Hello Parents and Students,
Just a reminder LTSA IS in session, tomorrow, January, 17, 2022. We will be adding the elementary students back to campus so all elementary students will be tested tomorrow. We can test any older students if they feel like they have had some high risks or have had a possible exposure. Remember, if someone in your household has COVID, you need to stay home for five days and test.
Monday Morning Testing: Our current batch of tests has expired, as of the end of December, but still provide better indication of possible infection than no testing at all. The FDA has also just issued an extension on expiration dates.
Testing will be from 8:00 - 8:30 - Please use the drive through for testing and then park and stay in your vehicle until a staff member informs you of test results. (15 - 20 Minutes)
If you are experiencing ANY of these symptoms please stay home. MS/HS students work asynchronously using Google Classroom. You can reach out to your teachers via google stream in classroom.
Students and staff on campus should wear kn95 masks. There has been evidence that the Omicron is spreading in other schools when kids take their masks off to eat inside, even with distance, so any snack or lunch will be outside only - we are in the process of trying to procure some canopies over the picnic tables in case of inclement weather. (If anyone has one that we could have or borrow please drop them off this week.) Please keep an eye on the weather and make sure that your child is dressed appropriately for snack, lunch, and PE outdoors.
In PE, high-risk, close-contact activities will be suspended until further notice.
If you are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated, Austin’s Risk Based Guidelines indicate that you should not be dining, shopping, travelling or gathering when the community is in stage 4 or above. If you are not adhering to these guidelines, please do not send your student to school.
CDC Guidelines for Students Who Are Close Contacts: As a reference, close contact determinations are generally based on guidance outlined by the CDC, which notes that individuals who are fully vaccinated may not need to follow the stay-at home period.
Public health authorities will be notified of all positive cases in schools.
Please notify LTSA If your student has a close contact - This applies specifically to students who are close contacts because an individual who lives in the same household is COVID-19 positive.
Staff and Students Who Have COVID-19 or Who are Close Contacts, school systems must exclude students and staff from attending school in person who are actively sick with COVID-19, who are suspected of being actively sick with COVID-19, or who have received a positive test result for COVID-19. Based on recent updates from the CDC, staff and students may return when:
• If symptomatic, at least 5 days have passed since symptom onset, and fever free*, and other symptoms have improved ( plus a COVID Rapid Test Negative from LTSA).
• For those with no symptoms, at least 5 days after the day they tested positive. *Fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever suppressing medications. Fever is a temperature of 100° Fahrenheit (37.8° Celsius) or higher.
Students and Staff who meet the close contact threshold with a COVID-19 positive individual and are in one of the following groups, do not need to stay at home.
• Ages 18 or older and have received all recommended vaccine doses, including boosters and additional primary shots for some immunocompromised people.
• Was confirmed COVID-19 positive within the last 90 days and has fully recovered.
For students and staff who meet the close contact threshold with a COVID-19 positive individual who are not in one of the above groups, it is recommended that the school system require that students and staff remain off campus during the stay-at-home period.
As always, please do not hesitate to reach out to us if you have questions or concerns.
We have to work together to keep everyone safe and healthy!
Thank you so much,
Sincerely,
Kori and the LTSA Team
