Dear Parents,
As a school, we make the health and safety of your children our number one priority. We all want to be healthy so we can be at Virginia Chance School every day! (You may have noticed that we have been putting our flu precautions information back in our enews for the last few weeks because the flu virus is still among us. Thank you for reading this and following the procedures.).
I want you to know that we are already discussing and planning in order to be proactive with the recent Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19). We have been keeping informed in several ways: 1.) by regularly keeping abreast and updated through the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website, 2.) by following their guidance in “Administrators of US Childcare Programs and K-12 Schools to Plan, Prepare, and Respond to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)”, 3.) by making sure we view their regular press conferences, 4.) by regularly keeping abreast and updated through the World Health Organization’s (WHO) website and press conferences, and 5.) staying informed and abreast of both our state and local health agencies.
Here are some general facts and guidelines that we hope are helpful to you:
- Currently, there is not a coronavirus pandemic in the United States. There are a small number of coronavirus cases in the US, and none in Louisville or Kentucky as of March 3.
- There is currently no approved vaccine to protect against COVID-19.
- At this point, the best way to prevent infection is to avoid being exposed to the virus that causes it.
- Stopping transmission (spread) of the virus through everyday practices is the best way to keep people healthy. These are the hand-washing, covering your mouth with a tissue or your sleeve when you cough or sneeze, disinfecting surfaces and objects, and staying home when you are sick or have a fever. This poster from CDC on Stop the Spread of Germs provides guidelines:https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/stop-the-spread-of-germs.pdf
- To keep students healthy and free from ALL viruses, students should stay home until they are symptom free, without any fever, and no medication to treat fever for a full 24 hours.
- From the WHO: The Current Situation Report: There is now a total of 92,943 reported cases of COVID-19 globally, and 3,160 deaths. In the past 24 hours, China reported 120 cases. Most cases continue to be reported from Hubei province. Outside China, 2075 cases were reported in 35 countries. Almost 90% of those cases are from just three countries.
If there is an outbreak and it is recommended that Louisville schools close, the Louisville Metro Public Health Department will issue those directives. We will follow those directives.If the coronavirus threatens the safety of our students, and CDC, WHO and/or State or local (Louisville Metro Public Health Department) issues a directive for schools to close, we will have plans in place and be prepared.
We will be responsible and ready:
- Faculty will have plans in place to continue the learning.
- You will get plenty of communication about this prior to implementation.
- We will continue to work closely with the local health department, the Commonwealth of KY, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) officials to follow their recommendations.
It is not only important to be informed, it is also important to be responsible. In addition to the plans, communication, and partnering with health officials, another way we can be responsible is to know the best way to help and communicate with our children. Children look to their parents for help in how to handle stressful situations. As parents, we want to be certain that we help our children with any anxiety or fears; therefore, it is important that we deal with our own anxiety and are careful to keep our anxiety from becoming theirs. There are guidelines for parents that Kristin Kephart, our School Counselor, and I found helpful and want to pass along to you.
Please note these are for elementary students because preschoolers are to be shielded from this.
A rule of thumb is also to answer their questions.
Here are some ways to talk to your elementary aged (and older) children about the coronavirus:
The following links provide more information and updates on the Coronavirus so you can be informed:
Thank you for being attentive and intentional to stay healthy now during our influenza/flu season, and for being informed about the Coronavirus. If you have any concerns or questions, please feel free to contact me or Kristin.
With gratitude for our VCS family,
Debbie Houston, Head of School
