SCHOOLS

SRHS stays open for the time being

Scripps Ranch High School Interim Principal Matt Lawson sent an email message to parents the evening of March 12 stating that the high school will remain open at this time in the face of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. He referred to health officials when explaining the reasoning for this decision. He stated that high school sports events will continue but will be “fan-free” and also listed the SRHS activities that have been cancelled. His message is below:

Dear Parents and Guardians:
San Diego Unified School District has been monitoring the COVID-19 (coronavirus) situation in San Diego County. We have been advised by public health officials that closing our schools is unwarranted at this time and could create unintended consequences that would hurt their efforts to protect our community. Because schools are considered an essential service providing meals, security and resources to children and families, schools in the District are currently remaining open. With this quickly changing public health situation, this too may be reassessed as necessary, and if so, you will be notified immediately.

We will remain vigilant and ask that you do the same. If you child is sick, please keep them home from school. If your child has respiratory symptoms and/or a fever of >100 F / >37.8 C, they should remain home from school and other activities until they have no fever for 24 hours, without fever medication. In addition, if your child has a severe productive cough (i.e., spewing respiratory droplets) that is not typical for them, they should stay home. If you feel your child may have been exposed to the novel coronavirus, please contact your doctor immediately.

We encourage you to stay informed of the situation by regularly checking updates from San Diego County Public Health Services and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

In the meantime, our focus continues to be on prevention and preparation. We have an inventory of needed supplies, our staff is trained on cleaning and disinfecting classrooms, and our nurse and health technicians are experts in watching for symptoms and providing guidance to families.

You can support us by following these standard precautionary measures:

Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds and use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer (60+) when soap is not available
Avoid touching eyes, nose, and moth and avoid close contact with people who are sick
Stay home when sick and call your school to report fever and respiratory symptoms
Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue, throw the tissue in the trash, and clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces
Individuals with chronic health issues and/or individuals experiencing severe symptoms should be evaluated by a medical professional.
Continue to receive an annual flu shot

Effective immediately until April 24, school gatherings of more than 250 people will be cancelled due to concerns over possibly spreading coronavirus. In addition to other activities, this affects assemblies, field trips, conferences and dances, as well as fan participation at sporting events. Our play “Grease” has been cancelled as well as the ROTC formal on March 14th and the Spring Dance for March 21st. All musical concerts for the months of March and April have been cancelled as well. Regarding lunch, we will ask teachers to open up their classrooms for eating so students will be spread out and not together in the quad, lunch tables, gym, or library. Athletic events may continue, but are to be fan-free.

We will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as necessary. The latest updates are provided in the San Diego Unified COVID-19 Information Page at the link below:
https://sites.google.com/sandi.net/covid19

Sincerely,
Matt Lawson, Ed.D
Interim Principal
Scripps Ranch High School