Dear Lakeside Elementary Families,

 

 

Last week we celebrated the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. through classroom activities, read alouds, art projects, songs, and an assembly. This year we focused on the theme of positive change and highlighted children’s poet, Amanda Gorman. Her book, Change Sings, ties in with many of the classroom activities and artwork that our students have participated in recently. I hope you and your family took time to reflect on Monday about the powerful, yet peaceful work of Dr. King and other civil rights leaders.

               
                                       

Yesterday, staff participated in professional development sessions on a variety of topics. One of those was Restorative Practices. This is an emerging social science that studies how to strengthen relationships between individuals as well as social connections within communities. This philosophy also helps to repair harm and restore relationships after an unexpected situation has occurred. To learn more, you can visit this site for the International Institute of Restorative Practices. I look forward to having all staff trained in this area in the future.    
                   
COVID-19 Update
There are new isolation and quarantine requirements per the January 11 Kent County Health Department (KCHD) Public Health Order.

 

• • All students/staff who test positive for COVID-19 are required to isolate at home for 10 days starting from the date when symptoms developed or upon the date of a positive test, if asymptomatic.

  • Unvaccinated household close contacts must quarantine for 10 to 15 days

    • Household close contacts may attend work/school beginning on day 11 if wearing a well-fitted mask through day 15. Those unable or unwilling to wear a mask must continue to quarantine at home for days 11-15 of quarantine before returning to work/school.

  • Vaccinated household close contacts may continue attending school if they are symptom free and wear a well-fitted mask for 15 days. 

  • Any household close contacts with symptoms, regardless of vaccination status, must quarantine. 

  • The KCHD recommends but does not require a five day quarantine for close contacts at school regardless of vaccination or masking status. 

• As a reminder, if any unvaccinated members in your household have a concerning symptom for COVID-19, all unvaccinated members of your household should stay home until healthcare evaluation or testing results are back. This minimizes exposure to others in school. Thank you for your support.  

• Masks: The KCHD face covering Public Health Order for grades PreK-6 expired on January 2, 2022. However, masks are strongly recommended and encouraged as we continue to navigate through COVID-19.

• To ensure the safety of everyone, please continue to review the student health screener daily prior to sending your child(ren) to school. Families should follow the guidelines listed in the health screener. 

• District information on COVID-19 is available on our website linked here. 

• The Kent County Health Department updates a toolkit regularly with guidance for schools. Please see the most updated toolkit (10.21.2021) found here. The KCHD plans to update this toolkit soon to align with the January 11 PHO.    
   

Important Calendar Dates

• January 20:  Code Red Drill (rescheduled from snow day)

 

As always, please feel free to reach out with any questions.

Warm Regards,