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February 2022
Click Here To View Updated Health Policies and Procedures.
Last week we promised to send you updated Health Policies and Procedures today. Click the link above to view the revised document. Most of you are likely interested in how Oakwood will proceed regarding masks.
As I am sure you are aware Oakwood School is licensed by the Virginia Department of Education, a requirement by Virginia law of any school serving students with special needs in the Commonwealth. Since they license us, DoE is our ultimate governmental authority, and, as such, we are subject to their guidance.
After much discussion over the past couple of weeks, the Virginia Department of Education has recently informed us that we must comply with the Governor’s Executive Order #2, just as we were required to comply with the prior Governor’s Executive Order mandating the use of masks indoors. Regardless of the lawsuits recently brought by the large public school systems in our area, we fall into a different category as a licensed private school. Those lawsuits do not apply to Oakwood. Therefore, Oakwood will implement parental choice regarding students wearing masks at school beginning Monday, February 28th. Masks will continue to be required for all adults entering the Oakwood building. Of course, as we have all year long, students and adults may remove their masks while outside.
We recognize that this topic elicits a lot of emotion on both sides of the issue. Oakwood is seeking what is best for all of our students, keeping their wellbeing at the center of the conversation. Thus, we are committed to make this transition in a logical and safe fashion. The time between now and the end of the month will be used:
To allow time…
- for families to pursue vaccination if they wish to add that layer of protection.
- for families to secure N94/N95 masks for their children if they so choose.
- for our School Counselor to prepare students in class for this transition.
- for regional COVID incidence to continue to drop.
- to get Mask Opt-Out Forms out to families and communicate the results with teachers.
What can you do? Please take time to review the revised Health Protocols and Procedures. You will see that, except for parental choice on masking, all other mitigation strategies will remain in place. The use of COVID testing has been added as part of our protocols. Please continue to assess your child’s health before sending him or her to school. We know that one of the most effective factors in stopping the spread of COVID-19 at Oakwood has been your willingness to screen your children for symptoms before sending them to school each day. We are grateful for your vigilance and are counting on you to continue that practice. If there is any doubt about their health, please keep your children home. We can help protect each other by that discipline.
As for next steps, parents who chose to do so, will need to submit a form giving their child the option of not wearing a mask inside the school. We’ll be rolling out that Mask Opt-Out Form in the next few days. Only students whose parents have officially submitted a form will be allowed to remove their masks.
As we quoted in our letter to you last August, the American Academy of Pediatrics put it this way:
“COVID-19 policies are intended to mitigate, not eliminate, risk. No single action or set of actions will completely eliminate the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission, but implementation of several coordinated interventions can greatly reduce that risk.” No one layer is perfect, nor is any one-layer indispensable. It is the use of multiple individual layers that provides increased safety.
Please understand that we continue to make safety our top priority. We are doing everything we can to keep your children safe. We’ll be posting resources and more information on our Oakwood Health Resources Page on our website.
Thank you for your understanding and assistance as we move forward.
Most Sincerely,
Lane
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