Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update & Reminders – February 19, 2021

Aloha Saint Mark Parents!

I hope and pray you all are doing well. It’s a bit hard to believe but February marks one year since my first COVID-19 update email was sent to parents. A lot has certainly changed since then!

COMMUNITY CONDITIONS 
The current numbers (which are available on the Hawaii Data Collaborative) have substantially  decreased in the past couple of weeks. Let’s all please do our part to keep ourselves safe and continue these positive trends. 

Current Numbers
The 7-day state average of reported daily new cases is 43 (31 on O`ahu) and the 7-day state average of the positivity rate is 0.9% (1.0% on O`ahu). 

February 4 Numbers
The 7-day state average of reported daily new cases is 85 (60 on O`ahu) and the 7-day state average of the positivity rate is 2.0% (2.4% on O`ahu). 

January 15 Numbers
The 7-day state average of reported daily new cases is 154 (111 on O`ahu) and the 7-day state average of the positivity rate is 2.8% (3.4% 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.

Mayor Rick Blangiardi has indicated that if the COVID numbers continue to remain low, it is possible that the City and County of Honolulu will be moved into TIER 3 (YELLOW) which allows for larger gatherings. This move could happen as early as next week but would need to be approved by Governor Ige before it could take effect.

RE-ENROLLMENT (for PK3 and K-7 Students) Due Today!
The enrollment contracts and enrollment fee for all RETURNING students in grades PK3 and K-7 (all PK4 students must re-apply for kindergarten admission) are due back to the school office TODAY to guarantee a spot for the 2021-22 school year.  We are forecasted to be at or near capacity in all classes, so please be sure to meet this deadline.

STAFF GETTING VACCINATED
After dealing with some procedural frustrations (which were covered on Hawaii News Now), I am thrilled to report that 76% of our faculty and staff have received at least the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.  As reported previously, we understand that our best chance of getting Hawai`i’s kids and teachers fully back-to-school and completely ending this nearly year long student sequestration is to get vaccinated!

VACCINATION SIDE-EFFECTS
With growing numbers of Kupuna, educators, and other community members getting their first (and soon their second) dose of the vaccine, I wanted to share an article explaining the reasons behind the side-effect associated with the COVID-19 vaccination.  The article is entitled Here’s Why Your Second Dose of COVID-19 Vaccine Will Likely Have Stronger Side Effects and does a great job of clearly articulating the facts/data in easily understandable language.

GET ACTIVE for SAINT MARK (with KONA ICE)
A big mahalo goes to our families for their strong support of Get Active for Saint Mark!  Thanks to your generous contributions we raised over $7,000 for the purchase of new P.E. equipment, recess balls, athletic equipment and travel, etc.  The top three money collectors will be announced next week prior to the all school “Get Active” for Saint Mark day on Wednesday, February 24.

As a special reward, the Saint Mark Parent Teacher Committee (PTC) has arranged to have two Kona Ice trucks on campus to provide the students with a shaved ice treat after they complete their Get Active hour.

Out of an abundance of caution, we have researched the company’s safety protocols to ensure they comply with the school‘s (as well as state/county) COVID guidelines.  We have confirmed that all of their workers are gloved and masked at all times, and the surfaces of the trucks have been treated with an antimicrobial disinfectant coating.  Additionally, the workers thoroughly clean and further sanitize the trucks after each use and are prohibiting the students from utilizing their self-serve flavor fountains. So rather than the students adding their own flavors, the workers will do it for them. We thank the PTC for this fun treat as we look forward to a safe, fun and tasty Get Active day!

READY TO PIVOT BACK to DISTANCE LEARNING
Despite the lower COVID numbers, 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.  

Mahalo for your continued patience, commitment and compliance in these challenging times and please do not hesitate to let us know should you have any questions.

Mahalo, Blessings and Stay Safe this Weekend,

David Gaudi
Head of School