a printed copy home with Friday folders on January 14.

Student Illness

Students who develop COVID-like symptoms while at school will need to go home. This includes: new or worsening cough, upset stomach, sore throat, runny nose, congestion, and headache. Some of these symptoms overlap with other health conditions such as seasonal allergies or anxiety. If your student has a known health condition, it needs to be documented with a note from a medical provider and turned in to the Health Office in order for your student to remain at Werner with these symptoms. You can look up the health conditions on record for your child by logging in to ParentVue, click on ‘Health’, then click on ‘Health Conditions’.

"Return to Learn" Guidance

If your child is experiencing illness symptoms, please refer to the CDPHE Return to Learn Guidance for helpful pointers as to whether your child can return to school or not.

From the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment:

Over the past year, we have learned how important it is to layer strategies to protect ourselves and our loved ones from COVID-19. Using multiple prevention strategies is especially important in stopping more contagious variants of the virus -- like delta that is now circulating in Colorado.

To make sure Coloradans have the tools they need to keep their families safe, CDPHE is providing free over-the-counter tests for parents, guardians, and caregivers to administer to school-aged children at-home.

The at-home testing program complements other tools in CDPHE’s COVID-19 toolbox, including in-school screening testing, free community testing sites, and other point-of-care testing programs.

About the program

Colorado is distributing free rapid COVID-19 over the counter (OTC) self tests directly to people’s homes. The program uses Abbott BinaxNOW™ rapid antigen tests that show results within 15 minutes.

This program has been specifically designed to provide parents, guardians, and caregivers some peace of mind by making it easy to test their children and help keep schools open.

These programs help ensure all Coloradans have access to multiple free COVID-19 testing options.

Through ongoing testing, Coloradans can help slow the spread of COVID-19 and actively protect our children and communities.

For more information, and to enroll in receiving free at-home tests, go to: https://covid19.colorado.gov/covid-19-testing-at-home.

(Note: PSD can not accept at-home test results to end quarantine orders early)

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