MCPS Community Message: Important Information from MCPS About o Return to School on Monday, January 3

Per MCPS:

Dear MCPS Community,

Happy New Year! We hope you enjoyed winter break, and we are excited to welcome our students back tomorrow for in-person learning. In preparation, we want to share how we will communicate with you in the coming weeks, as we seek to preserve the in-person learning experience while confronting a rise in COVID-19 cases.

Inclement Weather
The weather for Jan. 3 forecasts rain turning to a mix of ice and snow by early Monday. We will monitor the weather and conditions of roads and sidewalks throughout the night and make a determination about delay or closure as necessary. Those notifications are typically communicated by 5 a.m.

Reporting Positive Cases
If any student or staff member tests positive for COVID-19, please report it to MCPS using this form. This is the same process used during winter break to collect information on students or staff members who tested positive. Beginning Monday, Jan. 3, you may also call your school if you are not able to submit the information electronically.

Data Reporting
Through 10 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 1, there have been 3,686 positive cases reported among students and staff in MCPS during winter break. The number of cases in the school system over the last several weeks has increased significantly in line with trends across Maryland and the United States. As shared in our Dec. 30 community update, we are taking a number of measures to keep students and staff safe.

You can view the number of positive cases over winter break at each school at this link. Schools will not send community letters regarding cases reported during winter break. Beginning Monday, Jan. 3, a list of the number of positive cases reported at each school site that day will be reported at the top of the COVID-19 Dashboard website by 7 p.m. each school day. The dashboard will continue to report data on total positive cases and quarantines on a weekly basis.

Community Updates
To keep families updated, throughout January, all members of the MCPS community will receive community update emails on Thursday afternoons, with the most up-to-date information regarding COVID-19 and the steps we are taking to keep students, staff, families and community members safe.

Individual School Transitions to Virtual Learning
We are continuing to monitor cases on a daily basis. As shared previously, if 5% or more of unrelated students/teachers/staff members (minimum of 10 individuals) tests positive in a 14-day period, MCPS central office staff and the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) will work together to determine if students in the school should transition to virtual learning for 14 calendar days. Please note that the 5% threshold does not automatically result in school closure; the primary factor to consider will be the level of virus spread in the school.

Parents and guardians will be notified if a decision is made to transition to virtual learning. Currently, no school has reached the 5% threshold, so all schools are scheduled to open as planned tomorrow, Monday, Jan. 3.

Important Reminders

• Keep children home if they have any symptoms of illness and get them tested for COVID-19.
  It’s important that students don’t spread their illness to others. Please keep them home when they are sick and have them tested for COVID-19 as an extra precaution.
• Say Yes to the Test.
  Parents must give their permission for in-school testing.They can do so by completing this form. For more details, please visit our “Say Yes to the Test” website.

Athletics
Important information providing guidance for athletes and spectators about game schedules, masking, overnight travel and more are provided in the Return to R.A.I.S.E. athletics update that can be reviewed at this link.

Thank you for your support as we prepare for the first day of school in 2022.

Montgomery County Public Schools