Dear NUSD Staff and Community,
Tomorrow, we welcome our staff and students to our school campuses under new guidance from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and Marin Public Health. Masks, or face coverings, are now strongly recommended indoors, but no longer required regardless of vaccination status.
We appreciate and acknowledge that the state lifting the mask requirement may cause anxiety for some people, especially those who are at higher risk for COVID or live with someone who is at higher risk. While mask wearing is strongly recommended by the state, it is an option for every student or staff member who wishes to wear one, or not wear one, at any time.
We realize that all families have different circumstances and therefore differing levels of comfort regarding mask usage. Respect will be honored for all choices and comfort levels.
- The state is providing personal choice for masking in schools with the expectation that individual choices are respected.
- One should not make assumptions regarding someone’s beliefs or health status based upon their choice to wear or not wear a mask, nor should they comment on them.
- If your student(s) expresses any anxiety, feel free to reach out to our school counselors for additional support as needed.
With this change in masking guidance, CDPH and Marin Public Health has reinstated the practice of sending exposure notifications to families and updated exposure guidance:
Notifications:
- Elementary Schools – Classroom/Group Notifications
- Secondary Schools – Secondary schools will continue to identify and notify known or high-risk close contacts. We ask families to partner with us in identifying students in high-risk activities who are close contacts, i.e., carpools, lunch time, etc.
- NUSD Staff – Notifications are met through AB 685 notices.
Exposures:
- Students and staff should stay home when sick.
- Students who are exposed to a positive person can remain in school and monitor symptoms for 14 days. It is strongly recommended they wear a mask for at least 5 days and test on Day 5 after exposure or if symptomatic (unless they had a COVID infection in the past 90 days).
- Staff who are exposed to a positive person should wear a mask or face covering for 10 days, especially in indoor settings, per Cal/OSHA, and test on Day 5.
- Students and staff are encouraged to take a COVID-19 test if exhibiting symptoms and/or if they have a known exposure to COVID-19. NUSD has test kits available if needed.
*March 12, 2022, CDPH Group-Tracing Approach to Students Exposed to COVID-19 in a K-12 Setting
We will continue following the plan we are all familiar with – monitoring symptoms, testing, high-quality ventilation systems, etc. – with a great deal of focus on personal responsibility and respect.
I truly appreciate your patience and understanding as we take every step to preserve the health of our students and staff while keeping our community as safe and healthy as possible.
Jan La Torre-Derby, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Leslie Benjamin
Director, Communications
& Community Engagement