COVID-19, DELTA Variant and more.

With mild cold symptoms being the primary indicator of the COVID-19 in children, and the significantly increased transmissibility of the Omicron variant the landscape is going to change the slightest bit. For the moment, please take a look at the following.

There are 3 situations that increase the risk of community spread of COVID within our school, and it’s important that every parent expands their awareness of how their actions or inactions affect the other 400+ people who are connected to their child through classmates and teachers.

1. IF you have another child attending another school, PLEASE do not sit on communication that could help us to act proactively to protect the rest of our community. Let us know immediately that your other child has been identified as having had a “close contact” at their school, daycare or after school activity.

2. TRAVELING and HOSTING guests. IF you are hosting visiting family and friends, please be reminded that even if visitors are vaccinated, they can catch and transmit COVID-19. The Omicron variant is more contagious than earlier variants, and is showing up more in children than the original virus did. I invite you to visit the CDC website or WA DOH if you are unaware of recent updates.

Until we have more data, PLEASE consider that the visiting family and friends are a potential source of COVID to your child. While the risk is low, you should consider these visits in the same manner as you do vacation travel. 

3. PLEASE do NOT send your sick child to school. They probably don’t feel great and are STILL CONTAGIOUS, even if their symptoms are suppressed. 

With the advent of effective vaccines, there seems to be slightly less concern in our community about sending children to school with runny noses. If your child has documented allergies, keep them home for the 1st day of a runny nose. If discharge is STILL clear in the successive day or days AND we have a record of their allergies, they may come back as they are not a threat to others, but your communication on this is essential. If you fail to log into Sandbox and note your child’s symptoms, it will not be considered day 0. (See specifics in the updated Allergies vs Colds vs Covid policy)

The more we know, the better choices we can make. Let us help you so that we can move through another school year with grace and in good health!