The new PHO provides for:
- Exemptions from facial coverings and
- Prevents the quarantining of asymptomatic individuals
The PHO states that “certain individuals shall be exempt from any requirement to wear a Face Covering within Douglas County, if an individual age 18 or older represents to any person or entity charged with enforcing or supervising such a requirement to wear a Face Covering, or in the case of a child a written declaration signed by the parent or guardian of the child, requesting to be exempted from the requirement to wear a Face Covering due to the negative impact on that individual’s physical and or mental health.
Therefore, GVA-DC will continue to require masks for all students, staff, and visitors EXCEPT FOR those individuals with a signed and dated exemption on file in the office. The following is exemption language that may be used when claiming an exemption for a child:
“I __________________ the parent of __________________have made the determination that the wearing of a facial covering results in a net negative impact on the physical and/or mental health of my child and therefore claim an exemption for my child to any requirement to wear a face covering.”
Such a statement shall be signed and dated by the parent/guardian making the claim to the exemption. Exemptions should be emailed to Stacy Bush, Principal, at [email protected].
In addition, the PHO states that “no (asymptomatic) individual, regardless of age, shall be required to quarantine because of exposure to a known COVID-19 positive case unless the exposure is associated with a known outbreak or otherwise required by superseding state or federal mandate.”
GVA-DC will continue to follow CDPH guidelines for quarantines and isolations. In short:
- Students and staff who had exposure and have any symptoms of COVID-19 will need to quarantine and may be required to test negative to return to school.
- Students and staff, symptomatic or not, that test positive for COVID-19 must stay home and follow the CDPHE isolation guidelines.
- Students and staff who are not feeling well need to stay at home.
If applicable, exposures associated with an outbreak will require quarantining.
The PHO can be viewed in its entirety at
C:\Users\sbush\Documents\2021-2022\COVID\public-health-order-oct-9-2021.pdf
GVA-DC administration and Board of Directors have been working collaboratively with the Douglas County Health Department and DCSD to fully comply with the new Public Health Order while honoring the beliefs and choices of our families and staff. GVA staff reports that they feel safer when all persons in the building are masked. Families (based on preliminary results of the Beginning of the Year survey) are split 50:50 on requiring vs not requiring masks. It is sincere hope our hope that by continuing to require masks AND allowing parents to exempt their children from the requirement honors parent choice and provides for a safe in-person learning environment.
Thank you again for your support and for partnering with us to provide a world-class K-5 education that promotes children’s physical and mental health.
Warmly,
Stacy Bush
Principal
Global Village Academy- Douglas County
With support from the Global Village Academy Board of Directors