Dear STEM School Highlands Ranch Families,
We received notifications of 11 student cases and five staff COVID positive cases: one in kindergarten, two in fourth grade, one in fifth grade, one in sixth grade, two in seventh grade, one in ninth grade, two in 10th grade and one in 12th grade. All students and staff were instructed to move into isolation and remain there until symptoms have gone away.
With these additional cases, our seventh grade has now moved into Outbreak Status. Additionally, our ninth grade is one more positive case away from moving into Outbreak Status.
OUTBREAK AND QUARANTINE
An outbreak is deemed if we have five connected cases. The guidelines below are from Jogan Health (Douglas County Health Departments contract Health Agency and also from the Douglas County School District), CPDHE and the CDC.
- Seventh-grade students who are fully vaccinated and asymptomatic can remain at school and should wear a mask until the outbreak is resolved.
- To ensure adequate time for an immune response to occur, a person is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after completion of a two-dose mRNA series or one dose of Janssen vaccine.
- Unvaccinated seventh-grade students will need to quarantine for five days from today and can return to school on Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022, if they are not showing symptoms of COVID-19 at that time and should wear a mask until the outbreak is resolved.
- Any student who is showing or develops signs of illness should stay home and seek testing.
- If your student had COVID within the past 90 days and is asymptomatic they are excluded from the quarantine and can remain in person.
UPDATE – With the additional 12th-grade case, any unvaccinated 12th-grade student who is currently in quarantine, must remain in quarantine and can return to school on Monday, Jan. 24. Per updated CDC, CDPHE and Jogan Health guidelines, this date can be pushed again if there is another connected positive case.
Students who are in quarantine/isolation should access their coursework via Canvas.
We strongly encourage you to please take a look at our COVID Positive Tracking List for the most up-to-date list of both student and staff cases.
As a reminder, please do not come to school with any symptoms and please do what you can to help us mitigate the spread of COVID.
GAME CLUB, TSA AND BASKETBALL GAME EXPOSURE AND QUARANTINE
We were notified that a student in the Game Club, a student who took part in TSA and a student who attended the Basketball game have all tested positive for COVID-19.
The Game Club student was last at STEM on January 13. All those who must quarantine can return on Wednesday, Jan. 19. The TSA student was last at STEM on January 11 and 12. All those who must quarantine can return on Tuesday, Jan. 18. Any unvaccinated basketball player is out for practiced and games until Thursday, Jan. 20. The entire team should monitor for symptoms.
Per Jogan Health (the contracted health agency that the Douglas County Health Department has selected), after school activities are considered “high risk” and parents should take the following precautions:
- If your student is fully vaccinated and asymptomatic, your student can continue to attend in-person learning and continue to participate in club meetings, however we do ask that you please monitor them for symptoms and that they wear a mask for the next 10 days.
- If your student is unvaccinated, your student must remain at home in quarantine for 5 days and access their coursework remotely. They cannot participate in team-related activities in-person until their quarantine is complete. If your student is staying at home, please call the attendance line to let us know.
RESOURCES
When are you considered “fully vaccinated?” – https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/stay-up-to-date.html
Quarantine and Isolation – https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/quarantine-isolation.html
How to find testing for Covid-19 – https://covid19.colorado.gov/testing
NOTIFYING STEM OF COVID-19 POSITIVE CASE
If your student tests positive for COVID-19, please contact our School Nurse, Mallory Jimenez ([email protected]) immediately. She will then notify the appropriate STEM Leadership Team members to then initiate our communication process. Ms. Jimenez will then provide instructions on the next steps.
CALLING IN ABSENCES
If your student is sick, in quarantine or you are keeping them home out of an abundance of caution, please remember to call our attendance at 303-683-7836.
At this time, there will be no synchronous instruction that will take place for students who are absent. Students will have two days for every one day they are absent to complete their assignments and check-in with their teachers.
Please note: Extended absences start on the 11th school day that a student is absent. If an absence continues past 10 days, parents will need to complete the Extended Absence Form.
Thank you,
STEM School Highlands Ranch Communications