Last Updated on September 3, 2021 by Cass County Online
The following message was sent by Lewis Cass Superintendent Tim Garland tonight:
Throughout this past year and a half, the parents, staff, and students have been put to the test when it comes to COVID-19 and the continued changes and mandates that the state or federal government has established. Lewis Cass Schools, as always, has tried to do what is best for our school and our community and adapt to those changes. Constant change is not easy on the school or our community. However, Lewis Cass Schools has always taken into consideration the best interest of students, staff, and the community from a health, safety, and academic standpoint. Currently, we have nine Jr./Sr. High school staff members out as well as many support personnel. With the shortage of substitute teachers and other staff, we are finding it difficult to provide a high-quality education. After reviewing the school’s COVID-19 data and our needs, we are going to make a few changes to ensure we keep our staff and students safe.
VIRTUAL LEARNING
Pre-K through 5th grade will return to school and will have school as normal on September 7th. All students in grades 6 through 12 will have virtual learning from September 7th through September 10th. Students in grades 6 through 12 will return back to school on September 13th.
Also, the administration and school board will be reviewing our Return to school Plan concerning masks. Click this link
The information below is from the link above.
MASKS
On Wednesday, September 8th at 7:00 pm in the high school auditorium, the Lewis Cass School Board will meet in regular session to discuss the wearing of masks under the following conditions and based on the current information from the Indiana Department of Health.
If passed by the school board: Masks will be required effective September 13th while in school and while participating in extra-curricular activities (ECA’s). However, a parent/guardian may sign a waiver to opt their student out of wearing a mask if the parent/guardian believes this is appropriate and safe for their student. It is up to the parent/guardian to determine what is in the best interest of their student in regards to wearing a mask. Per the Federal mandate, masks are always required for all students on the bus.
Close Contact: When both people are masked, in a school setting, close contact is when an individual is within 3 feet of a positive person for greater than 15 minutes. When either person is unmasked, close contact is when an individual has been within 6 feet of an infected person for greater than 15 minutes.
If a close contact, students who meet ONE or more of the following criteria do not have to quarantine:
- Students who are vaccinated (verified by school nurse)
- Students who correctly and consistently wear well-fitted masks.
- Students who have verification of being COVID positive in the last 90 days
If a close contact, students who meet ONE or more of the following criteria do have to quarantine:
- Students who opt-out of wearing a mask AND are not vaccinated
- Students who display COVID symptoms
The quarantine will be for 11 days after the date of last exposure but can be shortened to 7 days with a negative covid test performed in a clinical setting. Parents are expected to self-monitor their children prior to sending them to school daily for the symptoms related to COVID-19. Parents will need to check for: a fever of 100 F, cough, runny nose, congestion, shortness of breath, headache, loss of taste or smell, nausea, fatigue, muscle or body aches, and sore throat. Students with these symptoms should not be sent to school without a different diagnosis. Please encourage your children to wear a mask if you feel it is most appropriate for your student’s health and well-being. If approved, parents/guardians will be receiving an email after the board meeting for a parent/guardian to complete a form for EACH of their children to opt-in or out of wearing a mask. This form must be completed by the parent/guardian to signify if they are opting in or opting out of mask-wearing. Based on our student and staff positive rates we believe this will help cut down on the spread of COVID-19 and will help keep our students safe and present in school, where they learn best.