Posted 1/13/22 in ParentSquare.
This message is being sent to the MPUSD community on behalf of Superintendent PK Diffenbaugh.
Parents and Guardians:
Despite the challenges of the recent COVID-19 surge, MPUSD continues our commitment to providing high quality in-person learning to all students. Thank you for your support in practicing the mitigation strategies that have proven to decrease exposure keep our students and staff safe.
Yesterday in the MPUSD Districtwide Town Hall, I covered a number of relevant topics related to the District’s COVID-19 plan and took questions from our community. If you were unable to attend, I encourage you to visit our website for the video in English and Spanish, as well as a copy of the PowerPoint slide deck.
This communication will update you on the California Department of Public Health new guidelines for Group Tracing Approach for Students Exposed to COVID 19 in a K-12 Setting. Under this new guidance, schools will alert parents/guardians via ParentSquare (email, phone message, and/or text message) if your child may have been exposed to an individual diagnosed with COVID-19 in an indoor group setting (e.g., entire class, team, club, or other group of students congregate together). This group tracing approach will replace the individual tracing approach that attempted to determine which student was within 6 feet of an individual diagnosed with COVID-19 for more than 15 minutes cumulative in a 24-hour period. These notices to parents/guardians of students potentially exposed in a group setting will take the place of the individual and school wide notices that have been previously sent. Please note, especially in the secondary level, that if your student shared more than one class with a positive individual, you may receive multiple messages that are related to an exposure to the same positive individual.
Under the new guidance your child may continue to take part in all aspects of K-12 schooling, including sports and extracurricular activities and after school academies unless they develop symptoms or test positive for COVID-19. The message will outline that your child should monitor for COVID-19 symptoms and get tested for COVID-19 within 3-5 days of their exposure. Students can test at MPUSD’s free testing site, with a home test, or at another Monterey County testing location. Should your child become symptomatic or test positive, please contact your child’s school for further isolation instructions.
Additionally, MPUSD partners with various community organizations to offer COVID-19 vaccines for students and adults. Visit our vaccine website for upcoming opportunities. We will also continue to send out on ParentSquare as they become available, and on our social media sites.
We will continue to provide regular updates as needed. Note that infections diagnosed in students and school staff are not necessarily the result of exposure at school when safety protocols are followed at school, and COVID-19 transmission remains much more likely to occur outside of school settings. You may visit our COVID-19 Dashboard to view community-based and school-based exposure on a weekly basis.
We encourage you to contact us with questions and concerns. Please call the school, reply to this ParentSquare post, or visit our website for updates. As always, please do not hesitate to reach out to me or my team if we can be of service to you and your family.
Respectfully,
Parents and Guardians:
Despite the challenges of the recent COVID-19 surge, MPUSD continues our commitment to providing high quality in-person learning to all students. Thank you for your support in practicing the mitigation strategies that have proven to decrease exposure keep our students and staff safe.
Yesterday in the MPUSD Districtwide Town Hall, I covered a number of relevant topics related to the District’s COVID-19 plan and took questions from our community. If you were unable to attend, I encourage you to visit our website for the video in English and Spanish, as well as a copy of the PowerPoint slide deck.
This communication will update you on the California Department of Public Health new guidelines for Group Tracing Approach for Students Exposed to COVID 19 in a K-12 Setting. Under this new guidance, schools will alert parents/guardians via ParentSquare (email, phone message, and/or text message) if your child may have been exposed to an individual diagnosed with COVID-19 in an indoor group setting (e.g., entire class, team, club, or other group of students congregate together). This group tracing approach will replace the individual tracing approach that attempted to determine which student was within 6 feet of an individual diagnosed with COVID-19 for more than 15 minutes cumulative in a 24-hour period. These notices to parents/guardians of students potentially exposed in a group setting will take the place of the individual and school wide notices that have been previously sent. Please note, especially in the secondary level, that if your student shared more than one class with a positive individual, you may receive multiple messages that are related to an exposure to the same positive individual.
Under the new guidance your child may continue to take part in all aspects of K-12 schooling, including sports and extracurricular activities and after school academies unless they develop symptoms or test positive for COVID-19. The message will outline that your child should monitor for COVID-19 symptoms and get tested for COVID-19 within 3-5 days of their exposure. Students can test at MPUSD’s free testing site, with a home test, or at another Monterey County testing location. Should your child become symptomatic or test positive, please contact your child’s school for further isolation instructions.
Additionally, MPUSD partners with various community organizations to offer COVID-19 vaccines for students and adults. Visit our vaccine website for upcoming opportunities. We will also continue to send out on ParentSquare as they become available, and on our social media sites.
We will continue to provide regular updates as needed. Note that infections diagnosed in students and school staff are not necessarily the result of exposure at school when safety protocols are followed at school, and COVID-19 transmission remains much more likely to occur outside of school settings. You may visit our COVID-19 Dashboard to view community-based and school-based exposure on a weekly basis.
We encourage you to contact us with questions and concerns. Please call the school, reply to this ParentSquare post, or visit our website for updates. As always, please do not hesitate to reach out to me or my team if we can be of service to you and your family.
Respectfully,
PK Diffenbaugh
Superintendent