October 17, 2020
Dear St. Peter’s Family,
We have learned that an individual at St. Peter’s High School and Junior High has tested positive for COVID-19. We have contacted Richland Public Health and will be working with them to ensure all appropriate measures are being taken to identify anyone at risk due to close contact with the infected person. In order to allow time for consultation and contact tracing, St. Peter’s School, including high school, junior high, elementary, and Montessori will be CLOSED for in-person learning on Monday, October 19. All students should plan on learning remotely. If further measures are recommended by RPH, we will make you aware of them as soon as possible.
Should your child be identified as a close contact, you will be notified by Richland Public Health that your child will need to quarantine. Being identified as a close contact means that your child was within 6 feet of a COVID-19 positive individual for 15 minutes or more, or had direct
physical contact, such as a hug or team huddle. If you are not notified by Richland Public Health, your child was not identified as a close contact and therefore does not need to quarantine.
During this time of increased community spread, we recommend that all families monitor their children for symptoms daily. Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea. These
symptoms may appear 2-14 days after an exposure. If you or a family member exhibits these symptoms, please contact your medical provider.
Richland Public Health encourages you and your family to follow The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations for best practices to help prevent the spread of COVID-19:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
- Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.
- Avoid close contact with those who are sick.
- Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your sleeve.
- Avoid touching your eyes, mouth and nose.
- Disinfect frequently touched surfaces and objects.
- Stay at home when you are sick.
- Practice social distancing, leaving at least six feet between you and other people.
- Wear a facial covering in public settings and at school.
- Avoid large gatherings of people
- Preventing the spread of this virus requires the vigilance of everyone at school, at home, and out in the community. As we learn more about COVID-19 the guidance changes accordingly. For current information on COVID-19, please visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html or richlandhealth.org.
There is nothing more important to St. Peter’s than the safety and health of our students, our staff, and our families. If you have any questions or additional concerns about this matter, please contact your building principal.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Ashley Rastorfer
Montessori Director, Elementary Principal
Jonathan R. Cuttitta
Junior High/ High School Principal