Rye Schools Coronavirus Update: Precautions Continue, Field Trips & Spring Break Trips Cancelled
Another Coronovirus update from Rye schools (the last update was this past Friday) was issued Thursday morning. Mostly the same – encouraging hand washing, stepped up cleaning of the buildings and following various CDC and local health guidelines if you feel sick.
The update does mention the cancellation of "several field trips and spring break trips" as a precaution.
See the full update below.
I am writing to provide you with some additional information about the Rye City School District’s efforts to help keep our students, faculty, and staff safe and healthy. The District is in regular, direct communication with the Westchester Department of Health, the New York State Department of Health and the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). We are prepared to respond quickly should a student or District employee be diagnosed with COVID-19.
Increased Disinfecting of School Buildings
In an effort to help combat the spread of germs and viruses in our schools, the District has implemented an intensive cleaning program at each of our buildings as recommended by the County Health Department and the CDC.
High traffic areas like bathrooms and cafeterias are disinfected daily. All other areas in the buildings, including door knobs, handles, and handrails, will be disinfected 1-2 times per week. We have distributed disinfecting wipes to each of the classrooms in the District to be used to clean classroom surfaces as needed. All products in use are safe to handle and are indicated to kill pathogens, including germs and viruses.
Hygiene Reminders
The CDC has recommended handwashing as a simple yet critically important step for maintaining good health. School nurses at the elementary schools are going classroom-to-classroom to remind students of effective hand washing techniques and how best to cover coughs and sneezes. Teachers will be encouraging regular hand washing multiple times per day. At the Middle and High School, we’re reminding students via the daily announcements. We’ve posted age-appropriate hand washing directions in the restrooms of all the schools. Please note that hand sanitizers or wipes are not considered as effective as thorough hand washing for 20 seconds with soap and water in controlling the spread of germs. You can help by reminding students not to touch their faces as pathogens often enter the body through the eyes, mouth, and nose. It is also a good idea to avoid handshaking or high fives in favor of fist bumps or elbow bumps.
Protocols for Sick Students
The District’s Health Department has established protocols for managing students who exhibit symptoms at school. In the event that your student is sick with a fever, cough or shortness of breath, please do not send him or her to school. For a common cold and flu, doctors advise that children stay home until at least 24 hours after they no longer have a fever or signs of a fever without the use of fever-reducing medicine.
Contingency Plans in the Event of Closure
The CDC has recommended that school districts be prepared in the event of dismissals or closures. Please know the Rye City School District is working continuously through the difficult task of creating contingency plans to provide educational continuity for our students at all levels in the event of school closures.
Over the past few days, I have had to make the difficult decision to cancel several field trips and spring break trips, both to ensure the health and safety of our students, faculty, and staff and to guard against the possibility of non-refundable travel costs. We apologize for the disruption and will continue to communicate any changes in activities, events, or outings quickly.
As always, please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions.
Sincerely,
Dr. Eric Byrne
Superintendent of Schools
Resources:
New York State Health Department Hotline: 1-888-364-3065
For more information on the COVID-19 coronavirus, please watch the informative video linked below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Visit the link below to see a cartoon explaining the new coronavirus for elementary school-age children:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Coronavirus Disease 2019 website:
