Friday, September 3, 2021
Dear Parents/Guardians of Martinsville Students and Staff Members,
In an effort to increase safety options for our families, to lessen the chance of contact tracing, and to keep students in school, we will provide a new option for our students.
BACKGROUND:
The COVID-19 pandemic has continued to be a difficult situation for our families and for our schools. Unfortunately, cases are increasing throughout our state, and we are dealing with positive cases and contact tracing students away from the classroom every day.
Keeping our students healthy is of utmost importance, and we know that the best thing for our students educationally is to keep them in class and to have as little disruption as possible to their educational day. Contact tracing has an economic impact on families who must leave work to take care of their quarantined children. Our mask policy will continue to mirror the Indiana Department of Health guidance which highly recommends but does not require masks.
CHOICE:
Beginning today, September 3, 2021, families can choose for their students to wear masks in school by checking the preferred option in their Skyward Parent Access Account. As requests are received during the week of September 7, teachers and staff members will adjust seating arrangements, so all students wearing masks have assigned seats distanced at least 3 feet apart. CDC and IDOH guidance does not require contact tracing for masked individuals who are at desks 3 feet or more apart. Please understand that those who choose masking still have a chance of being contact traced, such as in a lunchroom, a small group completing a task such as a science experiment, or an extra-curricular situation, but their chances of being contact traced will diminish significantly with this new option. Also, if a student is wearing a mask and is identified as a close contact, he/she can stay in school.
For families who would like to have their student wear a mask, they will simply need to log into their Skyward Parent Access Account to check their preferred option. Per IDOH guidance, masked students will be contact traced at 3 feet intervals and unmasked students will continue to be contact traced at 6 feet intervals. Desks will still be separated as much as possible in every classroom.
This option is being put into action by two Morgan County Schools in consultation with the Morgan County Health Department and in accordance with all guidance from the Indiana Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control.
All parents/guardians should log into their child’s Skyward Parent Access Account as soon as possible to mark their choice for masking.
We have added this as an additional safety option for families who choose it, and by offering it as an option, we are also honoring the choices of all families.
ADVANTAGES OF CHOOSING THE NEW OPTION:
Choice provided.
Alternative to avoid quarantining, in addition to vaccination, provided.
Contact tracing numbers can be diminished.
A student without symptoms can stay in school.
For more information, please select CHOICE: Commonly Asked Questions, CHOICE: Contact Tracing Option (Reminder for Staff) and Mask vs. Unmasking at School.
#ArtesiansUnited
Thank you for your continued support of Martinsville Schools.
Sincerely,
Metropolitan School District of Martinsville Administration
