December 7, 2021
Dear Parents & Guardians,
Our county and our district continue to experience a significant increase in positive COVID-19 cases, health department quarantines, and other illnesses resulting in high rates of staff and student absence.
As a result of this increase in COVID and other illnesses, Plainwell Community Schools will be implementing a mask requirement starting Wednesday, December 8, 2021 through Friday, January 14, 2022. Masks will be required for all K-12 students, staff and visitors during the instructional day while inside all school buildings. Masks will NOT be required for extra curricular activities that occur before or after school, this includes sports. Masks will NOT be required outside.
Additional exceptions include:
- Persons in the act of eating or drinking.
- Persons under the age of five years; however, supervised masking is strongly recommended.
- Students with developmental conditions of any age attending school, although supervised masking is encouraged.
- Teachers who are working with children who are hard of hearing or students with developmental conditions who benefit from facial cues.
- A person with a disability who cannot wear a mask, or cannot safely wear a mask, because of the disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA, 42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.) and Michigan Persons with Disabilities Act
If your child is exhibiting any COVID-19 symptoms listed below please keep them home and get them tested to reduce the risk of any spread or outbreak. Symptoms include:
- Fever or chills
- Cough or difficulty breathing
- Shortness of breath
- Fatigue, muscle or body aches
- Headache
- New loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
We continue to ask you to report positive cases to your building administrator or administrative assistants. It is important to have this information to continue to monitor our numbers. After January 14, Plainwell Community Schools will base a masking requirement on total absence rate per individual building. We will communicate additional information on this individual building process following winter break. Thank you for your help as we continue to work together to keep our students, staff and families safe.
Plainwell Community Schools