Submitted by tim
on
October 11, 2020
Dear Williston Families,
I am writing to you tonight to let you know that a member of our Williston school community has tested positive for COVID-19. While we certainly hoped that we would remain COVID-free, we expected this eventuality and we are prepared with a plan to respond to it. Earlier this afternoon, our team met with the Vermont Department of Health (DOH) to plan our response. We are confident that we’ve shared all critical information with the Vermont Department of Health and that they are poised to follow up with all potentially close contacts. On Monday morning, they will begin contacting all families whose students are potentially impacted.
It is the Vermont Department of Health that identifies those who may have been exposed to the virus. They assure us that they will make these contacts within 24 hours. If you have not been contacted, it is because your child is not a close contact. We know that the last potential exposure at school occurred on October 2nd. This is important because it establishes the timeline for quarantining of close contacts. The Vermont DOH contact tracer will explain this to each individual family impacted. Due to medical privacy laws, we can not provide any additional information about this case.
Families should continue to monitor their students for COVID symptoms daily. The most common symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, coughing, and shortness of breath. Some have reported additional symptoms, such as a runny nose, sore throat, nausea, lethargy, lack of appetite, vomiting, and diarrhea. Parents and guardians of students or staff exhibiting symptoms are asked to contact their family physician, the Vermont Department of Health, and the school nurse. As always, the safety and well-being of our students, staff, and families is our top priority.
At this time, we ask our community for compassion and understanding for all who may be impacted by this virus.
We are closely monitoring this situation and will communicate with you again to provide the latest and most accurate information, as it becomes available. You can view the CVSD Positive Cases Guide for further information about the process. If you have questions please do not hesitate to contact me or Williston administrators, Greg Marino or Jackie Parks.
Sincerely,
Elaine Pinckney, Superintendent of Schools
Champlain Valley School District