COVID-19 Update & Reminders – September 3, 2021

Aloha Saint Mark Parents,

I hope and pray you all are doing well.  I’m writing with the latest COVID-19 (and other) updates.

COMMUNITY CONDITIONS 
The current numbers (which are available on the Hawaii Data Collaborative) have unfortunately continued to increase in the past two weeks.  There are currently 11,257 active cases (up from 9,007) of COVID-19 in Hawaii.

Current Numbers
The 7-day state average of reported daily new cases is 858 (612 on O`ahu) and the 7-day state average of the positivity rate is 7.9% (8.8% on O`ahu).

August 22 Numbers
The 7-day state average of reported daily new cases is 661 (454 on O`ahu) and the 7-day state average of the positivity rate is 7.8% (9.0% on O`ahu).

August 13 Numbers
The 7-day state average of reported daily new cases is 511 (346 on O`ahu) and the 7-day state average of the positivity rate is 7.3% (8.0% on O`ahu).

August 5 Numbers
The 7-day state average of reported daily new cases is 381 (256 on O`ahu) and the 7-day state average of the positivity rate is 5.4% (6.9% on O`ahu).

DIFFICULT FEW WEEKS
As I look back at the first month of this remarkable school year, I would characterize it as a time of both success and challenge.  I see it as a success because anytime students can safely gather together (in an effective learning environment with their caring teachers and excited peers) in the midst of a raging pandemic, it’s a win.  I think it’s also safe to say that with the devastating effects of COVID-19 in our Hawaiʻi community along with Saint Mark having to quarantine four cohorts in just the first few weeks of school year, it’s likewise been a challenging start.

Please know that the faculty/staff/administration are very empathetic to the challenges of parenting in the year 2021 and that it pains us every time we must quarantine our students. As I wrote last year in the Hawaii Civil Beat, the fluidity of students moving in and out of quarantine is certainly not ideal for parents struggling to balance work and family responsibilities; however, the importance of having students on-campus (even if inconsistently) cannot be overstated.

I write this as a reminder to our families that while the faculty/staff/administration of Saint Mark fully recognize the inconvenience it causes when students must be repeatedly quarantined, it remains the safest and most feasible way to keep our school open and our students on campus as we contend with the highly contagious nature of the Delta variant.  Thank you very much for your patience and continued support of our policies and procedures as we successfully navigate these incredibly choppy pandemic waters!

PLEASE BE READY FOR ADDITIONAL QUARANTINING
Based on the steadily increasing levels of COVID-19 in our community, it is important that our families continue to be ready for the possibility that their children will need to quarantine.   As you should know well by now, when we do have COVID-19 positive cases on campus and it is determined that individual was in close contact with a cohort, that cohort will be sent home for 10 days (from the exposure date) of quarantining.

PFIZER VACCINE FULLY APPROVED
The Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine received full approval from the FDA on August 23 for those 16 and older.  With this full approval along with the fact that hundreds of millions of people have now safely received this vaccine, the hope is that more unvaccinated Americans will be convinced to get this vaccine is as it’s safe, effective and needed.

John Hopkins School of Medicine has a great explanation of what it means for a vaccine to get full FDA approval verses emergency approval.

Saint Mark continues to strongly encourage all those eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine to please do so!  With the increasingly deteriorating community conditions, we understand (more than ever) that getting vaccinated is our best chance of staying safe, getting Hawai`i’s kids and teachers fully back-to-school and resuming more normal/traditional school activities.

GREAT TEACHING AND LEARNING
It may be difficult in this current climate to not let COVID-19 overshadow other aspects of school life.  After all, there is nothing more important than the health and safety of our keiki.  That being said, I do want to reassure all of our families that fantastic teaching and learning is occurring at Saint Mark.  Through all the challenges of the pandemic, our teachers continue to work very hard to create learning opportunities for our students that nurture their curiosity and engender inquiry and cooperation.  Whether it be creating fun music, painting portraits, working in the garden, competing on the field of play, or recreating a cuneiform tablet from ancient Mesopotamia, our school is alive with spirited teaching and engaged learning.  And, its exciting to watch!

SAINT MARK ATHLETICS RESUME
After a nearly two year hiatus, Saint Mark has resumed its interscholastic athletics program.  Approximately 20 students in grades 5 & 6 excitedly began their JV volleyball season yesterday afternoon.  A big mahalo goes to our Athletics Director, Mr. Markillie for his work to organize a safe and thoughtful plan to bring back our athletics.  Mr. Markillie with help from Ms. Shiroma will be coaching the volleyball teams.

STAY SAFE THIS LABOR DAY WEEKEND
As we head into the Labor Day weekend, the State of Hawaiʻi is struggling with an unprecedented and disastrous surge in COVID-19 cases. Governor Ige explains that, “Because of COVID, our hospital system across the state is in danger of moving toward a worst-case scenario. If that happens, healthcare leaders warn that choices will have to be made, people may not receive the care they need, and some will die.”  We can all do our part to stop the spread by:

• Getting Vaccinated
• Avoiding closed spaces with poor ventilation
• Avoiding crowded places with many people nearby
• Avoiding close-contact settings, such as close-range conversations
• Setting your own curfews
• Avoiding activities that could lead to exposure and illness or increase your risk of trauma
• Getting tested a few days after you arrive in Hawaiʻi if you’ve traveled
• Masking up
• Maintaining physical distancing
• Staying home when you’re sick
• Washing your hands frequently

Mahalo, Blessings and Stay Safe this Labor Day weekend,

David Gaudi
Head of School