March 11, 2020
Dear Parents and Guardians,
At McLoud Public Schools, the health, safety and well-being of our students and staff are our top priorities. With the recently elevated discussion regarding the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the news, we want to take a moment to reinforce preventive safety measures and to let you know that McLoud will work directly with the Oklahoma Health Department in the event that an outbreak would occur in Oklahoma.
First, it is important to remember that at this time, there have only been a small number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in the United States. As a school district, we are closely monitoring the situation and taking guidance from the Oklahoma Health Department and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). There is currently no recommendation to close schools in the United States.
However, the flu season is still in process, so we encourage our students, staff and families to be mindful of key preventive measures. We encourage everyone to practice good habits, including:
• Wash your hands regularly, especially after using the restroom and before preparing or consuming food. Using soap and hot water, wash for about 20 seconds. Be sure to also wash your fingertips.
• Avoid coughing or sneezing into your hands or in the air. Always try to cough or sneeze into a tissue, and then throw the tissue away. If you don’t have a tissue, cough/sneeze into your arm.
• As much as you can, avoid touching your eyes, mouth and nose.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
• If children are feeling sick, please keep them home from school. Allow them some time to feel better so that they do not risk infecting others.
There is also some helpful information on the Oklahoma Health Department website that can be useful in avoiding the spread of this and other illnesses at https://www.occhd.org/eng.
In addition, please remember that if children are sick, they should not be at school. Students need to be fever-free for 24 hours before returning to class after any illness. Keeping children home when they are sick is critical to prevention.
Please know that McLoud is already making preparations in the event that schools would need to be closed in the event of an outbreak. We will work with the State Department of Education to determine flexibility in the event that COVID-19 has a more direct impact on Oklahoma.
Sincerely,
Steve Stanley
Superintendent