PCCS : Pioneer Update 1/21/22

Press release from Plymouth-Canton Community Schools:

01/21/2022 8:30 AM

Pioneer Update 1/21/22

Upcoming Dates:

January 27, 2022 ½ Day (11:30 AM dismissal)

January 28, 2022 ½ Day (11:30 AM dismissal) & End of the 1st Semester

January 31, 2022 Start of 2nd Semester

February 18, 2022 No school for students-Professional Development Day

February 21, 2022 No school for students-Mid Winter Break

Student Illness:

Between Covid, the Flu, and other viruses going around this time of the year, we are asking that if your student is experiencing symptoms, please keep them home. The easiest way to prevent these illnesses from spreading in school is if students stay home if they aren’t feeling well. If your student tests positive for an illness, please make sure to call or email the Pioneer Main Office staff as soon as possible.

Attention Families of Students Enrolled in 7th-Grade Math and Accelerated Math 7/8:

P-CCS offers differentiated math courses for students as they enter 8th grade.  To ensure students are placed in courses to help them thrive and be successful math students a series of tests are given in the spring. 

As a result, all students in 7th-grade CMP 3 math and Accelerated Math 7/8 will complete the assessments listed below.  (Note: Students currently enrolled in Accelerated math 6/7 are NOT eligible to test).

• Math NWEA: January 31 - February 25

• High School Diagnostic: March 1-3

• IOWA Assessment: March 22-24

• Makeup sessions will be scheduled by classroom teachers

• Virtual Academy students will be required to complete assessments in person.  More details will be shared in the near future.

Data from all assessments are compiled and reviewed by administrators in April.  Families will be notified by the building principal if their student qualified for an advanced math class around May 16, 2022.

Students with a qualifying composite score will be placed in Advanced Algebra for the 2022-23 school year.  Students who do not qualify will be placed in the next grade-level math course. 

Partner in your student’s success,

Cathie Williams

Curriculum Coordinator of Mathematics, catherine.williams@pccsk12.com 

Girls Basketball Tryouts:

In order to try out for the team, students will need to have a physical on file with the office dated after April 15, 2021. Physical forms can be turned into the office or to Mrs. Fenner in Room A8. If you have any questions, please contact Coach Blaylock at Nancy.Blaylock@pccsk12.com

January 24, 2022, Day 2 of tryouts 4:30-6:00 PM   Cuts possible on this day

January 25, 2022, Day 3 of tryouts 4:30-6:00 PM   Cuts possible on this day

Practice will be everyday Monday through Friday after school with games on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Bus transportation to games will be provided. Due to Covid restrictions, only two family members will be able to attend each game. 

District Updates:

P-CCS, in conjunction with the Wayne County Health Department, will offer a vaccination clinic for the community on Monday, January 24 from 3:30 to 7 p.m. at Canton High School.  This clinic will include the newly approved booster doses for those 12-15 years old, as well as first or second doses for those 5 years and older and boosters for those 16 years and older.

For those who received their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine at the vaccination clinic on January 5 (including those 5-11 years old), you may receive your second dose at this clinic. If you received your first dose of the Pfizer vaccine at the January 5th clinic, you will be eligible to receive your second dose on January 24.

Booster doses for those ages 11-15 years also will be included in this vaccination clinic. A parent signature is required for anyone under 18 to receive the vaccine.  All students are encouraged to have a parent or guardian present.  Here is the link to the pre-registration form https://forms.gle/h3k7tEgjwCyBXKZ99

This week, P-CCS began implementing the updated COVID-19 quarantine and isolation guidelines from the CDC and Wayne County Health Department.  Here are the highlights:

Isolation Process for Positive Cases:

Student and staff members who test positive for COVID-19 and/or display symptoms suggestive of COVID, regardless of vaccination status, must:

1. Monitor for symptoms for days 0-10; AND

2. Isolate at home for days 0-5 (day “0” is the day symptoms begin or day test was taken for those without symptoms); AND

If symptoms have improved or no new symptoms developed, 24-hours fever-free without fever-reducing medication, you may return to school, while wearing a well-fitted mask, for days 6-10.

WCHD Close Contact at School -- Mask to Stay:

In accordance with the Wayne County Health Department Guidance, if a COVID exposure occurs in the school setting, school personnel will no longer complete individual close contact tracing. Students and staff exposed at school will not be required to quarantine, but must wear a well-fitted mask while in school and at school-related events. This includes in-school contacts, including classrooms, buses, lunch and most extra-curricular activities. School personnel will continue to utilize contact tracing measures in high-risk areas, as identified by the WCHD, where masking and distancing may be less achievable. 

When there is a COVID exposure in the school setting, P-CCS will continue sending a general notification letter to each school community instructing individuals that they should closely monitor for COVID symptoms for 10 days.

P-CCS will continue managing daily positive and probable COVID cases for both staff and students, and report all school associated cases to our transparency report located on the official district website found at www.pccsk12.com.

Quarantine Process for Close Contacts Identified Outside of School:

If a COVID-19 exposure occurred away from school, those students and staff who are unvaccinated and have not tested positive for COVID within the past 90 days, may have the options below:

Home quarantine for days 1-5, monitor for symptoms, test on day five, provide proof of negative test, return to school on day six, and “Mask to Stay” for days 6-10

OR

Home quarantine for days 1-10 

Vaccinated staff and students, or those who have had a confirmed case of COVID-19 in the last 90 days (with proof), are exempt from close contact quarantine, as long as they are asymptomatic. For all Students and Staff Currently on a 10-day Isolation with Positive Test:

a. Isolate at home for a minimum of five full days (day zero is day symptoms began or day test was taken).

b. Return on day six if asymptomatic, if symptoms have significantly improved, or if fever free for 24 hours without medication.

If symptoms have not improved by day six, quarantine for a total of 10 days.

*All students and staff currently quarantined as a result of being a close contact to a positive case, and are asymptomatic, are eligible to return according to the updated quarantine guidelines.

Please see this convenient visual (PDF) for a representation of these new guidelines for P-CCS.

At-Home COVID-19 Test Kits:

MI Backpack Home Test Program is a voluntary program offered by Michigan Department of Health and Human Services for Michigan K-12 students and staff who want an extra layer of protection against COVID-19. Every person enrolled in the program will receive one at-home COVID-19 test kit, which includes two at-home tests. MDHHS will provide the kits and educational materials, and P-CCS will distribute the kits to students and staff who choose to enroll. There is no obligation to participate.

The first wave of distribution of these test kits for P-CCS will occur the week of January 24.  If you would like a test kit (2 tests total), please complete this google form to reserve your kit.  If there is more than one P-CCS student in your household, please complete this form for each student. 

Parents of students:  Test kits will be available for pick up during the COVID-19 vaccination clinic on Monday, January 24.  Please come to Canton High School between the hours of 3:30 and 7 p,m.  Turn left as you enter the main building doors by the flagpole.  The google form must be filled out before you can pick up a kit.  An additional pick up date for parents of students will be scheduled the week of January 31.  

Note: At home tests are for personal use only and are not classified as diagnostic. A negative test result cannot end quarantine or isolation sooner than as directed by the CDC, MDHHS, or WCHD. P-CCS only accept provider administered (medical provider or licensed test site) viral negative test result (PCR or antigen) as diagnostic. 

Plymouth-Canton Community Schools produces a weekly podcast with all the important district information for students, staff and families.  You can view the latest LPT in 3 podcast on the district’s official YouTube channel at:  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOBLPrc4Mv26ZjcwupviqChIK0p7xEWp-

Pioneer Update 1/21/22

Upcoming Dates:

January 27, 2022 ½ Day (11:30 AM dismissal)

January 28, 2022 ½ Day (11:30 AM dismissal) & End of the 1st Semester

January 31, 2022 Start of 2nd Semester

February 18, 2022 No school for students-Professional Development Day

February 21, 2022 No school for students-Mid Winter Break

Student Illness:

Between Covid, the Flu, and other viruses going around this time of the year, we are asking that if your student is experiencing symptoms, please keep them home. The easiest way to prevent these illnesses from spreading in school is if students stay home if they aren’t feeling well. If your student tests positive for an illness, please make sure to call or email the Pioneer Main Office staff as soon as possible.

Attention Families of Students Enrolled in 7th-Grade Math and Accelerated Math 7/8:

P-CCS offers differentiated math courses for students as they enter 8th grade.  To ensure students are placed in courses to help them thrive and be successful math students a series of tests are given in the spring. 

As a result, all students in 7th-grade CMP 3 math and Accelerated Math 7/8 will complete the assessments listed below.  (Note: Students currently enrolled in Accelerated math 6/7 are NOT eligible to test).

• Math NWEA: January 31 - February 25

• High School Diagnostic: March 1-3

• IOWA Assessment: March 22-24

Data from all assessments are compiled and reviewed by administrators in April.  Families will be notified by the building principal if their student qualified for an advanced math class around May 16, 2022.

Students with a qualifying composite score will be placed in Advanced Algebra for the 2022-23 school year.  Students who do not qualify will be placed in the next grade-level math course. 

Partner in your student’s success,

Cathie Williams

Curriculum Coordinator of Mathematics, catherine.williams@pccsk12.com 

Girls Basketball Tryouts:

In order to try out for the team, students will need to have a physical on file with the office dated after April 15, 2021. Physical forms can be turned into the office or to Mrs. Fenner in Room A8. If you have any questions, please contact Coach Blaylock at Nancy.Blaylock@pccsk12.com

January 24, 2022, Day 2 of tryouts 4:30-6:00 PM   Cuts possible on this day

January 25, 2022, Day 3 of tryouts 4:30-6:00 PM   Cuts possible on this day

Practice will be everyday Monday through Friday after school with games on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Bus transportation to games will be provided. Due to Covid restrictions, only two family members will be able to attend each game. 

District Updates:

P-CCS, in conjunction with the Wayne County Health Department, will offer a vaccination clinic for the community on Monday, January 24 from 3:30 to 7 p.m. at Canton High School.  This clinic will include the newly approved booster doses for those 12-15 years old, as well as first or second doses for those 5 years and older and boosters for those 16 years and older.

For those who received their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine at the vaccination clinic on January 5 (including those 5-11 years old), you may receive your second dose at this clinic. If you received your first dose of the Pfizer vaccine at the January 5th clinic, you will be eligible to receive your second dose on January 24.

Booster doses for those ages 11-15 years also will be included in this vaccination clinic. A parent signature is required for anyone under 18 to receive the vaccine.  All students are encouraged to have a parent or guardian present.  Here is the link to the pre-registration form https://forms.gle/h3k7tEgjwCyBXKZ99

This week, P-CCS began implementing the updated COVID-19 quarantine and isolation guidelines from the CDC and Wayne County Health Department.  Here are the highlights:

Isolation Process for Positive Cases:

Student and staff members who test positive for COVID-19 and/or display symptoms suggestive of COVID, regardless of vaccination status, must:

If symptoms have improved or no new symptoms developed, 24-hours fever-free without fever-reducing medication, you may return to school, while wearing a well-fitted mask, for days 6-10.

WCHD Close Contact at School -- Mask to Stay:

In accordance with the Wayne County Health Department Guidance, if a COVID exposure occurs in the school setting, school personnel will no longer complete individual close contact tracing. Students and staff exposed at school will not be required to quarantine, but must wear a well-fitted mask while in school and at school-related events. This includes in-school contacts, including classrooms, buses, lunch and most extra-curricular activities. School personnel will continue to utilize contact tracing measures in high-risk areas, as identified by the WCHD, where masking and distancing may be less achievable. 

When there is a COVID exposure in the school setting, P-CCS will continue sending a general notification letter to each school community instructing individuals that they should closely monitor for COVID symptoms for 10 days.

P-CCS will continue managing daily positive and probable COVID cases for both staff and students, and report all school associated cases to our transparency report located on the official district website found at www.pccsk12.com.

Quarantine Process for Close Contacts Identified Outside of School:

If a COVID-19 exposure occurred away from school, those students and staff who are unvaccinated and have not tested positive for COVID within the past 90 days, may have the options below:

Home quarantine for days 1-5, monitor for symptoms, test on day five, provide proof of negative test, return to school on day six, and “Mask to Stay” for days 6-10

OR

Home quarantine for days 1-10 

Vaccinated staff and students, or those who have had a confirmed case of COVID-19 in the last 90 days (with proof), are exempt from close contact quarantine, as long as they are asymptomatic. For all Students and Staff Currently on a 10-day Isolation with Positive Test:

a. Isolate at home for a minimum of five full days (day zero is day symptoms began or day test was taken).

b. Return on day six if asymptomatic, if symptoms have significantly improved, or if fever free for 24 hours without medication.

If symptoms have not improved by day six, quarantine for a total of 10 days.

*All students and staff currently quarantined as a result of being a close contact to a positive case, and are asymptomatic, are eligible to return according to the updated quarantine guidelines.

Please see this convenient visual (PDF) for a representation of these new guidelines for P-CCS.

MI Backpack Home Test Program is a voluntary program offered by Michigan Department of Health and Human Services for Michigan K-12 students and staff who want an extra layer of protection against COVID-19. Every person enrolled in the program will receive one at-home COVID-19 test kit, which includes two at-home tests. MDHHS will provide the kits and educational materials, and P-CCS will distribute the kits to students and staff who choose to enroll. There is no obligation to participate.

The first wave of distribution of these test kits for P-CCS will occur the week of January 24.  If you would like a test kit (2 tests total), please complete this google form to reserve your kit.  If there is more than one P-CCS student in your household, please complete this form for each student. 

Parents of students:  Test kits will be available for pick up during the COVID-19 vaccination clinic on Monday, January 24.  Please come to Canton High School between the hours of 3:30 and 7 p,m.  Turn left as you enter the main building doors by the flagpole.  The google form must be filled out before you can pick up a kit.  An additional pick up date for parents of students will be scheduled the week of January 31.  

Note: At home tests are for personal use only and are not classified as diagnostic. A negative test result cannot end quarantine or isolation sooner than as directed by the CDC, MDHHS, or WCHD. P-CCS only accept provider administered (medical provider or licensed test site) viral negative test result (PCR or antigen) as diagnostic. 

This press release was produced by Plymouth-Canton Community Schools. The views expressed here are the author’s own.