Dear Lancer Family,
As you are likely aware, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)continues to closely monitor an outbreak of respiratory illness caused by a novel coronavirus(COVID-19) and is periodically updating the country on its current status and what steps should be taken moving forward. I want to share with you some of the steps our school is taking to prevent the spread of illness across our campus, as well as plan for the possible spread of the coronavirus in our community.
As the CDC emphasized, there is not currently a coronavirus pandemic in the United States. A pandemic occurs when a disease is spreading from a variety of sources across a large region, and the number of cases across the US is still small. However, given how quickly the global situation is evolving, we are monitoring new developments and will continue to reevaluate our steps and actions daily.
In the meantime, we are committed to do our part in promoting health and minimizing the spread of infectious. With this in mind, we have taken the following steps:
- Additional hand sanitizing stations will be placed at 13 locations around campus this evening. In addition, hand sanitizer is always available to students in the offices, cafeteria, and classrooms.
- We are asking all faculty, staff, and students who are feeling ill to stay home until they recover.
- We are performing deep cleaning of student and staff spaces on a daily basis.
- We are enforcing great hygiene,like washing hands thoroughly and covering up coughs/sneezes.
Our community is prepared to alter our procedures and planning should the situation change, including strategies for continuing the learning process via our current online school portal in the Upper School. We are also thinking ahead regarding the impact spring travel, upcoming school trips, and other non-typical school activities will have in the context of the coronavirus. We will communicate any changes with parents and staff related to school field trips when the time is appropriate.
It is important to remember that handling the spread of a serious contagion like the coronavirus is primarily a task for public health agencies. Any directives from the World Health Organization, CDC, or local governmental organizations should be followed. Again, the latest information may be found on the CDC (National Center for Disease Control) website www.cdc.gov, as well as answers to your frequently asked questions. As stated in our previous communication, we are in constant contact with the Florida Department of Health for Hillsborough County regarding the coronavirus. Any impact to our school will be communicated through our website, emails, and social media channels.
We are so grateful for the strength and togetherness of the Lancer community. Please continue to pray for an end to the spread of this virus and for the Lord’s hand of protection over our school community.
For His Kingdom,
Shawn Minks,M. Ed.
