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District Update - December 15th, 2020
As we head into the winter break beginning on Friday, December 18, there are several important announcements and changes to district protocols that you can expect when we return in January. Please take the time to read all of these updates, so that you are informed and have confidence in the district’s plans moving forward.
eLearning January 4th and 5th
All district schools will have eLearning days on January 4th and 5th upon the return from the holiday break. The days will be structured just like the two days before Thanksgiving with live, synchronous instruction on your school’s published eLearning schedule. These days will allow nurses and administrators to contact trace over a period of 11 days following Christmas before students return to campus. The first day back on campus for students will be January 6, 2021, but instruction and attendance will be taken on January 4 and 5 during eLearning.
DHEC Quarantining Guidelines (Revised December 2, 2020)
In the 11-day period following Christmas, Clover School District will initiate the new guidelines that DHEC recently released for quarantining close contacts. We will follow these guidelines all of second semester unless they are further revised by DHEC.
Students who test positive for COVID will continue to have a 10 isolation. However, DHEC has shortened the quarantine days for close contact individuals who have NO symptoms as long as the district maintains the safety protocols when they return to school, including (wearing masks, maintaining social distancing 6-feet apart or 3 feet apart with plexiglass shields, cohort grouping like we use in the Family Model at elementary level, and frequent handwashing). The new guidelines are as follows:
7-Day Quarantine: To qualify for 7 days of quarantine, the close contact
- must be asymptomatic the entire 7 days.
- must have a negative test taken no sooner than day 5 (PCR test highly recommended).
- A negative test at day 5 will not shorten the 7-day quarantine.
- Parents must continue to monitor students daily for symptoms up to 14 days.
- If symptoms develop between day 7-14, individual must immediately self-isolate at home or be sent home from school. Individual should contact his/her healthcare provider and seek retesting.
- From day 7-14, individual must strictly adhere to all of the health and safety protocols at school.
- Parent must provide the school nurse with documentation to verify the type of test, test date, and test results. The nurse or administrator will have the final approval for the individual to return to school on day 7.
10-Day Quarantine: To qualify for a 10-day quarantine, close contact
- must be asymptomatic the entire 10 days, but no test is required.
- Parents must continue to monitor student daily for symptoms up to14 days.
- If symptoms develop between day 10-14, individual must immediately self-isolate at home or be sent home from school. Individual should contact his/her healthcare provider and seek retesting.
- From day 10-14, individual must strictly adhere to all health and safety protocols at school.
14 Day Quarantine: Some close contacts may still be required to quarantine 14 days.
A full 14-day quarantine remains the most effective method to prevent transmission after exposure to a COVID-19 case. It should be recommended in situations where any risk of transmission cannot be tolerated.
- Students/staff with health conditions who are considered high risk for serious complications if they get COVID-19, including but not limited to: diabetes, chronic lung disease, obesity, cardiovascular disease, immune-compromised conditions, or hypertension.
- Athletes will be allowed to return to school for the 7-day/10-day option but will not return to sports until 14-days of quarantine are complete because the health and safety protocols cannot be fully implemented.
- Bus riders will be allowed to return to school for the 7-day/10-day option but may not ride the bus until the 14-days of quarantine are complete because the six feet social distancing protocol is not possible.
Converting Class / Grade Level / School to eLearning – vs. entire district
Many parents have asked why the district continues to operate with in-person learning even though York County COVID metrics remain at HIGH levels. Prior to school opening, Clover School District’s instructional plan focused on the York County metrics listed on the district’s COVID Dashboard because those were the only available data. However, throughout first semester, we have been able to closely track the spread of COVID within our school buildings. While we will continue to monitor York County and 29710 zip code data, our district information we be the leading source on which we will base decisions.
Positive staff and student cases by school are reported daily on the district COVID Data Dashboard found under the Community tab on the district website. Internally, the district also monitors isolations and quarantines within each classroom, grade level, and school. This real-time data allows the district to make more nuanced decisions about when a particular class, grade level, or school should convert to eLearning due to a potential COVID spread while allowing the unaffected areas to continue with in-person learning.
Reporting Student COVID Cases during the holiday break. *VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION
The district has created a link to a Google form which will be sent to all parents via email by your building principal on or before Friday, December 18, 2020. Over the break, CSD will continue to monitor student cases of COVID through this online reporting site. If a student takes a COVID test that results in a positive outcome, please click on the link and complete the COVID reporting form. Only the school nurse will receive the form. She will contact you over the holiday break to contact trace and advise you on when to return to school. It is imperative that parents help us with this reporting so that the district is able to maintain accurate records and ensure a safe return to school on Wednesday, January 6th for all CSD students and staff.
In closing, I want to stress how serious the spread of COVID is in York County at this time. In order for schools to remain open, we must all do our part to reduce the spread. Please make good decisions over the holidays about the size of your gatherings, use of masks in public, and continue social distancing. Thank you for staying the course with us through the first half of our school year. We hope you and your family have a safe, relaxing, and peaceful holiday season.