Starting on Monday, February 7, 2022, masks are optional, but strongly encouraged. Please find below Superintendent of CCSD Chris Smith’s communication that was send last week regarding masks and COVID notification letters.
Dear Cherry Creek Schools community,
The Tri-County Health Department announced Monday evening that it will not renew the school mask mandate when it expires Friday. Therefore, starting Monday, February 7, masks will be strongly encouraged, but not required, for students and staff in the Cherry Creek School District.
Vaccination continues to be the most effective strategy for preventing the spread of COVID-19 and serious illness or hospitalization from the virus. You can find information about where to get the vaccine or booster here. Schools have KN95 and surgical-grade masks available for students or staff who want them.
We realize that for some members of the community this decision about masks is disappointing and for other community members it is a welcomed message. As we have stated from the beginning, we continue to follow the guidance of TCHD.
Please note, the CDC still requires all passengers and drivers of school buses to wear a mask. We will communicate if and when this order changes.
This change comes as the district and community continue to see sharp decreases in the numbers of reported COVID-19 cases. Please help us continue this trend by keeping students home when they are sick and not returning to school until symptoms have greatly resolved.
COVID-19 Notification Letters and Tracking
CCSD schools will no longer send letters to families when students are in a classroom with a positive COVID-19 case. We will continue to keep our data tracker on the website updated with cases that are reported to us and have an impact on the school. For a more complete picture of how many COVID-19 cases we have in our community, please visit the Tri-County Health Department website.
From county data and our tracking, we know that COVID-19 is present in our community. We also know that the COVID-19 data tracker on our website is not an accurate reflection of the true number of cases in our community. Here’s why:
We work diligently to track every case, but many cases are not reported to us.
The lack of access to rapid home tests and the delay in PCR test notifications makes it hard to confirm a positive case.
Some choose to stay home with symptoms instead of testing.
With the shortened isolation guidelines, many students have returned from isolation by the time we are notified.
Important strategies include getting vaccinated, staying home when sick, getting tested, and following the CDC isolation guidance. The district has ordered at-home rapid tests to distribute to families and staff of symptomatic people. We are waiting to receive the tests and will send more information when they arrive.
We will continue to increase ventilation in schools, clean high-touch surfaces, and emphasize hand washing. No-cost PCR tests continue to be available through COVIDCheck Colorado and health care providers.
Again, I want to share my deep gratitude for our hard-working staff and the support of our community during these challenging times.
Sincerely,
Christopher Smith
Superintendent, CCSD
We are looking forward to yet another great week with our students. As always, please reach out with any questions, comments, or concerns.
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