Winona Area Public SchoolsDear WAPS community,
As part of our planning and preparation for dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, we have remained in close, constant contact with experts at the Minnesota Department of Health and the Minnesota Department of Education to make sure we are meeting the needs of all learners in our district.
At this time, their recommendation is to keep schools open, and that is a recommendation that Gov. Tim Walz reiterated during a press conference this afternoon. State health officials are also recommending that schools enact social distancing practices.
In order to give us time to work with staff to develop strategies for following these guidelines, we are going to extend spring break by two days. There will be no school on Monday, March 16 and Tuesday, March 17. The plan is to resume classes on Wednesday, March 18 in each of our school buildings.
All district activities through Tuesday are canceled. This includes after school activities, PTA meetings and athletic team practices. School buildings will not be open, but the district office will be open with minimal staff on Monday and Tuesday.
At this time, Key Kids is planning to offer non-school day care at Winona Middle School, 1570 Homer Road. Families already registered with Key Kids can sign up here: http://bit.ly/3d2KDll. If you have questions about registering for Key Kids, call 507-494-0910 on Monday.
We realize that some of you are wondering why school isn’t closed for an extended period of time, especially in light of other states doing so. During a conference call this morning, experts from the MDH and MDE stressed that there are questions surrounding the effectiveness of school closures when it comes to slowing the spread of COVID-19, and that there are significant community consequences that need to be considered before closing schools for an extended period of time.
The state agencies are basing their recommendation off information from the Centers for Disease Control, which has created a document called “Considerations for School Closure.” We have added that link to our list of resources and information on our Student Health Services page at winonaschools.org/health.
There are a few other items we would like to highlight:
- If you have traveled over spring break, please consult the CDC for an updated list of countries and locations that have widespread or ongoing community spread. The Level 3 Travel Health Notice countries have been expanded to include much of Europe, including France, Germany and Spain. If you have traveled to these areas, it is suggested that you self-quarantine for 14 days. The full list and quarantine recommendations is available at this link: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/after-travel-precautions.html
- It’s important that students who are healthy are in school. We understand that there are extenuating circumstances that can impact student attendance. If you have a concern about your child’s attendance as we navigate this situation, we urge you to contact your building principal. We are expecting to receive guidance from MDE regarding the education of students who need to self-quarantine or stay at home for extended periods of time.
- We have continued disinfecting work over the break, and district health services will continue to follow the plan for highly contagious serious illness or pandemic flu with additional safeguards, which includes monitoring the temperature of any student who comes to the health office and sending home those who have a fever or whose respiratory symptoms interfere with their ability to participate in regular school activities. Parents will be asked to pick up these students immediately.
As we have mentioned in previous communications, the most important things you can do to help manage the spread of COVID-19 are the same preventative measures health officials promote every cold and flu season:
- Wash your hands
- Cover your cough
- Stay home when you are sick
We understand that this situation is unsettling, especially for children. The National Association of School Nurses and School Psychologists has released the following talking points for communicating with children about COVID-19 and helping them cope with anxiety related to the risk of infection. You can see that information here: https://www.nasponline.org/resources-and-publications/resources-and-podcasts/school-climate-safety-and-crisis/health-crisis-resources/talking-to-children-about-covid-19-(coronavirus)-a-parent-resource
We will continue to follow the advice of state and local experts and pass along any new information that is relevant to our school community.
Thank you,
Dr. Annette K. Freiheit
Superintendent
Winona Area Public Schools