August 28, 2021

Dear Midland Public Schools' Students, Staff and Families:

The Midland Public Schools are committed to providing a safe, traditional, in-person 2021-22 school year. Many of you have encouraged MPS to impose a broad mandate for masking. We have appreciated your patience as we took a measured, deliberate approach to imposing health protocols in close consultation with the Midland County Department of Public Health (MCDPH). We now have documented classroom spread in a few of our classrooms and positive cases of Covid in each of the school buildings.

To ensure the safest possible environment for all of our stakeholders, MPS will implement revisions to some of our health protocols as follows effective Monday, August 30, 2021:

• • • All students and staff in Grades K - 6th grade will be REQUIRED to wear a mask while indoors except while eating lunch. Masks will be strongly recommended outdoors. Masks will be available for students who need one.

    • All individuals riding a school bus must wear a mask at all times while being transported to and from school per federal order. Masks will be available for students who need one.

    • Students in 7th-12th grade and all staff are highly encouraged to wear a mask while indoors; regardless of vaccination status.

    • Students will be assigned a seat on the bus, in classrooms, and in the lunchroom to assist with contact tracing.

    • Volunteers and school visitors will be limited to essential guests until otherwise notified.

MPS will continue to review these protocols and current COVID case data with the MCDPH no less than weekly. Additional changes to our health protocols could be implemented at any time depending on community and in-school COVID trends.

The requirement to wear a mask protects those students whose parents have not been afforded the choice to have their child(ren) vaccinated due to the lack of access to approved vaccines for students under the age of 12. The MCDPH has reviewed these protocols and fully supports the masking of MPS students under 12 years of age. MPS, MCDPH and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) also continue to recommend masking for all of our students and staff as well as strongly recommending vaccination for all who are eligible.

The MPS protocols for close contacts include the following:

Midland PS COVID Flow Chart:

https://www.midlandps.org/docs/district/Covid-19/COVIDStudentFlowchart.pdf

Midland County Department of Public Health COVID Quick Reference Guide for Schools:

https://www.midlandps.org//COVID_MCDPH_Quick_Ref_Guide

Parents/Guardians are highly encouraged to monitor their child(ren) for COVID symptoms DAILY.

Students may not come to school if they have any of the following symptoms:

• Temperature 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher OR feels warm to touch OR feels feverish or has chills

• New cough or change in cough for a child who often has a cough

• Shortness of breath

• Loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Body aches

• Nausea or vomiting or diarrhea

• Severe headache

• Extreme Tiredness

• Congestion/Runny nose

We must continue to be flexible and prepared to respond to constant changes due to COVID-19. Please note that these plans will change if we receive public health orders from the CDC, MDHHS, the MCDPH, or the COVID metrics cause us to pause and reflect on the need to update the District's safety precautions.

While the number of positive COVID cases in the county, state and in MPS continues to increase, our best chance at maintaining in-person learning is by standing together, united in our efforts to keep the students in our community safe and healthy. This pandemic has been polarizing on so many levels. It is our sincerest hope that we can set possible differences aside and come together for the health and wellbeing of ALL!

Michael E. Sharrow Fred Yanoski

Superintendent of Schools Director, Midland County Department of Public Health