Randall School first graders and teachers will be moving to virtual learning until Oct. 19 after a staff member at the school tested abnormal/positive for COVID-19, the school announced Friday afternoon.
The individual is presently in isolation.
District administrator Jeffrey Alstadt said in the news release the shift will cause a staffing shortage for the school.
“We have planned for cases of COVID in our building and appreciate everyone’s patience and flexibility as we pivot to our Virtual Learning from home plans,” Alstadt said.
Following is the full news release:
Today, the Randall Consolidated School District received notification from the Kenosha County Division of Health that a staff member received a COVID-19 test with a result of Abnormal/Positive.
This individual is presently in isolation, per Wisconsin Department of Health Services and Kenosha County Division of Health recommendations.
The Kenosha County Division of Health has been working with the
school to assist in identifying and reaching close contacts of this individual, who will also be required to quarantine for 14 days from the last date of exposure. Close contacts include those who:
● Had direct physical contact with any of the infected individuals (e.g.: a hug or handshake).
● Were within six feet of any of the COVID-19-positive individuals for more than 15 minutes.
● Had contact with respiratory secretions from any of the infected individuals (e.g.: were coughed/sneezed on, had contact with dirty tissue, or shared a drinking glass, food or towels or other personal items.Those who did not receive a phone call from the Division of Health or a close contact letter from Randall were likely not in contact with the COVID-19-positive individual and are therefore not considered to be in a higher-risk group.
All 1st grade students and homeroom teachers are being moved to Virtual Learning at home effective October 9, 2020. This shift has created a staffing shortage for our school. All 1st grade students and staff will be returning to our building on Monday, October 19, 2020.
District Administrator Dr. Jeffrey Alstadt said, “We are taking multiple steps to ensure that all students and staff are following recommendations from the Kenosha County Health Department to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19. We appreciate their partnership as we continue to work through this pandemic together. We have planned for cases of COVID in our building and appreciate everyone’s patience and flexibility as we pivot to our Viritul Learning from home plans.”
Parents are urged to monitor their students and other family members for any COVID-19 symptoms, including but not limited to: Fever, cough, shortness of breath, loss of taste or smell, fatigue, headaches, etc. Those who do become symptomatic should call their health care provider.
“We recognize that quarantines and resulting changes to school schedules can be difficult for students and their families, but we want people to know that these procedures are being put into place to minimize the spread of the virus,” said Kenosha County Division of Health Officer Dr. Jen Freiheit. “I credit Randall School for its cooperation with the Division of Health’s guidance.”
Those seeking testing for the virus can find a frequently updated list of testing sites in and around Kenosha County at https://www.kenoshacounty.org/2058/COVID-19-Testing-Locations.
For information about COVID-19 cases in Kenosha County and measures people can take to protect themselves from the virus, visit the Kenosha County COVID-19 Information Hub website at www.kenoshacounty.org/covid-19.
