Upcoming Dates
November 11: JFK has school on November 11th, Veterans’ Day. There is no bus transportation this day as the DCSD is not in session.
November 13: Dismissal is at 12:15 p.m. There is bus transportation. There is no afternoon preschool.
November 25: Dismissal is at 12:15 p.m. There is bus transportation. There is no afternoon preschool.
November 26-27: Thanksgiving break. No classes. No ECLC.
Online JFK Spirit Store
Click HERE for the online JFK spirit store developed by Home & School
COVID Related and Face Coverings at Recesses
Scott County’s COVID numbers are still not good and continue to get worse, as reported to the public and/or available through our weekly meeting with the health department.
- We have topped 200 cases in a day this week in Scott County. Just last week, I mentioned that we’ve had over 100 cases in a day. Now, we’ve had at least one day, in if not more, with over 200 new cases in a day. As of November 4th, Scott County’s 14 day average for new cases was at a RATE of 783 per 100,000 persons. The CDC indicates that even moderate risk of transmission in schools is in the 20 to <50 rate of cases per 100,000. We haven’t seen that low data in Scott County since May.
- The 14 day positivity rate calculation used by the Department of Education for Scott County is at 20.3% today. Even by Iowa’s standards, the community transmission in Scott County is rated as Substantial Uncontrolled. I read how concerned they were in New York over the weekend as their positivity rate had increased to 2%! The lowest county in Iowa has a positivity rate of 8.7%. It is not automatic that when the county hits 15%, schools have to switch to 100% remote learning. The county positivity rate is only one factor that the Department of Education would consider. JFK’s building level absenteeism rate is actually doing well so far. (See below.)
- Genesis and Trinity hospital officials continue to express their concern. Six weeks ago, the percent of hospital beds used for COVID patients was at about 4.3%. On November 4th, it was 14%. It was also reported that hospital officials were exploring to where they might be able to transfer patients and were looking as far away as Chicago without luck.
- According to the CDC’s document regarding the risk of COVID-19 transmission in schools (see the link below), the risk of transmission in Scott County schools continues to be in the highest levels of risk according to the number of new cases per 100,000 population, positivity rate, and percent change in number of new cases per 100,000. The percentage of hospital beds actually used, however, was at the lowest risk level, and the percent of hospital beds being used for COVID patients remained in the moderate risk level.
CDC indicators, thresholds of COVID transmission in schools
JFK’s own cumulative positivity rate since the beginning of the school year is 8.5%, with the increases most recently due not just to a few positive cases but because we’ve seen the lowest levels of testing since school actually began. Still, since school began, we’ve only had between 1 and 5 positive cases. Our attendance rate has actually also been doing well. There’s only been a few days when attendance has dipped below 95%, which is considered the target attendance rate.
A couple of weeks ago, I shared with you some metrics that might be used should there be a need for a two week building shut-down, a one week building shut-down, a shut-down of a particular homeroom, a mask mandate for the building, and a mask mandate for a particular homeroom. It’s a tough conversation to have: act too soon and you risk compromising the education available, but act too late and you risk or have already risked compromising everyone’s health. Below is our current draft:
COVID Metrics for building closure, face masks, 10-21-2020
Our most vulnerable times at school, in my opinion, are at recesses. Students, like all others, are like magnets; they are attracted to one another. Unless we are at our designated spots in classrooms or in the pews at church marked with black dots, we tend to move together. It’s tough to remember to stay apart from one another. Recess times are no different. Here’s some information regarding recesses:
- Morning and afternoon recesses are scheduled for 15 minutes. By the time we go outside and come back in, the actual recess time is a little shorter than 15 minutes. By Iowa’s definition of a close contact being within 6 feet for 15 consecutive minutes, there are really no close contacts at these recesses. The new CDC definition of a close contact being within 6 feet for 15 cumulative minutes over a 24 hour period, however, would make contact tracing challenging at recesses, if Iowa adopts the new CDC definition. The Iowa Department of Public Health has not yet made a final decision regarding any changes to the definition of a close contact.
- Lunch recesses are 20 minutes.
- We have examined our schedules to see if we can shorten these recesses to 15 minutes without much luck as everything is so intertwined.
- We have considered blowing a whistle at the 15 minute mark and requiring students to do something that ensures separation from one another, but it doesn’t seem enforceable/feasible.
- We have tried the idea of pods for outdoor recesses where kids only play with certain other kids. That would help us with contact tracing at recesses. Having kids in their pods at outdoor recess, however, is nearly impossible to monitor.
- We have increased the number of balls available to students at recesses. Students tend to stay apart from one another when playing with a ball. It seems, however, that there are still too many kids too close to one another at recesses, and staff members are “always” having to break up groups or tell kids to separate.
- We have moved at least one of our longer recesses to the blacktop so that we could better utilize our cameras, if we had to do contact tracing. From experience, however, I can tell you that watching video for contact tracing is not a good use of time.
- Whether it be in person or through video, it is difficult to determine what six feet of distance is without measuring. If we can’t tell as adults what 6 feet is, neither can students.
- I have received input from Lourdes and St. Paul’s regarding their recesses. Lourdes has students wear face coverings for recesses, and St. Paul’s also requires face coverings at recesses unless students can be socially distant.
- The Iowa Department of Public Health issued guidance stating that if a positive case and a close contact were both wearing face coverings, the close contact would not have to quarantine. Although this guidance was not accepted by the Diocese of Davenport, and, therefore, does not impact its parishes or schools (including JFK), this guidance seems to increase the case even more for face coverings.
Based upon this information and with the intent of keeping as many kids in school as possible by limiting COVID transmission and quarantining, face coverings will now also be required at outdoor recesses.
The CDC has guidelines for face coverings, which JFK has adopted:
- Face coverings should have two or more layers of washable, breathable fabric
- This guidance applies to gaiters as well. Gaiters should have at least two layers or be folded to make two layers.
- Face coverings should completely cover the nose and mouth
- Face coverings should fit snugly against the sides of one’s face and not have gaps
- Masks with exhalation valves or vents are not recommended as virus particles may escape
- Face shields are not proven to be effective face coverings
- Do not gather without a mask with individuals living outside of your household
- Always wear a mask in public places
- Stop gatherings beyond immediate household until cases and test positivity decrease significantly
Chad
