Comet Family Update

Posted on 02/28/2022

2/28/2022 Update

We are grateful to have seen significant declines in the number of COVID-19 cases in our schools and community. As a result of that data, dramatically reduced student and staff absenteeism, and new CDC guidance, beginning March 1, 2022, all Mason City Schools students, staff and visitors will no longer be required to wear face masks while riding the bus. Face masks are optional inside Mason City Schools. Any student or staff member who wishes to wear a face mask in school or on the bus may continue to do so. 

Watch Superintendent Jonathan Cooper share more details about this important next step in learning to live with COVID-19. 
 

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND: TASTE OF MASON

Tuesday, March 1, 2022  | 5-8PM | Mason High School, 6100 Mason-Montgomery Road

After last year’s virtual event, our Mason City Schools DEI Council is thrilled to be able to once again host Taste of Mason - in-person! Enjoy delicious offerings from many ethnic and independent Mason restaurants. Watch multicultural acts perform. Children can enjoy a global carnival hosted by MHS World Language Societies, and other student groups, get their passports stamped while purchasing items at the Comet Zone with global currency from the Comet Savings & Loan, and listen to a special Windows & Mirrors reading time featuring diverse literature read by members of our MHS Inclusive Excellence student leadership team.
 

We hope to see you at Taste of Mason, and look forward to seeing more smiles in the days ahead!

1/28/2022 Update
Beginning Monday, Mason City Schools will have updated procedures for reporting positive cases of COVID-19, while continuing to partner with students, staff and families in supporting the proactive measures we have all learned to rely on throughout the pandemic.

Watch Superintendent Jonathan Cooper share an important message about how the new COVID-19 procedures will be implemented in our schools, and what you can expect as a family. 

Contact Tracing
On Wednesday, January 26, 2022 the Ohio Department of Health released new contact tracing guidance for schools.

"As COVID-19 has evolved, public health mitigation strategies have had to adjust periodically to address new challenges. The quick spread of the Omicron variant and its rapid clinical course have made universal contact tracing, case investigation and exposure notification impractical when combined with newly reduced timelines for quarantine and isolation… K-12 schools should continue to follow ODH’s protocol, ‘Mask to Stay, Test to Play,’ and allow asymptomatic students to attend school while wearing a mask if they have been exposed to someone with  COVID-19. The best place for kids is in school, in-person, full-time.”

Mason City Schools will discontinue universal contact tracing, but will assist the Warren County Health Department when investigating and identifying COVID-19 clusters. MCS will continue to share known daily and cumulative COVID-19+ cases on the district website, and has added weekly summary data. 

New Communication Procedures
We are very grateful for our school nurses and administrative staff who have been bearing much of the contact tracing and notification burden. We are implementing new procedures that automate much of the notification process. All questions about COVID-19 should be directed to our district COVID support team at COVID@masonohioschools.com or 513-770-2040, rather than contacting your school nurse. 

Here’s how families should report that their child is COVID positive. 

1. Call into Safe Arrival at 855-339-9012 or use the website or app. Use “Positive COVID-19” or press 5. (If using the app, you may need to log out and log in again.)
2. Students absent due to COVID-19 will receive an email that includes a Google Form.
3. Families should complete the Google Form for EACH positive child who is absent from school. You are also encouraged to inform your child(ren)’s teacher(s). If your child is absent from school, but is well enough to keep up with their school work, you can have them follow along with their class learning plans on Schoology (grades 3-12) or linked in building and classroom newsletters (grades K-2). 

 

Continued Isolation Requirements for COVID Positive Students

Students who are positive for COVID-19 must continue to isolate at home for 5 days. They may return to school on day 6 if they are fever-free and wear a mask for the next 5 days.

 

 

Next Phase of Living with COVID-19

Coronavirus is here to stay. We cannot eliminate risk, but we can reduce it to levels we’ve always known how to live with. Similar to going to the grocery store, attending an athletic contest, or participating in a family function, we are all at risk of being exposed to COVID-19. Medical experts share, however, that reclaiming normal life for our kids by having them in school and participating in their after-school activities is the best way to support and protect them. We encourage students, staff and families to take the personal proactive measures that we have all come to know. 

• Masking: Students, staff and visitors are encouraged to wear high-quality, 3-ply face masks. MCS provides KN95 masks to staff who choose, and provides surgical-style masks at entrances and in classrooms. On Monday, MCS will no longer mandate masks.
• Vaccines: Medical experts and local public health officials advise that people should stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations, including booster doses. They note that vaccines remain highly effective against severe disease with Omicron, and that staff and family members are well-protected by vaccination, with a booster dose important for older age groups.  "COVID-19 vaccines and boosters are the best prevention tool we have against severe illness and death," the OH Dept. of Health shared in its release.
• Personal Mitigation Strategies: Students, staff and visitors should continue to wash hands and use hand sanitizer, stay home when sick, test if displaying symptoms or have a known exposure, and maintain distance when possible.

1/13/2022 Update
All Mason City Schools and district offices will be closed tomorrow, Friday, January 14th, due to district-wide staffing shortages. When students and staff return to school on Tuesday, January 18th, they will be required to wear face masks through Friday, January 28th. Closing school tomorrow and implementing a temporary mask mandate will allow the data collections and reporting systems we have relied on throughout the pandemic to catch up with the volume from Omicron. Relying on accurate data has been essential in making informed decisions for safely educating our students.

• Friday, Jan. 14: No School. After-school extracurricular activities & athletics will continue as scheduled unless notified otherwise by advisors or coaches.
• Monday, Jan. 17: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day: No School. 
• Tuesday, Jan. 18 - Friday, January 28th: Mason City Schools open. PK-12 students and staff are required to wear masks.

Please Watch Superintendent Jonathan Cooper share the decision-making process for closing school tomorrow, and reinstating a temporary mask mandate.

Staff Absences
We are in a critical position with staffing. COVID cases, on top of normal absentee rates, are stretching our ability to staff our schools. Last week we shared that we had to combine some classes in school auditoriums, teachers were giving up their plan bells and lunches, and building and central office administrators were covering classes. Unfortunately, that increased this week and has necessitated closing school tomorrow. 

Contact Tracing & Communication
Student positive COVID cases and absences have also increased since last week. Implementing a mask mandate allows us to remove some contact tracing requirements. This relieves some of the immense burden on our school nurses, and enables us to use our resources more efficiently during this unique surge while maintaining the integrity of our data. 

If while at school your child is exposed to an individual who has tested positive for COVID, you will receive an email from school with information about the Mask to Stay/ Test to Play program. Due to the large number of families reporting positive cases since Winter Break, you will no longer receive a phone call.

1/7/2022 Update
Please watch this important message from Superintendent Jonathan Cooper about what we all can do to help ensure that our schools remain open for in-person learning. 

 

While we have seen other school districts moving to remote learning, our plan is to remain in-person to support the academic and social-emotional needs of our students, and we need your help to do so.

WAYS TO HELP
Medical health experts remind us that the following are important for keeping students in school:

• Have your child wear a 3-ply mask while at school. This is particularly important at MMS and MHS where we are seeing much lower rates of mask wearing than at our elementary schools. We are providing additional medical-style face masks in all of our classrooms for students to use.
• Get vaccinated or boosted.  Consult your medical provider to determine the vaccination options best for your child(ren) and family. Find COVID-19 vaccines and boosters. 
• Stay home when sick. Please continue to conduct daily symptom checks prior to sending your child to school.  
• Wash hands frequently or use hand sanitizer. Hand sanitizer is located in all of our classrooms for students to use.  

In addition, we need caring folks to help sub in classrooms, lunchrooms, and on busses. 

• Sub for Mason. This week we had to combine some classes in school auditoriums, teachers are giving up their plan bells and lunches, and building and central office administrators are covering classes. Subs now receive premium pay of $125 a day. Apply today. 

RESOURCES

• Use the Safe Arrival attendance system to report a confirmed case of COVID-19 or quarantine.
• Community Exposure Quarantine Options
• School Exposure Quarantine Option (Mask-to-Stay, Test to Play)
• Learning Plans if Child is Absent or Quarantining

1/3/2022 Update

We hope you had a restful and rejuvenating Winter Break. We are excited to welcome students back to school tomorrow, January 4th, and wanted to share some updates. 

MASKING

Masks are recommended, though not mandated, in all Mason City Schools. Due to a federal order, students and staff are still required to wear a mask on the school bus at this time. As we have previously communicated, now that elementary and secondary students have the opportunity to get vaccinated, we will allow families to make the decision to have their children wear a mask while at school. With this said, we remain committed to keeping our students in school; therefore, if we start to notice a concerning data trend with our local data that jeopardizes our goal to keep students in school, then we will reconsider our current approach just as we have over the past two years. Factors that could trigger a different decision would be a concerning trend in quarantines and/or isolations, or a risk to our staffing levels and not being able to carry out our day-to-day operations. 

**Of note, according to the CDC, when choosing a mask, look at how well it fits, how well it filters the air, and how many layers it has. A mask with layers will stop more respiratory droplets getting inside your mask, or escaping your mask if you are sick. 

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*UPDATED* ISOLATION GUIDELINES WHEN COVID+
The Ohio Department of Health and the CDC provided new isolation guidance for those who are positive for COVID-19. Now, anyone who tests positive must stay home for the next 5 days.
Students/Employees Who Test Positive

• Isolate at home for 5 days
• Mask for 5 days after the isolation period
• If the student/employee has a fever, the student/employee must remain isolated until fever-free for at least 24 hours without fever reducing medications, even if greater than the required 5 days of isolation.

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*UPDATED* QUARANTINE GUIDELINES WHEN EXPOSED OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL

The Ohio Department of Health and the CDC provided new updates for what to do if students or employees are exposed to someone who has COVID-19. The guidelines are different if the exposed person’s COVID-19 vaccinations are up-to-date. 
Exposed & COVID-19 Vaccines Are Up-to-Date 

• May come to school. 
• Wear a mask for 10 days after your last exposure. 
• Test, if possible, on Day 5. 
• If you develop symptoms or test positive, stay home.

Exposed & Unvaccinated or COVID-19 Vaccines Aren’t Up-to-Date

• Stay home for 5 days. 
• Wear a mask for 10 days after your last exposure. 
• Test, if possible, on Day 5. 
• If you develop symptoms or test positive, stay home.

Tested Positive for COVID-19 90 days before Exposure

• May come to school.
• Wear a mask for 10 days after your last exposure. 
• Test, if possible, on Day 5. 
• If you develop symptoms or test positive, stay home.

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*UPDATED* QUARANTINE GUIDELINES WHEN EXPOSED AT SCHOOL

The Ohio Department of Health has updated its guidance for participating in the mask to stay/test to play after being exposed in the school setting or school-related activities. 

Mask-to-Stay: Students can continue with in-person learning after being directly exposed to COVID-19 in a school setting if they do the following:

• Wear a mask for 10 days after the initial exposure date
• Self-monitor or have a parent monitor for symptoms of COVID-19
• Isolate and get tested if they show symptoms of COVID-19, regardless of the severity of symptoms

Test-to-Play: Asymptomatic contacts may continue to participate in extracurricular activities if they do the following:

• Wear a mask when able. (This includes: transportation; locker rooms; sitting/standing on the sidelines; and anytime the mask will not interfere with breathing, the activity, or create a safety hazard.
• Test on initial notification of exposure to COVID-19
• Test, if possible, on day 5

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REPORTING VACCINATION STATUS

If you need to update a student’s proof of vaccination for COVID-19, you can do so by logging into Mason Connects and clicking this form. (If you need help accessing, email support@masonohioschools.com.) 

The CDC notes that vaccines are up-to-date if you received a booster dose, or if you completed the primary series of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine less than 6 months ago, or if you completed the primary series of Johnson and Johnson vaccine less than 2 months ago. 

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REPORTING POSITIVE CASE OF COVID-19 or QUARANTINE

Families should use the Safe Arrival attendance system to report a confirmed case of COVID-19 or quarantine.

• Call 855-339-9012 OR
• Visit School Messenger’s SafeArrival Website OR
• Install & Report using the App - Apple - Android

Use the following codes when reporting:

• Absent while getting Vaccinated? Use “Doctor/Dental Appointment” or press 2
• Waiting on COVID-19 test result, coming back from international travel, or symptomatic? Use “Preventative COVID-19” or press 5
• Confirmed case of COVID-19? Use “Positive COVID-19” or press 6
• COVID-19 Community or Home Exposure? Use “Quarantine” or press 7

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STAY HOME WHEN SICK
We continue to request that all families watch for symptoms prior to sending students to school.  One or more symptoms may be present and often vary by student.  Please keep your child home if symptomatic or until you receive an alternate diagnosis as recommended by health officials. 

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CONTINUED COMMITMENT TO TRANSPARENTLY SHARING DATA & DECISION-MAKING
We continue to closely monitor, measure and communicate our local COVID-19 data with the community at large, and with public health officials. We have worked closely with the health department to provide access to vaccinations to all interested employees, as well as priority testing for employees. We have increased our pool of substitute teachers, increased substitute pay and instituted an emergency substitute plan using central office staff. If our local data with our students and staff would lead to a different course of action, then we will consider additional strategic measures. It is our sincere hope that these steps will help us maintain our commitment to keeping schools open for in-person learning throughout the second semester.

12/3/2021 Update

Watch Superintendent's December Video Message

This month, Superintendent Jonathan Cooper reflects on accomplishments from first semester. He also forecasts that during second semester, face masks will likely become optional district-wide with the availability of vaccines for children 5 and older. Finally, he shares that (like schools across the nation) we are seeing an increasing number of behavior issues - with some elementary students seeming grade levels behind socially, and secondary students struggling with more internalized mental health concerns that can lead to suicidal ideation and other risk-taking behaviors.

If you have concerns about your child's behavior at home or at school, please feel encouraged to reach out to your school's Prevention & Wellness Designer. 

MCS Focus on Belonging
This year, we have placed a special emphasis on ensuring each Comet feels a sense of connection and belonging at school. While always important, we recognized that with a large portion of students returning from online learning and many students having undergone additional stress and trauma related to the pandemic, it is more important than ever to build meaningful relationships in the service of learning.

One way Mason Schools is meeting this challenge is by intentionally creating space in the beginning of our Comets' day to have a connected and caring moment. MECC students begin the day with morning meeting and soft starts, ME students participate in RISE lessons and morning meetings, MI students regularly participate in LIFT lessons, MMS students now begin the day in CREW, and MHS students have Comet Connect time on Wednesdays.  

Watch MMS students talk about what happens during CREW. 

District Facing Staff Shortages, Supply Chain Issues

• TRANSPORTATION: This year, we have approximately 10% fewer drivers and substitute drivers than in the past. Some of our bus driver shortage is due to drivers having medical needs taken care of that were delayed during the pandemic, as well as drivers leaving for other job opportunities. Driver shortages could cause us to need to combine some middle school and high school routes (which will cause delays in the times that students are picked up/dropped off). If we have uncovered routes, affected elementary and secondary MCS students and/or private school students could be significantly delayed, and families may be asked to transport their child to school. Families would receive a SchoolMessenger phone call to alert them about their bus being significantly delayed or unavailable in the case of an uncovered route.
  
  Drive for MCS: A first-year driver can earn $22/hour, plus a $1,000 signing bonus and a chance to earn $250 per month in attendance bonuses. The job also includes 7 paid holidays, with opportunities to earn additional pay for evening routes, field trips and summer routes. Learn more and apply.
  
  
• CHILD NUTRITION: This year, our Child Nutrition department has been working around the clock with vendors on supply chain issues. Popular items like our Bosco sticks, many of our chicken items and even pizza offerings have been unavailable - requiring substitutions. Consequently, rather than printing menus in December and publishing menus that will likely change due to food availability, we encourage you to view the most up-to-date menus on our website. If your child has dietary or religious food needs, please contact seitzj@masonohioschools.com and Jennifer will be glad to add a note to your child's meal account so that any meal offered meets your family's expectations and child's needs.

Be a GEM

The Mason Schools Foundation invites you to become a GEM -Give Every Month Donor.   For just $10, $20, or $30 dollars a month you can make an impact and help us build extraordinary experiences for Mason students.  Invest in knowledge, provide for those in need, and create a competitive advantage for all students in the district.  Your support is invested to fund teacher-generated grants that provide resources to fuel innovation across all five schools and takes all students “Above & Beyond”.  Join our mission, become a GEM donor today at  https://MSFGEMS.givesmart.com. 


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#COMETScommit

Each month, MCS staff participate in Comet Circles - a caring, connected community as part of our district's effort to grow an inclusive, positive and engaging culture where everyone belongs. We invite your Family Circle to join the movement with a family challenge!

In December, we encourage you to consider ways you can share your gifts with others. What will your family do to give encouragement to others? Share your commitments with the hashtag #COMETScommit. We will have a mid-month check-in on Facebook and Twitter!

COVID Update

View our COVID-19 Dashboard for current positive cases of COVID-19 and quarantines along with the cumulative numbers since school began.

Click here for information on the quarantine process for a school exposure.

Click here for information on the quarantine process for a community exposure.

Families should use the Safe Arrival attendance system to report a confirmed case of COVID-19 or quarantine.

Best wishes to our friends & neighbors commemorating and celebrating important holidays this month

• Hanukkah* (11/28 - 12/6)
• International Day for People with Disabilities (12/3)
• Bodhi Day (12/8)
• Winter Solstice (12/21)
• Christmas (12/25)
• Kwanzaa begins (12/26)
• New Year's Eve (12/31)
  *These holidays begin at sundown on the previous day