August 18, 2021
COVID Mitigation, Mask Wearing and Return to School Criteria
Dear Edge Support Persons and Students,
We want to thank you for your support in such a strong start to the school year and are thrilled to have students on campus. To continue a successful school year with students on campus and protect in-person learning will require the work of all of us in implementing strong mitigation strategies to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
With the recent significant increase in community spread of COVID-19, the Edge Governing Board voted and approved at its August 18, 2021 board meeting that all students, staff, support persons and visitors will be required to wear face masks while indoors on campus unless there is a documented medical exception. This decision was made under the direction of the Maricopa County Superior Court ruling on August 16, 2021 that schools are allowed to mandate masks until the Education Budget Bill becomes law on September, 29, 2021. Masks will be required while indoors at school beginning Thursday, August 19, 2021. The face mask must be properly worn, covering mouth and nose at all times and fitting snugly on the sides of the face.
In addition to mask wearing as a primary at school mitigation, the main strategy for us to combat the spread of viruses at school is to ensure all students who are sick do not come to school. We need ALL students to complete a Daily Home Health Screening and if their child has any symptoms at all, they need to stay home that day. We will be monitoring at school for students who have symptoms. Please make sure you have a plan for the case that your student cannot come to school or if they need to be picked up due to displaying symptoms at school. Please see the Return to School Criteria Flowchart for your reference on when your student can return to school.
It is imperative that all employees and students be aware of and follow our ESSER 3 Safe Return to In Person Instruction and Mitigation Plan. This includes maintaining physical distance when possible, washing hands or using hand sanitizer throughout the day.
For mitigation strategies to be most successful, our students and staff can’t do this alone, and having a consistent message will encourage healthy habits community-wide. We ask that our Edge support persons be an extension of this effort. We encourage support persons to talk with your student(s) about these important strategies that will keep us healthy, reduce the spread of the virus and protect in-person learning. We will still make every attempt to spread out and limit instances where physical distancing is not possible.
With all of us working together, we will make this a successful school year.
Stay healthy! Stay safe! Stay connected!
Rob Pecharich – District Principal