Update: Jan. 10

January 10, 2022 Update
 
Dear Oswego City School District Community,
 
Tomorrow morning, January 11, 2022, the district is planning to reopen all schools and programs, including all CiTi CTE and specialized programs, athletics (note, all teams have been cleared to resume) and extracurricular activities.
 
As we are preparing to do so, and with winter weather fully upon us, we wanted to encourage parents and guardians to ensure your child is bundled up with weather-appropriate clothing while waiting for the bus or walking to school. Hats, gloves, winter coats and appropriate footwear are essential to stay warm during this cold time of year. 
 
We also have several COVID-19 health updates to share with you, as recent guidance has prompted some procedural changes:
 
Health Updates
Recently, the CDC, NYS Department of Health and the Oswego Department of Health have shared with school districts several changes to procedures which are now being enacted. 
 
One important update that the district has received from the Oswego County DOH (OCDOH) is that the county has adopted a new 5-day isolation period for any staff or students who test positive for COVID-19, regardless of vaccination status.  This is a change from the previous 10 -14-day isolation period. These changes have been made based upon recent revisions to CDC guidance for schools.  
 
Accordingly, moving forward, when children and/or staff test positive for COVID-19, the district must be notified. Parents or guardians, and/or staff members should contact their school nurse or the district’s COVID-19 hotline to report this information and isolate for five days, where day zero is the first day of symptom onset or (if asymptomatic) the day of collection of the first positive specimen. If asymptomatic at the end of five days or if symptoms are resolving, isolation ends and the individual should wear a well-fitting mask while around others for an additional five days. These individuals will also be allowed to return to school.
 
Should any parents or guardians have any questions about this change to isolation requirements, they should contact their school nurse and/or the district COVID-19 hotline at 315-341-2055.
 
Monitoring for COVID-19 Symptoms
The district is requesting that parents and guardians continue to monitor their children for
COVID-19 symptoms.  Accordingly, should your child exhibit any symptoms associated with
COVID-19, regardless of vaccination status, they should be kept home and must be tested
before returning to school. Below is a list of symptoms associated with COVID-19.
 
COVID-19 Symptoms

• Fever or chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

 
Emergency warning signs for COVID-19

• Trouble breathing

• Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
• New confusion
• Inability to wake or stay awake
• Pale, gray, or blue-colored skin, lips, or nail beds, depending on skin tone

 
Additional Information Forthcoming
Throughout this week, the district will continue to share additional health updates as we receive them.  Specifically, we will soon share information about how to report results from COVID-19 home test and revisions to the department of health’s definition of “fully vaccinated.”  We ask that parents continue to monitor their emails throughout this week to look for this information.
 
With that said, thank you for your time and consideration of this information.  I will be in touch soon.
 
Yours In Education,
Mathis Calvin III, Ed. D.