Dear Tallmadge City
Schools Families,
As you are aware, there
are three confirmed cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus in Ohio, all of which are
in Cuyahoga County.
We continue to monitor
the situation and are receiving daily updates from Summit County Public
Health, the Ohio Department of Health, the Ohio Department of Education and
Akron Children's Hospital. The safety and wellness of our students and staff
remain our top priority. As such, we are continuing to follow the best
practices set forth by these local health organizations.
For the majority of
people, the immediate risk of being exposed to the virus that causes COVID-19
is thought to be low. As of right now, there is not widespread circulation
in most communities in the United States.
Early information shows
that some people are at a higher risk of getting very sick from this illness.
The higher-risk populations include:
- Adults
age 60 and older
- People
who have serious chronic medical conditions like:
- Heart disease
- Diabetes
- Lung disease
If you are at higher
risk for serious illness from COVID-19 because of your age or because you have
a serious long-term health problem, it is extremely important for you to take
precautions to reduce your risk of getting sick with the disease.
Depending on how severe
the outbreak is, public health officials may recommend community actions
to reduce people’s risk of being exposed to COVID-19. These actions can slow
the spread and reduce the impact of disease. Governor DeWine recently
announced recommendations for universities to implement remote learning, to
minimize group gatherings and to not allow spectators at indoor sporting
events. The current recommendation is for K-12 schools to remain open but to
prepare for potential responses that may include school closings. The
Governor has set up a website resource for families to stay informed: https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/covid-19/
Our Tallmadge City
Schools administration team has determined the following:
- If
we do have a need to close schools, it will be a full district closure,
not an individual building.
- In
the event of closures, teachers will be prepared to provide educational
content for students to do at home. The work provided will keep
students engaged under the guidance of their families. However, learning
at home is not a substitute for classroom instruction.
- As
of this writing, no large group programs have been canceled. We
will continue to monitor the situation. It is
possible future planned events and field trips will be delayed
or possibly cancelled.
We will continue to
keep you aware of decisions as we make them and provide guidance as we receive
it.
Linked below are a
list of guidelines to prepare your household for an outbreak of any infectious
disease, including a stop the spread of disease poster and a reminder
about how to prevent contracting the disease.
https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/covid-19/
COVID 19 Checklist
COVID Fact Sheet
Stop the Spread of
Germs Poster
Sincerely,
Jeff
Ferguson
Superintendent
Tallmadge
City Schools