Aug. 31, 2021
Dear McLoud Families,
As you know we have continued to work with local and county health officials to stay on top of the trends within our school buildings and the surrounding community related to COVID. We have received updated guidance from the Oklahoma State Department of Education, as well as the Oklahoma State and Pottawatomie County Health Departments that language changes have been made to their letters and guidance for schools around isolation and quarantines. Schools are expected to follow these policies.
Specifically, in their FAQs and guidance it states: "Keeping students at home when they are infected with COVID-19 (isolation) or have been exposed as a close contact (quarantine) is critical to controlling the transmission of COVID-19, especially since infected individuals are known to transmit the virus to others before they experience symptoms or when they are only experiencing mild symptoms. Schools and parents have a duty under state law (63 O.S. § 1-505) to keep students home when they are in isolation or quarantine. These students should remain away from school facilities and activities until their period of isolation or quarantine has ended."
Quarantining is essential to preventing the spread of this virus within our schools and will help us continue to keep school open. The health officials have stated quarantines are necessary, not just recommended. Students and faculty who test positive will need to be isolated for 10 days starting on the day of the positive test. Students who are exposed to COVID-19 will quarantine for 10 days. An exception to the 10 day quarantine is that if after day 5 the exposed person tests negative for COVID-19 and is symptom free, Such individuals may return to school on day 8. Over the counter tests are not recognized by the Health Department, therefore will not be considered valid. Also, anyone who provides proof of vaccination who is not showing symptoms, or those with documentation of a positive test within the last 90 days will not be required to quarantine.
Again, I want to remind you to keep our school community’s number of positive cases low, we recommend that you consider the following: make sure you and your student(s) continue to follow CDC guidance by washing your hands frequently, keeping social distance of 3-6 feet when possible, considering vaccination, and wearing face coverings when you cannot social distance, especially indoors, as well as when in public places.
As a reminder, masks/face coverings are welcomed and are strongly encouraged in our buildings where social distancing of at least 3 feet is not feasible. We encourage you to make the best decision for your student and your own family, while monitoring health conditions daily. We encourage you to consider vaccination to help combat the spread within our community. Our best opportunity to keep school open, as well as extracurricular activities in place, is to follow these guidelines.
We will continue to work closely with our state, county, and local health officials to monitor the situation.
Sincerely,
Rhonda Hockenbury
Interim Superintendent
rhockenbury@mcloudschools.us
(405) 964-3314 ext. 5262
Today’s High school and junior high softball games have been cancelled for today. Sorry for any inconvenience.
McLoud Family - Buses 11 and 14 will be running late today. Thank you.
More results from McLoud Cross Country:
Congratulations to MJH Cross Country and Noelle McMichael, who scored 3rd at the Blanchard XC meet this morning!!
Back to School Bash 2021 was a success! Thanks to everyone that came out!
McLoud wins season opener 52-14!
McLoud winning at halftime 30-6.
McLoud HS first home football game! Go Redskins!
Intermediate breakfast and lunch menus!
McLoud Family - Our ECC is looking for a great secretary, and we are also looking for a school nurse for the district. Please share and apply if interested.
https://mcloudschools.tedk12.com/hire/index.aspx
Softball girls playing Chandler in the 66 Conference Tournament this afternoon!
Outdoor pep assembly at the football stadium today! It was a great afternoon!
Some of our football boys eating breakfast with students at the ECC this morning! This is awesome!
McLoud Family - Buses 3 and 9 will be running late today. Thank you.
Mr. Twyman and the Ag Mechanics class learning to weld! They were doing a great job and it was hot!!
McLoud Family - Bus 9 will be running late today. Thank you.
5th grade Focused and Flexible learned about how to handle stress and calming techniques this morning. We are so thankful to the Kickapoo Tribe Behavioral Health Preserving the Future grant for coming in weekly to work with our students, and teaching them these skills.
Parents/Guardians: We will be doing contact tracing throughout the district in an effort to control the spread of Covid. If you receive a phone notification you will be given the building site as well as grade level if possible. This means your student was within 6 feet of the positive case or 3 feet if masks were worn. The exposure was for a cumulative time of 15 minutes or greater. The Oklahoma Department of Health currently recommends quarantine and monitoring of symptoms if you have been exposed to Covid. Please keep your student at home if they are running a fever or have had a sudden loss of smell and/or taste. If your student stays home please also remember to notify the office and provide medical documentation for attendance purposes.
If you have students in grades 8-11, please check out the scholarship opportunity that Oklahoma's Promise provides.
*Now including 11th graders
*New income limit of $60k
