| March 3, 2020
Dear Parents and Guardians,
We are writing to provide you with information about Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and how The Sharon Academy is responding to constantly changing updates from local and national sources. Please know, we intend to keep in regular communication with all of you.
As of this writing there have been no cases of COVID-19 yet identified in Vermont.
The NH Department of Health and Human Services has confirmed the first person in our region tested positive for COVID-19. That individual is an employee of DHMC in Lebanon and is currently isolated at home to limit ongoing transmission and is being monitored by the state for any worsening of symptoms.
Precautions are being taken at both the middle and high school campuses to minimize the spread of germs: Steve Lyman, Randy Leavitt and Amy Potter have increased the frequency and intensity of cleaning high traffic areas at both schools with disinfectant.
It is important for all of us to make sure we are taking precautions to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory illness, such as the flu, which we frequently see this time of year.
COVID-19 and many other common respiratory viruses spread through contact with an infected person’s respiratory droplets, such as when a person coughs or sneezes. To prevent the spread of respiratory viruses, the CDC recommends that individuals engage in everyday preventive measures to help stop the spread of germs and avoid illness, including:
- Wash hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use alcohol-based hand sanitizers.
- Cover a cough or sneeze with a tissue, then immediately discard the tissue in the trash.
- Avoid touching eyes, mouth and nose with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with individuals who are sick.
- Keep sick children at home. Children should stay at home for at least 24 hours after the last signs of a fever without the use of fever-reducing medicine. Those who have a constant cough should stay home until medicine relieves it. Any child that is sick at school should go home.
- Report your child’s absence to Cynthia Masterman at the high school or Catherine Farrington at the Middle School.
- Encourage your child not to share personal items like their food or water bottles.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces within your home.
Both high school and middle school faculty and staff took time at our collective in-service last Monday to begin reviewing how we would implement our curriculum on the chance the Agency of Education and/or the State of Vermont ask schools to close for a period of time. Please know those conversations are ongoing. We will be speaking to students at a meeting on Thursday to review universal precautions.
If you have any questions please reach out to either of us. Listed below are two links you may find useful. We are doing our best to remain calm and focused on our work with your children while demonstrating an appropriate level of concern.
Sincerely,
Mary Newman and Michael Livingston
CDC’s main COVID-19 page
COVID-19 FAQs |
