November 17, 2020

Dear Parents/Guardians and Students:

Today we learned that individuals at the following Colonial Schools have been determined to be positive for COVID-19:

● Carrie Downie Elementary School (2) – last in building on Tuesday, Nov. 10th
● William Penn High School (1) – last in the building on Sunday, Nov. 15th

Additionally, an individual associated with multiple buildings ( Southern Elementary School, Gunning Bedford Middle School, and Colwyck Early Education Program ) has been identified as a Presumptive Positive . This individual was last at work on Friday, November 13th.

These individuals will not return to school until the isolation period has passed. Anyone who has been in close contact with the individuals, as determined by the Division of Public Health, will be contacted by our partners at DPH and may have to quarantine for 14 days before returning to school. Individual decisions on quarantining are made by DPH epidemiologists, in consultation with the affected individual, and may depend on whether the individual was wearing a mask.

Please visit https://coronavirus.delaware.gov to learn more about DPH protocols around positive COVID-19 cases in schools. We always encourage you to monitor your child for any symptoms of COVID-19. If a student or staff member is sick with any of the following symptoms, stay home: fever, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, muscle aches, fatigue, chills, shaking with chills, loss of smell or taste, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, or headache or congestion or runny nose without a known cause such as allergies. Our school nurses are available to support your family by reviewing symptoms to watch for, answering questions you may have, assisting with follow up communications, and providing further information on available testing sites. COVID-19 testing is free and available in our local community. DPH encourages all Delawareans – whether you are experiencing symptoms or not – to consider getting a free test. That will help our state more accurately track the spread of the disease and keep our communities healthy.

Visit https://coronavirus.delaware.gov/testing/ for the latest updates on COVID-19 in Delaware and information on free COVID-19 testing in Delaware. Colonial School District adheres to strict cleaning, social distancing, and hygiene protocols. This is our best defense against COVID-19 and its spread. District custodial staff are aware of the positive cases and are following prescribed protocols for cleaning in accordance with the most up-to-date health guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and DPH.

As a precaution, all Colonial School District Schools moved to virtual learning beginning Monday, November 16, 2020.  Please continue to monitor our website at www.colonialschooldistrict.org and social media for the latest updates as we strive to keep families fully informed.

With the Holidays approaching, the Delaware Division of Public Health recommends Delawareans take the following actions to prevent further spread of infection in the community:

  • Only dine socially (at home and in restaurants) with those who live with you
  • Don’t spend time socially with people outside your household
  • Don’t plan on holding holiday dinners with those outside your household – even family

Sincerely, Jon Cooper, EdD
District COVID-19 Coordinator