A positive case of COVID-19 was identified by officials from the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) in an individual at Valley Manor Elementary School (VMS) in Martensville on September 21st.
In a media release from Prairie Spirit School Division (PSSD), Brenda Erickson stated that communication has been shared with the specific classroom/cohort, as well as the school community. Erickson continued to state that the SHA is conducting contact tracing.
“Our thoughts are with this member of our school community, and we hope they are doing well. We all have a shared responsibility to decrease the risk of COVID-19 entering schools. Our school plans contain many important measures, processes and protocols which add layers of protection for students and staff,” Erickson said, adding that no other details will be shared.
A letter was sent to parents from VMS on Monday, September 21st stating that “Public Health will be contacting parents/guardians of students and any staff/visitors/volunteers who may have been in close contact with the case and providing direction,” Principal Garth Harrison said in the letter, adding that, “If you do not hear from them, your child has not been exposed because of the measures that are in place.”
All schools within PSSD have a Safe School Plan in effect, including VMS, which include measures such as having students bring a full water bottle, having students go home at lunch, not arriving before 8:40am, entering the school through assigning doors, sanitization procedures and more.
In a recent post to their Facebook page, Harrison stated the protocol regarding students being sent home with COVID symptoms, noting that the school has 640 staff and students that they are responsible for, and that they are following Sask Health’s Guidelines.
The post stated that if a student is identified as having symptoms, including allergy symptoms that are common with COVID, they are obligated to contact the parents and have them come and pick up the child. From there, the family will be given instructions to call 811 and follow the directions regarding quarantine, isolation, or testing. Harrison also added that the policy states that the child is not to return to school until they are symptom free for 48 hours.
“We ask for your understanding during these unusual times and hope for some less strict guidelines when our provincial numbers start to drop,” Harrison stated in the post.
Students and families are reminded to be diligent in performing the daily health screening, stay home if ill, call HealthLine 811 if exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms, practice proper hand hygiene, maintain physical distancing as much as possible, wear a mask when appropriate, and do everything we can to keep each other safe.