From the Principal

On Monday, August 16^th we welcomed our 1^st – 5th-grade students “Back to School" (did you see the amazing yard signs out in front of the school?). It was great to see all of the happy faces and hear their excited voices in the hallways. Kindergarten students enjoyed a “Balanced Beginning” of their school year by meeting in small groups throughout the week. Friday we celebrated the first day of school for all kindergarten students by kicking off our “Food Truck Friday” events. Kona Ice was on hand to provide delicious icy treats to those willing to brave the line! What a great way to top off an amazing first week of school!

Mask Mandate Update

Following the email sent out Sunday morning regarding GVA-DC’s decision to opt-out of the Tri-County Health mask mandate, both the Board of Trustees and I have received an overwhelming number of emails on both sides of the issue. Mandating/not mandating masks is a contentious issue and it saddens me to see the division it has created in our community.

In response to the many responses we have received, we compiled some points of clarification as well as the data used to inform our decision to not mandate masks and continue to allow individual and parent choice when it comes to masking.

Public Health Order in Douglas County

On Thursday, August 19^th the Douglas County Board of Commissioners passed a resolution to opt Douglas County out of the Public Health Order (PHO) put in place by Tri-County Health. This means, effectively (according to the county attorney), that there is no enforceable PHO in Douglas County. Schools in Douglas County, including individual charter schools, will continue to have the ability to set their own policies when it comes to masking.

Why does GVA-DC not have a mask mandate?

In addition to the data referenced below, it has been our experience that many young children do not wear their masks properly (which can be counterproductive) and we have heard from countless GVA-DC parents that masks were having a significant adverse impact on their children. Last year we witnessed the deterioration of mental health in our children as they navigated masks, cohorts, quarantining, loss of extracurricular activities, and isolation.

What data is GVA-DC using to inform decision-making?

We rely on the following data , all of which is published on Tri-County Health’s COVID tracking page.

Hospitalization Rate for Children: The current hospitalization rate for children under 18 in Douglas County is 0.33 per 100,000 (this means one child in 300,000 is hospitalized). When the mandates were lifted last May this rate was 0.45.

Pandemic Hospitalizations: Since March 2020 (Dark Green is Children <18)
Pandemic Hospitalizations: Last Two Months Only (Dark Green is Children <18)
Overall Hospitalization Rate: The overall hospitalization rate in Douglas County, 0.56, is currently well within Level Clear (no restrictions).
Incidence Rates for Children: The Douglas County current incidence rate for children that would fall under the PHO (5-10) is 29 (“Moderate Transmission”) per 100,000 as of today.

We will be carefully monitoring our own COVID data and reporting positive cases to Tri-County Health.

We will watch all of this data and adjust our protocols as necessary. We will also continue to keep our community fully informed on the latest information and data, as we did last year. We will notify you if your child is exposed, and we will be keeping/sending sick children home. We will also continue to partner with Tri-County Health as we navigate individual situations.

We would like to encourage our community to support each other – and “honor different ways of being, acting and believing, even when we don’t agree with it”. This is not a simple or straightforward matter. We have heard heart-wrenching stories from families on both sides of this issue – from parents concerned about a medically vulnerable child to parents navigating terrifying anxiety and depression in their child. We have a well-educated community full of good people on both sides of this issue who are all trying to protect their children. We know some of you do not agree with this decision and we respect your dissent. However, please know that we made this decision in good faith, keeping the physical and emotional well-being of our kids at the forefront and honoring the rights of each parent to make decisions for their own child.

Thank you again for your support and for partnering with us to provide a world-class K-5 education in a safe, in-person environment that promotes children’s health and well–being.

Warmly,

Stacy Bush

Principal

GVA Douglas County

[email protected]

With support from the GVA-DC Board of Directors

For more information about masking in schools, check out the latest Frequently Asked Questions released by Tri-County Health