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Updated COVID Plan:
We have revised our COVID protocol in order to reflect the new recommendations from the CDC. I have included the updates below.
Please remember that we are focusing on in-person learning. Virtual learning is only offered to students who are quarantined due to COVID. Please notify the office if arrangements for virtual learning are necessary due to exposure. We will help determine when it is safe for them to return to school using the guidelines provided to us by the CDC. Please see our COVID protocol for more details. We are doing our best to keep everyone safe but we cannot do it alone. This is a group effort!!
Quarantine Guidelines For Students Who Test Positive For COVID: The following protocol has been revised according to the CDC updates that were released on December 23, 2021. The following guidelines have been taken directly from the CDC press release.
- Given what we currently know about COVID-19 and the Omicron variant, CDC is shortening the recommended time for isolation for the public.
- People with COVID-19 should isolate for 5 days and if they are asymptomatic or their symptoms are resolving (without fever for 24 hours),
- follow that by 5 days of wearing a mask when around others to minimize the risk of infecting people they encounter.
The change is motivated by science demonstrating that the majority of SARS-CoV-2 transmission occurs early in the course of illness, generally in the 1-2 days prior to the onset of symptoms and the 2-3 days after.
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Additionally, CDC is updating the recommended quarantine period for anyone in the general public who is exposed to COVID-19.
- For people who are unvaccinated or are more than six months out from their second mRNA dose (or more than 2 months after the J&J vaccine) and not yet boosted, CDC now recommends quarantine for 5 days followed by strict mask use for an additional 5 days.
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Alternatively, if a 5-day quarantine is not feasible, it is imperative that an exposed person wear a well-fitting mask at all times when around others for 10 days after exposure.
- Individuals who have received their booster shot do not need to quarantine following exposure but should wear a mask for 10 days after the exposure.
- For all those exposed, best practice would also include a test for SARS-CoV-2 at day 5 after exposure. If symptoms occur, individuals should immediately quarantine until a negative test confirms symptoms are not attributable to COVID-19.
If a student has been in close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19, the family will be contacted by the school office. It will be up to parents to determine (based upon their child’s vaccination status, history of exposure to the virus, etc) whether or not they need to quarantine. All students, in school, who were in close contact will be required to:
- Wear a mask in indoor spaces for 10 days after exposure. Monitor for symptoms for 14 days after their last close contact.
- Contact the school if your child develops symptoms or tests positive during this time.
Dress Code Transition:
Just a reminder, St. Gabriel Parish School will begin to implement the Mass Day Dress Code five days a week, as of the 2022-2023 school year. It was nice to see some students in uniform this Monday morning. While it is not required to follow the Mass Day dress code on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, we would like to give families this opportunity to ease their students into this new routine. Please take advantage of this transition time if you are ready to do so. Please refer to the dress code link for more detailed information regarding the dress code for the next school year.
2022-2023 Dress Code Policy
Weather: Closures and Recess
Winter is upon us!! There is definitely a chill in the air this week. I’d like to remind everyone of a couple of things to keep in mind during these cold months. First, please make sure that your child is dressed appropriately every day for winter weather. This includes a hat, mittens, snow pants, and boots. We will be going outside any day that the temperature is above 10 degrees so the appropriate outerwear is necessary. If the temperature (including the wind chill) dips below 10 degrees, we will be staying inside for recess. Since weather can be unpredictable and may change significantly by the afternoon, it is a good habit to always be prepared to go outside.
Secondly, there may be a day this winter that requires us to close the school due to inclement weather. When this occurs, we generally follow Hartford Area Schools since they provide our hot lunch. To be sure, please check the school closings listed on WISN 12, TMJ 4, and/or FOX 6 News. Unless we have an unusual amount of snow days, if St. Gabriel School needs to close due to weather, it will be a “snow day” and not a virtual day. Families will be notified if we need to switch to virtual days in order to meet the required number of instructional minutes required by the Archdiocese and the state of Wisconsin.
Gym Floor:
Speaking of the weather, we need to remember how damaging salt can be on our gym floor. For that reason, we are asking that students avoid wearing the shoes they wear outside to gym class. They can either keep a pair of shoes for gym in their cubby/locker, wear boots to school during the winter, or just bring a separate pair (other than the ones worn to school that day) on gym days.
With the help of the Athletic Association, we were able to purchase a new floor scrubber for the gym floor. This purchase will dramatically decrease the time it takes to clean the floor and will help us keep it clean and safe for everyone that uses the gym. A big thank you to Jeff Poff and the Athletic Association for their contribution to this purchase. Also, we would like to thank Lanae Weyer and Amanda Schulteis for helping us make sure that the floor always looks beautiful and is safe for all of our students.
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