4/16/2021 Message from McDaniel | Weekly COVID-19 Update
OKCPS Families and Staff,
As our students continue to learn and thrive together on our campuses, we just have a few important reminders to share with you this week:
Survey regarding your Plans For 2021-22: If you haven’t already, all OKCPS families should respond to the survey in your Parent Portal that asks about your plans to return to OKCPS for next school year. Although this is not an “official” part of enrolling your student for 2021-22, your responses will help us prepare for the next school year by indicating your plans for your students. We’ve extended the survey until midnight on Monday, April 19th and families should respond for each of your children. If you have any questions, please contact your child’s school or the Student Registration Team at reg@okcps.org.
Oklahoma State Academic Testing: Many of our 3rd-8th and 11th grade students have already begun taking their state assessments. There have been several questions, so I just want to reassure you that Spring test scores will have no negative impact on students at the district or the state level. OKCPS is required to participate, but scores will not be used to make determinations about retention locally nor will they be used in the A-F calculation. We will only use this information to better understand academic learning loss and gaps that may have occurred as a result of the pandemic, which will help to drive our instruction. As always, please make sure your students get plenty of rest and come to school with their devices charged up and ready to go! Nearly all assessments this year will be completed online.
OKCPS Pre-K and Kindergarten Pre-Registration: Pre-registration for Pre-K and “New to OKCPS” Kindergarten students for the 2021-2022 school year kicked off on April 5th and we’ve had a great response! There’s still time to sign-up, so please contact our early childhood department at (405) 587-0116 if you have questions. You can learn more or pre-register by visiting: www.okcps.org/Page/6888
Masks & Attendance: As our students settle into learning in-person four days a week, we want to remind families that students SHOULD NOT come to school if they have a fever, are feeling ill, have symptoms of COVID-19, have tested positive for COVID-19, have been exposed to a person with COVID-19 or who are waiting for test results. Instead, please keep your child at home and notify the school. Additionally, please remember that all students, staff, and visitors are still required to wear a face mask or covering while on buses, in the school building or any part of a school’s campus, and we expect this to be the case for the remainder of the school year. While our students have been doing a great job, we must all continue to work together to maintain a safe and healthy environment for our students and staff to learn and work. If you have any questions, please contact your child's school or visit the district website at www.okcps.org/covid19
COVID-19 Vaccine: Still looking to sign up to receive the vaccine? Visit www.vaxokc.com. OKCPS encourages our families and staff to receive the vaccine if they are interested.
Supports: OKCPS remains committed to supporting you in every way possible. Below are some resources for families and staff:
- 58-STUDY (587-8839) for academic support and 587-HELP (4357) for technical support, and our Student Services Team is also available for emotional support and crisis intervention at 587-0489.
- OKCPS Employee Assistance Program is available to district staff for emotional support, legal and financial guidance and much more at no cost.
- 2-1-1 HeartLine is open 24/7 for help with counseling, rental assistance, food pantries, affordable housing, health resources, child care, after-school programs, caregiver support, financial programs, literacy, and job programs. As always, please call 911 for emergencies.
- If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, call 2-1-1 or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 800-273-TALK (8255) for 24/7 support.
Let’s continue to remain vigilant in the safety practices outlined in our OKCPS Six-Point Safety Plan and enjoy the next few weeks together. As always, thank you for your ongoing support. Stay safe, everyone.
OKCPS Weekly COVID-19 Update
On April 14th, OSDH reported that the cases per 100,000 for Oklahoma County were 20.6, which moves Oklahoma County back into the OSDE’s Orange 1 Alert Level. We must remain vigilant and closely follow all safety protocols if we want our students to be able to remain in the classroom. The next alert report from the OSDH will be on Wednesday, April 21.
Each Friday, OKCPS reports the number of active “self-reported” positive COVID-19 cases, as well as the number of individuals who have been asked to isolate due to potential exposure to the virus.
“Close Contact” Exposure refers to the number of cases when a staff member or student was in “close contact” with a person who has tested positive for COVID and has been asked to isolate. “Close contact” as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention occurs when an individual is within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes starting from 2 days (or 48 hours) before the infected person’s onset of symptoms.
Self-Reported Positive Cases refers to the number of cases when a staff member or student has notified OKCPS of positive results from a COVID-19 test.
COVID-19 Reporting
Staff
OKCPS employees who work at a school building (with the exception of SNS staff) should report a positive COVID-19 test or exposure to your principal and/or your school’s contact tracer.
OKCPS employees who work at the Clara Luper Center for Educational Services, the Operations Center, Student Support Services at Westwood should report a positive COVID-19 test or exposure by calling the district’s COVID-19 line, (405) 587-CV19. SNS staff members should also use the CV19 line to report a positive COVID-19 test or exposure.
Families
Families should report student positive test results for COVID-19 or exposure to a positive case by calling their child’s school. The school’s designated contact tracer will provide instructions related to isolating and receiving instruction remotely during the isolation period.
Additionally, if a child or staff member is showing any symptoms, is waiting on the result of a COVID-19 test or has been exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, they must stay home and contact their school for guidance. Do not come to campus.