2/19/2021 Message from McDaniel - Weekly COVID-19 Update
OKCPS Families and Staff,
Thank you for your patience and flexibility as we have moved through this historic winter weather event together over the past two weeks.
As a reminder, OKCPS has made the decision to make Monday, February 22, an ASYNCHRONOUS Learning Day for all students. This will provide our district maintenance crews with the opportunity to make sure classrooms are ready for students, and it will allow flexibility for our staff members who had an opportunity to sign-up to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at the state’s mega-POD on Monday. Asynchronous learning on Monday means that teachers will once again have assignments available for all students to complete at their own pace and their own through Canvas.
We realize that our families and staff may still be experiencing internet, power and/or water outages for the next few days, and we are hopeful that asynchronous learning will allow families and staff some ongoing and much-needed flexibility. We simply ask that students log in and complete assignments if and when they can.
District teams are busy visiting our school sites as they work to repair any damage that may have been caused by low temperatures and winter weather. At this time, we hope to be able to resume the OKCPS Meal Service and all district-sponsored activities on Monday, February 22. We also plan to resume our regular A/B schedule for in-person learning on Tuesday, February 23. As always, District officials will continue to monitor the situation and will notify you of any adjustments to our plans through social media, phone and text messages and on OKCPS.org.
COVID-19 Vaccine
OKCPS is continuing to work closely with our public health partners to support both public and private vaccination opportunities. Although we were unable to host our private vaccine POD for OKCPS staff this week due to weather, we do look forward to hosting another one next Saturday, February 27. Staff will receive information on how to register via email once we are able to confirm our vaccine supply.
In the meantime, OKCPS continues to encourage all staff and families who are interested in the vaccine to pre-register with the Oklahoma State Health Department using their online portal. The portal can be found at: https://vaccinate.oklahoma.gov/. Pre-registering will help keep you informed of public PODs available to you.
The Oklahoma City County Health Department (OCCHD) also created www.vaxokc.com to help Oklahoma County residents who are interested in receiving the vaccine find available clinics.
Safety & Support
While we are looking forward to our students returning to in-person learning on the A/B schedule next week, we must remain vigilant in our hygiene and safety practices. Please make sure you review the OKCPS Six-Point Safety Plan to refresh yourself on the district’s health and safety expectations.
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.
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.
Reminders
OKCPS Application Schools: The March 5 deadline to submit applications for one of our five OKCPS Application Schools is quickly approaching. Students interested in attending one these schools for the 2021-22 school year must complete an application online to be considered for admission. For more information or to start your application, please visit the district’s website at www.okcps.org/applicationschools.
OKCPS Pre-K and Kindergarten Enrollment: Save the date! OKCPS will open Pre-K and new to OKCPS Kindergarten enrollment on April 5th through April 16th. Watch for additional information coming soon!
I know the past few weeks have been challenging, but we will get through this together. Thank you for your ongoing support of OKCPS. I will update you again next Friday. In the meantime, stay warm, everyone.
Dr. Sean McDaniel
Superintendent
OKCPS Weekly COVID-19 Update
Today, the Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) indicates that the cases per 100,000 for Oklahoma County are 20.3, as compared to 35.9 last week, moving Oklahoma County to the OSDE’s Orange 1 Alert Level. And, while we are pleased to see our case numbers declining, our entire community must remain vigilant and closely follow all safety protocols if we want our students to be able to remain in the classroom.
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.