COVID-19 2020-2021

 

COVID-19 Update 12-8-2020

The Washington Community Schools continues to remain in contact with the Daviess County Health Department concerning Covid-19 related matters.   As a result, the Daviess County Health Department does not believe the number of positive cases within the district necessitates a change to the current "GREEN" instructional operating level.

The Daviess County Department of Health, Washington Community Schools administration and nursing staff continually monitor the number of students and staff who are reporting as COVID positive, isolating due to close contact tracing, and having COVID-like symptoms.

Corporation Totals on 12-8-2020 are as follows:

- 5 students in active quarantine due to a positive test

- 1 staff member in active quarantine due to a positive test

District attendance has been consistently averaging in the low to mid-90’s.  The successful continuation of the current school can be attributed, in large measure, to the cooperation of our students and their compliance with the safety protocols.

Some students and staff may be absent as a result of close contact tracing through the Dept. of Health and, therefore, are in isolation as a precautionary measure; these students/staff have not tested positive. ("Staff members" are defined as administration, office staff, teachers, teacher aides, cooks, custodians, bus drivers etc.)

An additional reminder of Close Contact Protocol:

• The Daviess County Health Department will only notify those students who have had direct close contact with a confirmed positive person.

• A close contact is someone who has been within 6 feet for longer than 15 minutes with or without a mask to the confirmed positive person.

• The Health Department along with your school will conduct the contact tracing.

• After the initial notification by the Health Department to those who are found to be a close contact, the school and/or the Daviess County Health Department with follow up with additional information but please understand that HIPPA and FERPA Laws prevent us from sharing specific information.

• If your child was not a close contact, you will not be notified and you and your child will not need to isolate.

As a final reminder, please be certain to keep your child at home if they are ill.  

 

IDOH recommendations for schools

• Effective December 4th, through the end of the first semester, IDOH prefers 14-day quarantine, but supports early release from quarantine on day of Day 10 without testing.

The following guidelines should be utilized: 

• Monitor symptoms daily and isolate IMMEDIATELY if symptoms appear on days 11-14. 
• Wear a mask at all times throughout the school day-EVEN on days 11-14.
• Critical to maintain social distancing throughout the full 14 days of quarantine
• Wash your hands frequently
• Avoid crowds
• Stay home if you are sick or not feeling well.

Remember that the risk of infection within the shortened quarantine can be between 1-10% so the shortened quarantine is not a free pass to return to normal faster. 

 

 

We are pleased to announce that following the Davies County Board of Health recommendations, Washington Community Schools will return to the Green Phase of our Back to School Plan on Monday, December 7^th.  All students will attend school in person as normal.

Extracurricular activities, including athletics, will resume normal activities on Monday as well.

Kindergarten-8^th Grade students should return their school issued devices, including Ipads, Chromebooks and Mi-Fi devices on Monday.

School Meal Pickup will take place as planned today from 4-6 at Washington High School Gate 4.

We are very proud of how our staff and students have worked together during the last two weeks to help students learn and grow during the Red Phase, and we appreciate your patience and cooperation. 

 

 

From the Daviess County Health Department:

On October 24, 2020 a letter was distributed to all residents of Daviess County asking for their assistance in reducing the number of positive cases of COVID-19 in our community. Despite the efforts of the community, the numbers continue to rise in Daviess County and throughout Indiana. Since Friday, November 20, 2020 until the time of this release, Daviess County has seen an increase in 170 positive COVID-19 cases.

The Daviess County Health Officer in an abundance of concern for the citizens of Daviess County and in accordance with IC 16-20-1-25(b) has ordered the following restrictions to be in effect now until 11:59 pm, Sunday, December 6, 2020, unless altered, extended or rescinded prior to that time:

1) All Daviess County School Corporations will transfer to their virtual learning protocols for all students within their jurisdictions.

2) All Daviess County School Corporations will suspend all extra-curricular activities, including sports events, practices, clubs, special events, etc.

3) All social gathers, whether indoor, or out, must limit number of attendees to twenty-five (25) people or less, social distancing and mask protocols must be observed at all times.

4) All funeral home visitations are limited to no more than twenty-five (25) people at any one time, social distancing and mask protocols must be observed at all times.

5) All fitness centers and the like are limited to no more than twenty-five (25) people at a time, social distancing and mask protocols must be observed at all times.

6) All restaurants, taverns, nightclubs and bars are limited to 50% capacity at all times, social distancing and mask protocols must be observed at all times.

7) All businesses shall remain open for operation at this time, but must follow social distancing and mask protocols at all times.

8) All religious services are strongly encouraged to transfer to virtual services. Any in-person services must follow social distancing and mask protocols at all times.

9) As previously ordered, all nursing homes and assisted living facilities are closed to visitations.

We ask that the citizens of Daviess County adhere to the above restrictions and allow our community time to reduce the transmission rate for the health and safety of all.

 

Merle R. Holsopple, MD

Daviess County Health Officer

 

Due to an increased number of positive Covid-19 cases in Daviess County the local Board of Health has determined that all Daviess County schools, including Washington Community Schools, are to move to the Red Phase of our Back To School plan.

Beginning Monday, November 23rd, all school buildings will be closed and Distance Learning will be in place. All extracurricular activities, including athletic practices and games, are canceled.  At the present time, students will return to school on Monday, December 7th, 2020. Please visit the Distance Learning page of our website for more information and resources. 

Students in grades K-8 will access their assignments via the Distance Learning Portal. [CONTENT_REVIEW InternalLink] High School students should follow their normal class schedule beginning with their first period at 8:35 am.  HS students should communicate directly with their teacher via email, Google Classroom, or Google Meet for additional instructions.  

Further information will be sent via School Messenger by your child’s building principal on Monday regarding device distribution, meal pickup, and other details related to the red status.

Students who do not have access to Wi-Fi should see the list of Free Public Wi-Fi [CONTENT_REVIEW InternalLink]spots on the district’s website.

This decision did not come easily, but we have been preparing for this possibility. The district will continue to be in daily contact with the Daviess County Health Department and monitor the situation in our community to determine our next steps after December 7th. Please stay in close contact by checking your phone, emails, our website, and social media channels for the most up to date information.

 

 

Governor Holcomb COVID-19 Restrictions - County-Wide Color Code guidelines.

 

 

 

 

Governor Holcomb moves state to Stage 5 of the Back on Track Indiana Plan. Mask mandate extended to at least October 17, 2020.

 

 

Hatchet Virtual Academy Overview

 

 

Governor Holcomb's Face Covering Mandate.

Indiana Department of Health Face Covering Family Guidance. 

 

 

Washington Community School's priority for the start of the 2020-21 school year is returning our students to high-quality education in a safe environment. To help our staff, students, and families navigate the necessary changes to the start of the school year on August 7th, we have created the following Back to School Plans.

Input from parents, teachers, staff, and community members on our school committees and survey results helped us create these plans. The Parent Feedback Survey had over 700 responses representing almost 1,000 Washington Community Schools students. We appreciate our community's strong response. 

 

What we learned:

 

• Families want their students to return to school. 80% indicated their students will definitely return to school and 16% answered "maybe". Some have safety concerns about returning to school. 
• Families with Pre-Kindergarten students will send their children to school if Pre-Kindergarten is offered. 
• Some families will be interested in full-time digital options for the upcoming school year, depending on what the option looks like. 
• Just over 70% of survey respondents would voluntarily transport their children to school.
• Text messages, phone calls, and email are the top 3 preferred forms of communication.  
• Just over 80% of respondents were happy with WCS's response and communication efforts during the school closure.  

 

 

 

This guide looks at the overall plans for the reopening at a district level, including sections on Practicing Prevention, Transportation, Entering School Buildings, Food Services, Transitioning, Conducting Large Group Gatherings, Teaching & Learning, Protecting Vulnerable Populations, and When Someone Becomes Sick. This was prepared in coordination with and has been approved by the Daviess County Health Department. It was prepared in collaboration with all of the Daviess and Martin County School districts and includes resources from the CDC, IDOE, ISDH, and other government agencies. 

To view on a mobile device, click HERE.

 

 

 

The Daviess County Health Department's Guidance for Daviess County Schools provides information on COVID-19 symptoms, handling illness and suspected cases within a school setting, notification and contract tracing policies, as well as when it is safe to return to school after an illness.

Students or staff who have tested positive cannot return to school without a note from a doctor or verification from the Daviess County Health Department that it is safe to return to school.

We ask parents to use the COVID-19 Parent Assessment Tool to screen their students for symptoms daily and keep their children home when sick. 

 

 

Input from parents, teachers, staff, and community members on our school committees helped us create a Commonly Asked Questions page to help answer some of the many questions about the start of school. 

 

 

 

Our School Year Calendar will be as planned, however, in order to help our provide our students with some of the learning opportunities lost during the school closure, we will not have Early Dismissal on Wednesdays for the 2020-2021 school year. 

Back to School Nights will not be held as in the past, however, the elementary schools are planning a Drive-Up Back to School Night. More details to follow. 

 

 

Final Enrollment will be open Monday, July 20th. Final Enrollment is required, even if you completed Pre-Registration. Please see the Final Enrollment page for more information. 

 

All guidelines set forth in these documents are in effect until further notice. These guidelines may be updated should recommendations from federal, state, or local authorities provide new information and guidance. 

 

 

 

To view on a mobile device, click HERE.

Translations: Spanish  Haitian Creole

 

 

 

 

Washington Community Schools continues to develop and finalize a plan towards the reopening of schools for 2020-2021.  The district’s blueprint is based upon guidance from the Indiana Department of Education, the CDC, the Daviess County Board of Health, employees, and parents.  Additionally, Washington Community Schools is appreciative of our partner districts within Daviess and surrounding counties as communication continues for alignment of the various plans.   

Prior to the document's release, it will be necessary to submit it to our school attorneys, the Washington Classroom Teachers Association, and the Daviess County Board of Health for final thoughts and guidance.  Once that occurs, the plan will be presented to the School Board of Trustees for consideration, followed by detailed information to the public on July 17.

Pre-Registration is currently on the district’s website.  Information on final enrollment will be announced in the coming weeks, along with details for those families that will need to register onsite at the individual buildings.

 

Washington, IN  47501
301 E. South Street
Washington Community Schools
Superintendent
Dr. Daniel L. Roach

 

 

 

 

 

Governor Holcomb COVID-19 Restrictions - County-Wide Color Code guidelines.

 

 

 

The district has received a few questions following yesterday’s press conference held by Gov. Holcomb and Dr. Box during which time both Daviess and Martin County were identified as a hotspot for COVID-19.

Washington Community Schools is in daily contact with the Daviess County Health Department.  This pattern of communication will continue throughout the pandemic.  Following yesterday’s press conference, the Department of Health verified that the district numbers do not warrant a change from the current “green” status.

 Here are the facts as of yesterday afternoon:

• Washington Community Schools has two students and one staff member currently under quarantine due to a positive test for the virus.

• Washington Community Schools has a small number of students/staff who are currently working virtually from home because they were in close contact with someone who tested positive, many of these occurred outside of the school setting.

• The Daviess County Health Department does not routinely recommend testing for asymptomatic people in an effort to conserve tests for those who actually need to be tested because they are sick.

• The Daviess County Health Department does not believe that the current number of students and staff within Washington Community Schools justify making any changes to current operations.

 As of today, the protocol for close contacts is as follows:

• The Daviess County Health Department will only notify those students who have had direct close contact with a confirmed positive person. HIPPA and FERPA federal laws do not permit the disclosure of specific names of staff or students.

•  A close contact is someone who has been within 6 feet for longer than 15 minutes with or without a mask to the confirmed positive person.

• The Health Department, along with your school, will conduct contact tracing. After the initial notification by the Health Department to those who are found to be a close contact, the school, and/or the Daviess County Health Department will follow up with additional information.

• If your child was not a close contact, you will not be notified, and you and your child will not need to isolate.

Please be reminded to keep your children at home if they are ill and wear masks when visiting public locations.  The district appreciates the patience, cooperation, and understanding as we navigate the current situation.

 

 

 

 

 

Indiana State Department of Health-new guidelines for schools.

 

 

 

 

The Daviess County Health Department wishes to convey the following message to the families of children in area schools:

The Daviess County Health Department will only notify those students who have had direct close contact with a confirmed positive person. HIPPA and FERPA federal laws do not permit the disclosure of specific names of staff or students.

A close contact is someone who has been within 6 feet for longer than 15 minutes with or without a mask to the confirmed positive person.

The Health Department along with your school will conduct the contact tracing. After the initial notification by the Health Department to those who are found to be a close contact, the school and/or the Daviess County Health Department with follow up with additional information.

If your child was not a close contact, you will not be notified and you and your child will not need to isolate.

 

 

Indiana State Department of Health Updated Screening Tool 

 

 

Governor Holcomb Extends Stage 4.5 to August 27th