COVID Update – Tuesday, Jan. 11 – K-12 Exposures

Dear STEM School Highlands Ranch Families,

In our effort to keep you as informed as possible, we are sharing information about additional COVID positive cases that we have been made aware of in the last 24 hours and through our on-site testing program. We have had a total of 18 positive cases, 17 students and one staff member. All students and staff were instructed to move into isolation and remain there until symptoms have gone away.

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.

Due to the large number of cases, we are unable to provide the individual class schedules for Secondary students who are COVID positive as we did in the Fall. We are asking all families to please monitor their students for symptoms and to take their students to get tested if needed.

OUTBREAKS AND QUARANTINES
Outside of the current eighth-grade outbreak, we do not have any additional outbreaks at this time. However, we are monitoring the following grades:

  • 2nd – 3 cases, 2 connected cases
  • 3rd – 10 cases, 4 connected cases
  • 4th – 6 cases, 3 connected cases
  • 5th – 7 cases, 3 connected cases
  • 6th – 6 cases, 2 connected cases
  • 8th – 14 cases, 9 connected cases
  • 9th – 5 cases, 3 connected cases
  • 10th – 9 cases, 4 connected cases
  • 11th – 8 cases, 4 connected cases
  • 12th – 4 cases , 4 connected 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.

ON-SITE TESTING
Each Tuesday we offer in-site testing for COVID to catch asymptomatic cases. Please do not send your student to school with symptoms to get tested. If your student has symptoms, please find a test through your healthcare provider, or via one of the free testing sites.

Sending your symptomatic student to school to get tested exposes students and teachers and also puts grade-levels at risk of having an outbreak.

ELEMENTARY CHESS CLUB EXPOSURE
We were notified that a student in the Elementary Chess Club has tested positive for COVID-19. The student was present at the club meeting on Monday, Jan. 10. The student was instructed to move into isolation and not to return to school until symptoms have gone away.

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. Your student can return for in-person learning on Tuesday, Jan. 18.

NOTIFYING STEM OF COVID-19 POSITIVE CASE
If your student tests positive for COVID-19, please contact our School Nurse, Mallory Jimenez (nurse@stemk12.org) 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 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

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