We hope everyone is having a safe, relaxing holiday vacation (though it is difficult with the alarming COVID-related news). Please take a moment before January 3rd to email the TESD school board and CCHD voicing your support for a continued mask mandate for in all TESD schools, regardless of vaccination status. At the bottom of this update is an email template along with the pertinent email addresses to contact.
What is happening in January that you need to know about?
- Next Monday, January 3rd, the T/E School Board will meet at 7:30 PM at Conestoga School, where the "District will provide a Priority Discussion on current guidance from health authorities and how pandemic conditions have changed since the current Health and Safety Plan was approved in August 2021. No vote on the Health and Safety Plan is planned for the January 3 meeting."
- Per the district, "Members of the public do not need to attend the meeting to provide feedback on the TESD Health and Safety Plan - Public Feedback. Residents and taxpayers who wish to provide comments regarding the Health and Safety Plan should submit via email to TECovidFeedback@tesd.net. All comments received in the TECovidFeedback inbox will be shared with the School Board and TESD Pandemic Team and will be considered along with comments provided during the public meetings."
- Then, on January 24th, the School Board will meet again to vote on "any potential changes to the Health and Safety plan."
The school district and CCHD need to hear from you, strongly voicing your support for a continued mask mandate.
Why is your voice more important than ever?
- Per the CCHD for the period ending 12/26, COVID cases in Chester County have essentially doubled in the last month. Many of these cases are community spread among the vaccinated. And, these figures do NOT take into account Christmas and New Year’s and the subsequent spread. Prior to the holiday break, COVID cases were at record levels in the TE schools.
- Pediatric hospitalizations are up 35% in the past week.
- Rapid tests are in very short supply and have been proven to be less sensitive to detecting Omicron.
- Omicron is significantly more transmissible than other variants.
- Updated CDC guidance is confusing and may lead to increased risk for spread.
- New COVID cases in the US are soaring to highest levels on record.
The bottom line is that now is not the time to ease up on masking, as it may be the only thing keeping our children relatively safe in school, as well as their families.
The pressure on the school boards is greater than ever and they need your support.
What can you do?
- Send an email to gusickr@tesd.net, schoolboard@tesd.net, groppec@tesd.net, and TECovidFeedback@tesd.net telling them that you support continued mask mandates in our schools, regardless of vaccination status. Copy the Chester County Health Department at cchd@chesco.org. [At the end of this update is an email template for your convenience]
- Encourage your friends, family and fellow community members to voice their support of continued masking to the school board and Chester County Health Department.
In this politicized world, we cannot assume that rational facts and science will prevail. Your voice is needed.
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Email template - Please, feel free to customize and personalize. Note: you must include your name and township for the school board to recognize the email.
To: gusickr@tesd.net, schoolboard@tesd.net, groppec@tesd.net, tecovidfeedback@tesd.net, cchd@chesco.org
Subject: Support of continued mask mandate in TESD schools
Dear Dr. Gusick, Dr. Groppe, TESD School Board, and CCHD,
I am writing to voice my support for a continued mask mandate in all TESD schools, regardless of vaccination status. With cases doubling in our county and our school district and Omicron spreading rapidly, now is not the time to make masks optional. The only way we can keep our students in school, in person, as safely as possible is with mandatory masking. The only way we can keep our vulnerable community members safe is with mandatory masking.
We appreciate that the TESD school board has recognized the importance of a universal mask mandate for TESD schools thus far, and we implore you to continue to do so, until medical guidance and data shows that changes can be made.
Thank you,
[Your name]
[Your township]