Was there an outbreak at Savannah High School?!? Why was the entire campus released at 1:00 today?
No, there is not an outbreak of cases at the high school and there is no reason to panic. In fact, SHS only has two new positive cases and six positive COVID-19 cases in total.
So why the mass closure?
Because the specific positive cases resulted in the potential for SEVERAL student/ staff contacts, a decision was made to release all students for the afternoon so that more definitive contact tracing could be done.
How do I know if my student was affected?
If your student was in direct contact with the positive COVID case you will be contacted by SR3 or the Andrew County Health Department.
Will there be school tomorrow?
Yes, classes will resume tomorrow as scheduled for all students who have not been in direct contact with a positive COVID case.
Who was it?
Due to HIPPA and student/ staff privacy laws, SR3 will NOT be releasing any identifiable information about positive cases. Similarly, a number or list of those quarantined will not be released.
Please note that SR3 will send mass notifications for positive COVID-19 cases only. You may hear from your child about a student or staff member who is ill or absent, but that does not mean they have COVID-19. Please talk to your student about respecting people's privacy about health-related information and do not assume all illnesses or all absences are a diagnosis of Coronavirus. SR3 will send an official notification of every confirmed case on your child's campus, and even more specifically if the confirmed case is in your child's classroom.
What should I expect if my in-person learner is quarantined?
Students and teachers will be expected to participate in distance learning and instruction during the quarantine. Students are encouraged to check their email for communications from their teacher(s) and monitor their assignments on Canvas. Teachers will be working to upload instruction and assignments into Canvas as quickly as possible. Further guidance specific to your student(s) will come directly from their teacher(s).
Will my child be counted absent/ sick while they are quarantined?
The contact related quarantine absences do not count against a student’s attendance as long as the student is actively participating in distance learning.
How does this closure affect my virtual learner?
In-person closures have zero impact on virtual learning students.
Can we expect this kind of mass closures to happen regularly at SHS or SMS?
Large closures of any kind are always a last resort. Please keep in mind that there is a learning curve associated with COVID-19. Knowing how to best handle positive cases and contact tracing notification is a big part of that curve. We are hopeful that the more we all learn about COVID-19, the less we will need to rely on mass closures at any of our campuses.
