Return to Learn 2020 - 2021

A message from PCSD Administrator Joshua D. Sween

May 7, 2021

Hey Warriors, it’s Josh again with another PCSD update!

I would like to start by sending a quick shout out to Mr. Shaver and the Portage High School band students on an excellent show put on at the new Beasley Pavilion Band Shell at Pauquette Park last night. It was great to see the students perform for the first time in over a year. I also need to send a big thank you out to the City of Portage for allowing the school district to be the first to utilize this great outdoor music space. It was great and I look forward to many amazing musical performances to come from that venue. 

This past week has been staff appreciation week in the Portage Community School District. Our staff is amazing, and we did our best to spoil them this week, but the truth is that we can never do enough to show our appreciation for everything they do. Especially this year with the difficulties provided by a global pandemic. If you have not already done so, I would encourage you to reach out to our staff and share your appreciation. We may focus on it during one week of the year, but they deserve our appreciation every day. 

Yesterday all of the families in the PCSD should have received an email with a quick survey asking you to indicate your thoughts on attending school in the 2021-2022 school year. Our intent is to bring all students back to school in the fall for face to face learning 5 days a week. However, we realize that there may still be a desire for some families to continue with learning in a virtual format. In order for us to make our plans for next school year we are looking for your feedback so that we can make adjustments and provide the best opportunities possible. Thank you in advance for your help with this survey. 

The school year is rapidly winding down, but there is still plenty of work to be done. Unfortunately, we are still dealing with a pandemic and the real threat of Covid 19. All of our safety procedures and protocols are still in place. At times it still may be necessary for students to quarantine due to our contacting tracing efforts identifying them as close contacts. Because we are so close to the end of the school year, some students may be more likely to shut down and not participate virtually when this happens. We need your help to encourage our students to stay the course and finish the school year strong. Let’s work together to continue the success that we have had this school year. 

I am personally looking forward to end of the year celebrations and the graduation of our 2021 senior class. However, we need everyone to do their part by continuing to mask, washing and sanitizing hands, and physically distancing as much as possible so that we can get to those celebrations. This has been a difficult year in a lot of ways and we all deserve to celebrate our perseverance in the face of tough odds. 

As always take care of each other, take care of yourself and Go Warriors!

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The Portage Community School District is grateful to all the individuals who continue to reach out as soon as a health issue is suspected in order to support the efforts to control the spread of COVID-19. The current situation requires this collaborative effort. The Columbia and Marquette County Health Departments are working with the district as contact tracing, close contact notifications and determining return to school dates are processed. Physical distancing is critical in all settings and interactions in mitigating the spread. Face coverings continue to be an important part of the overall plan.

The community spread continues in both Columbia and Marquette Counties. The district needs your help to follow these steps on a daily basis. Contact school before sending your student(s) if they meet any of the criteria:

• Someone in the household has been tested for COVID-19 and results are pending
• Someone in the household is ill with COVID-19 symptoms (see list below)
• Fever (temperature 100.4° F or higher)
• Cough
• Trouble breathing
• Chills
• Muscle/body aches
• Loss of sense of taste or smell
• Runny nose or nasal congestion
• Fatigue
• Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea

If students show up, or begin having symptoms during the school day, contact with the family will be made by the school nurse or health services staff for pick up. Each situation is unique, therefore the next steps are provided at that time.

Prevent Further Spread
The following guidelines will help to prevent further spread of illness at our school:

• Notify the school if your child or someone in the household is tested for COVID-19 and keep your child home
• Notify the school if your child is diagnosed with COVID-19 and keep the child home
• Notify the school if your child had contact with someone who you know was diagnosedwith COVID-19 and
• Keep students home from school if they are sick.
• Encourage key habits: frequent handwashing, cover coughs and sneezes, use of face coverings in public, and staying home as much as possible.

If you have any questions, please call PCSD School Nursing and Health Services staff at 608/742-4879, extension 4022. We are all in this together. Let’s each do our part.
Sincerely,

Joshua D. Sween                                       Valerie Hon
District Administrator                               District Nurse
Portage Community School District      Portage Community School District

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Daily Student Self Screening for COVID-19

Expectations:
All students reporting to a school building or school-sponsored event will answer these screening questions before reporting to the school building or other site. ? Student
absences shall follow usual procedures for reporting personal absence to the school office.

Please include symptoms of illness when reporting.
If you answer YES to any of the questions, you will stay home.
Parents/guardians shall complete this self screening tool daily before sending their child/children to the school bus, school building, or school-sponsored event.
1. Does your student or any household member(s) have any of the following symptoms, even if the symptoms seem mild? (YES or NO)

• Cough (new onset or worsening of chronic cough)
• Shortness of breath
• Fever (100.4°F oral equivalent or higher)
• Chills (unusual for you)
• Muscle pain
• Sore throat (unusual for you)
• Runny nose
• New loss of taste or smell
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea or abdominal pain
• Fatigue

Any household members with any of the above symptoms, or combination of these symptoms may have COVID-19. Anyone from this household who attends Portage Schools must remain home from school. According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS), you should contact your health care provider and ask to be tested. If you do not have a health care provider, complete an online health screening assessment, or go to a community testing site.

If any of the following apply to your household, notify the school nurse immediately.

2. In the past 10 days, have you tested positive for COVID-19? Stay home and follow the isolation instructions provided by the testing site, or local health department.

3. In the past 14 days, have you been tested for COVID-19 because you had symptoms? Stay home and follow isolation instructions provided by the testing site, or
local health department.

4. In the past 14 days, have you been tested for COVID-19 but were asymptomatic? Stay home and follow quarantine instructions provided by the testing site or local
health department.

5. In the past 14 days, have you been advised to quarantine due to close contact with a person confirmed to have COVID-19? Stay home and follow quarantine instructions
provided by the local health department. Even if you get a negative COVID-19 test result, you must complete the 14 days of quarantine.

6. In the past 14 days, have you cared for, resided with, or had close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19? Stay home and follow quarantine
instructions provided by the local health department.

7. In the past 14 days, have you traveled outside of the United States, or been on a cruise ship or river cruise voyage? Stay home and follow DHS Guidelines that state to self
quarantine and self monitor for symptoms twice each day, for 14 days.

This guidance is subject to change based upon local, state and national guidance.

Additional note: If you traveled within the United States, including in Wisconsin but away from your local community, DHS Guidelines state to self monitor for symptoms twice each day, for 14 days while maintaining 6 feet social distance and properly wearing a mask when you go out. Here is a tool to track your symptoms. See page 3 for the chart.

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Public Health Madison Dane County
Wisconsin Department of Health Services
Wisconsin Department of Health Services Symptom tracking tool, page 3


Revised 3-4-2021