COVID-19 Update: Saturday, October 24, 2020

Saturday, October 24, 2020

Neshannock Township School District received notification late in the evening on Friday, October 23, that a member of the non-teaching staff tested positive for COVID-19. The individual is in quarantine and has not been in the building since Tuesday, October 20.  All individuals identified as having been in close contact with the positive COVID-19 case while infectious have been contacted and are in quarantine.  We also received notification of two additional students testing positive for COVID-19.  Both students are in quarantine.  One of these students has not been in the building since October 14, and the other student is a virtual learner who has not been in the building the entire school year.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health has collaborated with the District to conduct contact tracing. Contact tracing is the process of identifying, notifying, and monitoring anyone who came in close contact with an individual who tested positive for COVID-19 while they were infectious (2 days before onset of symptoms until the end of the person’s isolation period). Close contact is defined as someone who was within six feet of an infected person for at least fifteen minutes.  As of today, October 24, 2020, we have a total of four confirmed positive COVID-19 cases.  A total of 25 individuals are currently in quarantine as a result of fitting the definition of a close contact.

The health and safety of our students, faculty, and staff remains paramount, and out of an abundance of caution, all hybrid students in grades 7-12 will remain at home and receive virtual instruction, effective Monday, October 26 – Friday, October 30.  During this time, our school building will be deep cleaned, sanitized, and sterilized.  We encourage our families to keep their children socially distanced as much as possible in order to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.  It is our hope that this temporary adjustment will permit a safe reopening of the Jr./Sr. High School on Monday, November 2.  Should the District need to extend full virtual instruction and/or hybrid instruction, an announcement will be made as soon as possible.

If your student needs his or her school supplies, please contact the high school office at 724-658-5513, ext. 5113 to make arrangements.  If your student is in need of lunch delivery while learning virtually, please contact (724) 714-1261 by 10:00 am on Monday, October 26.

At this point in time, Neshannock Memorial Elementary School will remain open.  No faculty, staff, or students at the elementary school have been identified as close contacts with known confirmed COVID-19 cases.

We remain committed to keeping all stakeholders informed in order to ensure a safe, secure environment for all.  If you have any questions, please reach out to Mrs. Morrone or your student’s building principal:

Thank you for your continued patience, support, and commitment to mitigating the spread of COVID-19 in our community.

Dr. Terence P. Meehan
Superintendent, Neshannock Township School District


Virtual Learning (Grades 7-12)
October 26 – 30, 2020

  • Students currently enrolled in virtual/cyber learning will experience no changes at all.  They are to log in to their online learning platform — Schoology — as they have been doing since the start of the school year.
  • Hybrid students are not to report to the building.  They must log in to Schoology daily — Monday through Friday — this week (October 26-30).
  • Students are to follow individual teacher guidance and instruction on submission deadlines for all coursework.
  • In order to be marked as present for each day of virtual instruction, students must submit their attendance forms — via Schoology — no later than 10:15 am daily.

Resources

Should your student or anyone in your family experience symptoms of COVID-19, please contact your healthcare provider and notify Mrs. Julie Morrone by email or by phone 724-658-5513, ext. 5117. Please visit our website to review our COVID-19 procedures, as well as the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s website for more information regarding COVID-19, exposure, contact tracing, and answers to frequently asked questions.

Pennsylvania Department of Education Recommendations for Schools Following Identification of a Case of COVID-19


Cleaning Products and Procedures

Our maintenance department continues to sanitize and sterilize all classrooms, common areas, and school buses on a daily basis. Throughout the District we are using all Green Seal Certified products. In addition, one product has the Eco Logo designation which is USDA approved. The Green Seal certification is attained through strict analysis of the chemicals makeup and its use. This not only protects the students through the day, but also the teachers and custodians who come in contact with these products on a daily basis.

We are currently utilizing a disinfectant product that has seven capable solutions in one.  VitalOxide is used for the following:

  • EPA Registered hospital disinfectant cleaner
  • NSF Registered no rinse required food surface sanitizer
  • Mold and mildew killer
  • Allergen eliminator
  • Odor eliminator
  • HVAC antimicrobial control
  • Soft surface sanitizer
  • VitalOxide is one of the leading products in terms of safety and effectiveness.

We are also utilizing several Purell products including hand sanitizer, surface sanitizer, and disinfectant spray.

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