As Mrs. Davis points out in her message, we are glad to see that life is getting back to a more normal status both at school and at home with adults and students in the building having a lot more autonomy over their decision to mask or unmask.
The clinic has had a busy March with 11 confirmed cases of Covid in various classrooms across the school. In all of these cases, symptoms have been mild and the individuals have made speedy recoveries. Most thought they had allergies and were sure their tests would be negative. We are all certainly relieved to see that this chapter of the pandemic is being marked more by nuisance than mortality for our average community member. Nevertheless, it creates some consternation when we have a classroom exposure and some students are required (per diocesan guidance to continue to follow our local Arlington Health Department) to spend a few days out of school while ALL students in the classroom are required to wear a mask for ten days. While I know cases of Covid, unexpected quarantines, and isolations are disruptive to families and may not be proportional to the actual threat of morbidity, this is our present normal. Your continued grace and patience with school staff is greatly appreciated-- I assure you we are as weary of this as you! Along with the RAMP committee and our counterparts at the diocese, I am continuing, as always, to advocate for evidence based policies that promote children in school as much as possible.