When we are notified of a student or staff member that has tested positive for Covid-19 we immediately begin contact tracing to determine who was "in close contact" (within 6 ft for longer than 15 minutes) with the infected individual.

1. We speak with classroom teachers and look at classroom and bus seating charts and talk to any coaches or advisors if they are involved in other school activities.
   
   
2. Once we have the list of students in "close contact" we begin contacting parents and printing letters to notify them that their student will need to quarantine. These phone calls will be from administrators or nurses. The letter will specify the start and end date of the quarantine and the date that they will be able to return to school. Parents will be asked to come and get their child from school and the letter will be given to you. We will also email you a digital copy. Student Quarantine Letter SAMPLE - CLICK HERE.
   
   
3. Then we will email a written notification to all parents/guardians of any student that was in a classroom with the individual that tested positive but was NOT "in close contact." These students will NOT need to quarantine. Classroom Contact Notification Letter SAMPLE - CLICK HERE
   
   
4. Finally we will update our Covid-19 Dashboard and post a written letter that there was a positive case in the High School. HS Confirmed Case Letter SAMPLE - CLICK HERE

The following information was shared with us from Tyler Briggs, MPH Epidemiologist/Back-up Northwest Ohio Regional Public Health Coordinator, Wood County Health Department, about testing for Covid-19.

• It is NOT recommend testing to any individuals that are not symptomatic (exposed or not). Individuals with exposure to COVID should complete a 14 day quarantine.

• If symptoms have not developed by the end of 14 days testing is not recommended or required. A negative test after an exposure does NOT end quarantine early.
  
  
• If symptoms do occur (fever, body aches, cough, shortness of breath, ect.) testing should be done by RNA PCR testing.
  
  
• Antigen testing specifically is a screening test that holds the best results when the individual is symptomatic. Antibody testing is also a screening test with lower efficacy than molecular testing (RNA).
  
  
• RNA testing is available through the Mercy healthcare system, Wood County Hospital, Falcon Health Center, The Little Clinic (Kroger), and Rite Aide/Walgreens locations. Some urgent cares in the area also do PCR testing and the patients should verify this before making an appointment to get tested.

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. It is a time to share resources/information in an effort to shed light on this highly taboo and stigmatized topic. We use this month to reach out to those affected by suicide, raise awareness, and connect individuals with suicidal ideation to treatment services. It is also important to ensure that individuals, friends, and families have access to the resources they need to discuss suicide prevention.

If you or someone you know is in an emergency, call The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or call 911 immediately.

Suicidal thoughts, much like mental health conditions, can affect anyone regardless of age, gender or background. In fact, suicide is often the result of an untreated mental health condition. Suicidal thoughts, although common, should not be considered normal and often indicate more serious issues.

Every year thousands of individuals die by suicide, leaving behind their friends and family members to navigate the tragedy of loss. In many cases, friends and families affected by a suicide loss (often called “suicide loss survivors”) are left in the dark. Too often the feelings of shame and stigma prevent them from talking openly. We want you all to know that we are here for you and if you ever need to or want to talk, that you can stop down in the office anytime.

The main point of contact for this program is Mr. Hank Zeller (hzeller@otsegoknights.org). Students who are enrolled in NOVA should refer any and all questions to Mr. Zeller first.

Senior portrait day is October 29th.

The 2020-21 Otsego Yearbook staff would like to welcome you to the 2020-21 school year!!!! Hold on to your seats "it's going to be a bumpy ride" -JK Rowling.

COVID-19 is once again going to alter our school year like no other! We are going to create a yearbook that documents these challenging, unusual, and memorable months in creative and exciting ways!

Last year we invited students to share with us their photos of how they spent the COVID quarantine weeks and the response was amazing!!! We couldn't have pulled off a truly awesome ending to the 2020 book without everyone's participation. This year we are going to try something new. Instead of collecting photos through email, we are sharing a Google Classroom with the entire school! Turn on your notifications and look for event topics (Classwork Assignments) to be posted as we build the book. Then upload your favorite photos and tell us your story in the comments too! Remember to upload just the photos and DO NOT put them on a doc.

Most of the time we cannot see what's on a doc. We can't wait to get started!!! "HEY OTSEGO WHAT DO YOU SAY?" "WE'RE THE BEST IN EVERY WAY!"

Otsego Athletics is on Twitter and Facebook. Follow (@OtsegoAthletics) for high school scores and other athletic department information.

I would like to personally welcome Emily Bires to Otsego as our NEW Food Service Director. If you have questions please email Emily at ebires@otsegoknights.org

Free and Reduce Application – www.lunchapplication.com

Adding Lunch Money Online - https://www.otsegoknights.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=382639&type=d&pREC_ID=868684

The menus for the year are attached. They are subject to change based on the availability of the items. We may have some trouble getting everything this year, but these are the items we are trying for.

Online Students – We are still trying to work through how and if we will be able to feed our students who have selected the online option in a similar way to our summer feeding. We will be in touch about this in a few weeks. If we do get this up and running it will be started in early September.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out to our new Food Service Director, Emily Bires at 419-823-4381 ext. 1104 or ebires@otsegoknights.org

Newsletter - Click Here

1. High School Website CLICK HERE The Otsego High School website will more effectively highlight what is important to us and the community. We keep the high school site updated with pictures, news articles, and other important information regarding the district and the building.

2. Twitter (follow @otsegohsoffice @OtsegoAthletics or @KosheaOHS)