All,

Unfortunately, Coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to dominate the landscape and the response taken by organizations, governments, leaders, etc. remains extremely fluid. Yet, It is important that I take time to address a myriad of questions about how Festus R-VI is handling COVID-19 both at the present and moving forward. This communication is not to cause panic, but to provide assurance that Festus R-VI School District is staying informed and monitoring the situation. It is important to stress that we remain in very close contact with the Jefferson County Health Department. As of this writing, there have been no confirmed cases within the R-VI District NOR within our county as a whole. It is my hope that those stats remain at zero. It is also important to point out that according to the health department, all of the current data shows that children 19 and younger are either not affected by COVID-19 or are experiencing mild symptoms. Current figures show about 2% of the total number of patients are age 19 or younger. In the meantime, R-VI has many events scheduled for the spring, ranging from award ceremonies, field trips, inductions, banquets, music programs, athletic events, all the way to Graduation for the Class of 2020. Currently, R-VI intends to hold these events as planned.



Please understand that with any complex health related matter, information is constantly evolving. As referenced above, we remain in frequent contact with the Jefferson County Health Department and will follow its guidance as well as the Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations moving forward. As updates are received, I will make that information available.

Questions that are health related to COVID-19 can be made to the Toll Free Missouri COVID-19 Hotline at 877-435-8411 . Lindsey Roth, R-VI Coordinator of Student & Staff Wellness can be contacted for questions regarding COVID-19 at rothlindsey@festusedu.com

I’ve put together the following ‘Frequently Asked Questions’, that will hopefully address many of the questions you may have on COVID-19. How are the Festus R-VI Schools cleaned and disinfected? Hard surfaces and frequently touched areas such as stair rails and doorknobs are wiped down with a disinfectant solution multiple times a day. Cafeteria surfaces are disinfected before and after each lunch. R-VI uses as our main disinfectant: “HUSKY 891 Arena Disinfectant”. Specifics of this disinfectant can be viewed here Our school custodians have been focusing on cleaning daily: o All doorknobs/bars/handles o All stair handrails o All light switches o All desktops/tabletops o All white board/chalk board ledges o All pencil sharpeners o All floors o All drinking fountains/water refilling stations o All sink faucets o All urinal/toilet automatic operators o All dispensers How are Festus R-VI School Buses Cleaned and Disinfected? Each bus has disinfectant wipes that are used to wipe down handrails, window sills, and seats as needed both before and after each route.

Will the Festus R-VI School District close schools? Right now, there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 that have any connection to the Festus R-VI School District. R-VI continues to work closely with the Jefferson County Health Department (JCHD) and the Department of Elementary & Secondary Education (DESE) to monitor developments with COVID-19. If a directive or recommendation from the Department of Health to close any of our schools is received, R-VI will comply. To date, neither DESE nor the JCHD have directed any school districts in the state of Missouri to close. In the event a school closure is necessary, all school related/sponsored activities will cease for the duration of the closing. Will there still be planned field trips, music programs, banquets, productions, and athletic events? As of now, ALL events are set to proceed as normal but ALL are subject to have that status changed if new information becomes available that warrants cancelling the event. In addition, not all events are equal in terms of venue, size, location or risk. Many events require a ‘payment’ in advance that cannot be refunded after a certain ‘date’ and thus with the fluidity of this current health matter, financial risk is paramount. At the same time, it is necessary to be ‘aware’ that some events have a higher exposure risk than others. Will remote learning options be offered in the event of a school closure? As the situation with COVID-19 remains extremely fluid, R-VI will make every effort to provide learning opportunities for students if a school closure is necessary. However, we understand that not all families have internet connectivity etc. Students in grades 7 – 12 have chromebooks that will allow access to possible learning activities etc. Learning activities for students in grades K – 6 will most likely be made available via paper form and/or through the R-VI website . This is new territory and at this date, R-VI is not fully able to totally implement e-learning at all levels K-12. In addition, in the event of a school closure, no assignments will be due upon the first day back in session following any closure due to COVID-19. Yet, students would be encouraged to engage in the learning activities that may be offered/suggested. Once again, working together we will get through this current challenge. Many of you likely recall the pertussis outbreak that R-VI dealt with in Fall 2019. At that time, it took communication and support from ALL LEVELS (health professionals, staff, students, parents, etc.) to navigate those waters. But in the end, we were successful. And if you recall, our schools remained open but everyone worked to ensure the outbreak was contained. As always, don’t ever hesitate to contact me with any thoughts or questions.



As a reminder, school will NOT be in session for students Thursday, March 19, Friday, March 20, or Monday, March 23, 2020 due to an ALREADY PRE-PLANNED Spring Break.





Link