Temporary Mask Mandate

 

Dear ASA Parents,

In the past week, there has been a significant increase in confirmed COVID cases to where we have exceeded 5% of the student population with confirmed cases.  There have been several breakthrough cases and repeat cases.  Given the added students who have been out sick but did not get tested, I have to conclude that there are additional cases of COVID.

 

Effectively immediately, CCS/St. Cloud Diocese COVID protocols will require that all people (even those vaccinated or those who have recently had COVID) entering the school must wear a mask since we are over the 5% positivity rate. Mandated masking will continue until Friday, January 28.  If our rate at that time is below 5%, we can go back to optional masking.

 

For a mask to be effective, it must fit close to the face, without any gaps.  A loose fitting mask is not protective or effective in reducing the risk of spreading the virus.  Cloth masks must be at least double-lined, or two cloth masks should be worn to provide the double layer of protection. Gators and bandanas do not qualify as masks.  If you are able, please consider level 3 surgical masks, N95, or KN95 masks.

 

Based on my observations, about 25% of our mask-wearing students don’t wear them properly, in spite of repeated reminders from teachers.  Another fourth of our mask-wearing students have masks that don’t fit them properly.  Typically they are too loose or too large.  Please encourage your children to wear their mask properly and provide them with masks that fit them well and have no gaps.  The school can also provide single use surgical masks for students

 

Trust me, I am well aware of the frustration and fatigue everyone is feeling as we continue to deal with the impact of COVID.  All I can say is blame and anger will not help alleviate your frustrations nor help solve this pandemic.  For the sake of our local health care providers and our children, we need to work together as a school community and mitigate this virus as best we can so we can limit sickness and keep providing in-person education even if it may be interrupted at times.

 

I know this is a bit folksy but I liken to when there was a blizzard on my family’s farm and despite the snow drifts, frigid temperatures, power outages, and equipment freezing up, my family still had to find a way to feed the cows, get them water, milk them and remove the manure.  There was a lot of cursing but in the end we just had to put our heads down and pushed forward.  COVID is lasting a lot longer than a blizzard, but we have to push forward.

 

Take Care,

Karl