PCS Superintendent Coronavirus
(COVID-19) Update
November 27, 2020
Parents/Guardians/Staff Members,
Good evening. I hope everyone had a great week.
There is a lot going on right now. We are still offering in-person and remote learning options for students and families. I understand many people did not think that we would make it this far into the school year offering in-person learning. Thank you for your efforts.
Our success is due to a lot of hard work from each and every one of you. Thank you to our students, parents, staff members, and the community for understanding the magnitude of our situation and maintaining a positive attitude and focusing on preventive measures (masks, physical distancing, hand washing, and sanitizing surfaces). I am also 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.”
The new 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 39 active cases in our school district. On the lower left side of the page, active cases are broken down by age group. At the bottom of the page, you can see that the page was last updated at 12:12 PM on Nov. 26, 2020.
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.
The SCHD COVID-19 Risk Dial stayed at 3.0 in the orange (high risk) level this week. As you probably noticed from the data in the SCHD data dashboard, we continue to have low numbers of positive cases for children in our school district boundaries. I will continue to collaborate with the SCHD relative to data in our school district, our community, and the metro Omaha area. That being said, we plan to continue with our in-person and remote learning options for next week.
We have a PCS app! On an Apple device, search for the Plattsmouth Community Schools in the App Store. On an Android device, search for it in the Play Store. Our app includes many quick links to the academic calendar, activities calendars, Blue Devil Television (BDTV), and more. Check out our app today!
If you or someone that you know needs assistance with social/emotional/mental health, please contact one of our school social workers/licensed mental health practitioners (SSW/LMHP) listed below.
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
That being said, 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 three additional teacher planning days for the 2020-2021 school year. Students will not be in school 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.
The additional planning days are Mon., Nov. 30, Fri., Dec. 18, and Fri., Feb. 12. POPS Place and BDA will not be open on these days. Please see the updated district calendar by clicking HERE.
We have some great news! Free meals for all students have been extended to June 30, 2021! Read about it by clicking HERE. As of Mon., Sept. 14, 2020, no student will be charged for a full breakfast or lunch. Seconds and a la carte (including milk) will still be charged to their accounts. This is for in-person and remote learners. Meal pickup for remote learners is now from 1-2 PM daily, with a hot lunch and cold breakfast available for any student participating in remote learning. The CACFP food program at the early childhood center/Head Start does not change right now.
The Reme Halo air purifiers arrived for our buildings. We plan to have them installed over the next few weeks. We are doing this to enhance our safe and healthy learning environment for our students, staff members, and anyone that visits our buildings. 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.
The PCS molecular test is preferred over the antigen test, per feedback from the SCHD.
SCHD COVID Investigation Oct 2 2020
SCHD Required Screening Exclusion and Re-Admittance Nov 11 2020
NALHD COVID Investigation School Setting Sept 21 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
Directed Health Measure (DHM) for Sarpy and Cass Counties Sept 1 2020
SCHD School Quarantine Recommendations
Activities Document
PHS Letter – Attendance During COVID-19 Revised Oct 27 2020
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)
In-Person and Remote Learning
As a reminder, if you have concerns with your child attending school in-person, we have the option of remote learning available for you. If you are interested in remote learning, please contact the building principal where your child attends school.
Let's continue to be thankful for who we have in our school district and our community.
We’ve got this Blue Devil Nation! Let’s do this, together. Our kids need you. Stay the course and do what is right to flatten the curve. Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving! #PLATTSMOUTHSTRONG!
Best regards,
Superintendent Dr. Richard E. Hasty
I anticipate that our PCS Fall 2020 Return to School Protocols and the brief overview document will answer many of your questions, but we also developed a frequently asked questions (FAQ) document that is available by clicking HERE. This document will be an ongoing work in progress as we progress into the 2020-2021 school year.
Congratulations to our 2020 Board of Education members and newly elected officers representing Blue Devil Nation!
The Plattsmouth Education Foundation awarded education grants to Kristen Allen, Emma Shaner, Marla Smith, and Becky Stoskopf. Congratulations!
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.
