September 24, 2021
Avoiding Quarantine - Keeping Kids In-School Learning!
Dear Parents, Students, Staff and Community:
I am sending out this follow-up communication in light of the recent policy changes to mitigate students from getting quarantined. Our school’s major goal is to educate our students. The best way to educate our students is to have them in-school learning with live instruction from our teachers. Unfortunately, this pandemic has put major obstacles in our path to achieve this goal.
Currently, the Health Department has legal obligations and rights to protect others from an infection disease. As we all know, if someone has Covid-19, they will get isolated and anyone unmasked and within 6 feet for over 15 minutes exposure time, will be forced to quarantine. Quarantine times may vary depending on several things to include: vaccination status and testing. Most quarantine periods can range from 7 days to 14 days depending on the situation.
Since we have had cases enter our school, we had to send home a plethora of students and staff due to quarantine. Many of these students and staff had no symptoms and never got infected. Yet, several students had to stay home, make up work, and forfeit in-person instruction. Many parents had to make arrangements to get day care for their children or take off work.
If we wear masks in school when we are closer than 6 feet in distance, but further than 3 feet in distance, we do not have to quarantine students or staff. When we can maintain over 6 feet distance, then we can take “mask breaks.” Many will say this is another layer of protection. That may be; however, our main objective is to keep kids in school and not be sent home. When the counts subside, we will go back to a no mask policy, because deep down, no one likes to wear masks.
I am holding a GoToMeeting, where anyone can ask a question and our administrative team will be there to give you the best answer we can at the time. We will have this meeting Monday, September 27th, 2021 @6:00 p.m. All you have to do is join the meeting and enter your question in the chat option. We will read the question for all to hear and then address the question.
Please note: The meeting starts at 6:00 p.m., but participants can start joining at 5:30 p.m. All participants will be muted and Dr. Nye will take questions via chat.
Please join my meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone.
https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/555217581
You can also dial in using your phone. (For supported devices, tap a one-touch number below to join instantly.)
United States: +1 (646) 749-3335
- One-touch: tel:+16467493335,,555217581#
Access Code: 555-217-581
New to GoToMeeting? Get the app now and be ready when your first meeting starts:
https://global.gotomeeting.com/install/555217581
I loathe this pandemic and pray for it to end soon. Have a great weekend and hope to hear from you on Monday.
Sincerely,
Dr. William R. Nye Jr.
Superintendent, Grand Valley Local Schools
111 Grand Valley Ave. West Suite A
Orwell Ohio, 44076
william.nye@grandvalley.school
Phone: (440) 805-4545 Ext. 4, Option 1
Fax: (440) 437-1025
"Every Student Matters. Every Moment Counts. The Future Begins Now."