COVID-19: What to do when?

 COVID-19 Procedures

 

Questions arise from time to time as different scenarios pop-up in regards to the current health situations we are in.  At this time, I would like to provide some clarity to the Evaluating Sick Students and Staff document with the assistance of the following scenarios.  We hope this helps in your understanding.

 

Scenario #1:  I am Healthy! 

·       See you at school, events or work!

 

Scenario #2:  Students and staff who have symptoms of COVID-19 that test positive or persons with symptoms electing not to be tested and not follow-up with a health care provider should self-isolate at home until:

·       At least 10 days have passed since their symptoms have started AND

·       Fever Free for 24 hours [without the use of fever-reducing medicine] AND symptoms have improved.

 

Scenario #3:  Students and staff who test positive for COVID-19 and do not have any symptoms should self-isolate at home until:

·       At least 10 days have passed since they have tested positive AND NO symptoms since the day of testing.

 

Scenario #4:  Students and staff with symptoms of COVID-19 who test negative AND are not a close contact to a person who tested positive for COVID-19 should self-quarantine at home until 24 hours after their symptoms resolve and consider seeking an alternative diagnosis from your primary caregiver.

 

Scenario #5:  Students and staff with symptoms of COVID-19 who test negative AND are in close contact to a person who tested positive for COVID-19 should self-quarantine at home until:

·       14 days after their last contact to the person who tested positive for COVID-19 and an improvement of symptoms. [This could be as long as 24 days depending on the contact between family members in the home.]

 

Scenario #6:  Students and staff who are a close contact to a person who tested positive for COVID-19 should self-isolate at home until:

·       14 days after their last contact with the person who tested positive for COVID-19. [This could be as long as 24 days depending on the contact between family members in the home.]

 

Scenario #7:

·       Parents, students and staff who have been tested for COVID-19 and are awaiting test results should self-isolate until the tests results are returned.  Family members are able to attend school as long they are asymptomatic.  Please refer to Scenario #6 if the test returns positive.

 

Scenario #8:

·       Previously diagnosed students and staff with COVID-19 and have since recovered and remain asymptomatic:

o   Retesting is NOT recommended within 3 months after the date of symptom onset [or date of test if asymptomatic] for the initial COVID-19 infection.

o   Quarantine is NOT recommended in the event of close contact with an infected person during the three-month period, as long as the previously diagnosed person remains asymptomatic [i.e., has not developed symptoms of a new illness

o   In persons who develop new symptoms consistent with COVID-19 during the 3 months after the date of initial symptom onset [if an alternative etiology cannot be identified by a provided] they should be clinically evaluated as appropriate and re-testing should be considered if there is not an alternate diagnosis.

o   The symptomatic person should be isolated again, if symptoms developed within 14 days after close contact with a new COVID case.

 

Additional Information:

 

·       Definitions:

o   Self-Quarantine:  A person in self-quarantine stays home with no contact to persons outside of the family unit.  If family members have not also been exposed this may change to Self-isolation.

 

o   Self-Isolation:  A person is living in an alternate portion of the home with no contact to anyone including family members for at least 2 days prior to testing positive.  This is done to prevent family members from receiving a primary exposure.

§  If family members are exposed to the positive person by being within 6 feet for 15 minutes or more, that person must also self-quarantine and not attend school or work.  Please review the above scenarios for timelines.

 

·       Symptoms:

o   High Risk Symptoms: [Evaluate Health when 1 symptom presents.]

§  New Cough

§  Shortness of Breath

§  Difficulty Breathing

§  New Loss of Taste and Smell

 

o   Low Risk Symptoms: [Evaluate Health when 2 or more symptoms present.]

§  Fever

§  Headache

§  Sore Throat

§  Congestion

§  Vomiting

§  Fatigue

§  Muscle / Body Aches

§  Runny Nose

§  Nausea

§  Diarrhea

 

 

We hope the above information assists you in evaluating potential health situations.  We cannot say enough how much your assistance in promoting the health and safety of our students, staff, and families is appreciated!

 

 

Thank you!

 

Mr. Darin Jones

AHSTW Community School District

AHSTW Facilities

Hello everyone,

 

Over the final months of the 2019-2020 school year, AHSTW Community Schools and schools across the nation were faced with a virus that changed the idea of what the delivery of instruction looks like.  COVID-19 moved us in a direction that required us to understand how we can effectively provide instruction to students and continue to develop each student’s understanding through the use of on-line learning systems.  During this time, we continued to move forward on other topics, as well.  One such area of discussion was that of our district’s facilities.

 

The communities of our AHSTW School District have promoted the care and upgrade of facilities over the past years and they are certainly a sense of pride for our communities.  The pride and dedication to our facilities is evident with the recent additions of our PK-6 building, the new HS science and 7^th-8^th grade classroom addition, the new athletic complexes along with the new weight room, wrestling [multi-purpose] room, and locker rooms.  These have all been great additions to our district and supports for our students.

 

In an effort to continue providing excellent facilities for our community and future generations, AHSTW Community School District commissioned SitelogIQ last fall to assist us in developing a Master Facility Plan.  SiteLogIQ’s engagement began with interviews with staff members to help them better understand the needs within our building.  Actions then progressed into inspections of our facilities and mechanical systems.  The inspections certainly will assist us in projecting the life expectancy of our systems and prioritizing any updates.  The report has been completed, summarized and shared with the AHSTW Board of Education during the spring of the year.  The information shared in the report was valuable and completes Phase I of our facility planning process.

 

With the conclusion of Phase I we arrived at a decision point.  The decision point required us to determine how we would like to proceed and if we would like to continue forward with SitelogIQ, as they provide many services up to the completion of any and all potential projects.  At July’s Regular Board Meeting, it was decided to extend our relationship with SiteLogIQ and enter into a Professional Services Agreement with them.

 

The Professional Services Agreement [PSA] provides many benefits and services to our district.  The services provided by SiteLogIQ include:

 

·      Community Engagement Activities

·      Prioritization of Projects

·      Project Design

·      Evaluation of Funding Options

·      Oversight of Project Bidding

·      Construction

·      Final Commissioning of the Project

 

We are excited to enter Phase II of our Facility Planning process.  Phase II allows us to share concepts, ideas, and the needs with our communities.  In addition to the opportunity to share, we also gain a great opportunity to listen to your ideas for the continued development of our school facilities to assist us in serving students far into the future.

 

Please be looking for future communications, surveys and invitations to potential focus group meetings regarding our facilities, as your input is appreciated.  Please know these communications may be provided by either AHSTW Community Schools or SitelogIQ.  We hope you are able to attend and assist in our planning process.

 

 

Respectfully,

 

Mr. Darin Jones

Superintendent

AHSTW Community School District

I was going to be a teacher...

Good afternoon,

Over many years people have shared with me that they had once thought about teaching as a career.  For some reason or another they decided to follow a different career path, but teaching had continued to be a thought in their mind.  Unfortunately, now they just were not able to go back to get the teaching degree they once considered.  Maybe you have once had that thought.  If you did, I have an opportunity for you to consider!

The State of Iowa created a pathway to the classroom in the form of a substitute authorization.  This license will provide you the opportunity follow the path you once had pondered and will allow you to share your passion for learning with our students.  Please review the following information and contact us as we would enjoy talking to you about how we can help.

So, how can you become a Substitute Teacher for AHSTW?

The following information shares the requirements needed to qualify for licensure through the Iowa Board of Education Examiners.

Requirements:

·      Bachelor’s degree or higher

·      Completion of an Approved Substitute Authorization Course

o   Iowa Western Community College

Length of Certificate:

·      5 years

What can I do with my authorization?

·      Substitute for a contracted teacher out on leave in any subject area in grades PK-12.

·      Substitute up to 10 days per month and is limited to 5 days in a row in the same assignment.

Renewals:

·      2 renewal credits

·      Completion of Mandatory Reporting training

Please contact Mrs. Kock, Mrs. Rold, Mr. Embrock or me with any interest.  We would enjoy talking with you about it!

Respectfully,

Mr. Darin Jones

Superintendent

AHSTW Community Schools

AHSTW Softball & Baseball Guidelines for COVID-19 Preventions

Hello everyone,

We are excited to announce that both baseball and softball activities have been approved to begin on June 1, 2020.  Since the announcement last week we have been working with the Department of Education, Iowa High School Athletic Association and the Iowa Girls’ High School Athletic Union to develop guidelines and best practice to allow us to provide these opportunities in a safe setting for all participants and spectators.  

At this time we are prepared to share those practices.  We ask that you review the following information prior to attending our summer activities.

General Health Information:

●      Signage will be posted at all entrances indicating no one should attend or participate if they currently have symptoms or have been in contact with anyone with a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis in the last 14 days.

●      Student-athletes and coaches will be required to take their temperature at home before coming to practice or games. If a student-athlete’s temperature is 100.4 degrees or higher the

student-athlete or coach will be required to stay home. This needs to be done at home before attending practice or game and is the responsibility of the athlete.

●      Anyone exhibiting symptoms should not attend practice or game; must remain fever free without medication for 72 hours and symptom free.

●      Any athlete showing symptoms of illness will not be allowed to practice or play. Please consider consulting a physician with any of the following symptoms:

○      Fever of 100.4 degrees or higher

○      Shortness of breath

○      Sore Throat

○      Loss of taste or smell

○      Headaches

○      Body aches

○      Nasal congestion

○      Nausea

○      Vomiting

○      Diarrhea

○      Conjunctivitis (pink eye)

○      Positive COVID-Test

*** Parents or players please contact your coach if you have symptoms of illness and need to miss practice or a game. Coaches are required to have players showing symptoms of illness to not participate or attend practices or games.

●      Participants may be asked to report their temperature or subject to temperature checks by district personnel.

●      Pre-existing health conditions must be reported to our coaches and athletic department immediately.

●      Return to Participate:

○      Student-athletes must be fever free without the use of medication for 72 hours before returning and symptom free. [Per Recommendations from the CDC, Department of Education, IGHSAU, & IHSAA]

●      AHSTW Community Schools will follow the guidance and procedures of the Iowa Department of Public Health in the case of a positive COVID-19 test.

●      We ask that all athletes for baseball and softball have their own personal hand sanitizer for practices and games. Use of hand sanitizer is encouraged throughout practices and games.

●      Coaches are responsible for tracking absences for the purpose of noting potential COVID-19 cases.

Reporting Protocol:

●      Coach will take attendance each day

●      If player is absent, coach will call player to find out why

●      If player is absent due to illness the coach will talk with parent and inform parent the school nurse will be calling to follow up with some health questions

●      School nurse will check for COVID-19 symptoms

○      If no symptoms of COVID-19: follow 72 hour rule

○      If symptoms of COVID-19: nurse will recommend consulting a physician

●      If COVID-19 positive: the school will follow the guidance from the Pottawattamie County Public Health

Guidance:

●     Participants should follow any further guidance or requirements issued by the Governor of Iowa, the Iowa Department of Public Health, the Iowa High School Athletic Association, and Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union or other authority governing participation in Iowa public school district extracurricular activities.

Practice Procedures: [Team]

●      Student-athletes and coaches will be required to take their temperature at home before coming to practice and may need to report it to the coach. [100.4 degrees] Coaches may also check temperatures prior to practice if necessary.

●      Equipment will be sterilized before and after practices

●      Players should use their own gloves, bats, and helmets as much as possible.

●      Student-athletes are encouraged to NOT share their own equipment with teammates during practice. Personal items must be disinfected before and after each practice.

●      No dugout use is allowed during practice; players gear will be spread out 6 feet apart

●      Team meetings or huddles must be socially distanced

●      Coaches are responsible for ensuring social distancing is maintained between players as much as possible. This means additional spacing between players while playing catch, changing drills so that players remain spaced out, and no congregating of players while waiting to bat.

●      No sunflower seeds are allowed.

●      Athletes are required to bring their own water bottle or water jug to practice. NO SHARING DRINK OR FOOD ITEMS

●      No water fountains or hydrants will be available during practices or games.

●      Parents must remain in their cars or drop off and pick up players after practice. Players reporting to and leaving practices are not allowed to congregate in parking lots and must follow social distancing guidelines. Parent contact with coaches should be done through email, phone calls, or other electronic communication if at all possible.

●      Masks may be worn in the dugout, during practice, and in the field but not required to do so unless it becomes required by local or state officials.

Game Procedures: [Team]

●      Student-athletes and coaches will be required to take their temperature at home before coming to practice and may need to report it to the coach. [100.4 degrees]

●      Equipment will be sterilized before and after games.

●      Players should use their own gloves, bats, and helmets as much as possible.

●      Student-Athletes are encouraged to NOT share their own equipment with teammates during games. Personal items must be disinfected before and after each game.

●      Social Distancing is required around batting cages and while in lines for drills.

●      Dugout allowed to be used for games. JV Players are expected to be socially distanced in the stands while Varsity is playing. This expectation will also be expected during JV games. Varsity players will be expected to be in the bleachers to provide more room in the dugout.

●      No sunflower seeds are allowed.

●      Athletes are required to bring their own water bottle or water jug to games. NO SHARING DRINK OR FOOD ITEMS

●      No water fountains or hydrants will be available during practices or games.

●      At the end of the game, our team will acknowledge the other team from in front of our dugout by a wave or tip of the hat.

●      Parents must remain in their cars or drop off and pick up players after games. Players reporting to and leaving games are not allowed to congregate in parking lots and must follow social distancing guidelines. Parent contact with coaches should be done through email, phone calls, or other electronic communication if at all possible.

●      Masks may be worn in the dugout, during warm-ups, and in the field during games but not required to do so unless it becomes required by local or state officials.

●      No team meals can be provided

Game Procedures: [Fans]

●      Spectators SHOULD NOT attend if currently showing symptoms or if they have been in contact with someone confirmed positive of COVID-19 in the last 14 days or if they are experiencing any of the symptoms listed above in the general health information section.

●      NO concession stands - coolers are acceptable at home games but must be limited to use by single households and contain no alcohol or tobacco products.

●      No sunflower seeds are allowed.

●      It will be the responsibility of the fans to practice social distancing during games. Family units are allowed to sit together, but are expected to be 6’ apart from other attendees.

●      Spectators will be asked to respect Social Distancing Rules and that younger children attending games remain with parents in the seating areas.

○      Areas will be designated down both foul lines and in the outfield for spectator seating. We ask that families sit together in an area with no crossover..

●      Bleachers will be closed to attendees during the game. Please bring a lawn chair or stand during the competition.

●      Masks may be worn but not required to do so unless it becomes required by local or state officials

●      Restrooms will be available. Please be sure to wash hands after using and limit the number of

people in the restroom when possible.

●      No team meals can be provided

●      Parents must remain in their cars or drop off and pick up players after games. Fans attending games are not allowed to congregate in parking lots and must follow social distancing guidelines. Parent contact with coaches should be done through email, phone calls, or other electronic communication if at all possible.

Game Admission:

●      There will be a $5.00 entry fee for all adults. 12th grade and under are FREE. School passes are still honored. Having exact change would be very helpful when paying to limit extra interaction for our ticket taker.

Transportation Plan:

●      AHSTW will continue to transport teams to away athletic events.

●      Parents do have the option to transport kids to away games after signing the transportation waiver (waiver will be provided with the preseason information)

●      We will promote social distancing on the bus and seat students appropriately; masks will be worn per Iowa Department of Education guidelines

●      One bus per team may be used. [Baseball / Softball]