News

The following parent letter was sent to all staff and parents on Monday, March 9, 2020 via email.

March 9, 2020

Dear MTSD Families;

As of today, there are 7 presumptive cases of the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) in Pennsylvania: Wayne County (1), Delaware County (1), and Montgomery County (5).

We continue to remain in daily contact with the Pennsylvania Department of Health (PA DOH), Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE).  As part of the district’s emergency preparedness plan, we have a local action team in place that includes personnel from health services, plant services, and district administrators.  We continue to meet often to stay up-to-date on current information from trusted local and national health organizations, and to review the district’s Pandemic Plan which will guide the district’s response and preparation for managing the situation. The Pandemic Plan, as part of the district’s overall emergency preparedness plan, follows a recommended model provided by the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA). Our school nurses continue to gather and report data on an increase of students and staff with fevers and illness, so that we can monitor and evaluate trends.

In the event of local exposure, we will take direction from the Department of Health (DOH) for a proper response.  Our options may include, in partnership with the DOH, the closure of one or more of our buildings, or even the possibility of closing/cancelling our entire district and all large events and extracurricular activities.  We are discussing and planning for how to minimize the potential impact in the event that we need to close one or more of our buildings. If this would occur, we will communicate as soon as possible regarding the plans to address the Coronavirus on a local level. Our goal is to continue to provide a safe and healthy learning environment for all students.

Last week we shared with you some resources that include precautionary measures that we can all take to prevent the spread of illnesses.  We encourage you to once again review these measures with your family regarding these common-sense actions:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after coughing or sneezing. Alcohol-based hand cleaners that are at least 60-95% alcohol are also effective.
• Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your elbow. The primary way that the flu spreads from person to person is in the droplets produced by coughs and sneezes, so it is important to cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or cough/sneeze into your elbow or shoulder, not into your hands.
• Clean surfaces frequently, including countertops, light switches, cell phones, remotes, and other frequently touched items.
• Do not share personal items such as drinks, food, or utensils.
• Do not attend school if you are sick. Any student or staff member who is determined to be sick while at school will be sent home. Keep sick individuals at home for at least 24 hours after there is no longer a fever, or signs of a fever, without the use of fever reducing medicine such as ibuprofen (Advil) or acetaminophen (Tylenol).
• We are encouraging parents who may be planning to travel soon to please monitor Travel Alerts. To slow the spread of COVID-19 into the United States, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is working with state and local public health partners to implement after-travel health precautions.

As always, our priority is the health, safety, and well-being of our students and staff.  We will remain vigilant regarding the ongoing situation and will notify you of any additional changes to our strategy to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus.  Thank you for your cooperation and support as we navigate through this. Together we will work to ensure the health of our community and our students.