TROY SCHOOL

Announcements:

November 16, 2020

Dear Troy School Families,

I am writing to let you know that two students and one staff member at the Troy School have tested positive for COVID-19. Our COVID Response Team has met and has begun working with the Vermont Department of Health. The school was already planning to go remote this week, as you know, so this will not change.

We will share all critical information with the Vermont Department of Health (VDH) regarding potential close contacts. It is likely they will not begin reaching out to those individuals until sometime later tomorrow. We will contact all staff and families whose students are potentially impacted. We will continue to work with the Department of Health to assess the situation.

It is the Vermont Department of Health that identifies those who may have been exposed to the virus. Their goal is to make these contacts within 24 hours. However, given the increased prevalence of cases in the state, it is possible it could take longer. If you are not contacted directly by the school, or Department of Health, by the end of the day on Tuesday, it is because your child is not considered a close contact. We know that the last potential exposure at school occurred on Monday, November 9. This is important because it establishes the timeline for quarantining of close contacts. The Vermont Department of Health contact tracer will explain this to each individual family impacted. Due to medical privacy laws, we cannot provide any additional information about this case.

Although we are already at day seven from the last potential date of exposure at school, families should continue to monitor their students for COVID symptoms daily. The most common symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, coughing, and shortness of breath. Some have reported additional symptoms, such as a runny nose, sore throat, nausea, lethargy, lack of appetite, vomiting, and diarrhea. Parents and guardians of students or staff exhibiting symptoms are asked to contact their family physician, the Vermont Department of Health, and the school nurse. As always, the safety and well-being of our students, staff, and families is our top priority.

We will follow up by the end of the week regarding in-person or virtual instruction for next week. You will also hear more from teachers regarding virtual learning and attendance. It is important that students continue to fully participate in their learning while we are remote.

At this time, we ask our community for compassion and understanding for all who may be impacted by this virus. Please do not speculate, ask, post on social media -- it is important to respect the privacy of our community. We will communicate with you to provide the latest and most accurate information, as it becomes available. You can view the NCSU COVID-19 Symptomatic and Positive Case Guide for further information about the process. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,

John A. Castle

Superintendent of Schools

To get more information on registering your student, call 802-988-2565 or email Emily.Dobler@ncsuvt.org.

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