COVID-19

Frequently asked questions about coronavirus (COVID-19)

Last updated March 17, 2020

What is the coronavirus?

The COVID-19 Coronavirus is an emerging and rapidly evolving outbreak of respiratory disease caused by a novel (new) coronavirus that was first detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, and which has now been detected in many locations internationally, including cases in the United States. The virus has been named “SARS-CoV-2,” and the disease it causes has been named “coronavirus disease 2019” (abbreviated “COVID-19”).

How will the Fox C-6 School District determine when it might be necessary to close a school(s)?

Out of an abundance of caution, and in collaboration with local health officials and the other Jefferson County School Districts, school will be closed beginning Wednesday, March 18, 2020 through Friday, April 24, 2020. Spring Break is scheduled for Monday, April 6 through Friday, April 10, 2020. Prior to the end of spring break, we will re-evaluate to determine if we will be able to return to school on Monday, April 13, 2020.

How can Fox students continue to learn during the extended school closure?

While we are away from school, our goal is to minimize the gap in learning for our students. Teachers will not expect students to submit work to be graded during this extended school closure. Instead, teachers may be sending home extra practice activities for students to complete during this extended school closure. Additionally, students who have access to a computer or Chromebook at home are able to log in to Clever to access a variety of resources for reading, math practice, and other core content areas. The Curriculum Department has developed a guide for families to review recommended resources to utilize to help minimize the gaps in student learning. Click here to access this family guide.

What should I do if my child is sick?

If your child is sick, please keep them home from school. Please call your child’s school and report the illness symptoms your student is experiencing to the attendance secretary. Call your child’s health care provider for advice on managing your child’s illness.

How can my child and family stay well?

To help prevent the spread of illness, follow these important tips:

Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
Avoid touching your face, eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Stay home when you are sick.
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

Will my student or I be penalized for staying home from school sick?

Absolutely not. We want our students to be at school. However, when they are sick, they should be at home. The same applies to our staff members. We need our staff to be healthy in order to care for our children, so they should stay home when they are sick.

What measures are you taking to prevent the spread of illness?

We have put additional plans in place to increase the disinfection of schools, including surfaces and buses. Fox C-6 is taking this opportunity to remind students and staff about good hand hygiene and to cover coughs and sneezes.

Will Fox C-6 cancel school events or student trips?

Out of an abundance of caution and concern for the health and safety of our students, staff, and community, all Fox C-6 after school activities, clubs, practices, and MSHSAA activities have been canceled beginning Wednesday, March 18, 2020 through Friday, April 10, 2020. School activities scheduled for Monday, March 16 and Tuesday, March 17 will be held on a case-by-case basis as determined by each school's principal.

Are students given opportunities to wash their hands during the school day including before lunch?

Students are being given opportunities to wash their hands during the school day. In locations where access to soap and water is limited, hand sanitizer is also available.

How will the Fox C-6 School District handle an outbreak of illness in our community and/or schools?

We would be working closely with the Jefferson County Health Department and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services and following their recommendations.

Currently, we have increased our cleaning and sanitizing procedures and are emphasizing the importance of good hand hygiene at school. Although we hope that our schools will not need to close, we are looking at ways to support student learning in the event of a prolonged closure.

If my student travels outside of the country, will the Fox C-6 School District restrict his/her reentry into school?

Fox C-6 will be following the direction of the Health Department in these situations. People who are ill or have traveled to areas where COVID-19 is active may be asked by public health officials to quarantine at home for a period of time. Since this is an evolving situation, it is impossible to say with certainty who may be impacted by recommended quarantine. If you are traveling to a Level 3 zone, upon return you will be asked to self-quarantine for 14 days.

What are Fox C-6 School District’s cleaning procedures?

Our Facilities Department uses a hospital-grade disinfectant to clean solid surfaces. Custodians are wiping down surfaces such as tables, doorknobs, handrails, light switches and drinking fountains on a regular basis. We have recently added more disinfection of school buses as well.

Can and/or should students and staff wear masks at school?

Public health authorities do not currently recommend that healthy people routinely wear masks, and we do not recommend that students and staff wear masks at school. There is some evidence that people who are sick can lessen the spread of respiratory infections if they wear a mask. The World Health Organization recommends if you are healthy, you only need to wear a mask if:

you are taking care of a person with a suspected infection.
you are coughing or sneezing.

Masks are effective only when used in combination with frequent hand-cleaning with hand sanitizer or soap and water. If you wear a mask, then you must know how to use it and dispose of it properly. Masks are in very limited supply and should be reserved for sick people and medical professionals exposed to illness. Fox C-6 does not have access to masks for routine use at school. Students and staff who are coughing and sneezing should stay home until their symptoms have improved.

If staff or students have traveled outside of the U.S. or have been exposed to someone with known COVID-19, are they permitted to attend school?

People who are returning from overseas travel are screened at the airport on reentry into this country for symptoms of illness and risk factors such as having traveled in an area where COVID-19 is circulating. Based on this screening, people are advised to return to normal activity (no identifiable risk), to self-quarantine at home (low risk), to quarantine at home with public health supervision (medium risk) or are sent to quarantine locations or hospitals (high risk). We follow the guidance provided by public health authorities, and if a person has been cleared for regular activity, they may attend school or work. We expect to be notified if a student and/or staff member was at medium or high risk. Please be mindful that this is a rapidly evolving situation, and we expect CDC will continue to update its travel guidance.

Where can I find more information about the coronavirus?

We are updating this dedicated Coronavirus webpage as needed with new resources and our recent communications. Our top priority is the health and safety of our students and staff, and we take this responsibility very seriously.

Who can I contact for more information in the Fox C-6 School District?

For more information, or if you have questions or concerns, please contact your school principal or nurse. You can also contact Kim Schumacher, Director of Nursing, schumacherk@foxc6.org.