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COVID case at Derby Elementary

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Dear Derby Elementary School Families,
I am writing to you today to let you know that a member of Derby Elementary School has tested positive for COVID-19. While we certainly hoped that we would remain COVID-free, we expected this eventuality and we are prepared with a plan to respond to it. Our team has met with the Vermont Department of Health (VDH) to plan our response. We are confident that we’ve shared all critical information with the Vermont Department of Health and that they are poised to follow up with all potentially close contacts today. They will begin contacting all staff and families whose students are potentially impacted.
It is the Vermont Department of Health that identifies those who may have been exposed to the virus. They assure us that they will make these contacts within 24 hours. If you are not contacted within the 24-hour
window starting today, it is because your child is not considered a close contact. We know that the last potential exposure at school occurred on Thursday, October 22. This is important because it establishes
the timeline for quarantining of close contacts. The Vermont Department of Health contact tracer will explain this to each individual family impacted. Due to medical privacy laws, we cannot provide any
additional information about this case.
Families should continue to monitor their students for COVID symptoms daily. The most common symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, coughing, and shortness of breath. Some have reported additional symptoms, such as a runny nose, sore throat, nausea, lethargy, lack of appetite, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Parents and guardians of students or staff exhibiting symptoms are asked to contact their family physician, the Vermont Department of Health, and the school nurse. As always, the safety and well-being of our students, staff, and families is our top priority.
Derby Elementary School will pivot to remote learning beginning on Tuesday and continuing through this week. Students will not have school on Monday. We will make arrangements for staff and students to pick up devices or paper packets on Monday. The school will contact you with the details. The temporary closure of the building will allow us to clean and disinfect our building per the guidelines of the Health Department and pivot to remote learning.
At this time, we ask our community for compassion and understanding for all who may be impacted by this virus. Please do not speculate, ask, post on social media — it is important to respect the privacy of our community. We will be following up later this evening with procedures to pick up Chromebooks and expectations for remote learning for Tuesday and beyond if deemed necessary. Please be sure to check your e-mail later today or this evening.
We are closely monitoring this situation and will communicate with you to provide the latest and most accurate information, as it becomes available. You can view the NCSU COVID-19 Symptomatic and Positive Case Guide for further information about the process. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
John A. Castle

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