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Superintendent Notes: January 11, 2021

Food Program Remains Free to Families. Zero COVID 19 in District OR1 Buildings

January 11, 2021

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Community Update for Monday, January 11th, 2021

Good morning Panther families,

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a safe and restful holiday season.  We are looking forward to another great semester here at District OR-1 and it was very exciting to see our staff and students return to school last week. Welcome back!

Student Meals:

  • This is just a reminder that we will continue to offer free breakfasts and lunches for all of our students through the end of the 2020-2021 school year.

  • Please contact our school offices if you have additional questions regarding meals here at school.  

COVID Numbers as of 1.11.2021:

  • Including our new cases, here are the updated numbers for our district as of 1.11.2021.

    • Currently, District OR-1 has zero staff or student cases in our buildings.  Hooray!

    • 28 positive staff cases (11 HS/ 17 Elementary) since the beginning of school in August.

    • 35 positive student cases (22 HS / 13 Elementary) since the beginning of school in August.

    • Total positive COVID cases for the district since the beginning of school in August is now at 63. 

  • Current public health information for Otoe and Lancaster Counties is listed below:

    • Here is a link to information for Lancaster County.

      • Please note: The most recent press briefing from Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department Director, Pat Lopez is listed Here. 

      • Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department press briefings are now on Tuesday instead of Friday's. 

    • Here is a link to information for the Southeast District Health Department.

  • Students or staff impacted by positive COVID cases will continue to quarantine or self-monitor for symptoms in alignment with local health department and district protocols.

COVID-19: Mitigation Strategies:

  • We ask that you continue to inform our building principals and office staff  if your child tests positive for COVID-19 or needs to quarantine because of “close contact” exposure to someone testing positive for COVID-19.  

  • This proactive communication helps us to ensure we are continuing to provide a safe school experience for all of our students. 

  • This is also a reminder that we need to continue to practice the following strategies to limit the transmission of the virus. 

  • Wear a mask that covers your entire nose and mouth and fits snug around the sides of your face.

  • Keep your distance (6+ Feet) from others whenever possible.

  • Avoid the 3 C's - Crowded, confined, and closed spaces.

  • Practice good hand and personal hygiene. 

  • Stay home if you are sick.

COVID -19 Vaccination Information:

  • Currently, there are  two COVID-19 vaccines which have been approved for emergency use authorization by the FDA: Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna.  

  • Both vaccines require two doses which are given a few weeks apart and are approved for individuals age 16 (Pfizer) or 18 (Moderna) and older. 

  • We are hopeful that vaccinations become available as soon as possible for our staff and students so that we may continue to see a downturn in COVID -19 positive case numbers at the local and state levels. 

  • For further information on COVID-19 vaccinations in Nebraska, click here to access the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services COVID-19 vaccine dashboard. 

  • The State of Nebraska’s COVID-19 Vaccine Plan is listed here. 

  • If you are interested in learning even more about the COVID-19 vaccine, please check out the following links:

    • Nebraska Medicine COVID-19 Vaccine Q & A

    • Mayo Clinic COVID-19 Vaccine Q & A

  • There is also a “virtual” informational session on the COVID-19 vaccine (the session is hosted by Children's Hospital & Medical Center) on Thursday, January 21, 2021 from 3:30-4:30 p.m.  You can access the presentation using the Zoom meeting information provided below:

Directed Health Measures: 

“Return to School” Plan Update:

  • We are still working on adding some revisions to our second semester. “Return to School” Plan.

  • We should have an updated version available sometime later this week. We will post the document on our website at www.districtor1.org as soon as possible.

  • Thank you for your patience as we continue to adjust to the ever changing conditions and challenges that the virus presents. 

Activities Update:

  • Our activities schedule is back in full swing and our students continue to perform well. For our students to still be able to participate in activities during a pandemic is a testament to the flexibility and persistence of our students, coaches, sponsors, and spectators. 

  • Here are some highlights from the most current NSAA activity guidelines. 

    • Active participants are permitted, but not required, to wear face coverings during  competition/performance.

    • Coaches and non-active participants (those not currently on the court, mat or stage) are required to wear face coverings at all times.

    • Spectators are required to wear face coverings at all times while attending indoor events.

    • Face coverings must cover the nose and mouth.

    • 6 feet of physical distance between household groups in stands and spectator areas.

    • Attendance is restricted to 50% of occupancy.

  • Thank you again for your diligence and flexibility in limiting the spread of the virus, as we continue to adjust to the local health department and NSAA activity guidelines. 

Have a great week,

Mike