January 15, 2021
Dear SE Families and Community,

Seneca East returned to school after an extended holiday break on January 11, 2021. Thank you for your flexibility and support throughout this unusual time. As we head into the new calendar year we are hopeful that we will be able to have all students at school every day until the end of the year. It is so important that we follow our safety protocols for this to happen. Please help us by keeping students home from school when they display symptoms of COVID, including a new cough, difficulty breathing, fever, a loss of taste or smell, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or when displaying multiple lower risk symptoms such as congestion, runny nose, sore thought, and headache. It is also critically important the students stay home from school and sports when a member of the household has tested positive or is waiting on test results. Spread within the family unit is typical. When students from a household with COVID participate in school and other activities we have seen the spread of COVID.

From the start of the school year until December 18, 2020 (the last day of school before Christmas break) we had a total of 15 positive COVID cases involving staff and students at Seneca East. From December 15 to January 15, 2021, we have had an additional 13 positive COVID cases at Seneca East. This significant increase over the past month is a reflection of the spread of COVID in our community. We hope the rate of community spread begins to trend downward now that holiday gatherings are past.

School staff members are in line for COVID vaccinations in Phase 1B of Ohio’s vaccine distribution. It will take several weeks to distribute all of the vaccine given the limited doses available. At this time we do not know when Seneca East staff will have the opportunity to be vaccinated. The state’s rollout will be adjusted based on vaccine availability.

The week of Jan. 19: Ohioans 80 years of age and older.
The week of Jan. 25: Ohioans 75 years of age and older; those with severe congenital or developmental disorders.
The week of Feb. 1: Ohioans 70 years of age and older; employees of K-12 schools that wish to remain or return to in-person or hybrid models.
The week of Feb. 8: Ohioans 65 years of age and older.

Recently the Ohio Department of Health has modified the guidelines for quarantining students. The Seneca County Health Department is following these new recommendations. We continue to work with the Seneca County Health Department to determine quarantine decisions. Going forward students who are exposed to a person who is positive for COVID will be quarantined but have school privileges if the following conditions are met:

-The exposure occurred within the classroom environment or while on required school transportation (e.g., school bus).
-The person with COVID -19 and any associated contacts were wearing facemasks that covered their nose and mouth at all times.
-If meals were consumed, a distance of at least 6 feet between students must have been maintained.
-In a classroom setting, social distancing was maintained at least 3 feet apart.

The above applies only to classroom settings. In all other situations, including extracurricular activities and sports, school privileges do not apply. Students who have exposure in these situations would be required to stay home from school.

The following Q/A may add some additional clarity to the quarantine changes:

Q: Does a student who tests positive for COVID still have to be removed from school and be isolated for 10 days?
A: Yes

Q: Do students who sit near a positive student in the classroom have to quarantine from school?
A: It depends on several factors: students seated by the positive student in the classroom will not need to quarantine from school if they are seated 3 feet or more apart and wearing masks the entire time they are in class; however, these students would need to quarantine from all other outside activities including sports. Students seated within 3 feet of the positive student would need to quarantine from school and all activities.

Q: Do students have to quarantine if they sit with a COVID-positive person during lunch?
A: Yes, this is because masks are removed during lunch. The amount of time the students are without masks does NOT matter. If the students are unmasked for any amount of time and within 6 feet of a positive student, they must quarantine for 10 days from class and 14 days from all other activities.

We will continue to notify parents and the community when we have a positive case of COVID and exposure occurred at the school as a result of this positive case. Thank you for your continued support as we make our way through this challenging time.

I want to emphasize again how much I appreciate your flexibility and adaptability.
Sincerely,
Laura A. Kagy
Superintendent

Mrs. New's 10th grade English classes wrote to celebrities to practice proper letter format. So far they have received: autographs from OSU Coach- Ryan Day and actor-Jack Black, a personalized, handwritten letter from YouTuber "Skeppy", a letter & sticker from Gatorade, guitar picks from Toby Keith, a package from YouTuber & farmer "Millennial Farmer", and a signed vinyl from the band Glass Animals- sent all the way from London, England!

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Order your elementary and middle school yearbooks here! Go to https://ybpay.lifetouch.com/. Enter the code: 2367921. You will be able to order elementary and middle school yearbooks through March 14, 2021.

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Bus 8 will be running about 20 minutes late to pick up the rest of the route due to a mechanical issue.

Seneca East has extended the holiday break by a week. Students will now return to class at Seneca East on January 11, 2021. Transportation for Sentinel students will be provided from Seneca East to Sentinel next week.