NVCE has done a great job last year with juggling online education while simultaneously maintaining the most stringent levels of safety on campus. We were all looking forward to returning this school year in a more normal , relaxed environment, but unfortunately in light of the rapid increase in COVID-19 due to delta variant in the last couple of weeks, these relaxed protocols are no longer safe for unvaccinated children. 

We parents are asking two simple measures to put into place to help protect our children and provide a safe education environment :

1) Follow CDC guidelines for universal masking for all individuals on campus, in addition to the multiple layered prevention strategies that are already in place. 

2) Put in place online learning for families that are not yet comfortable sending their unvaccinated kids to school , given the higher transmission rate of the delta variant and the current state of cases in Maricopa county. Please keep in mind this poses further complications to those of us living in families with immunocompromised or medically complex family members. 

As  parents, you can imagine our worry and chagrin , after having kept our kiddos home for  a year and half , we are now asked to send them back unvaccinated and without universal masking. So all our efforts to protect our families last year were in vain!

Pfizer EUA for under 12 is currently expected in mid- september, so hopefully there is light at the end of tunnel sooner rather than later . Failure to follow the utmost stringent measures and offer hybrid options will only send the message that last year these policies were only put in place to protect the health of unvaccinated adults and sends a message of callous disregard for the health and safety of the unvaccinated children currently attending NVCE.

NVCE once again has the opportunity to show that they are the leader when it comes to the education, health and safety of our children. This school has been a like a second home for our children, we know you love our kiddos, and now is the time to show it by keeping them safe and healthy through what is hopefully the tail end of this pandemic! 

SOURCES

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/k-12-guidance.html#mask-use 

https://www.azdhs.gov/covid19/data/index.php

https://www.abc15.com/news/state-of-education/list-valley-school-districts-with-mask-mandates