COVID-19 Info and FAQ (3-14-20)
March 14, 2020
Dear Parents and Guardians,
At Northwood-Kensett Community Schools the health, safety, and well-being of our Family (students and staff) are our top priorities. With the recently elevated discussion regarding COVID-19, we want to answer some possible questions you might have as we return from spring break.
Accurate information is more important than ever. We pledge to share updates with you as quickly as possible, with full transparency and, as always, with community safety foremost in mind.
As a school district, we are closely monitoring the situation and taking guidance from the Iowa Department of Public Health. We are in daily communication with Worth County Public Health.
All parents of the district were sent communication regarding all participants of the Spain Trip, and the recommendation from Worth County Public Health for these individuals, once they returned home. I have also received guidance from Worth County Public Health regarding students and staff that have traveled elsewhere outside the United States over the spring break.
Please go to the following link to find this guidance:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/after-travel-precautions.html . This gives guidance to anyone who has traveled to the Level 3 Travel Health notice countries. If someone has traveled to countries not listed, there is no state recommendation at this time, but things are frequently changing. If someone develops symptoms who has traveled to countries not listed on the Level 3 Travel Health notice, they should contact their primary care provider immediately to get further guidance. If anyone has questions or is seeking guidance, feel free to contact Worth County Public Health at 641-324-1741. If after office hours, call 641-390-0577 to reach Worth County Public Health.
Jessie Reyerson
Administrator
Worth County Public Health
Please take a moment to review this Family FAQ for more information:
Northwood-Kensett Community Schools COVID-19
Frequently Asked Questions - Families
Q. Will Northwood-Kensett Community Schools temporarily close due to COVID-19?
A. As of now, we are not closing. We are following the guidance and expert recommendations of the Iowa Department of Public Health. As of March 13, the IDPH states, “There is currently no known community spread of COVID-19 in Iowa and IDPH is not making any recommendations to cancel planned events and mass gatherings at this time.” These are not decisions that are taken lightly and have been made with significant research and collaboration with medical experts.
Q. What is “community spread”?
A. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines “community spread” as the spread of an illness for which the source of infection is unknown. For example, many of the Iowa COVID-19 cases can be traced back to an Egyptian cruise, that source is KNOWN. Community spread would be where there isn’t a direct tie to a known infection source.
Q. What about people who traveled over spring break?
A. The CDC recommends any students or staff who traveled to a country where the CDC identifies COVID-19 as spreading through community spread, to voluntarily self-isolate for 14 days following their return. Please contact your school and Worth County Public Health, and let them know if you traveled to one of these areas:
China
Europe (Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Monaco, San Marino, Vatican City)
Iran
Japan
South Korea
Q. What about people who traveled to other places over Spring Break?
A. The CDC only recommends people who traveled to areas identified with a Warning Level 3 travel advisory self-quarantine. People who traveled in the United States, Mexico, or other places not identified by the CDC, and are clear to come to school as normal.
Q. What is the Northwood-Kensett Community Schools doing to keep people safe?
A.
- We have ordered additional supplies of hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes.
- Our operations staff performed a routine deep clean over spring break of learning spaces.
- On Monday, teachers are re-teaching basic hygiene skills to all students.
- We regularly clean surfaces that are frequently touched, such as shared desks, countertops, kitchen areas, electronics, and doorknobs. We clean and disinfectant high touch surfaces with US EPA registered disinfectants.
- We are following the Iowa Department of Public Health’s guidance COVID-19 Guidance: PK-12 School Administrators.
Q. Des Moines Public Schools closed and Iowa universities and colleges are canceling "face-to-face" classes, why isn’t Northwood-Kensett Community Schools?
A. Des Moines Public Schools begins spring break on Monday, March 16, 2020, and then will have three days of professional learning after break. They only actually canceled two days of classes, March 26-27. Colleges have students living in dorms on campus and are governed by the Iowa Board of Regents. Students at these educational institutions travel abroad more and are more vulnerable to community spread. Once again, we are following Iowa Department of Public Health recommendations.
Q. Will Northwood-Kensett Community Schools continue to host sporting events, concerts, plays, dances, graduation, and other events?
A. At this time, all events are still on schedule per the guidance of the Iowa Department of Public Health. In the event of any school closures, administrators will be researching our procedures moving forward regarding hosting events, and we plan to release new information about this when or if changes occur. Many statewide events have been cancelled and communication has been sent to the students impacted by these changes.
At this time, we are following the guidance of the Iowa Department of Public Health and as of March 13, the IDPH says, “There is currently no known community spread of COVID-19 in Iowa, and IDPH is not making any recommendations to cancel planned events and mass gatherings at this time.”
Note: We will be moving the date of the play to April 4 and 5 to allow those students on self-isolation to participate.
Q. If the Iowa Department of Public Health recommends schools close, would we use online learning?
A. We will explore this. However, online learning hours do not count as contact hours for the State of Iowa. Therefore, while students could be online, we would still need to find a way to make up the actual contact time, or the state would need to forgive the hours.
Q. What if I want to keep my children home even though school is in session?
A. Keeping your children at home is a family decision for parents to make. If you choose to keep your children at home during this time, please contact your school and let them know you will be keeping your student(s) home, and the reason why.
Q. Do you have enough toilet paper for students and staff?
A. Yes. Northwood-Kensett CSD suppliers are fully stocked, and we can reorder with no supply chain problems.
Q. How can families reinforce hygiene skills teaching at home?
A. You can reduce your risk of infection if you:
- Wash hands frequently with soap and water for 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub with at least 60% alcohol content.
- Cover nose and mouth when coughing and sneezing with a tissue or flexed elbow.
- Stay home when you are sick. Keep students at home until they are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications such as Tylenol or ibuprofen.
- Avoid close contact with anyone with cold or flu-like symptoms.
- Review this document: Germs are everywhere
Q. Where can I stay up-to-date on information?
A. Information on the COVID-19 situation is changing rapidly. We will continue to update you through emails, text, and our Facebook page with the latest information about Northwood-Kensett Community Schools. We also recommend credible websites like the CDC and IDPH for more information.
Q. Who’s making decisions during this event?
A. The Northwood-Kensett Community School district administration is in constant contact regarding COVID-19 and is taking guidance from the Iowa Department of Public Health leaders, who are doing significant research with medical experts. The Northwood-Kensett Community Schools leadership team is also engaging with local public health leadership and emergency management.
Q. What if I have a question that isn’t answered here?
A. You can ask questions by emailing the administration, mcrozier@nkviking.com, bcostello@nkvikings.com, kfritz@nkvikings.com or contacting the Worth County Health Department at (641)324-1741 or (800)765-1388 you may also call 211 for information regarding
COVID-19.
Resources
IDPH Mass Gathering Recommendations (3/12/20)
COVID-19 Guidance: PK-12 School Administrators (3/12/20)
Iowans Returning from Countries Affected by COVID-19 Urged to Self-Isolate (3/3/20)
Charles City Community Schools COVID-19 Action Plan (3/13/20)
Germs are Everywhere (3/13/20)
Lead by example handwashing poster
We will provide updates as we get more information.
Michael R. Crozier
Superintendent of Schools
