Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update – October 29, 2020

Aloha Saint Mark Parents!

I hope and pray you are doing well.  I am writing with the latest updates as our students have nearly completed two weeks of a successful transition back to school following the fall break.

IMPROVING COMMUNITY CONDITIONS
The 7-day state average of reported daily new cases is 87 (49 on O`ahu) and the 7-day state average of the positivity rate is 2.0% (2.0% on O`ahu).  These numbers are encouraging and are available on the Hawaii Data Collaborative. Let’s all do our part to keep the metrics low and prevent another surge like we unfortunately experienced in August.

IMPACT/ALERT LEVELS
The state of Hawai`i is at impact level YELLOW (Act with Care – Minor Disruption) of its Reopening Navigator; the City and County of Honolulu is in TIER 2 (ORANGE) of its Honolulu Reopening Strategy; and Saint Mark is at level GREEN in its Reopening Campus Plan.

STUDENTS and STAFF WORKING HARD 
Our students and staff are to be commended for their hard work in so diligently following our safety protocols and embracing all of the required PPE.  Wearing face masks and shields for hours on end is certainly not the most comfortable way to spend one’s day, yet our students and staff consistently do it without complaint. Mahalo nui for your wonderful commitment!  Please keep it up.

BIRTHDAYS / OTHER CELEBRATIONS (Food and Snack Restrictions)
Please be aware that due to COVID-19, no food or other snacks are permitted to be shared on campus for birthdays or any other occasions unless the food or snack items are individually factory wrapped.  For example, an individually factory wrapped package of Goldfish is permissible. However, Goldfish purchased in a large bag and then separated into smaller bags is prohibited.

We respectfully ask that parents please not send prohibited food or snacks to school. Mahalo.

MASKS (Must Fit Properly & Cover the Nose)
We continue to see a number of students with their masks routinely falling below their nose.  Usually, it’s through no fault of their own and is due to the fact that the mask simply does not fit properly.  It’s imperative that the masks fit correctly and be worn properly (fitting snugly and fully covering the mouth and nose) if they are to provide the type of protection they are designed to provide. We do have a variety of children’s masks available in the office should you need one. 

VOICE AMPLIFIERS
A big mahalo goes to our Parent Teacher Committee (PTC) who purchased voice amplifiers for all the teachers. These devices are very helpful as teachers need to be speaking through their masks and shields all day long.

READY TO PIVOT BACK to DISTANCE LEARNING
Saint Mark Lutheran School remains very attentive to the fluidity of this pandemic and will continue to carefully monitor the daily data.  While we will not be overly reactive to expected variance in community conditions, we need to be ready to quickly pivot back (cohorts or larger groups) to distance learning should a student or staff member test positive or community conditions dramatically worsen again.  

SAFETY PROTOCOLS MUST BE FOLLOWED
Saint Mark’s faculty, staff and administration remain steadfast in their adherence to all of the safety protocols and preventative strategies as detailed in the Reopening Campus Plan – Policy and Procedures and respectfully requests its students and parents to do the same.  Everyone must do their part to remain safe!

Mahalo for your continued patience and commitment in these uncertain times and please do not hesitate to contact the school office should you have any questions.

Thank you for your time and support!

Mahalo, Blessings and Stay Safe this Holiday Weekend ,

David Gaudi
Head of School