KPBSD COVID-19 Confirmed Case in School Response Matrix Letter Examples

Dear KPBSD Parents and Guardians,

This letter will help your family prepare should our school district or your school have a COVID-19 event occur. An event could be a positive COVID-19 case, outbreak (two or more positive cases in a school) or exposure to COVID-19 in a school. The health and safety of our students, staff, and families is our top priority.

KPBSD works closely with local public health officials and they will provide support and direction to manage every COVID-19 related scenario that affects our school communities. If or when a COVID-19 event occurs related to your school, you will receive information via the usual school and district communication methods. Depending upon the situation and response needed by you, the contact may come via a phone call, email, alert, or general notification.

KPBSD honors HIPAA and FERPA privacy laws, so your name and your child’s name will not be revealed by the school, unless you give the school permission to do so. A dedicated webpage at KPBSD.org is where to find the most up to date information.

If your child receives a positive COVID-19 test result, and they have been at school two days prior to the onset of symptoms, or the testing date that resulted in a positive test result, it will be helpful to begin contact tracing at their school immediately. So, we need your help when you learn of a positive COVID-19 test result for your child. Call Nurse Iris, KPBSD Nursing Supervisor to confidentially report a positive COVID-19 test result. You can reach her at 907.260.2391, IWertz@kpbsd.k12.ak.us. ALternately, call your school nurse or administrator.

It is important for everyone in our community to protect themselves against the remarkably contagious novel coronavirus. These are some ways to protect your family:

Symptom Free School Protocol: keep children who are sick at home -- do not send them to school
Teach your children to wash hands with soap and water for 20 seconds, and set a good example by doing this yourself
Teach your children to cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or by coughing into the inside of their elbow, Be sure to set a good example by doing this yourself
Time and distance: teach your children to protect your family bubble or their school cohort, and practice physical distancing of about six feet away from others
Mask up with a cloth face covering when appropriate, especially indoors in crowded public places, on the school bus, and in school hallways. Grades 3 and older in the KPBSD wear a mask at school when six foot physical distancing is not possible

When you have COVID-19 related questions, contact your school nurse, healthcare provider, local public health department, or visit the state DHSS or national CDC websites. You can find specific information for the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District on our dedicated COVID-19 in KPBSD Hub webpage that includes communication updates, safety protocols, 2020 Smart Start Plan, sports and activities, risk levels on the Kenai Peninsula, and the COVID-19 Confirmed Casae in School Response Matrix. Your school is always available to help, or you can reach out to the school district COVID-19 line at 907.714.8864, email covid19@kpbsd.org, or visit covid19.kpbsd.org.

This year will require adaption, a flexible mindset, and we will get through this with both challenges and blessings. We promise to communicate often, be proactive and swiftly reactive when necessary, even when we do not have all the answers. Superintendent John O’Brien reminds us, “We will focus on and provide for the social, emotional, and mental health needs of our students, staff, parents, and community. I have no doubt that together we will not only get through this new school year but will also hopefully become more resilient and empathic to the needs of others.”

School Exposure Letter Templates

Scenario	Modify letter #	Communication To
1 student or staff with COVID-19 in a class or cohort	Letter #1	Parents or Guardians of all students in the class or cohort
Outbreak of COVID-19 in a class or cohort	Letter #2	Parents or Guardians of all students in the class or cohort
1 (or more) student or staff with COVID-19 in multiple classes or cohorts	Letter #3	Parents or Guardians of all students who are determined to be close contacts of a case of COVID-19 in the school
School outbreak	Letter #3 AND Letter #4	Parents or Guardians of all students who are determined to be close contacts of a case of COVID-19 in the school AND Parents or Guardians of students who were determined not to be close contacts of cases of COVID-19 in the outbreak

Letter 1: Students in the classroom or cohort bubble with a single case of COVID-19

Dear Parents and Guardians,

This communication is a follow-up to a phone call you have received. A student or staff member in [Teacher's name] class has been diagnosed with COVID-19, and as members of the school community, we understand that this raises care and concerns. Each case of COVID-19 is interviewed by public health. As part of this public health investigation and contact tracing at school, and based on CDC guidance and Alaska DHSS protocols:

The person diagnosed is being kept home from school until they are no longer infectious.
The person's activities when they could have spread COVID-19 were assessed.
The people who were close contacts of the person with COVID-19 are instructed to stay home from school for 14 days after the exposure. This is called quarantine and there is no way to test out of a 14-day quarantine when someone is identified as a close contact.

Because it is not possible to assess all interactions in a classroom and because of the length of time that classes spend together, all classroom or cohort members are considered close contacts. Your child was in the same class or group as the person diagnosed with COVID-19, so your child must follow quarantine instructions and stay home from school for 14 days. If you have children in other classes, they can still go to school unless their sibling gets sick, or receives a positive COVID-19 test result.

Your child can return to school and normal activities on [date 14 days after the last day the person with COVID-19 was in the classroom]. During this time, your child should stay home and not go to other schools, activities, childcares, or other activities around other people. Instructions about how to quarantine are available here.

All KPBSD students have the option of 100% Remote Learning with their school. Your school will work with you to make certain your child has what they need to continue learning at home while in quarantine.

KPBSD honors HIPAA and FERPA privacy laws, so the identity of a student or employee will not be revealed by the school or KPBSD, unless permission is given to do so.

If your child develops symptoms consistent with COVID-19:

Follow these isolation instructions
Have your child tested
Continue to keep your child home from school and avoid other activities around other people
Notify the school principal, nurse, or KPBSD Nurse Iris
Seek medical care and testing for COVID-19, calling your doctor before you show up

Public Health may recommend or you may choose to have your child tested for COVID-19 a week after they were around the person with COVID-19, even if your child does not have symptoms. A negative test result does not mean that your child will not develop symptoms or become sick after the test. A negative test result means that your child did not have COVID-19 detected at the time of testing. A negative test will not allow your child to come back to school or attend other activities sooner. Medical insurance may not cover the cost of testing for people without symptoms.

If you have questions, kindly contact [insert name of school principal or nurse contact] or our local public health agency [insert contact]. You can find specific information for the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District on our dedicated COVID-19 in KPBSD Hub webpage that includes communication updates, safety protocols, 2020 Smart Start Plan, sports and activities, risk levels on the Kenai Peninsula, and the COVID19 Confirmed Case in School Response Matrix.

CONTINUED

Letter 2: Students in the classroom or cohort bubble with an outbreak of COVID-19

Dear Parents and Guardians,

This communication is a follow-up to a phone call you have received. We have learned there is an outbreak of COVID-19 in [Teacher's name] class. That means two or more students or staff have been diagnosed with COVID-19, and we understand that this raises care and concerns. Each case of COVID-19 is interviewed by public health. As part of this public health investigation and contact tracing at school, and based on CDC guidance and Alaska DHSS protocols:

The people diagnosed are being kept home from school until they are no longer infectious.
The people's mask use, social distancing, and activities while infectious were assessed.
The people who were close contacts of the persons with COVID-19 are instructed to stay home from school for 14 days after the exposure. This is called quarantine and there is no way to test out of a 14-day quarantine when someone is identified as a close contact.

Because it is not possible to assess all interactions in a classroom and because of the length of time that classes spend together, all classroom or cohort members are considered close contacts. Your child was in the same class or group as the person diagnosed with COVID-19, so your child must follow quarantine instructions and stay home from school for 14 days. If you have children in other classes, they can still go to school unless their sibling gets sick, or receives a positive COVID-19 test result.

KPBSD honors HIPAA and FERPA privacy laws, so the identity of a student or employee will not be revealed by the school or KPBSD, unless permission is given to do so.

If your child develops symptoms consistent with COVID-19:

Follow these isolation instructions
Have your child tested
Continue to keep your child home from school and avoid other activities around other people
Notify the school principal, nurse, or KPBSD Nurse Iris
Seek medical care and testing for COVID-19, calling your doctor before you show up

If you have questions, kindly contact [insert name of school principal or nurse contact] or our local public health agency [insert contact].

You can find specific information for the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District on our dedicated COVID-19 in KPBSD Hub webpage that includes communication updates, safety protocols, 2020 Smart Start Plan, sports and activities, risk levels on the Kenai Peninsula, and the COVID19 Confirmed Case in School Response Matrix.

Letter 3: Students determined to be close contacts of a COVID-19 case outside their class or cohort

Dear Parents and Guardians,

This communication is a follow-up to a phone call you have received. Through contact tracing it was determined that your child was in close contact with a student or staff member who has been diagnosed with COVID-19. We understand that this raises care and concerns, and each case of COVID-19 is interviewed by public health. As part of this public health investigation and contact tracing at school, and based on CDC guidance and Alaska DHSS protocols:

The person diagnosed is being kept home from school until they are no longer infectious.
The person's mask use, social distancing, and activities while infectious were assessed.
The people who were close contacts of the person with COVID-19 are instructed to stay home from school for 14 days after the exposure. This is called quarantine and there is no way to test out of a 14-day quarantine when someone is identified as a close contact.

KPBSD honors HIPAA and FERPA privacy laws, so the identity of a student or employee will not be revealed by the school or KPBSD, unless permission is given to do so.

If your child develops symptoms consistent with COVID-19:

Follow these isolation instructions
Have your child tested
Continue to keep your child home from school and avoid other activities around other people
Notify the school principal, nurse, or KPBSD Nurse Iris
Seek medical care and testing for COVID-19, calling your doctor before you show up

If you have questions, kindly contact [insert name of school principal or nurse contact] or our local public health agency [insert contact].

You can find specific information for the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District on our dedicated COVID-19 in KPBSD Hub webpage that includes communication updates, safety protocols, 2020 Smart Start Plan, sports and activities, risk levels on the Kenai Peninsula, and the COVID19 Confirmed Case in School Response Matrix.

Letter 4: Students determined NOT to be close contacts of COVID-19 cases during an outbreak

Dear Parents and Guardians,

There is an outbreak of COVID-19 in [School Name], and we understand this raises care and concerns. We do not believe your child was in close contact with anyone with COVID-19. Your child does not need to stay home and observe quarantine or isolation precautions, but it is a good practice to regularly monitor your child for symptoms of COVID-19.

Each case of COVID-19 is interviewed by public health. As part of this public health investigation and contact tracing at school, and based on CDC guidance and Alaska DHSS protocols:
The people diagnosed are being kept home from school until they are no longer infectious.
The people and their mask use, physical or social distancing, and activities while infectious were assessed.

The people who were close contacts of the persons with COVID-19 are instructed to stay home from school for 14 days after the exposure. This is called quarantine and there is no way to test out of a 14-day quarantine when someone is identified as a close contact.

The parents of all students known to have close contact with people with COVID-19 have been notified and instructed to keep their children home. Staff who were in close contact have also been instructed to quarantine.

KPBSD honors HIPAA and FERPA privacy laws, so the identity of a student or employee will not be revealed by the school or KPBSD, unless permission is given to do so.

If your child develops symptoms consistent with COVID-19:

Follow these isolation instructions
Have your child tested
Continue to keep your child home from school and avoid other activities around other people
Notify the school principal, nurse, or KPBSD Nurse Iris
Seek medical care and testing for COVID-19, calling your doctor before you show up

Public Health does not recommend COVID-19 testing for your child. A negative test result does not mean that your child will not develop symptoms or become sick after the test. A negative test result means that your child did not have COVID-19 detected at the time of testing. Medical insurance may not cover the cost of testing for people without symptoms.

If you have questions, kindly contact [insert name of school principal or nurse contact] or our local public health agency [insert contact].

You can find specific information for the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District on our dedicated COVID-19 in KPBSD Hub webpage that includes communication updates, safety protocols, 2020 Smart Start Plan, sports and activities, risk levels on the Kenai Peninsula, and the COVID19 Confirmed Case in School Response Matrix.