PCS Superintendent Coronavirus
(COVID-19) Update
FEBRUARY 26, 2021
Parents/Guardians/Staff Members,
Good evening. We are getting close to daylight savings time. I also saw many 50-degree temperatures and one for 60 degrees in the forecast. Hopefully, everyone can get outside and enjoy the warmer weather.
We are pleased to announce that Sarpy/Cass Health Department has confirmed COVID-19 vaccinations will begin for educators on Sat., Mar. 6, 2021. Based on student enrollment numbers, each school district will be provided a percentage of the total vaccinations available each week throughout the two-county area. Each school district will help coordinate the scheduling of the vaccinations for their employees. Priority tiers for the vaccinations will be for individuals working directly with students then by age within that group. We will work with the SCHD to make the process as seamless as possible, given the current situation. Please be patient with everyone.
Unfortunately, there also appear to be some scams relative to COVID-19 vaccinations. Click HERE for information about COVID-19 vaccination scams.
There have also been some questions relative to quarantine for various situations. Please read the questions and answers below.
The Sarpy/Cass Health Department (SCHD) dashboard is available at https://bit.ly/2UOksXz. As you can see from the graphic above, the second column from the right includes active cases for all residents living within each school district. This data is not limited to enrolled students and is intended to include anyone from birth to age 80+ years of age.
If you click on Plattsmouth, you can see there are 17 active cases in our school district boundaries compared to 19 for last week. Keep up the great work with mitigation strategies.
I believe it is important to point out that this does not account for students that option into our out of our school district, since it includes all residents that live in our school district boundaries. Regardless, the data provides a snapshot that is more informative than looking at aggregated data for Sarpy and Cass counties together.
We have some data to share relative to positive cases. The data below includes positive case percentages for students and staff members in our school district since the start of the school year. The data is accurate as of February 26, 2021. The information includes individuals that tested positive for COVID-19 at any point during the school year.
If you or someone in your household tests positive for COVID-19 or is exposed to a positive person, please notify the building principal or nurse at the building where your child is enrolled in school. Prompt communication will help us respond in a timely manner to help limit the spread of the virus so we can continue with in-person learning, remote learning, and activities for our students.
The SCHD COVID-19 Risk Dial remains at 2.00 between the yellow (moderate risk) and the orange (high risk) levels this week. I will continue to collaborate with the SCHD relative to data in our school district, our community, and the metro Omaha area.
Per the SCHD, "For months our residents have been diligent with following public health non-pharmaceutical interventions like social distancing, mask-wearing, and staying home while ill, which all have contributed to the decline in the risk of spread of COVID-19 in our communities. While progress has been made, we do still remain in a pandemic. We encourage our residents to remain vigilant with these interventions to keep the trend moving in the right direction.
For more information on the risk dial, visit https://sarpycasshealthdepartment.org/."
I meet weekly with the Sarpy/Cass Health Department when school is in session to discuss data and information from the local, state, and national levels. These meetings help inform local discussions relative to protocols in our school district.
High school activities attendance protocols are reviewed at the beginning of each week that school is in session by high school activities director Keith Maly, high school principal Todd Halvorsen, and me. The latest update is included below. Our safety team will also be reviewing our return to school protocols late next week.
UPDATE for the week of FEB. 22, 2021: Our most recent high school activities protocol documents are included below. If you have questions regarding the protocols, please contact kmaly@pcsd.org.
The latest NSAA guidance for winter activities is available by clicking HERE. The updated PHS winter activities protocols are available by clicking HERE. If you have questions or concerns relative to the PHS winter activities protocols, please follow our Board of Education's protocol for addressing concerns that is available by clicking HERE. Thank you for your support of the Plattsmouth Community Schools as we strive to continue throughout the 2020-2021 school year with in-person learning, remote learning, and activities for our students.
Based on information from the CDC at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/if-you-are-sick/quarantine.html, there are some options that can be considered for quarantine, in addition to staying home for 14-days after your last contact with a person who has COVID-19. A school district can consider, but is not required to implement, the options of a 7-day quarantine (with specific conditions) and a 10-day quarantine (with specific conditions), instead of the regular 14-day quarantine. Information about these options is available at the link to the CDC website shown above.
PCS offers the two quarantine options listed below for students and staff members.
Quarantine Option 1 at PCS:
Quarantine may discontinue without testing under the following conditions:
-at least ten (10) days have passed since the quarantined individual's last Close Contact (see the definition in the DHM) exposure AND
-has had no symptom development AND
-is monitored twice daily for a fever of 100.4 degrees F or above and symptom development from day 11 through day 14 since the last Close Contact (see the definition in the DHM) exposure AND
-wears a facial covering (such as a cloth mask) through day 14 since the last Close Contact.
*In this scenario, the facial covering must also be worn at all times during a competition on days 11 through 14, if the student is involved in extra-curricular activities.
Note: If the COVID-19 symptoms develop during the individual's quarantine period, the individual should seek testing. If the individual tests positive for COVID-19, then the individual moves to isolation.
Quarantine Option 2 at PCS:
Quarantine may discontinue under the following conditions:
-at least fourteen (14) days have passed since the quarantined individual's last close contact (see the definition in the DHM) exposure AND
-has had no symptom development.
Note: If the COVID-19 symptoms develop during the individual's quarantine period, the individual should seek testing. If the individual tests positive for COVID-19, then the individual moves to isolation.
We understand that some people might be pleased with these options, while others might have hoped for more options or fewer options. We believe these options provide an appropriate balance between quarantine and the health and safety of students and staff members. If you have questions regarding your child's current quarantine, please contact the school nurse where your child attends school.
I also believe it is important to point out that all PCS students and staff members that are considered high-risk close contacts by the SCHD must quarantine unless they have been COVID-19 positive in the last 3 months or staff members have been fully vaccinated (received both doses), regardless of exceptions that might be allowed for consideration by a DHM or the NSAA. Individuals may choose the 10-day or the 14-day quarantine. This is being implemented for the health and safety of our students and staff members at PCS. Thank you for your support.
I am very appreciative of the communication from our families when there is a positive case in their households. Timely communication with PCS helps everyone respond quickly to mitigate the spread of the virus and “flatten the curve.”
On Fri., Jan. 22, 2021, our PCS Safety Team reviewed our Return to School Protocols. Our safety team includes school social workers, school psychologists, nurses, administrators, and several non-certified staff members. The updated protocols are posted HERE. We plan to review the protocols again on Thu., Mar. 11, 2021.
Additionally, our safety team reviewed our quarantine options at PCS. After consideration of many factors including, but not necessarily limited to, patron feedback, PCS COVID-19 data, risk data from the Centers for Disease Control relative to quarantine options, and the mental health of students and staff members, we decided to continue offering two (10-day and 14-day) quarantine options for students and staff members. We plan to review our quarantine options each month. The next meeting is scheduled for Mar. 11.
In addition to implementing the COVID-19 protocols, our faculty and staff members have been working very hard to create robust learning environments for both in-person students and remote students. This often requires additional time and preparation and adjusting the plans as we learn more in this environment. We added additional teacher planning days on Nov. 30, Dec. 18, Feb. 12, April 6, and May 20 (formerly a 1/2 day for students) for the 2020-2021 school year. Students will not be in session on these days.
I believe the additional planning days will allow teachers to continue planning robust learning experiences for in-person students and remote students in our unique COVID-19 environment. Students will not be in session on these days. POPS Place and BDA will not be open on these days. Please see the updated district calendar by clicking HERE.
Due to several inclement weather days, we might have to make up some days to meet our instructional hours for the Nebraska Department of Education (NDE). Stay tuned for more information.
Click HERE for an article from Jennifer S. Miller entitled The Courageous Now: A Lesson in Thriving During Tough Times for Ourselves and Our Children.
If you or someone you know needs assistance with social/emotional/mental health, please contact one of our four school social workers/licensed mental health practitioners (SSW/LMHP).
Early Childhood/Head Start: Bri Renninger, brenninger@pcsd.org
Elementary School: Sarah Coniglio, sconiglio@pcsd.org
Middle School: Sara Barada, sbarada@pcsd.org
High School: Keryl Mines, kmines@pcsd.org
PCS and OPAA! plan to start offering free weekend meals for students starting Fri., Feb. 19, 2021. If you are interested in receiving free weekend meals for your kids, please complete the survey at https://forms.gle/VQfyGyHrdjrsp6De6. Please complete this survey even if you completed a previous meal survey.
Meals are available to all PCS students, regardless of income. Meals will need to be picked up at the main entrance to the middle school every Friday between 3:30 PM and 4:30 PM and will include two breakfasts and two lunches per child. Thank you.
We installed Reme Halo air purifiers to enhance our safe and healthy learning environments for our students, staff members, and anyone that visits our buildings. With the Reme Halo air purifiers, we should have some of the cleanest indoor air in the surrounding geographical area. Learn more about Reme Halo at https://www.rgf.com/products/air/reme-halo.
Information about COVID-19 test sites is available below.
-Nebraska Medicine at 402-559-0041.
-Bellevue Intermediate Care Nebraska Medicine at 402-559-7800. 6:00 PM start time. Call ahead from a parking stall on the south side by the pharmacy parking area.
-Visit www.testnebraska.com to complete an assessment and sign up for an appointment at a drive-through testing site offered through the State of Nebraska.
-OneWorld Community Health Center, 4920 South 30th St., Omaha, NE. Testing is for OneWorld patients with symptoms. Call 402-734-4110 for an appointment.
-Charles Drew Health Centers, 2915 Grant Street and 5319 North 30th St., Omaha, NE. Call 402-451-3553 for an appointment.
-CVS Minute Clinics. Visit https://www.cvs.com/minuteclinic/covid-19-testing to schedule an appointment. Locations include 14460 West Maple Road, 4840 Dodge Street, and 6901 South 84th St., Omaha, NE.
-University of Nebraska Medical Center at 50th and G, Omaha, NE. Visit https://is.gd/sohatest to schedule an appointment.
Let’s stay on our positive path with the implementation of the protocols. If you see a friend not following the protocols, remind them to wear a mask and maintain 6 feet of physical distance whenever possible, along with regular handwashing. If you are sick, stay home. I believe we can do this together, if we remain diligent with our protocols.
PCS does not accept a negative test result from a rapid (antigen) test. If you have questions regarding COVID-19 tests, please contact a school nurse.
SCHD COVID Investigation Oct 2 2020
Screening, Exclusion, and Re-Admittance of Ill Students and Staff Members Nov 11 2020
PCS 2020-2021 Return to School Documents
PCS Fall 2020 Return to School Protocols
PCS Protocol Brief Overview Document
PCS Protocol Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Document
State of Nebraska (Governor Pete Ricketts)
https://governor.nebraska.gov/
Nebraska Department of Education (Commissioner Dr. Matt Blomstedt)
Sarpy/Cass Health Department (Director Sarah Schram)
https://www.sarpycasshealthdepartment.org/
Plattsmouth Community Schools (Dr. Richard E. Hasty)
The Plattsmouth Community School District will use program-based budgeting (PBB) to plan for the 2021-2022 fiscal year. The process provides a mechanism for establishing and funding the highest priorities for our district. Our goal is to focus attention on programs and services that have a consistent track record of assisting the district in meeting the mission and goals.
Click HERE for a brief overview of the PBB process. Click HERE for the detailed PBB document.
Stay the course. Have a safe week!
Thank you for your support of the Plattsmouth Community Schools! #PLATTSMOUTHSTRONG!
Best regards,
Superintendent Dr. Richard E. Hasty
Campus Parent Portal will have a new look beginning July 9th. When you log into your parent portal it will look different. See below for instructions on how to navigate through your new portal. Remember to download the new app. The old app will be removed from the app store soon.
If you still need to register your student, click on the tab For Parents then Infinite Campus. Once you have logged into your portal, select “MORE” from the dropdown menu on the left-hand side of your portal page to access the Online Registration link. Click on “Online Registration” to begin.
Thank you to everyone that provided input into our PCS strategic planning process. Click the title above for more information.
