As you may be aware, Los Angeles County declared a state of emergency on March 4 as a proactive step to more effectively prepare to respond to COVID-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus.
The World Health Organization has informed the public that the illness does not appear to be easily spread by people who are not experiencing symptoms themselves. This is good news, as it means there is greater likelihood of containing the virus.
While the number of cases in the U.S. remains relatively small, experts expect the figure to grow as testing increases and more individuals seek care.
The well-being of our students and staff is our top priority. Monrovia Unified School District will continue to work closely with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health in a coordinated effort to address the many issues that COVID-19 presents.
Currently, the key recommendations from public health agencies to prevent the spread of coronavirus are to thoroughly wash hands regularly and to keep symptomatic individuals home rather than go to work or school. We echo this recommendation and ask that students with any signs of respiratory illness or flu-like symptoms be kept home.
Monrovia Unified is updating protocols and preparing plans for virtual learning in the event of a prolonged emergency of any kind, including COVID-19. We will share with you any developments that affect our students, staff, families, schools, and our District.
Our team continues to discuss how student learning will continue if one or more schools are temporarily closed. We are developing strategies for providing age-appropriate, remote lessons to students, taking accessibility into consideration, as well as tools for staying connected as a community should it become necessary. We will communicate more details about what this will look like if it becomes necessary.
Finally, I want to take a moment to acknowledge the psychological impact of this situation.
The organized worldwide response has been robust and generally encouraging. However, it has also been a challenge for students (and really our entire community) to process. This New York Times article gives some good strategies on how to talk to children about coronavirus.
I have been struck by the patience, support, and resilience I’ve seen in our community as we tackle these challenges. You are our greatest resource. Should our schools need to close or if the situation changes quickly, we will notify you directly through our regular communication tools. If the situation remains stable, we will continue to provide regular updates.
Sincerely,
Dr. Katherine Thorossian
Superintendent
No comments:
Post a Comment