The Grand Meadow School district is on the MDH's HIGH occurrence per enrollment ratio list again. Of the recent 6 cases in the last 8 days, 4 of them have affected our middle school.
Please, do not send kids to school if they are showing symptoms listed on the Decision Tree. I'm asking you to be overly cautious rather than dismissing symptoms as a light cold, or allergies. The only way to know if your child has COVID is to be tested.
Let's work together to get back into compliance. Teachers and staff will be on high alert to symptoms as well and referring those with symptoms to the nurse's office.
We are eight weeks away from graduation and nine weeks until the end of the school year. Teachers, administration and staff are working hard to create learning events and activities that are as close to traditional as possible. Those plans and activities are in jeopardy unless we all hold each other accountable to do the right thing and make good choices. As you may notice situations can change quickly; just yesterday, a message about making good choices was included in the Learning Model update. Twenty four hours later, there is a heightened concern about the spread of COVID within the student body.
We all need to stay diligent in our efforts to follow the guidelines and the Decision Tree to help minimize exposure and the spread of the COVID virus.
TESTING:
If testing is inconvenient or uncomfortable, I've also attached a link to order a test at home kit. This test provides a practitioner via Zoom to walk you through the steps to submit a saliva test. They are FREE. They are ordered online; they will ask for insurance information. If you have insurance, they will bill your insurance, but you will NOT have a co-pay, and you will NOT be billed. If at any point in the registration process to order the test you're asked for credit or debit card information, BACK OUT of that screen. You'll receive the test in about 24 hours. After you've completed the test, it needs to be sent via UPS to Vault Health lab (this packaging and label will come with the kid). This can be dropped off at any UPS store or regular pick-up location. It can even be left at school if you call me ahead of taking the test so that arrangements can be made to be sent in with the ones that are sent out from the school every other week.
No-Cost COVID Testing For All Minnesotans
~A NOTE FROM THE SCHOOL NURSE~
Dear Families, 04/02/2021
We were notified by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) that a member of the Grand Meadow School community has tested positive for COVID-19. It is possible the person was able to spread the disease while in the community on this date: 3/29/21. We cannot for privacy reasons share details about the person. At this time, they have been told to stay home and away from other people (in isolation) until they are well and can no longer spread the disease.
We have worked with MDH to identify those who were in close contact with the person who tested positive for COVID-19, and have told them directly to stay home and/or to work from home for 14 days, even if they have a negative COVID-19 test during that time. This is how long it can take to show signs of the disease.
If you have not been contacted, your child is not considered a close contact, and there is nothing special you need to do.
Because the spread of COVID-19 from unknown sources is widespread in Minnesota, you should continue to watch your child for COVID-19 symptoms, which include:
- Fever of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher
- New cough or a cough that gets worse
- Difficulty/hard time breathing
- New loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- New nasal congestion/stuffy or runny nose
- Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
- Muscle pain
- Extreme fatigue/feeling very tired
- New severe/very bad headache
- Chills
If your child gets symptoms, they should stay home and you should talk with their doctor or other health care provider to decide if they need to see a doctor and/or to get tested for COVID-19. Please review the following resources:
We understand that this news may make people feel uneasy. We have taken action to clean and sanitize the building and are working closely with MDH to watch the situation. We are asking all members of our community to lower the chance of spreading illness by taking the following actions:
- Protect yourself and others by wearing a face covering.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water.
- Cover your coughs and sneezes; do not touch your face with unwashed hands.
- If you are sick, stay home from school, child care, sports, and other activities.
- Clean all commonly touched surfaces often, such as telephones, doorknobs, countertops, etc.
Resources that you may find helpful:
If you have questions, contact [The Grand Meadow School Nurse, Kathi Himebaugh, RN].
Thank you for helping to keep our school community safe.
Kathi Himebaugh, RN
Grand Meadow School Nurse
Office: 507-754-5317 Ext:7715
Cell: 507-438-0357
