Keeping Our Bees Safe
Greetings Parents and Community Members,
Our school has experienced some positive COVID cases this week, but I am so grateful to have such an incredible group of staff and students who have been able to work together to provide important communication and virtual instruction during some more challenging times.
On Monday we made the decision to quarantine 3 classes at our Main Campus due to positive COVID cases within these classrooms. We are confident that we made the right decision in partnership with APS Health Services and the Georgia Department of Public Health. Pair that with numerous students in quarantine based on exposures in or outside of school, we must continue to be diligent in our mitigation efforts wherever we are. Last year I introduced THIS document to our community, and while some of the agreements have changed slightly, it’s still important to understand that we all share this responsibility. To that end, we have tweaked our part of the COVID mitigation plan to include the following updates:
- For at least the next two weeks, students will eat lunch within the classroom. If the weather permits, classes may eat outside at a distance of no less than 6 ft.
- Desk shields will be used within the classroom anytime students are eating, and teachers are able to use them all day as needed.
- We are strongly encouraging everyone to wear masks at recess. If masks are not worn, 6ft of social distancing will be strictly enforced.
Also remember that we MUST have all families continue to complete the AM HealthCheck each morning. Both of our nurses receive results immediately and are able to follow up with students that have indicated potential signs of illness. Furthermore, please consider consenting to our school-wide COVID-19 surveillance testing. We would love your participation, and remember YOU MUST RE-CONSENT THIS YEAR as the permission did not carry over from last year. You can find the digital consent forms HERE. Remember, if you suspect your child is ill, please keep them home. If your child is exposed to someone with COVID-19 or has tested positive, you must inform our school nurses immediately (PC- Brandy.ford@atlanta.k12.ga.us; MC- lori.oxman@atlanta.k12.ga.us).
I look forward to speaking more with you about the great things happening at Brandon and less about COVID in the coming weeks, but it is important for our school community to understand some of the challenges we are facing.
We also look forward to seeing everyone at our Virtual Back to School nights next week as well! Stay tuned for Zoom links and more info in your teacher’s Friday email. Also, don’t forget that we are in the window of our BEE Fund campaign. Please help our school and students by donating what you can!
J