February 26, 2021
Dear Shaler Area families,
In this week’s communication, please note important information regarding:
Parent Commitment Form deadlines and Town Hall meetings for K-6;
School closure process when Shaler Area transitions to 4-day in-person instruction;
Managing Stress During Stressful Times virtual community event on March 3;
A summary of COVID-19 cases in SASD for the week of Feb. 22.
Parent Commitment Form Deadlines & Town Hall meetings
As a reminder, the Parent Commitment Forms for all K-3 families are due today, Friday, Feb. 26. The Parent Commitment Forms for families grades 4-6 will be due on Friday, March 5.
The form will indicate your family’s commitment for your student to attend 4-day in-person instruction or the 100% virtual option and their transportation needs. This information is important for the district to plan classroom spaces and bus routes. Please fill out one form per student: https://forms.gle/SVZEJAkKHZwnrgvM7.
As a reminder, we are hosting a series of Town Hall meetings to answer questions about the district’s transition to 4-day in-person instruction. These meetings will be recorded for families that are unable to attend live.
K-3 Parent/Guardian Town Hall Meeting Recordings
4-6 Parent/Guardian Town Hall Meeting
Tuesday, March 2 – 4:30 p.m.
Wednesday, March 3 – Noon
*The commitment forms and Parent/Guardian Town Hall meeting schedule for families 7-12 will be shared later in March.
School Closures in the 4-day In-Person Instruction Model
We recognize that as we bring more students into our buildings, we may experience an increase in the number of close contacts identified should a case of COVID-19 be confirmed in a classroom. Because of the increased contact tracing that will be required, and to provide a more transparent plan for closing schools, we will follow a more definitive threshold for closing a school.
As we committed to doing by signing the state’s Attestation Ensuring Implementation of Mitigation Efforts, we will continue to follow the state Department of Health’s recommendations to close individual school buildings that experience a certain number of positive COVID-19 cases within a rolling 14-day period based on the size of the school.
Once the building reaches the middle of the identified range for that size building in the 14-day period, the building will close for three days. These thresholds are identified as the following:
Shaler Area High School (large building) – 8 students/staff
Shaler Area Middle School and Elementary School (medium building) – 5 students/staff
Primary Schools (small building) – 3 students/staff
Previously, the decision to close a school was based on a variety of factors, including the interconnectedness of the positive cases, and the recommendation of the Allegheny County Health Department. Shaler Area will continue to work with the Allegheny County Health Department for contact tracing and direction to extend a closure beyond the initial three days. For a full chart outlining the state Department of Health and Department of Education (PDE) recommendations, please visit this PDE webpage.
Managing Stress During Stressful Times
This pandemic has been challenging for many, so we are excited to host the virtual community event “Managing Stress During Stressful Times” next Wednesday, March 3, from 6-7 p.m. The event is being presented by Shaler Area school counselors and social workers and the Human Services Administration Organization and will provide tips and resources to help students and families identify and deal with the increased stressors of living during a pandemic. This event will be broadcast live on the Shaler Area YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/SATVArchives. A recording of the event will be posted on the site for anyone not able to participate live.
COVID-19 Summary
Below is a summary of the additional positive COVID-19 cases in our district since our communication last Friday:
*Indicates the positive case was not in school during their infectious period, therefore, the case will not appear on the dashboard nor be included in the 14-day rolling totals.
The district, in partnership with the Allegheny County Health Department, has identified and notified any individuals who have been identified as a close contact. When a positive COVID-19 case occurs in the district, we will continue to send an email to all families and staff members of the affected building and update our district’s COVID-19 dashboard: https://www.sasd.k12.pa.us/COVID-19Dashboard.aspx.
As always, thank you for your support this school year.
Sincerely,
Sean C. Aiken, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Bryan E. O’Black, Ed.D.
Assistant Superintendent