Piedmont Unified School District: Message From Superintendent – Coronavirus Clearance Testing Opportunities

Press release from the Piedmont Unified School District:

January 9, 2022

Dear PUSD Families,

"Welcome back from Winter Break and a belated Happy New Year to you all. I hope you enjoyed a safe and relaxing time at home or on the road with your friends and family. Unfortunately, we returned to campus on Wednesday facing some anxiety and uncertainty as COVID cases have increased both locally and around the country. The goal of PUSD staff remains to protect in-person learning while continuing to provide a safe environment for our students and believe we have the resources in place to do so.

I am truly grateful for the collaboration of our teachers, classified staff and administrators. Their partnership has been essential in achieving our goals this school year.

My thanks to our families and students for their cooperation with District vaccination requirements. To date, over 94% of PUSD students have submitted their proof of COVID vaccination! It has been inspiring to watch our community get behind this initiative and work together to keep everyone safe.

Finally, heartfelt thanks go to our District Nurses and Health Clerks. This amazing group has gone above and beyond for our students and staff for months and did not rest over Winter Break, distributing over 2,600 test kits to families. Their hard work has allowed us to expand our testing capabilities, minimize the need for quarantines and keep students in class. I cannot thank them enough.

On January 6, 2022, the California Department of Public Health updated its guidelines regarding the duration of isolation for individuals who test positive for COVID-19. Individuals who test positive are required to stay home for a minimum of five days. If no symptoms are present or symptoms are resolving, and the individual tests negative with a Rapid Antigen test on or after day five, the individual may return to school on or after day six.

The District is very pleased to be able to offer this “clearance to return” testing to both staff and students each school day at the main entrance to Ellen Driscoll Theater, 325 Highland Avenue, at the following times (although these may be subject to change due to staffing):

• 7:00 am – 8:00 am (M-F);
• 10:00 am – 11:15 am (M-F);
• 2:15 pm – 3:15 pm (W only); and
• 4:30 pm – 5:15 pm (M, T, Th).

This on-site COVID-19 testing is by appointment only and scheduled by the site Health Clerks only. You can reach your site Health Clerk as follows:

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While we feel well-positioned to face the challenges in front of us, I ask for your help in remaining vigilant over the coming weeks:

• Please continue to fill out the daily health screener every morning before school.
• Masks remain required for all students while indoors. The outdoor masking requirement for elementary school students is still in place.
• Families of elementary school students who have not yet provided proof of vaccination, please do so by Friday, January 14th.
• The CDC is now recommending booster shots for children 12 and older.
• Please contact your school’s Health Clerk with any questions or concerns.

I feel very fortunate to be a part of a community that demonstrates such a shared commitment to supporting its schools and students. On behalf of everyone at PUSD, thank you for your continued partnership. I wish you all the best for 2022!"

Sincerely,

Randall Booker

This press release was produced by the Piedmont Unified School District. The views expressed are the author's own.