March 25, 2021
Dear Shaler Area families,
While many are looking forward to Spring Break next week, March 29 to April 2, we are most excited for our return to school on Monday, April 5. On April 5, we will transition our final grade levels to 4-day in-person instruction. A lot of planning has taken place in order to get to this point, and we are looking forward to welcoming all of our students from Cohort A and B back into the buildings together. As we prepare for the coming weeks, please note the following important information included in this week’s communication:
Middle school and high school transition to 4-day in-person instruction on April 5;
Closing buildings and COVID-19 communications over Spring Break;
When to contact your school nurse over Spring Break;
Updated transportation information;
Food Service Spring Break schedule;
A summary of COVID-19 cases in SASD for the week of March 22.
4-Day In-Person Instruction for Grades 7-12
As we shared last week, the Shaler Area Middle School and Shaler Area High School will transition to 4-day in-person instruction starting on Monday, April 5. As a reminder, parents/guardians are required to complete a daily symptom screening of their student(s) before sending them to school. This is an important step in maintaining a healthy and safe learning environment as we increase in-person instruction.
Closing Buildings and COVID-19 Communications
Out of an abundance of caution, we plan to close all Shaler Area schools and facilities for three days over Spring Break, April 2-4. This closure will provide district staff with an additional opportunity to thoroughly clean and sanitize the buildings beyond our regular cleaning and sanitization schedule. When in-person classes resume on Monday, April 5, a new 14-day period will begin for all Shaler Area schools. You can view the district’s COVID-19 dashboard in the following link: https://www.sasd.k12.pa.us/COVID-19Dashboard.aspx. Additionally, any positive COVID-19 cases that are reported over the Spring Break will be communicated with families of the affected building(s) on Monday, April 5.
Contacting Your School Nurse
In order to maintain a healthy and safe learning environment when we return from Spring Break, please continue to communicate with your school nurse via email if any of the following apply:
Your student or any member of your household tests positive for COVID-19.
Your student has been in close contact with a confirmed or presumed positive COVID-19 case.
Your student is currently quarantined or isolated due to a recent exposure outside of school.
Updated Transportation Information
The district Transportation Department is making changes to several bus routes and drop off and pick up times related to the secondary level’s transition to 4-day instruction. All changes will be posted by Thursday, April 1, and take effect on Monday, April 5. Please check Infinite Campus to confirm your student’s bus information. To access the bus information, log in to your Infinite Campus account, click “More” on the left-hand side menu, and then click “Transportation.” If you have a concern that your student’s bus schedule may be incorrect, please contact the Transportation Department at [email protected].
A.W. Beattie students should follow the alternate transportation schedules posted on the district Transportation website for when A.W. Beattie is in session and Shaler Area is not on Monday and Tuesday, March 29-30, and when Shaler Area is in session and A.W. Beattie is not on Monday, April 5: https://www.sasd.k12.pa.us/Transportation.aspx.
Food Service Spring Break Schedule
The grab-n-go breakfast and lunch program will provide FREE meals for students during spring break. Orders must be received by 9 a.m. tomorrow, Friday, March 26, using the food service google form: https://forms.gle/U1Y5RdC7tHwo7wxs7. Pick-up dates will be Monday, March 22, Tuesday, March 23, and Wednesday, March 24 (5-day meal package).
Meals can be picked up from 11 a.m. to noon at one of two pick-up locations:
Shaler Area High School (main entrance at the front of the building)
Emmanuel Lutheran Church, in Etna
Starting the week of April 5, the grab-n-go meal program will return to its daily schedule. To participate in this program, complete the google form: https://forms.gle/U1Y5RdC7tHwo7wxs7 by Friday for the following week’s meals. For any questions, please contact Sue Cook, Food Service Director, at [email protected] or 412-492-1200 ext. 1582.
COVID-19 Summary
Below is a summary of the additional positive COVID-19 cases in our district since our communication last Friday:
One student at Shaler Area High School tested positive on March 19.
One employee at Shaler Area Elementary School tested positive on March 19.*
One student at Marzolf Primary School tested positive on March 19.*
One student at Shaler Area Elementary School tested positive on March 20.
One student at Shaler Area High School tested positive on March 22.
One employee at Marzolf Primary School tested positive on March 22.*
One student at Shaler Area Middle School tested positive on March 23.*
One employee at Reserve Primary School tested positive on March 24.*
*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.
We hope you enjoy a safe and relaxing Spring Break and look forward to seeing our students back in our schools on April 5.
Sincerely,
Sean C. Aiken, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Bryan E. O’Black, Ed.D.
Assistant Superintendent