Our ultimate goal is to keep our students and staff safe and in healthy learning environments. Therefore, we will implement COVID-19 mitigation strategies across Ladue Schools to ensure a safe learning environment for students and staff.
Mitigating Strategies
As reported by the CDC, vaccines have proven to be quite effective but there isn’t one specific measure that eliminates the risk of transmitting COVID-19 and/or its variants. This is why health experts recommend a layered approach – one that incorporates the use of vaccines, masks, social distancing, the use of outdoor spaces, and sanitization.
Recommendations/guidelines from the CDC, St. Louis County Department of Public Health, American Academy of Pediatrics, and our Medical Task Force Team all indicate wearing face masks is the best mitigating strategy for reducing the spread of the COVID-19 and/or its variants until more individuals are vaccinated. In fact, 450 local doctors wrote a letter to parents with their recommendations/guidelines on how to return to school and keep our children safe. This letter has already been shared with parents through district communications.
Masking is in effect across Ladue Schools
- Although 85% of our staff is fully vaccinated, all adults and children must wear masks while indoors or on our school buses, regardless of an individual’s vaccination status. It is recommended that masks also be worn outdoors when large groups are present or when the situation is such that people are in close proximity for 15 minutes or longer.
- Masks will be provided for all students and staff when needed.
- Last year, masking was a key piece of the COVID-19 mitigation protocols that enabled in-person school to be successful.
- We will encourage outside learning opportunities and mask breaks.
- We will continue to receive updates on the latest data available to monitor the level of community transmission; we will make changes as necessary.
- We will be monitoring and discussing the mask mandate and making adjustments as the health of our region improves.
- If there is a medical reason your child(ren) cannot wear a face covering, you will need to contact the building nurse for additional guidance.
Physical Distancing, Exclusion & Isolating
Social distancing protocols (3 feet) for all building spaces have been developed, including the use of floor decals to indicate appropriate distances.
- We utilized capacity studies conducted by an architectural firm to establish social distancing protocols as outlined by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
- Teachers are encouraged to use outdoor spaces for instruction as appropriate.
- Following this link will provide additional information regarding protocol for identifying cases.
Handwashing
Building principals will continue to work with their staff to facilitate:
✔ Schedules to allow for increased handwashing opportunities.
✔ The ideal placement of the 40 handwashing stations to ensure easy access for our students and staff to wash hands regularly.
Age-appropriate posters are displayed throughout school buildings to reinforce the CDC’s recommendations/guidelines for best-practice handwashing.
Contact Tracing
Updated Jan. 7, 2022
Taking into consideration current CDC and St. Louis County Department of Public Health and our Medical Task Force Team recommendations, we have updated our contact tracing procedures.
The changes are as follows:
- Upon notification of a positive COVID case, we will ask the student and family to notify those with whom they had close contact
- For information on current district case numbers, we will refer families to our COVID data dashboard
- We will no longer send a letter to the school community each time there is a confirmed case or close contacts within the school