2:45 pm • Friday, December 4, 2020
Neshannock Township School District received notification today, Friday, December 4, that an elementary student tested positive for COVID-19. The individual is in quarantine and has not been in the building since Tuesday, November 23; therefore, contact tracing within the building does not need to be conducted. Any contact tracing regarding potential non-school related exposure will be conducted by the Department of Health through cooperation and communication with the individual.
In following our Board-approved response to COVID-19 guidelines, Neshannock Memorial Elementary School and Neshannock Jr./Sr. High School continue to remain open:
- Memorial Elementary School: NMS continues to offer in-person instruction each school day. Temporary virtual learning remains an option for all students in grades K-6 through their grade level Google Classroom Extensions. Students utilizing the Google Classroom Extension on a temporary basis will continue to be marked present as long as they are meeting the educational requirements of the teacher. Please direct any questions regarding temporary virtual learning to your child’s homeroom teacher. Neshannock Memorial Elementary School also continues to offer full-time virtual instruction — cyber school — for all students in grades K-6. Please direct any questions regarding cyber school placement to Mrs. Flannery.
- Junior-Senior High School: Per Board approval, in-person students returned to a hybrid format, effective Tuesday, December 1, 2020. Full-virtual remains an option for all students. Please direct any questions regarding cyber school placement to Mrs. DeVincentis.
It is our goal to be able to maintain in-person learning for students at all grade levels; however, we cannot do that without the help of our community. If you, your child, or anyone in your household is in quarantine, it is absolutely imperative that you follow all guidelines. We urge our families to keep their children socially distanced as much as possible in order to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
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. Julie Morrone or your child’s building principal:
- Mr. Luca Passarelli, Grades 10-12
- Mrs. Alicia Measel, Grades 7-9
- Mr. Matt Heasley, Grades K-6
- Mrs. Jenny Flannery, Cyber Grades K-6
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
* One of the active cases is an individual who spends time in both school buildings (25% at Memorial Elementary and 75% at Jr./Sr. High School).
** Recovered cases are those of individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 and have fulfilled their required isolation period.
What is Contact Tracing?
The Pennsylvania Department of Health collaborates with the District to conduct any 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.
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.
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.