Dear Wildcat Families,
At the board meeting on Monday August 16th, the school board passed our official return to learn plan for the 2021-2022 school year. As you know, the health and safety of our students is always of greatest importance to us. We have all experienced the rapidly changing and fluid situation that the Covid-19 pandemic has presented. This creates a challenge for all school districts nationwide as we contemplate bringing kids back for another school year. As a school district in Iowa, we take our guidance from the Iowa Department of Public Health, the Iowa Department of Education and the Governor’s office. We will do our best to communicate any changing guidance as we get it.
As you look over the return to learn plan, know that we are doing our best to follow the guidance given, as well as the laws that have been subsequently made during the pandemic. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact our central office.
One piece of direct guidance given us by the legislature is concerning masks. We will honor your individual choices when it comes to mask wearing. At this time, we will not be mandating masks, as that is the guidance that has been given.
We do ask that, as you would with any other illness, please keep your child home when exhibiting symptoms of illness. Guidance for the expectations of families of ill children is listed in the document attached to the plan. It includes the current guidance for Covid-19.
We will continue to instruct proper hand washing and make hand sanitizer readily available. We will maintain many of the heightened cleaning practices we practiced last school year as well.
With these efforts and your continued support and vigilance at home. We will move forward and plan to resume normal breakfast and lunch routines, normal busing procedures and return to small group activities and recess as they have been in the past.
One thing we all have learned amid this pandemic is that the situation can always change. We will re-evaluate all protocols if the situation calls for it and/or we receive new guidance from those entities named above.
As always, we appreciate the support of our community!
In Education,
Kreg A. Lensch
Return to Learn Plan
Glidden-Ralston
Face to Face Plan:
Our objective in our face to face learning plan is to follow the recommendations given us by the Iowa Department of Public Health. We will work to clean and sanitize all areas consistently. We will work to protect the health and safety of both our students and staff at all times, while also complying with the law. If you have questions or concerns please contact the central office at 712-659-3411.
District Regulations:
Common Child Illnesses and Exclusion
Criteria for Education and Child Care Settings
A child should be temporarily excluded from an education or child care setting when the child’s illness causes one or more of the following:
· Prevents the child from participating comfortably in activities.
· A need for care that is greater than the staff can provide without compromising the health and safety of other children.
· An acute change in behavior: lethargy, lack of responsiveness, irritability, persistent crying, difficulty breathing, or a quickly spreading rash.
· Fever with behavior change or other signs and symptoms in a child older than 2 months (e.g., sore throat, rash, vomiting, diarrhea).
· For infants younger than 2 months of age, a fever with or without a behavior change or other signs and symptoms.
· For infants younger than 2 months of age a fever is a temperature above 100.4 degrees F [38 degrees C] by any method.
· Temperature readings do not require adjustment for the location where the temperature is taken.
|
ILLNESS |
EXCLUDE |
RETURN TO CHILD CARE/SCHOOL |
|
Chicken Pox |
Yes. |
When all blisters are crusted with no oozing (usually 6 days) and resolution of exclusion criteria. |
|
COVID-19 |
Yes. |
10 days after symptoms start and 24 hours with no fever and improved symptoms OR 10 days after positive test (if no symptoms). |
|
Diarrhea (infectious) |
Yes (there are special exclusion rules for E.coli 0157.H7, Shigella and cryptosporidiosis). |
When diarrhea stops and health care provider and public health official states the child may return. |
|
Diarrhea (non-infectious) |
Yes, if stool cannot be contained in the diaper, or if toileted child has 2 or more loose stools in 24 hours, or blood in stool. |
When diarrhea stops and resolution of exclusion criteria. |
|
Fifth Disease |
No. Unless child meets other exclusion criteria. |
If excluded due to presence of other exclusion criteria, resolution of exclusion criteria. |
|
Hand and Mouth |
No. Unless child meets other exclusion criteria. Or is excessively drooling with mouth sores. |
If excluded due to presence of other exclusion criteria, resolution of exclusion criteria. |
|
Head Lice (Pediculosis) |
No. Unless child meets other exclusion criteria. |
Treatment of an active lice infestation may be delayed until the end of the day. Children do not need to miss school or child care due to head lice. Treatment recommendations can be found here: https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/lice/head/treatment.html |
|
Impetigo |
Yes, exclude at the end of the day if blisters can be covered. |
After child has been seen by the doctor, after 24 hours on antibiotic, and blisters are covered. |
|
Influenza |
Yes. |
When child is fever free for 24 hours and resolution of exclusion criteria. |
|
Molluscum Contagiosum |
No. Unless child meets other exclusion criteria. |
Skin disease similar to warts. Do not share towels or clothing and use good hand hygiene. |
|
MRSA |
No. Unless child meets other exclusion criteria. |
Wounds should be kept covered and gloves worn during bandage changes. Do not share towels or clothing and use good hand hygiene. |
|
Otitis Media (ear infection) |
No. Unless child meets other exclusion criteria. |
If excluded due to presence of other exclusion criteria, resolution of exclusion criteria. |
|
Pertussis (Whooping Cough) |
Yes. |
Child may return after 5 days of antibiotics and resolution of exclusion criteria. |
|
Pink Eye (Conjunctivitis) |
No. Unless child meets other exclusion criteria. |
Child does not need to be excluded unless health care provider or public health official recommends exclusion. Resolution of all exclusion criteria. |
|
Ringworm |
No. Unless child meets other exclusion criteria. |
Treatment of ringworm infection may be delayed to the end of the day. Child may be readmitted after treatment has begun. Cover lesion(s) if possible. Do not share |
