Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update & Reminders – December 4, 2020

Happy Aloha Friday Saint Mark Parents!

I hope and pray you are doing well.  I am writing with the latest updates & reminders.

MAHALOS
Before anything else, I want to begin by profoundly thanking all of our school families for the wonderful efforts you have put into following our safety protocols and guidelines in order to help keep us together and safe on our campus. Because of your patience, diligence, and dedication, we are now in our 11th week of classes for ALL grades and without any cases or transmissions on campus. Praise the Good Lord!  We will soon be finishing the second quarter, and we should share some collective satisfaction in the fact we’ve been able to work together to keep our students safe while enjoying an authentic on-campus educational experience.  MAHALO to you ALL!

COMMUNITY CONDITIONS 
The current numbers (which are available on the Hawaii Data Collaborative) have remained stable and have continued to edge in the right direction. Let’s all please do our part to keep the metrics low as we head toward the Christmas break.

Current Numbers
The 7-day state average of reported daily new cases is 80 (63 on O`ahu) and the 7-day state average of the positivity rate is 1.7% (2.1% on O`ahu). 

November 20th Numbers
The 7-day state average of reported daily new cases is 86 (71 on O`ahu) and the 7-day state average of the positivity rate is 1.9% (2.6% on O`ahu).

November 13th Numbers
The 7-day state average of reported daily new cases is 101 (82 on O`ahu) and the 7-day state average of the positivity rate is 2.3% (3.0% on O`ahu).  

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.

BIRTHDAYS / OTHER CELEBRATIONS (Food and Snack Restrictions)
With Christmas fast approaching, I’m including another reminder 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/sealed. Local restaurants, shops, bakeries, etc. are not considered factories so parents are prohibited from bringing in items from those types of establishments for distribution. For example, individually factory wrapped containers of Go-Gurt yogurt are permissible; however, individual cups of Jamba Juice are prohibited.  This would also mean that individually factory wrapped cupcakes from Hostess are permissible (for K-8) while individually hand wrapped cupcakes from the Safeway bakery are not.

We fully realize that these restrictions may not be popular with some of our families who are excited to celebrate in certain ways, but we nevertheless hope the need for vigilance is understood and that you feel that we have provided adequate and viable options.  Mahalo for your understanding!

HOLIDAY TRAVEL
I realize that some of our families may still be debating whether or not to travel during the Christmas break.  I also know that we are all eager to try to return to some sense of normalcy and that mainland travel helps provide those feelings. That being said, I want to take this opportunity to respectfully urge our families to carefully consider the pros and cons of holiday mainland travel and decide if it is truly necessary in the midst of this surging pandemic.

As I imagine you have all heard, nearly every state across the country is unfortunately seeing a large spike or surge in COVID cases. The CDC’s forecasts for the mainland United States predict dramatic increases in the numbers of COVID cases and deaths in most states across the country throughout the month of December and into January. This is arguably the riskiest time to consider travel.

Also, it is increasingly difficult on the mainland to obtain the mandatory testing required by Hawai`i state law to avoid the state-mandated 14-day quarantine.  Many are already having difficulty getting test results back in time for their return to Hawai`i and those delays will be increased as the number of travelers increases over the holidays.  So even if you make an appointment for testing ahead of travel, you should expect delays in receiving test results because of the expected rise in requests for testing in December and January.

In order to maintain a safe environment on our campus, our school policy requires a negative result from an additional test taken a minimum of 5 days after landing in Hawai`i.  If you must travel, please consider returning to Hawai`i no later than December 28th which will hopefully give you enough time to take and receive test results before school resumes on January 4th.

If you are committed to travel, we kindly request that all parents use THIS FORM to notify us of your travel plans and return dates.  Mahalo for your consideration and understanding.

HOLIDAY HOUSEHOLD VISITORS – Revision/Clarification of Policies
In addition to Hawai`i residents returning home from out-of-state travel, some of our families may be hosting out-of-state visitors over the holidays.  So I wanted to quickly remind everyone that our policies on Out-of-State Travel apply to those returning from out-of-state as well as those visiting from out-of-state who are staying on the same premises. In order to clarify this policy and remove any ambiguity, the Reopening Campus Plan Policy and Procedures has been updated to include the words “or has visitors from” (see below).

• Out-of-State Travel – If a Saint Mark student or any member of a student’s household returns from (or has visitors from) out-of-state and is not subject to a State-mandated quarantine because he/she took a 72-hour pre-travel COVID-19 test, the student must still remain off campus for 14 days unless he/she receives an additional negative COVID-19 test taken at least 5 days following his/her arrival on O’ahu. Families are strongly encouraged to avoid any non-essential out-of-state travel.

SAFETY #1 PRIORITY
As we head into these winter months looking forward to a safe and efficacious vaccine to bring us some much needed relief, please know that every COVID-19 decision we have made for our school has been one that puts the safety of our students, faculty, staff, and families at the forefront.  It’s this steadfast vigilance and the true spirt of cooperation that has gotten us this far.  Let’s do all we can to ensure we remain safely at school in the coming months and finish out this school year strong. 

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.

Mahalo, Blessings and Stay Safe this Weekend,

David Gaudi
Head of School