Family Update Letter #2

Dear Smyth Families,

As October draws to a close, we are continuing to see hopeful signs with regard to the pandemic. Our health and safety protocols—face masks, social distancing, regular hand-washing, COVID-19 testing, and vaccinations—are keeping case numbers in our schools low. And with the approval of the COVID-19 vaccine for five to eleven-year-olds by the Food and Drug Administration this week, we will be able to protect even more of our students and staff from infection.

The number of COVID-19 cases among CPS students and staff remains low. The number of staff and students who are in quarantine or isolation due to the virus is also trending down, which means that more of our children and the educators who support them are in the classroom where they belong.

The district’s testing program is continuing to ramp up. Out of more than 21,000 tests administered across 494 schools last week, just 0.24% came back positive. We’re also seeing vaccination rates climb among staff and students. 89% of CPS staff is fully vaccinated, and any staff member that is unvaccinated is being tested weekly to keep our school communities safe.

The best news of all is that vaccinations for five to eleven-year-olds have been recommended by the FDA and will be available to CPS students soon. CPS is launching a comprehensive plan to increase all student vaccination rates, including for those children who can be vaccinated against COVID-19 right now. As of this week, 46.7% of CPS students twelve and older have been vaccinated, with more rolling up their sleeves every single day. This is a good start, but we want to see that number rise more quickly. I urge parents of students in this age group who have not yet had their children vaccinated to do so right away, before younger children become eligible and demand for the vaccine grows. Visit cps.edu/covid for information on where to get the vaccine right now.

The first step in our vaccination campaign will be getting you, our families, the information you need to assure you that COVID vaccines are safe and effective for your children. We want you to hear the facts from people you trust, including your child’s teachers, and respected medical professionals in your communities. We understand that nothing is more important to you than the health and safety of your children, and we want you to feel fully comfortable with taking this crucial step to protect your child and your family.

We also want accessing the COVID-19 vaccine to be as simple as possible for families, so we will be making it available through regional vaccination centers inside four CPS high schools, as well as through mobile vaccine units and school-based health centers. In addition, thanks to our district’s many partnerships, CPS students will be able to access the COVID-19 vaccine from a number of private and community-based medical providers throughout the city.

I thank you for your continued trust during this unusual school year. I look forward to sharing more updates on how we are managing the pandemic, and on all the ways we will work to get CPS students vaccinated in the weeks and months ahead.

Sincerely,

Principal Turner