Dear Members of the Alvord Community,
As if being a parent isn't difficult enough under normal conditions, add a pandemic and the decision to send your children to school in the midst of it, and parenting becomes even more of a challenge than usual. All but a few hundred of our families chose in-person instruction. Most parents sent their children to school because they believed it is how their children learn best; and many of us thought COVID-19 was mostly behind us. But that doesn't mean parents aren't anxious about that decision, particularly now that we are experiencing an uptick in COVID-19 cases.
Attending school in-person is "normal" and it provides a sense of normalcy during a time when little else in our world is normal. Evidence from multiple studies conducted this past year suggest that most students learn more when they are in-person at school. Unlike the home or other places students were learning from, including cars or other spaces in the case of students suffering from home insecurity, students in the classroom have fewer distractions, increased concentration, and can receive more direct, personalized learning experiences and support. In-person school makes it easier for us to provide vital resources to students and their families. We all learned that students not being in school exacerbated the institutional harms that historically have disproportionately impacted students less-resourced than others.
Given Riverside County's high community transmission rate as a direct result of the circulating and highly contagious Delta variant, we need to continue to be diligent and strictly adhere to our safety protocols while in school; and follow the recommendations of public health officials when out in the community. Our region experienced an increase in the case rate and the hospitalization and ICU rate this past week, while the testing positivity rate decreased (that's a good thing because it means more people are testing). The more frequently all people test, the easier it is for public health officials to track the state of the pandemic and help guide our decisions relative to keeping our schools safe and open.
In the past 14 days, we have had 27 staff and 64 students test positive. You can stay current by visiting our COVID-19 Dashboard and FAQ here. Cases recorded on the Dashboard are confirmed by Riverside County Public Health officials and remain on the Dashboard for 14 days. For example, the current Dashboard has all cases since August 13. It is updated daily or as cases are confirmed.
As we enter our third full week of school, we will continue to strictly enforce our safety measures. But we need your help. Please test yourself and your children routinely and keep your children home when they're exhibiting flu-like symptoms. For children with symptoms that are typical of an underlying chronic condition (e.g., allergies or asthma) please contact the Alvord Health Services Clearance Clinic by calling (951) 509-5033 to discuss documenting the condition.
Also, please continue to teach your children to be socially mindful and aware that practicing good respiratory etiquette slows the spread of the disease and can keep them and everyone around them safe. Please stress the importance of properly wearing their mask and proper hand-washing and other prevention measures designed to limit the transmission of COVID-19 and other contagious diseases like colds and flu.
We all have a role in keeping our schools safe and open for in-person instruction. Many families have already been notified that their student has been in close contact with a student who has tested positive. Below are frequently asked questions about the protocol. These questions have been asked and answered in the past and can be found on our COVID-19 Dashboard and FAQ here.
Q: What do I do if my student tests positive for COVID-19?
A: Keep your child home and notify your school's attendance office immediately. Contact your child’s primary care physician for health care guidance.
Q: When can students return to school following a positive test?
A: Students may return to school when they have met all of the following criteria:
- At least 24 hours have passed since resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications; and
- Other symptoms have improved; and
- The student is cleared to return to school by the Alvord Health Services Clearance Clinic. Contact (951) 509-5033 for return to school procedures.
Q: What do I do if my child has symptoms of COVID-19 infection?
A: Keep your child home and notify your school's attendance office immediately. Contact your child’s primary care physician for health care guidance.
Q: When can students return to school if they have symptoms of COVID-19 infection?
A: Students may return to school when they have met all of the following criteria:
- At least 24 hours have passed since resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications; and
- Other symptoms have improved; and
- They have a negative test for SARS-CoV-2,: OR
- A healthcare provider has provided documentation that the symptoms are typical of their underlying chronic condition (e.g., allergies or asthma); OR
- A healthcare provider has confirmed an alternative named diagnosis (e.g., Streptococcal pharyngitis, Coxsackie virus):OR
- At least 10 days have passed since symptom onset.
Q: Who is notified when there is a positive case on campus? (Updated 8.31.21)
A: Parents of all students identified through the contact tracing process are notified immediately via email (and in some cases texts). Then, school or district officials follow-up the email with a phone call to families with an error message on the email or text or who do not pick up their four home-testing kits. Riverside County Public Health officials are notified too.
Q: What do I do if my student is identified through the contact tracing process as having been exposed to a student who tested positive?
A: Students who are close contacts (more than 15 minutes over a 24-hour period within 0-6 feet indoors) are expected to follow the guidelines for modified quarantine. They may continue to attend school for in-person instruction if they:
- Are asymptomatic;
- Continue to appropriately mask, as required;
- Undergo at least twice weekly testing during the 10-day quarantine; and
- Continue to quarantine for all extracurricular activities at school, including sports, and activities within the community setting (Unless the student is vaccinated in which case they may participate in extracurricular activities with twice-weekly negative tests).
Q: What counts as close contact?
A: Related to school, close contact includes any person who was within 6 feet of a person who has COVID-19 for a total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period or had direct physical contact with the person (hugged or kissed them) or shared eating or drinking utensils.
Q: What is modified quarantine?
A: Students on modified quarantine remain in school and must undergo twice weekly testing (each test at least 3 days apart) and not participate in any extracurricular activities at school, including sports, or any other activity outside of the regular school day, on campus or in a community setting, through Day 10. (Unless the student is vaccinated in which case they may participate in extracurricular activities with twice-weekly negative tests).
Q: What should the timing be for twice weekly testing of students in modified quarantine?
A: Test immediately after being exposed to someone with COVID-19. Subsequent testing should occur at least 3 days apart.
Q: When can students on modified quarantine resume all activities?
A: Modified quarantine can end after Day 7 if a diagnostic specimen is collected after Day 5 from the date of last exposure and tests negative.
Q: How do students learn when they are isolated or in quarantine and cannot attend school in-person?
A: Students work asynchronously by accessing their Google classrooms. If students are out of school for 3 or more days, they will enter into a Short-Term Independent Study Contract until they return.
Q: Where can I find out how many confirmed positive COVID-19 incidents have been identified at my school?
A: Visit our COVID Date Dashboard here. Cases recorded in the Dashboard are confirmed by Public Health and remain on the Dashboard for 14 days.
Q: What data is on the Dashboard?
A: The data represents the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases among AUSD students and staff on our campuses. The data is updated daily or as cases are confirmed.
Q: When would an entire school be quarantined due to an outbreak?
A: The decision to temporarily close a school would be made in consultation with the Riverside County Department of Public Health, if it is determined that not closing poses a significant threat of substantial school or community spread.
Q: How long may schools be quarantined?
A: The length of closure will depend on the reason for closing. Decontamination and contact tracing may result in 3-5 days of closure. Significant absenteeism of staff and students may result in 2-4 weeks. If closing is part of a larger community mitigation strategy for local areas with substantial community spread, it could result in 4-8 weeks of closure.
Q: Will teaching and learning continue during quarantine?
A: Yes, students currently quarantined due to testing positive or exhibiting symptoms after exposure to a positive case have been moved to asynchronous distance learning until they are safe to return to school. In the case of an entire class or school, we will utilize both synchronous and asynchronous distance learning strategies, depending on the situation and circumstances.
Q: What type of test is used for the home-testing kit the school provides?
A: The Rapid antigen tests. It is similar to the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test in that both check for active infection of COVID-19.
Q: What is the difference between a Rapid antigen tests and a PCR test?
A: Rapid tests aren’t as sensitive as PCR tests. The rapid test results are available in as little as 20 minutes. The PCR test requires a lab and takes between 24-72 hours to receive results, depending on demand.
Q: Which test is better?
A: Both tests serve a purpose given the time it takes to test and the time it takes to receive results. PCR tests are considered the gold standard for COVID-19 testing.
Find the flowchart that school officials use to guide decision-making below:
