COVID-19 Update 11/02/2020
Please see the letter in the link below for the COVID-19 update, 11/02/2020. If you are unable to open PDF files, the full text of the letter can also be found below.
Monday, November 2, 2020
Dear Da Vinci Tree Community,
This morning just before 8:00 AM the school was notified that Mrs. Martell, one of our first grade teachers, has been confirmed positive for COVID-19. Fortunately, due to Mrs. Martell’s symptoms she was already in quarantine at home and her TA Ms. Nikki Stout was already working with students in the classroom.
Mrs. Martell was not exposed to the virus at the school. We know from her husband’s work’s contact tracing program that her husband was exposed to the virus on Tuesday, October 27th. Her husband became symptomatic on Friday, October 30th and Mrs. Martell became symptomatic after school around that same time. This means that Mrs. Martell was presymptomatic and working at school on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.
The scientific community is doing its very best to determine how COVID-19 is spread by individuals who are presymptomatic. In this instance, presymptomatic refers to a person who has COVID-19 in the period of time before they show symptoms. What we do know for sure is that the spread of the virus among people who are presymptomatic is a possibility and it is the most likely cause of some of the original cases recorded in Asia between January and March of 2020.
The Pima County Health Department (PCHD) and the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) have both been notified and consulted. The school has surveyed every member of staff in a careful contact tracing and risk assessment process in accordance with the guidance from the PCHD and the ADHS. The next steps the school is taking (listed below) are a direct result of those consultations with the health experts.
Mrs. Martell’s in-person classroom will be closed down for in-person learning as of Tuesday, November 3rd and will reopen on Monday, November 16th. Classes will continue online. This is being done in the spirit of putting the lives and long-term well-being of our children, families, and staff before any other concern. Per the guidance from the ADHS, all students in this class must quarantine for that period of time and will not be allowed to attend class on campus until November 16th.
Mrs. Lee’s 3rd grade and Mrs. Stubbs 2nd grade in-person classrooms will be closed down for in-person learning as of Tuesday, November 3rd and will reopen on Monday, November 16th. Classes will continue online during this time. Due to the limited risk of exposure for students, Mrs. Lee’s and Mrs. Stubb’s classes will be eligible to attend their online classes in the school building if their family has no alternative (more about this option on the next page).
Mrs. Kaufman and Ms. Meehan will both be quarantining, but in-person classes for the K-1 and 4-5 classes will remain with no other changes at this time.
All students attending in-person classes will be required to wear a mask at all times over the next two weeks, even if they are in their cubicles. The only exceptions are during snack time, lunch time, or getting a drink.
Students in second or third grade who can not attend school from home due to a family situation are being given the option to continue coming into the building for school even though their classrooms are being held completely online. Room C will be deep-cleaned and outfitted to accommodate these children. Please contact us immediately if your child needs to participate in this option as we only have 20 cubicles in that classroom.
ALL STUDENTS who are currently in-person have the option of converting to at-home learning if parents are uncomfortable with the risks. This has been an option for all students since the beginning of the year, and this continues to be an option.
As always, Da Vinci Tree Academy remains steadfast in our resolve to support our school community through this health crisis. We are here for you and your family. If you have any specific questions or concerns, please email us and let us know. We will be doing our best to have a member of staff call each and every household of the 1st-3rd graders that are being affected by these changes in the next 24 hours to answer any clarifying questions.
Kind Regards,
Matt Roll, M.Ed.
Principal, Da Vinci Tree Academy