Dear Desert Heights Family,
I hope that all of you have managed to stay safe and healthy as our state experiences an increase in COVID-19 cases. Three weeks ago, I assembled a COVID-19 Task Force Team for the Desert Heights community as we prepare to develop and implement a plan that maximizes student and staff safety for the upcoming school year. I would personally like to thank all of you who took the time to respond to our School Reopening Survey. Your responses and comments provided us with invaluable insight as we work diligently to develop the best plan for our schools to reopen in August. Our areas of focus will continue to be defined by CDC Guidelines, state leadership and the Arizona Department of Health Services.
Rest assured that we are developing plans to promote the highest standard of cleaning and disinfecting measures for our campuses, while also focusing on Social Distancing Guidelines. We are revisiting vendor relationships to ensure that their cleaning protocols and other services align with recommended guidelines for safety. We are purchasing classroom thermometers with the intent of checking student temperatures daily. Additionally, we will be modifying our student management processes and common practices to minimize the possible spread of or exposure to the virus as we focus on student distancing and containment. All classrooms will be equipped with hand sanitizing stations and students and staff will be expected to sanitize multiple times throughout the day. Students will be required to consume their lunches in their respective classrooms, and we will develop safe and appropriate opportunities for small groups of students to have recess opportunities given the importance of their health and wellness during this unusual school experience. Additionally, you can expect more information soon regarding measures we will be taking to promote maximum safety on our busses and what can be expected from a transportation standpoint. Finally, we are working with Mental Health personnel to develop strategies to identify and subsequently support students who may be experiencing adverse effects of attending school under such uncommon circumstances.
To date, we do not intend to require students to wear masks, but they will be welcome and encouraged to do so. However, it is important to keep in mind that the state's position on recommended guidelines could change between now and the start of school, especially given the recent increase in cases we are said to experiencing statewide. You can expect to hear more information specific to each campus from Mrs. Miller and our Deans very soon. And as always, thank you in advance for your continued support and belief in our Desert Heights Family. Together, we can weather any storm!
From,
Mr. Jiles
President of Desert Heights Charter Schools.
