Dear MPCSD Parents and Guardians,
You may have seen the news that today Governor Newsom alerted counties that they have moved into a more restrictive tier in California’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy, based on increasing Covid cases and positivity throughout the state. San Mateo County has now moved from the Orange, or “moderate,” tier back to the Red, or “substantial” tier. While this change does not impact in-person school, particularly of those that are already opened, the move does remind us that our ability to keep schools open to in-person instruction is vulnerable and requires everyone to remain diligent. The San Mateo County Office of Education issued its own press release specifically describing how the move to the red tier affects schools.
MPCSD’s risk mitigation strategies are successfully keeping COVID spread at bay within our schools. We are hopeful this will continue, but these results are not guaranteed. I encourage MPCSD families and staff to adopt a flexible mindset and to be ready for a move to distance learning if our numbers increase dramatically. The winter months ahead and the increasing cases throughout the state and country will pose challenges. If we want to keep MPCSD open, we all must continue doing our parts. As I frequently do, I implore you to wear your face covering and practice physical distancing whenever you leave your home. And with the holidays coming up, please make safe choices like staying home and celebrating with your household. If you do choose to travel or engage in other high-risk activity, please quarantine 14 days upon your return. Our teachers will work with you to create an independent study plan for your child so they don’t miss out on their learning.
Thank you for your continued support of our health and safety measures and diligent use of our Covid testing events for your children. Should our situation change, I will alert you immediately. Together, we will get through these challenging times.
Sincerely,
Erik
