covid

COVID-19

UPDATES AND RESOURCES

COVID -19 Dashboard

Somonauk School District #432 is committed to providing transparent and accurate data regarding cases of COVID-19 while also maintaining the confidentiality of our teachers, students, and staff members.

COVID CASES in #432

Week of May 16-20, 2022

Total cases since August 2021

STAFF Testing Positive for COVID-19

0

35

STUDENTS Testing Positive for COVID-19

1

198

Updated: 5/20/22

Covid-19 Symptoms

  • FEVER (100.4 OR HIGHER)

  • NEW ONSET OF MODERATE TO SEVERE HEADACHE

  • SHORTNESS OF BREATH

  • NEW COUGH

  • SORE THROAT

  • VOMITING

  • DIARRHEA

  • NEW LOSS OF TASTE OR SMELL

  • FATIGUE FROM AN UNKNOWN CAUSE

  • MUSCLE OR BODY ACHES FROM AN UNKNOWN CAUSE

Updates from the Superintendent

January 2, 2022

Dear Somonauk Bobcat Families,

Happy New Year and welcome back to school!   We are excited to see the students on Tuesday, January 4th, and hope that with your assistance we can continue to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 and allow for in-person learning to be available every day.  

Isolation and Quarantine

Earlier this week, the CDC announced new guidelines reducing the time needed for isolation and quarantine for those who test positive for and/or are deemed a close contact to a confirmed positive case of COVID. However, IDPH also stated in a press release, “Schools should continue to follow the IDPH COVID-19 School Guidance for children who have received the primary vaccination series and are not eligible for booster doses after 6 months.”  With respect to close contacts, “Schools should continue to follow the IDPH COVID-19 School Guidance.” Illinois school districts must wait for IDPH to adopt the CDC recommendations. We will notify parents if/when the district can implement these new guidelines.

Test to Stay Program 

Somonauk School District is fortunate to be able to manage the Test to Stay program. The Test to Stay program was implemented for students who were deemed close contacts in the classroom or who are showing symptoms. 

Testing Consent Form

Vaccination Records

If your child has received the COVID-19 vaccine, please consider providing a copy of proof of vaccination to your child’s school office or by scanning and emailing it to the school. While notifying the school of your child’s vaccination status is voluntary, it does help us with the contact tracing process and keeping as many students as possible in school.

Possible Remote Learning

At Somonauk School District, it is our goal to continue in-person instruction and maintain a safe and healthy teaching and learning environment. However, we may need to temporarily move individual classrooms to remote learning should an outbreak be declared. Each situation will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis and any temporary change from in-person to remote learning in a classroom will be communicated directly by the building principal. 

Symptoms 

Lastly, we ask that you continue to closely monitor your child(ren) for COVID-19 symptoms and to keep them home even if they are only mildly symptomatic. Children tend to have very mild symptoms, sometimes just a runny nose, mild headache, or stomachache.

As Bobcats, let’s continue to persevere and support the efforts in place to maintain in-person learning and a healthier new year! 

Sincerely, 

Jay Streicher

Superintendent

Somonauk School District #432

8/5/21

Dear Bobcat Families:

As always, the health and safety of our students and staff are our top priority. With that in mind, the district prepared the following plan and safety protocols based on the guidance from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), and the Center for Disease Control (CDC). We will continue to share public health notices to families from our local health departments and IDPH including, but not limited to physicals, immunizations, and vaccines. The following protocols will be used during the 2021-22 school year. These procedures are as of today’s date and will certainly be adjusted throughout the year as science progresses or as the guidance from the state mandates changes.

Face coverings

In alignment with the executive order from the Governor, all individuals must wear a face mask when inside a Somonauk CUSD 432 building or vehicle, regardless of vaccination status. This mandate also applies to any school activity held indoors.

Mitigation strategies

The following is a list of preventative strategies that we will continue to use this year to protect against the transmission of the virus. It is because of these strategies that not a single case of COVID was spread from student-to-student last year.

• At least 3 feet of physical distance between individuals as much as possible

• Very limited visitor policy

• Voluntary utilization of BinaxNOW testing for any student or staff member who is symptomatic to maximize student learning and help identify cases and potential clusters or outbreaks

• Hand hygiene protocols

• Contact tracing protocols

• Recommendations for families and staff to stay home when sick and get tested when appropriate

• Cleaning and disinfection protocols

• Sharing of vaccination opportunities with families and staff members

Vaccinations

According to the Illinois Department of Health (IDPH), COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective and help protect against COVID-19 & variants, including the Delta variant. At this time, the school will not be asking for proof of vaccination as a condition to attend Somonauk schools. The only time that a student’s vaccination status would be in question would be , if they were identified as a close contact because there are different protocols regarding quarantine for those who are vaccinated. The nurse will verify the vaccination status to determine whether a quarantine is necessary.

Remote Learning

Remote Learning is only available while students are under quarantine consistent with guidance or requirements from a local public health department or the Illinois Department of Public Health or for students with medical conditions qualifying for homebound instruction. This remote learning will be short term and will be done through Zoom or by using Edgenuity and will vary by teacher.

Transportation

In accordance with CDC guidelines, all students/drivers will be required to wear a mask while riding a bus. Because of the difficulty of maintaining social distancing on the bus, parents are still encouraged to transport their children if they are able. New traffic patterns have been established at each building and will be communicated from building principals.

Quarantine guidance

The best part of the new mask mandate is the fact that the number of students that we need to quarantine will be significantly reduced. There is a new option called “test to stay” that will allow unvaccinated close contacts to remain in school if parents agree to a testing protocol that can be done at school. More information can be found in this document. This document is updated frequently so please check the date at the top to ensure it is the most recent edition.

We are excited that we are not talking about blue/gold schedules and suspending all athletics as was the case a year ago. It is a good time for us to reflect and be thankful for how far we have come. We are asking for parents to be our partners in making this school year a success. I am asking for four things from you to help in this process. These are things that did not happen in some cases last year and made managing the pandemic at school more difficult.

1. Keep your children home if they are displaying symptoms

2. Be truthful regarding your child’s symptoms

3. Be flexible regarding the changes that are sure to come

4. Model for children how to respectfully disagree After a year of experiencing children in masks, it became very clear that kids are much more adaptable to change than any of the adults, myself included! Please reach out to a member of the administration team if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Jay Streicher, Superintendent